Teatermusikaliska ljudhändelser. Ett bidrag till studiet av musik och angränsande ljudobjekt i talteater och opera
(2003)- Abstract
- This dissertation focuses primarily on the following aspects concerning music in theatre: 1) its experienced peculiarity – ontologically grounded, 2) its sounding scope, and 3) its various kinds of functions. I argue that the difference between spoken theatre and opera is a question of degree rather than essence, and consider such an assertion being especially valid for the music of these genres. This is one reason why by the noun theatre-music (as alternative to more common, but also more limited terms) I understand all kinds of music connected with scenic-created fictional events. It ought to be mentioned that I regard recitatives and other variants of speech-song as stylized talking, not as theatrical music in a strict sense. There are... (More)
- This dissertation focuses primarily on the following aspects concerning music in theatre: 1) its experienced peculiarity – ontologically grounded, 2) its sounding scope, and 3) its various kinds of functions. I argue that the difference between spoken theatre and opera is a question of degree rather than essence, and consider such an assertion being especially valid for the music of these genres. This is one reason why by the noun theatre-music (as alternative to more common, but also more limited terms) I understand all kinds of music connected with scenic-created fictional events. It ought to be mentioned that I regard recitatives and other variants of speech-song as stylized talking, not as theatrical music in a strict sense. There are two principally different categories of theatre-music, one belonging inside, and the other outside the characters’ fictive world, categories which some scholars call ‘diegetic’ and ‘non-diegetic music’ respectively, a terminology, however, that I myself question. A distinctive feature of music within scenic-created fictions (the ‘diegetic music’) is that it gives an impression of unreality. This I try to explain by means of a perception-psychological hypothesis, though not excluding cognitive aspects. A particularly intricate perceptual problem occurs when items of diegetic and non-diegetic music sound simultaneously. Another characteristic of theatre-music is that it is almost impossible to mark off from adjacent categories of sound-events, such as sound effects and instrumental signalling, but also recitatives and speech-song, cf. above. Because of this, I also introduce a wider concept, which I label “theatre-musical sound-events”. The third and most spacious of the main issues concerns the functions of theatrical sound-events, functions considered partly from the characters’ point of view, partly vis-à-vis the audience. One of the conclusions drawn in this dissertation – though maybe not very revolutionary – is that music, under certain circumstances, and particularly in opera, may threaten the possibility of perceiving fictitious reality by more or less changing the event from a theatrical one to a kind of concert performance. Another conclusion, or perhaps rather an expansion of the former, is that many musical items which are considered high-quality products as “autonomous” music, may very well be inefficient as theatre-music (e.g. as “functional” music), and the reverse. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/21197
- author
- Lund, Frithjof LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Prof. Wiklund, Anders, Göteborgs universitet
- organization
- alternative title
- Theatre-musical sound-events. A contribution to the study of music and adjacent sound-occurrences in spoken theatre and opera
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- ”Trennung der Elemente“, illusions, fiction, communication, semiotics, cognition, perception, multimedial art-works, melodramas, musicals, epic music-theatre, opera, paralinguistic, speech-song, instrumental signals, sound effects, overtures, Zwischenaktsmusik, entr’actes, incidental music, fictional music, diegetic music, Theatre-music, functional music, music and emotions., Dramatic art, Teatervetenskap, Musicology, Musikvetenskap
- pages
- 419 pages
- publisher
- Frithjof Lund, Hampusgården, SE-232 52 Åkarp, Sweden
- defense location
- Wrangel-huset, room 117, Biskopsgatan 5, Lund
- defense date
- 2003-11-03 10:00:00
- ISBN
- 91-631-4414-x
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c9a6a9c2-fa8b-4d46-9565-8d05447d92d0 (old id 21197)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 10:21:33
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 20:58:18
@phdthesis{c9a6a9c2-fa8b-4d46-9565-8d05447d92d0,
abstract = {{This dissertation focuses primarily on the following aspects concerning music in theatre: 1) its experienced peculiarity – ontologically grounded, 2) its sounding scope, and 3) its various kinds of functions. I argue that the difference between spoken theatre and opera is a question of degree rather than essence, and consider such an assertion being especially valid for the music of these genres. This is one reason why by the noun theatre-music (as alternative to more common, but also more limited terms) I understand all kinds of music connected with scenic-created fictional events. It ought to be mentioned that I regard recitatives and other variants of speech-song as stylized talking, not as theatrical music in a strict sense. There are two principally different categories of theatre-music, one belonging inside, and the other outside the characters’ fictive world, categories which some scholars call ‘diegetic’ and ‘non-diegetic music’ respectively, a terminology, however, that I myself question. A distinctive feature of music within scenic-created fictions (the ‘diegetic music’) is that it gives an impression of unreality. This I try to explain by means of a perception-psychological hypothesis, though not excluding cognitive aspects. A particularly intricate perceptual problem occurs when items of diegetic and non-diegetic music sound simultaneously. Another characteristic of theatre-music is that it is almost impossible to mark off from adjacent categories of sound-events, such as sound effects and instrumental signalling, but also recitatives and speech-song, cf. above. Because of this, I also introduce a wider concept, which I label “theatre-musical sound-events”. The third and most spacious of the main issues concerns the functions of theatrical sound-events, functions considered partly from the characters’ point of view, partly vis-à-vis the audience. One of the conclusions drawn in this dissertation – though maybe not very revolutionary – is that music, under certain circumstances, and particularly in opera, may threaten the possibility of perceiving fictitious reality by more or less changing the event from a theatrical one to a kind of concert performance. Another conclusion, or perhaps rather an expansion of the former, is that many musical items which are considered high-quality products as “autonomous” music, may very well be inefficient as theatre-music (e.g. as “functional” music), and the reverse.}},
author = {{Lund, Frithjof}},
isbn = {{91-631-4414-x}},
keywords = {{”Trennung der Elemente“; illusions; fiction; communication; semiotics; cognition; perception; multimedial art-works; melodramas; musicals; epic music-theatre; opera; paralinguistic; speech-song; instrumental signals; sound effects; overtures; Zwischenaktsmusik; entr’actes; incidental music; fictional music; diegetic music; Theatre-music; functional music; music and emotions.; Dramatic art; Teatervetenskap; Musicology; Musikvetenskap}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Frithjof Lund, Hampusgården, SE-232 52 Åkarp, Sweden}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Teatermusikaliska ljudhändelser. Ett bidrag till studiet av musik och angränsande ljudobjekt i talteater och opera}},
year = {{2003}},
}