Silent Film and Music Essay

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1. Describe the three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era and cites specific examples from The Birth of a Nation. (10 points)

The three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era are Adaptations of Classics, Arrangements of tunes, and newly composed music. In most cases, adaptation of classics involves action and dramatic scenes. It is borrowing a large amount of an already existing composition for use in film score. In The Birth of a Nation, Mozart’s music was used for the ending of the movie and also in the scene that showed Lincoln’s assassination. The main use of classical work is during a tense, apprehensive, action or violent moment. Arrangements of tunes are …show more content…
New music is original in the sense that it is not borrowed or taken from anywhere else. It is created for the film. D.W Griffith uses the music to represent the theme and the aspect of the story and to alter the themes. Griffith also uses new music to reflect changes that are taking place in the story.
1. Describe the three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era and cites specific examples from The Birth of a Nation. (10 points)

The three basic types of music heard in original scores during the silent film era are Adaptations of Classics, Arrangements of tunes, and newly composed music. In most cases, adaptation of classics involves action and dramatic scenes. It is borrowing a large amount of an already existing composition for use in film score. In The Birth of a Nation, Mozart’s music was used for the ending of the movie and also in the scene that showed Lincoln’s assassination. The main use of classical work is during a tense, apprehensive, action or violent moment. Arrangements of tunes are mainly used to set moods, bring out emotions or to create an outlook. The musician, Joseph Breil, included tunes in The Birth of a Nation, such as “Maryland” and “Dixie”, to create a sense of brighter, less tense feel. The third type of music that is heard in original scores is new music. New music is original in the sense that it is not borrowed or taken from anywhere else. It is created for the film. D.W Griffith uses the music to
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