BLOG 6: leitmotifs  

Leitmotifs are defined as a, “recurring musical theme appearing usually in operas but also in symphonic poems. It is used to reinforce dramatic action, to provide psychological insight into the characters, and to recall or suggest to the listener extramusical ideas relevant to the dramatic event. In a purely musical sense, the repetition or transformation of the theme also gives cohesion to large-scale works” (leitmotif, 2025).  

In the context of a film soundtrack leitmotifs are essential to keep the whole soundtrack coherent. Leitmotifs in film are usually used to signal a recurring theme, or it can be used for one of the main characters. A good example of this would be any superhero movie where the main superhero will have his own theme song and that would be turned into a leitmotif which would then be played every time the character comes on screen. As my project does not have any characters it will be tricky to incorporate leitmotifs in the traditional sense. To get around this hurdle I will be turning the leitmotif into a character of its own by using the leitmotif sparingly throughout the project based on the script and during moments which feel right. My leitmotif will be a swirling hi-hat sound that pans from left to right, I chose this sound as it is very easily recognisable and it is atonal which allows me to include it throughout the project with relative ease.