Musikalske elementer i musikaler

Abstract

Denne masteroppgaven undersøker hvordan musikalske elementer kan bli brukt i musikaler for å påvirke den dramaturgiske helheten. Gjennom både musikalsk og dramaturgisk analyse viser jeg hvordan elementer i musikk kan ha innvirkning på forestillingens dramaturgi.

In this master thesis I am aiming to examine the musical elements used in the songs in musicals. Music is an important element in the musical, and therefore I want to look at how some musical elements can contribute to the musical's dramaturgical structure. By using both dramaturgical and music theories I am going to explore how the musical elements can have an impact on how the musical is perceived by the audience. The first part of my thesis I provide necessary background information, on both the development of the musical as genre and of music theory. In the music theory part I will focus on how music has been said to contain meaning. Here the theories of Deryck Cooke and David Machin will be important. Their thoughts and findings on how musical meaning can be transmitted in melodic progressions and intervals is the background for my analysis. I will also go further through how music works in theatre and musicals, and here Michael Eigtved's and Phillip Tagg's models will be used to form a model which I can use in this thesis' analysis to see what kind of dramaturgical functions the music in a musical can have. For my analysis I have chosen Matilda the Musical in order to explore how the composer, Tim Minchin, has used melodic progressions as an expression of emotion or meaning. I have chosen to focus on six of the musical's songs. In analyzing these six songs, I will explore how the expression of the musical elements impacts the song's dramaturgical function, and define the music's role in the musical.