Key Constellations: Interpreting Tonality in FilmKey is one of the simplest building blocks of music and is among the foundational properties of a work’s musical identity—so why isn’t it a standard parameter in discussing film music? Key Constellations: Interpreting Tonality in Film is the first book to investigate film soundtracks—including original scoring, preexisting music, and sound effects—through the lens of large-scale tonality. Exploring compelling analytical examples from numerous popular films, Táhirih Motazedian shows how key and pitch analysis of film music can reveal hidden layers of narrative meaning, giving readers exciting new ways to engage with their favorite films and soundtracks. |
Contents
Tonal Analysis of the Soundtrack | 27 |
Tonal graph for The Talented Mr Ripley 96 | 29 |
CGmajor and Dmajor cues in The Darjeeling Limited | 39 |
Salieri offers his prayer and God fulfills it Amadeus | 46 |
Compositions in Mozarts portfolio reviewed by Salieri Amadeus | 49 |
Filmic Characters Rising Up and Settling Down | 56 |
Sequence trajectories in Persuasion | 60 |
Preexisting works in Persuasion | 63 |
All Dminor cues in The Talented Mr Ripley | 86 |
Toms realization in The Talented Mr Ripley | 87 |
Time periods screen aspect ratios and keys in The Grand Budapest Hotel | 100 |
Unheard Sound Effects | 108 |
Sound effects during Fmajor sequence in The Grand Budapest Hotel | 112 |
Tinnitus pitches in Baby Driver | 133 |
Transposed keys of Easy in Baby Driver | 140 |
Intentionality and Other Closing Thoughts | 145 |
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Common terms and phrases
accompanies Almásy analysis Anne associative tonality Baby Driver Baby’s Bb minor BBB theme begins Benjamin BH major Boggis Bunce cadence cadential Captain Wentworth chapter characters closing credits composer context cues D minor D-minor Darjeeling Limited Debora Dickie Dickie's diegetic directional tonality discussed dominant Eb major Elaine Elements featured Emma English Patient F minor Figure Film Music film soundtrack film tonality film’s final flashback Fox's functional functional tonality G major Gabriel Yared Golden Ratio Grand Budapest Hotel Gustave half-step harmonic Hollywood instance interpretation intertextual Katharine key of G Leittonwechsel Margot meta key montage montage sequence Mothersbaugh Mozart Music Theory musical sequence narrative nondiegetic original occurs opera piano pitched sound effects plays preexisting music relationship RELEVANT PLOT SYNOPSIS Ripley Royal Tenenbaums Salieri scene score sequence song sonic sound effects stepwise Timestamp tinnitus Tom's tonal agency tonal design tonic transposed transposition triad underscores V7 chord Video visual Zero