Don't Fear the Reaper... Literally

First I would like to make a comment about last Friday's forum with Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. For those of you who did not go, you missed out! It was really cool to hear what he had to say about education and the internet. He seemed pretty optimistic that the internet and Facebook would continue to be an important part of the learning process for all students, young and old. I was secretly hoping that Senator Orin Hatch would ask him about how his feelings towards the use of blogs for educational purposes but, sadly, he didn't. I saw Max there, so I know at least one other person went!

Now I will be continuing my posts on modern music and Shakespeare (you can find my two prior posts here and here). For those of you who are not familiar with the Blue Oyster Cult song, "Don't Fear the Reaper," there are some pretty overt Shakespearean references in the song. This song, like the other two I have blogged about, also makes reference to Romeo and Juliet (the fact that I am finding so many modern day songs with references to Romeo and Juliet makes me wonder, what is it that appeals to modern day musicians about Romeo and Juliet? Is it the fact that it is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and that is the only one they have read or is there something else? Give me your insight!). I am not particularly fond of this song, but I find it relevant for my blogging purposes (here is a link to the focus of my blog)

Rush's "Limelight" and Shakespeare

This is a continuation of a series of posts talking about and analyzing Shakespearean references in modern day songs. With this theme for my upcoming posts, I hope to show that Shakespeare is still relevant in pop culture, specifically in modern day music. You can find my first post, an analysis of Bob Dylan's song "Desolation Row," here.

For this post, I would like to analyze the Rush classic, "Limelight." For those of you not familiar with Rush's music, they are a Canadian band formed in 1968 whose music is very progressive in nature. They are one of the most talented rock groups in rock music and have received much critical acclaim. As cited on Wikipedia,"as a group, Rush possesses 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records. Rush's sales statistics place them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums by a rock band. Rush also ranks 79th in U.S. album sales with 25 million units."

Now that we have a little background information on the group, we can analyze the song!

Modern Day Song References to Shakespeare

Now that I have concluded my analysis on the music used in movie adaptations of Hamlet, I am now going to do a series of posts talking about and analyzing Shakespearean references in modern day songs. I plan to do at least three posts on the subject. With this theme for my upcoming posts, I hope to show that Shakespeare is still relevant in pop culture, specifically in modern day music.

The first song I would like to talk about is called "Desolation Row" by Bob Dylan. This song has two Shakespearean references, one about Romeo and another about Ophelia. The song mentions many characters who are undergoing unfavorable situations. Here is the stanza in which Romeo is mentioned:

And in comes Romeo, he’s moaning

“You Belong to Me I Believe”

And someone says, “You’re in the wrong place my friend

You better leave”

And the only sound that’s left

After the ambulances go

Is Cinderella sweeping up

On Desolation Row

The Use of Music and the Lack Thereof

This will be my last post, in a series of 4, (the previous posts you can find here, here and here) speaking about the music used in movie adaptations of Hamlet.


The last film I would like to talk about is the 1996 Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet. This film is considered to be one of the best interpretations of Shakespeare's masterpiece. It is rather long, considering it lasts for more than four hours, but stays close to the original text in almost every aspect. In the scene that I am going to post below, the music is very subtle. At times, it is hard to even recognize its presence. By not letting the music become overpowering, Branagh shows that what is said is more important in our interpreting of the scene than the music. As I have previously mentioned, the music used in movies often helps determine our perception of the emotions in a specific scene. Here, the scene is more open to interpretation than others in which the music is extremely over powering.

Lastly, I would like to post a video from Olivier's film on Hamlet. Here, there is no music used.

As always, which one do you like better? Do you think having subtle music is better than having no music whatsoever? Why?

"Friends, Romans, Classmates, lend me your comments!!!"

Two Comparisons of the Music Used in Hamlet Movie trailers

As a continuation of my posts on the music used in movie adaptations of Hamlet (you can find both of my previous posts here and here), I would like to do a comparison of the music used in two different movie trailers of Hamlet.


The first trailer I would like to discuss is the 1990 Zeffirelli trailer. Zeffirelli's film is full of star power. It stars Mel Gibson as Hamlet, Glen Close as Gertrude and Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia. When the trailer begins, very upbeat and happy music is used to perk the viewers interest in the film. As it gradually goes on, the music changes from happy and upbeat to more dramatic. The switch between the dramatic and the upbeat music happens when the narrator of the trailer begins to describe the premise of the movie. This technique of using both upbeat and happy music as well as more dramatic music is used to appeal to all sorts of different viewers. It gives the film more of a universal feeling in that it appeals to different demographics. You can see the trailer below:

The second trailer I would like to discuss is for the 2000 Almereyda movie. Unlike Zeffirelli who did a more classical interpretation of the work, Almereyda's film takes place in the year 2000 in New York City and uses contemporary situations and themes to portray Shakespeare's play. The music used in the trailer is very contemporary. The first song used is techno style showing from the start that this is not your typical Shakespearean film. The second song used is a cover of David Bowie's song, "Heroes." The use of this song suggests the film is meant to show the heroic nature in the characters. You can see the trailer below:

Now I would like the reader to give me some input on the two trailers. What different feelings do both trailers evoke? How does the music used in the trailers determine our perception of both movies? Do you think the modern music used in Almereyda's trailer works with Shakespeare?

Give me your thoughts!!!

Much Ado About Nothing

This is going to be a short post. I went to see the BYU Theater's performance of Much Ado About Nothing two days ago, so I thought I would blog about that before going back to my analysis of musical scores in movie adaptations of Hamlet. I would highly recommend going to see BYU Theater's rendition of Much Ado About Nothing. The actors did an exceptionally good job at portraying their characters accurately and uniquely. The director devised the play so that it was WWII based, bringing a new dynamic to the work. While I enjoyed the WWII concept, I wish they would have adapted the language to be more representative of the WWII era. One thing that I did enjoy that is connected to my blog focus, was the music they used in different parts of the work. The music brought a unique feel to the play, considering the majority of plays do not use music in their performances.

Kozintsev and Hamlet

This is my second post on musical scores of Hamlet. Here is a link to the first post in the series.

In 1964, Grigori Kozintsev directed a dark and mysterious version of Hamlet shot in Denmark. From the scenes that I have seen it is obvious that Kozinsev was trying to bring out the dark tenants of one of Shakespeare's most famous works. The music, as well as the camera angels, play to these dark tenants as well. As I watched the scene below, I could not help but feel a little bit frightened as Hamlet enters Ophelia's bed chamber. As Leonard notes in her book, "the music for Kozintsev's production was composed by Dmitri Shostakovich, who had already composed music for two different productions of Hamlet before he worked on the 1964 film" (16). To describe Shostakovich's work, Leonard quotes J. Lawrence Gunther who said,"Shostakovich's score counterpoints, highlights, and comments on the action itself, transforming each shot into a microcosmic Gesamtkunstwerk, a unified work of art in image and sound." I could not agree more with Lawrence's quote. The music and images join together to create a mood that is undeniably dark, yet accurate in their portrayal of Hamlet's story.

Here is a YouTube clip from Kozintsev's work:

Scoring Hamlet

This is my first post, in a series of five I plan to do, regarding the music used in film adaptations of Hamlet.

I took Professor Burton's advice and decided to actually walk to the library(I know, how brave of me!) to check out some of their books on music and Shakespeare. One book, which I have found very useful as of late, is Kendra Preston Leonard's Shakespeare, Madness, and Music. The book talks about the use of music in some of the most popular Shakespearean movie adaptations ever made. Here is a link to a book description of Leonard's work, Shakespeare, Madness, and Music. I would now like to talk about the music used in a movie adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet as mentioned in Leonard's book.

The first screen adaptation of Hamlet was made in 1948 by Laurence Olivier. As Leonard states in her book, Olivier's film was the first full-length film adaptation of Hamlet shot with fully integrated sound. Leonard writes the following when speaking of this technical innovation: "For the first time in the cinema, audiences overheard the machinations of Claudius and Polonius alongside Hamlet, Heard Hamlet's interior thoughts, and received information conveyed by an orchestral score created to promote the director's vision of the work and the roles that inhabit it"(11). The music for the movie was composed by composer William Walton. Walton's music is used in the film for one-third of its duration. Many of Walton's musical compositions are used to establish the specific mood of a scene, rather than to accompany spoken dialogue.

Here is an exert from Olivier's film in which music is an important dynamic in setting a specific mood.

Leonard's book talks about five specific movie adaptations of Hamlet and the music they use. I plan to highlight the music used in each Hamlet interpretation mentioned in the book.

Sexism in the Taming of the Shrew

    
       So, as we have discussed in class, the Taming of the Shrew is a very sexist play.  The majority of the male characters in the work show their blatantly sexist characteristics by the words they say and by the way they treat the women in their lives.  A prime example of sexism is the relationship between Petruchio and Katharina.
      One of the first demonstrations of sexism by Petruchio in the work happens at a luncheon after he and Katharina's wedding.  At the luncheon, the two are both surrounded by family and friends of Katharina.  While this party is in their honor, Petruchio wants to leave immediately and does not acknowledge Katharina's protests.  "I will be master of what is mine own.  She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything; and here she stands, touch her whoever dare."  This scene shows that Petruchio felt that he had dominion over Katharina and that she should do whatever he commanded.
      Later in the play, the couple get into an argument over what time it was.  While this may seem a very rudimentary argument, for Petruchio it is more.  He sees this argument as a test of his manly dominion and will not back down, despite his obviously being wrong.  "Look what I speak, or do, or think to do, you are still crossing it.--Sirs, let't alone.  I will not go today, and ere I do, it shall be what o'clock I say it is."  Here, Petruchio practically states that his opinion is the only one that matters.  He openly disregards Katharina's statements and shows his disrespect for her and her opinions.
      Lastly, in the final scene of the play, Petruchio engages in a very sexist bet with Hortensio and Lucentio.  The three make a hefty wager on whose wife will answer their call the fastest.  After neither Hortensio nor Lucentio's wives come after being summoned by their husbands, Petruchio does the same.  After Katharina answers his call and comes to him, he begins to boast and show his dominion over her by commanding her to throw off her hat.  "See where she comes and brings your forward wives as prisoners to her womanly persuasion--- Katharina, that cap of yours becomes you not.  Off with that bauble.  Throw it underfoot."  This scene shows how Petruchio feels that he needs to control Katharina in every aspect in her life, even with what she wears.
      These examples show that the relationship between Petruchio and Katharina was a highly one-sided relationship.  While Katharine started out the play being a very strong opinionated person with much to say, by the end of the play Petruchio's sexism had broken her down severely.  In return, Petruchio got exactly what he wanted, a wife with low self esteem willing to obey his every command.