CASABLANCA THE MUSIC

A Musical Analysis Melody Melody is an organised group of tones. It is a lineal succession of pitched sounds. Melody involves: direction (ascending & descending), range, phrases, tonality and ornamentation (embellishment). When writing about a melody, other elements such as rhythm, harmony and instrumentation can also be included in the discussion. A melody can also be called a ‘tune’, ‘theme’, ‘subject’, ‘statement’, ‘motif’ or a ‘focus line’.

The 2 themes The French National Anthem (La Marseillaise) The first time we hear the French National Anthem is in the introduction of the film. It is quite forceful and insistent. Musically, instrumentation, dynamics (volume) and tempo (speed) are key to creating this emotion. To create this sense of pride, the brass play at a forte dynamic and moderate tempo. Each note is accented, and emphasis is given to the dotted rhythmic pattern throughout the theme. “As Time Goes By” By Herman Hupfeld This song is first presented in the Saloon. In the Saloon we hear Jazz music. The emotion achieved from this style of music is often relaxed, resigned, alluding to a loss of love. Musically this emotion is achieved through the quite dynamics, a moderate tempo and a swung rhythmic feature. The tone of these songs are often minor, creating the sad feeling of loss and being alone. The use of brass instruments give us a sense of wistful distraction. The use of musical improvisation in Jazz supports the emotional and moral climate of the city at that time. Casablanca was a place where you could be freely rebellious, free from religious conformity, where you could have risqué and unconventional relationships. As for the theme, “As Time Goes BY”, I believe it acts like a ‘leitmotif’ (a recurring theme or leading motif) connecting the Lovers. It musically transforms to reflect their changing mood. Mimicking the evolution of their relationship, just as the key lyric in the song suggests: “a fight for love or glory”.

A Selection of Scenes #1 “As Time Goes By” First and Second appearances Describe the basic character of the melody. What emotion does it suggest? angry calm scary proud lyrical melancholy gentle sad melodic humorous war-like chaotic rushed sombre happy tense insistent questioning nervous dreamy wistful nostalgic personal intimate Instrument / Voice Does is change throughout the excerpt? voice percussion piano strings brass woodwind thin rich growling deep rough airy clear fierce TonalityWhat is the tonality of the melody? Major minor non-Western atonal (no tonal centre/no scale) Rhythm Describe the rhythmic features of the melody. Fast slow moderate simple note durations complex note durations Straight swung slows down speeds up Pitch RangeNarrow medium wide high low Dynamics and ArticulationDescribe the dynamics: Loud soft moderate gradually getting louder / softer Describe the articulation: Smooth short and detached accented

“As Time Goes By” First and Second appearances “As Time Goes By” is first played as a request from Ilsa. Sam sings for her in his rich tone and accompanies himself on the piano. The melody is lyrical and melodic, sung with a legato articulation. Its personal touch is achieved by the use of a minor tonality, a moderate speed and swung rhythm, evoking the feeling of wistful nostalgia. The mood transforms when Rick enters, telling Sam “I thought I told you never to play it again”. This time the theme is played by the Woodwind and String sections. It has a thin, airy tone, suggesting to the listener feelings of sadness and melancholy. The actor’s dreamy and questioning gaze is enhanced by the slow, descending pattern which is a higher pitch and played at a quieter dynamic than the previous show-tune like rendition. When the lovers discuss the Germans marching into Paris the brass section interject the theme. The presence of these low-pitched, slow and accented notes conveys a tense and scary atmosphere.

A Selection of Scenes #2 The Souk (The Market Place) Describe the basic character of the melody. What emotion does it suggest? angry calm scary proud lyrical melancholy gentle sad melodic humorous war-like chaotic rushed sombre happy tense insistent questioning nervous dreamy wistful nostalgic personal intimate energetic Instrument / Voice Does is change throughout the excerpt? voice percussion piano strings brass woodwind thin rich growling deep rough airy clear fierce TonalityWhat is the tonality of the melody? Major minor non-Western atonal (no tonal centre/no scale) Rhythm Describe the rhythmic features of the melody. Fast slow moderate simple note durations complex note durations Straight swung slows down speeds up Pitch RangeNarrow medium wide high low Dynamics and ArticulationDescribe the dynamics: Loud soft moderate gradually getting louder / softer Describe the articulation: Smooth short and detached accented

The music in the souk is based on a non-Western scale type. The music of the souk evokes an energetic and humorous atmosphere. The basic character of the melody in the souk is: _______________ The instruments used are: _______________ The clear, thin timbre of the instruments heightens the emotion of humour in this scene. The fast tempo of the music aids in the creation of the rushed and chaotic feel. The Souk

The music in the Souk is distinctly different from the music we hear at Rick’s Saloon. It has a non-Western tonality. Predominantly we hear strings, percussion and woodwind instruments, in particular a non-Western instrument sounding like an oboe. This nasally sounding instrument, evokes a feeling of energetic humour. It’s thin and nasally timbre, along with the repetitive and insistent percussion hints at an underlying chaos. The use of moderate to high pitched tones, ornamented and complex note durations leaves the listener with a sense of rushed, nervous energy.

A Selection of Scenes #3 The Duel Describe the basic character of the melody. What emotion does it suggest? angry calm scary proud lyrical melancholy gentle sad melodic humorous war-like chaotic rushed sombre happy tense insistent questioning nervous dreamy wistful nostalgic personal intimate energetic Instrument / Voice Does is change throughout the excerpt? voice percussion piano strings brass woodwind thin rich growling deep rough airy clear fierce TonalityWhat is the tonality of the melody? Major minor non-Western atonal (no tonal centre/no scale) Rhythm Describe the rhythmic features of the melody. Fast slow moderate simple note durations complex note durations Straight swung slows down speeds up Pitch RangeNarrow medium wide high low Dynamics and ArticulationDescribe the dynamics: Loud soft moderate gradually getting louder / softer Describe the articulation: Smooth short and detached accented

In the beginning we hear the Deutschland theme. The Deutschland theme creates a __________ atmosphere. The French National Anthem creates a __________ atmosphere. The instruments used are: _______________ The rough, growling, deep timbre of the instruments heightens the emotion of anger in this scene. The rich and fierce timbre of the instruments heightens the proud emotion this scene evokes. The Duel

The Duel The Deutschland theme and the French National Anthem To begin with, we hear the Deutschland theme. It is sung by a group of male soldier at a low pitch, with a course, guttural tone. This creates an angry, antagonistic quality. The duel begins. Laszlo instructs Rick’s musicians to play the French National Anthem. He goes on to conduct them in a measured and determined style. Notably the French National Anthem makes use of a wider range of instruments. We hear bubbling percussion, brass instruments and both male and female vocalists. The predominantly swung rhythm leaves the listener with a sense of patriotic pride.

A Selection of Scenes #4 The Final Scene Describe the basic character of the melody. What emotion does it suggest? angry calm scary proud lyrical melancholy gentle sad melodic humorous war-like chaotic rushed sombre happy tense insistent questioning nervous dreamy wistful nostalgic personal intimate energetic dignified Instrument / Voice Does is change throughout the excerpt? voice percussion piano strings brass woodwind thin rich growling deep rough airy clear fierce TonalityWhat is the tonality of the melody? Major minor non-Western atonal (no tonal centre/no scale) Rhythm Describe the rhythmic features of the melody. Fast slow moderate simple note durations complex note durations Straight swung slows down speeds up Pitch RangeNarrow medium wide high low Dynamics and ArticulationDescribe the dynamics: Loud soft moderate gradually getting louder / softer Describe the articulation: Smooth short and detached accented

The Final Scene A transformation of the French National Anthem After Rick has shot the German leader dead, Louis, the French policeman opens a Bottle of water. As Louis and Rick converse we hear the French National Anthem in the background. The brass play with a minor tonality, suggesting a sombre mood. The dynamic is quiet and the tempo gradually slowing, which enhances the sense of tension when the bottle is dropped. At this point the volume suddenly increases as the two men watch the plane fly away. The final time we hear the French National Anthem in this film is when the friends are planning to leave Casablanca. The theme is presented firstly in a major tonality by the high pitched strings. It has a thin and airy tone, and the swung rhythmic feature we have come to associate with this lyrical tune has returned. As the pair walk off into the star-lit sky the orchestra builds in dynamics by adding in the percussion and accented brass section. This culminates to leave the listener with a full, powerful rendition of the tune, leaving the viewer with a sense of elation.