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The meaning of the word leitmotif

keynote in the crossword dictionary

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

keynote

leitmotif, m. (German Leitmotiv, lit. guiding motive) (book).

Harmonic or melodic turnover, constant sound image (mainly in opera), use. composer for characteristics of some. hero or something. experiences, stage position and repeating every time the hero appears or when this provision during the action (music). Leitmotifs in Rimsky-Korsakov's operas.

trans. The main idea, the leading beginning, the main tone. Keynote of the book. Keynote of the discussion.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova.

keynote

The main motif that is repeated in a piece of music.

trans. Recurring in some the main idea of ​​the work.

trans. The main idea, what goes through sth. red thread. L. speeches report.

adj. leitmotiv, -th, oh (to 1 value).

New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

keynote

A musical turnover that is repeated in a piece of music as a characteristic or symbol of a character, object, phenomenon, etc.

trans. The main position, the leading thought, repeatedly repeated, emphasized.

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998

keynote

LEITMOTIV (German: leitmotiv, lit. - leading motive) is a musical turnover that is repeated in a piece of music as a characteristic or symbol of a character, object, phenomenon, idea, emotion. Used with con. 18th century in opera, from the 19th century. - in ballet and program instrumental music. R. Wagner used a complex system of leitmotifs in his operas. The term "leitmotif" has a broader meaning: as the definition of the dominant principle in human activity, in the chain of events.

keynote

(German Leitmotiv, literally ≈ leading motive), musical turnover (motive, phrase, less often whole topic, sometimes a harmonic sequence), repeatedly repeated as a through image of a musical work. Usually serves as a characteristic or symbol a certain character, object, phenomenon, idea, emotion. Starting from the 19th century. the principle of L. is widely used in opera, as well as in ballet and instrumental program music. In the late operas of R. Wagner, the complex system of staging forms the basis of musical and dramatic development. The Russian classical composers M. P. Mussorgsky, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, and P. I. Tchaikovsky artistically convincingly implemented the principle of L., but it does not occupy such an exceptional position in their works as Wagner’s, and is combined with others. principles of musical dramaturgy. L. retained its importance in the music of the 20th century. (for example, in operas and ballets by S. S. Prokofiev), a new aspect of its use is associated with the development of film music. The concept of L. is often used in the analysis of works of literature, denoting a figurative turn that is repeated in a work as a moment of constant characterization of a character, experience, or situation. Repeating and varying, L. acquires associations and acquires a special ideological, psychological, or symbolic depth. For example, the beat of a mallet in A.P. Chekhov's story "The Bride" is transformed into a symbol of a monotonous and sleepy philistine life and at the same time - accentuates the change of mind of the heroine. They also talk about the sound, rhythmic, intonations of L. in poetry.

The term "L." also received a broader nominal meaning, defining the dominant principle in human activity, in a chain of events, etc.

Lit .: Wagner R., On the application of music to drama, in the book: Selected. articles, M., 1935; Druskin M. S., Questions of the musical dramaturgy of the opera, L., 1952; Yarustovsky B. M., Dramaturgy of Russian opera classics, M., 1953; Rimsky-Korsakov N. A., "The Snow Maiden" - a spring tale, Poln. coll. soch., vol. IV, M., 1960.

G. V. Krauklis.

Wikipedia

keynote

Leitmotif, in music - a characteristic theme or musical turn that describes any character in an opera, ballet, program play, its individual features or a certain dramatic situation and sound when they are mentioned, when a character appears or when a dramatic situation is repeated in different parts of the work. Richard Wagner was the first to actively use leitmotifs in his operas.

Examples of the use of the word leitmotif in the literature.

Proust, Joyce, Mann, Doderer enriched prose with musicality, turning the novel into a symphony, ideas and time into musical ones. keynotes.

But one cannot fail to notice similarities in the deeper layers of both works and the fact that the entire fantasy genre exploits the Arthurian myth in one, basic canon - in keynote struggle of the Forces of Good and Progress represented by Arthur, Merlin, Excalibur and round table, with the Forces of Darkness and Destruction, embodied by Morgana, Mordred and the forces behind them.

Also, the author often sympathizes with the unjustified grandiosity of Church Slavonicisms that sounds in the mouths of Plato's heroes, making these expressions for us, his readers, without sarcasm and mockery, leaving them to sound like an internal keynote his text, which eventually breaks out, begins to sound louder than others.

The tasks of strengthening the unity of the non-aligned countries on a consistent anti-imperialist basis have been keynote through a series of visits by F.

Musical dramaturgy of this choreographic drama is based on an extended system keynotes, which are symphonically transformed in the process of development.

But Zhukovsky achieved this re-expression of the original in each work with concrete, suitable specifically for given text techniques, for the poet, preserving his own handwriting, translated in more than one manner: his translation, like the two-faced Janus, combined the appearance of the translated author and Zhukovsky himself, included leading keynotes his creativity.

Antisthenes, in turn, was a pagan of the pre-Christian era, and what the phallus from time immemorial served as a symbol, namely, sensual sensation, was still close to his heart - and not only to him alone, but, as you know, to the entire Cynic school, which proclaimed its keynote return to nature.

Each time an action or speech excites one or another complex, the corresponding keynote in some variation.

But in his subtle remarks, and in his humorous comparisons, and even in his principled objections, the same marvelous keynote, which so bribed and touched with its peaceful softness.

The search for this synthesis is keynote incarnations of Shakespeare on our stage, and in our further presentation, analyzing some of the milestone Shakespearean performances, we will trace the contradictions in which this keynote.

This - keynote Greek tragedy, with the difference that Shakespeare's moira does not live in empyrean inaccessible to people, but is the flesh of the flesh of complex and diverse human relationships.

Volunteer army I laid down and persistently enforced as keynote the following principle: if the gentlemen are fighting, then we, the chiefs of staff, must do everything so that the serfs have their forelocks intact.

It was that main trump card keynote, with whom they rushed along Gogolevsky, like a fool with a written sack.

Canine relationship disputes keynote in our family conversations.

The same is true in ordinary psychological life: keynotes- these are shades of feelings of our complexes, our actions and moods are transformations of leitmotifs.

German Leitmotiv, lit. - leading motive

Relatively short music. turnover (b. h. melody, sometimes a melody with harmonization, entrusted certain instrument and so on.; in some cases otd. harmony or sequence of harmonies, rhythmic. figure, instr. timbre), repeatedly repeated throughout the music. prod. and serving as a designation and characteristic of a certain person, object, phenomenon, emotion, or abstract concept (L., expressed by harmony, sometimes called leitharmony, expressed by timbre - leittimbre, etc.). L. is most often used in musical theater. genres and software instr. music. It has become one of the most important expressions. funds in the 1st half. 19th century The term itself came into use somewhat later. It is usually attributed to him. philologist G. Wolzogen, who wrote about Wagner's operas (1876); in fact, even before Wolzogen, the term "L." applied by F. W. Jens in his work on K. M. Weber (1871). Despite the inaccuracy and conventionality of the term, it quickly spread and gained recognition not only in musicology, but also in Everyday life, having become a household word for designating dominant, constantly repeating moments in human activity, surrounding life phenomena, etc.

In the music prod. along with the expressive-semantic function, the language also performs a constructive (thematically unifying, formative) function. Similar tasks until the 19th century. usually resolved separately in decomp. music genres: means of vivid characteristics typical. situations and emotional states were developed in the opera of the 17th-18th centuries, while the conduction of a single muses was through and through. themes were used even in ancient polyphonics. forms (see Cantus firmus). The principle of L. was already outlined in one of the earliest operas (Monteverdi's Orpheus, 1607), but in subsequent opera compositions it was not developed due to crystallization in opera music separate woks. forms of conc. plan. Repetitions musical-thematic constructions, divided by other thematic. material, met only in isolated cases (some operas by J. B. Lully, A. Scarlatti). Only in con. 18th century L.'s reception is gradually formed in the late operas of W. A. ​​Mozart and in the operas of the French. era composers Great French. revolution - A. Gretry, J. Lesuera, E. Megul, L. Cherubini. True story L. begins during the development of the muses. romanticism and is associated primarily with it. romantic opera (E. T. A. Hoffmann, K. M. Weber, G. Marschner). At the same time, L. becomes one of the means of implementing the main. the ideological content of the opera. So, the confrontation between light and dark forces in Weber's opera The Free Gunner (1821) was reflected in the development of cross-cutting themes and motifs, united in two contrasting groups. R. Wagner, developing the principles of Weber, applied a number of lines in the opera The Flying Dutchman (1842); the climaxes of the drama are marked by the appearance and interaction of the leitmotifs of the Dutchman and Senta, symbolizing the same time. "curse" and "redemption".

Dutch leitmotif.

Leitmotif of Senta.

The most important merit of Wagner was the creation and development of muses. dramaturgy, esp. on the L system. It received its most complete expression in his later music. dramas, especially in the tetralogy "Ring of the Nibelungen", where obscure muses. images are almost completely absent, and L. not only reflect the key moments of dramas. actions, but also permeate the entire musical, preim. orchestral, fabric They announce the appearance of heroes on the stage, "reinforce" the verbal mention of them, reveal their feelings and thoughts, anticipate further events; sometimes polyphonic. the connection or sequence of L. reflect the causal relationships of events; in picturesque-depict. episodes (the woods of the Rhine, the element of fire, the rustle of the forest), they turn into background figurations. Such a system, however, was fraught with a contradiction: the oversaturation of L.'s music weakened the impact of each of them and complicated the perception of the whole. Modern To Wagner, composers and his followers avoided the excessive complexity of the L system. The significance of linearity was recognized by most composers of the 19th century, who often came to the use of linearity independently of Wagner. France in the 1920s and 1930s 19th century every new stage in the development of the opera shows a gradual but steady increase in dramaturgy. the roles of L. (J. Meyerbeer - C. Gounod - J. Wiese - J. Massenet - C. Debussy). In Italy they are independent. G. Verdi took a position in relation to L.: he preferred to express only the center with the help of L.. idea of ​​the opera and refused to use the system of L. (exception - "Aida", 1871). L. acquired greater importance in the operas of the verists and G. Puccini. In Russia, the principles of music-thematic. repeats back in the 30s. designed by M. I. Glinka (opera "Ivan Susanin"). To rather wide use of L. come to the 2nd floor. 19th century P. I. Tchaikovsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Some of the latter's operas were noted for their creativity. the implementation of Wagnerian principles (especially Mlada, 1890); at the same time, he introduces a lot of new things into the interpretation of L. - into their formation and development. Russian classics generally renounce the extremes of the Wagnerian system.

An attempt to use the principle of linearity in ballet music was already made by A. Adam in Giselle (1841), but the system of linearity is especially fruitfully applied by L. Delibes in Coppélia (1870). L.'s role is also significant in Tchaikovsky's ballets. The specificity of the genre put forward another problem of cross-cutting dramaturgy - choreographic. L. In the ballet "Giselle" (ballet dancers J. Coralli and J. Perrot), a similar function is performed by the so-called. pas ballot. The problem of close interaction between choreographic and musical dances was successfully solved in Sov. ballet ("Spartacus" by A. I. Khachaturian - L. V. Yakobson, Yu. N. Grigorovich, "Cinderella" by S. S. Prokofiev - K. M. Sergeev, etc.).

In instr. L. music began to be widely used also in the 19th century. The impact of music t-ra played an important role in this, but did not rule it out. role. Technique of conducting through the whole play k.-l. characteristic motif was developed by another French. harpsichordists of the 18th century. ("Cuckoo" by K. Daken and others) and was raised to a higher level by the Viennese classics (1st part of Mozart's symphony "Jupiter"). Developing these traditions in relation to more purposeful and clearly expressed ideological concepts, L. Beethoven came close to the principle of L. (the Appassionata sonata, part 1, the Egmont overture, and especially the 5th symphony).

The Fantastic Symphony by G. Berlioz (1830) was of fundamental importance for the approval of L. in the program symphony, in which a melodious melody passes through all 5 parts, sometimes changing, designated in the author's program as the "beloved theme":

Used in a similar way, L. in the symphony Harold in Italy (1834) by Berlioz is supplemented by the timbre characteristic of the hero (solo viola). As a conditional "portrait" osn. character, L. firmly established himself in the symphony. prod. program-plot type ("Tamara" by Balakirev, "Manfred" by Tchaikovsky, "Til Ulenspiegel" by R. Strauss, etc.). In Rimsky-Korsakov's suite "Scheherazade" (1888), the formidable Shahriar and gentle Scheherazade are depicted by means of contrasting L., but in a number of cases, as the composer himself points out, these are thematic. elements serve purely constructive purposes, losing their "personalized" character.

Leitmotif of Shahriar.

Leitmotif of Scheherazade.

The main part of the I part ("Sea").

Side part of Part I.

The anti-Wagnerian and anti-romantic movements, which intensified after the First World War of 1914-18. tendencies markedly reduced the fundamental dramaturgy. the role of L. At the same time, he retained the value of one of the means of cross-cutting muses. development. Many can serve as an example. outstanding products. dec. genres: the operas "Wozzeck" by Berg and "War and Peace" by Prokofiev, the oratorio "Joan of Arc at the stake" by Honegger, the ballets "Petrushka" by Stravinsky, "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, the 11th symphony by Shostakovich, etc.

The wealth of experience accumulated in the field of application of L. for almost two centuries, allows us to characterize its most important features. L. is preim. instr. means, although it can also sound in a wok. parts of operas and oratorios. In the latter case, L. is only a wok. melody, while in instr. (orchestral) form, the degree of its concreteness and figurative character increases due to harmony, polyphony, a wider register and dynamic. range, as well as specific. instr. timbre. Orc. L., supplementing and explaining what was said in words or not expressed at all, becomes especially effective. Such is the appearance of L. Siegfried in the finale of "Valkyrie" (when the hero was not yet born and not named by name) or the sound of L. Ivan the Terrible in that scene of the opera "Pskovityanka", where we are talking about Olga's unknown father. The significance of such L. in depicting the psychology of the hero is very great, for example. in the 4th scene of the opera" Queen of Spades"where L. Countess, interrupted by pauses,

reflects at the same time. Herman's desire to immediately know the fatal secret and his hesitation.

For the sake of the necessary correspondence between the music and the actions of L., they are often carried out in the conditions of a completely clear stage performance. situations. A reasonable combination of through and non-through images contributes to a more prominent selection of L.

Functions L., in principle, can perform decomp. music elements. languages, taken separately (leitharmonies, leittimbres, leittonality, leitrhythms), but their interaction is most typical under the dominance of melodic. beginning (cross-cutting theme, phrase, motive). Relates brevity - natural. a condition for the convenient involvement of L. in the general music. development. It is not uncommon for L., expressed by an initially completed theme, to be further divided into separate. elements that independently perform the functions of a through characteristic (this is typical of Wagner's leitmotif technique); a similar crushing of L. is also found in instr. music - in symphonies, in which main topic The 1st part in a shortened form plays the role of L. in the further parts of the cycle (Berlioz's Fantastic Symphony and Dvorak's 9th Symphony). There is also a reverse process, when a bright cross-cutting theme is gradually formed from a separate section. precursor elements (typical for the methods of Verdi and Rimsky-Korsakov). As a rule, L. requires a particularly concentrated expressiveness, a pointed characteristic, which ensures easy recognition throughout the work. The last condition limits the modifications of linearity, in contrast to the methods of monothematic. transformations of F. List and his followers.

In the music theater. prod. each L., as a rule, is introduced at the moment when its meaning immediately becomes clear thanks to the corresponding wok text. parties, the characteristics of the situation and the behavior of the characters. In symph. music clarification of the meaning of L. is the author's program or otd. author's instructions about the main intent. The absence of visual and verbal reference points in the course of music development severely limits the application of L.

The brevity and vivid character of L. usually determine its special position in the tradition. music forms, where he rarely plays the role of one of the indispensable components of the form (the rondo refrain, the main theme of the sonata Allegro), but more often it unexpectedly invades decomp. its sections. At the same time, in free compositions, recitative scenes and major works. theater. plan, taken as a whole, L. can play an important formative role, providing them with musical-thematic. unity.

Literature: Rimsky-Korsakov N.A., "The Snow Maiden" - a spring tale (1905), "RMG", 1908, No 39/40; him, Wagner and Dargomyzhsky (1892), in his book: Musical articles and notes, 1869-1907, St. Petersburg, 1911 ( full text both articles, Full. coll. cit., vols. 2 and 4, Moscow, 1960-63); Asafiev B.V., Musical form as a process, M., 1930, (together with book 2), L., 1963; Druskin M. S., Questions of the musical dramaturgy of the opera, L., 1952; Yarustovsky B. M., Dramaturgy of Russian opera classics, M., 1952, 1953; Sokolov O., Leitmotifs of the opera "Pskovityanka", in collection: Proceedings of the Department of Music Theory, Moscow. conservatory, vol. 1, Moscow, 1960; Protopopov Vl., "Ivan Susanin" Glinka, M., 1961, p. 242-83; Bogdanov-Berezovsky V. M., Articles about ballet, L., 1962, p. 48, 73-74; Wagner R., Oper und Drama, Lpz., 1852; the same, Sämtliche Schriften und Dichtung (Volksausgabe), Bd 3-4, Lpz., (o. j.) (Russian translation - Opera and Drama, M., 1906); his, Eine Mitteilung an meine Freunde (1851), ibid., Bd 4, Lpz., (o. j.); his own, bber die Anwendung der Musik auf das Drama, ibid., Bd 10, Lpz., (o. j.) (in Russian translation - On the application of music to drama, in his collection: Selected articles, M., 1935 ); Federlein G., Bber "Rheingold" von R. Wagner. Versuch einer musikalischen Interpretation, "Musikalisches Wochenblatt", 1871, (Bd) 2; Jdhns Fr. W., C. M. Weber in seinen Werken, B., 1871; Wolzogen H. von, Motive in R. Wagners "Siegfried", "Musikalisches Wochenblatt", 1876, (Bd) 7; his, Thematischer Leitfaden durch die Musik zu R. Wagners Festspiel "Der Ring der Nibelungen", Lpz., 1876; his, Motive in Wagners "Götterdämmerung", "Musikalisches Wochenblatt", 1877-1879, (Bd) 8-10; Haraszti E., Le problime du Leitmotiv, "RM", 1923, (v.) 4; Abraham G., The Leitmotiv since Wagner, "ML", 1925, (v.) 6; Bernet-Kempers K. Th., Herinneringsmotieven leitmotieven, grondthemas, Amst. - P., 1929; Wörner K., Beiträge zur Geschichte des Leitmotivs in der Oper, "ZfMw", 1931, Jahrg. 14, H. 3; Engländer R., Zur Geschichte des Leitmotivs, "ZfMw", 1932, Jahrg. 14, H. 7; Matter J., La fonction psychologique du leitmotiv wagnerien, "SMz", 1961, (Jahrg.) 101; Mainka J., Sonatenform, Leitmotiv und Charakterbegleitung, "Beiträge zur Musikwissenschaft", 1963, Jahrg. 5, H. 1.

G. V. Krauklis

The theme song is a term proposed in the late 1870s by the German musicologist G.P. von Wolzogen to characterize the orchestral polyphony of R. Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung; subsequently began to be used in literary criticism. In symphonic, instrumental music and opera, the leitmotif is relatively short construction, characterizing character, phenomenon, emotion or abstract concept. The leitmotif technique in music was already used by A. Gretry, W.A. Mozart, L. Cherubini, but the leitmotif was widely used in the 19th century. First of all, this refers to the musical dramas of R. Wagner, who is considered the founder of the leitmotif system. Like many romantics, Wagner was excited by the idea of ​​a "synthesis of the arts", which he interpreted like the unity of word and music in ancient tragedy. opera reform Wagner, conceived as the embodiment of this idea, required a special structure musical fabric. Separate opera numbers were replaced by a continuous flow of music, built on the alternation of contrasting "plastic motifs" - the characteristics of "nature and human natures". According to Wagner, these motives are “each in the course of his individual development- must take shape in the carriers of passionate aspirations, directing a diversely branched action, and characters expressing themselves in this action ”(Wagner R. Articles and materials).

Leitmotif in literary criticism

In literary criticism, the leitmotif is one of the main structural elements of the text.: a repetitive detail, figurative turnover, intonation (leitinttonation), arising as a way of characterizing a character, position, experience. The leitmotif can vary, change, several leitmotifs contrast each other, intertwine, flow one into another, forming a system. The way in which the system of leitmotifs is applied by a particular writer or school, genre should be defined as a leitmotif technique. The use of leitmotiv technique in the novel genre is usually associated with the works of L. Tolstoy, C. Dickens, G. Flaubert, French naturalists, and especially novelists of the 20th century. (A. Bely, T. Mann, J. Joyce, F. Kafka, T. Wolfe), where the problem of "synthesis of arts" was replaced by the problem of the analogy of literature with music. The first attempts to transfer musical techniques to the field of literary creativity were made by the French Symbolists (Ch. Baudelaire, S. Mallarme). They sought, “not content with the “dictionary”, purely “rational” meaning of lexical units ... to reveal their full potential and thereby maximize the semantic impact of the poem” (Kosikov G. Two ways of French post-romanticism ... Poetry of French symbolism.). Hence their interest in modern achievements in music, in particular, in the Wagnerian musical drama. In Russian literature, an example of a symbolist work based on a system of leitmotifs is A. Bely's "Symphony" (1902-08). The leitmotif can be formed in replicas actors, introduced by stage means (the sound of a broken string in The Cherry Orchard, 1904, A.P. Chekhov).

stage interpretation dramatic work allows you to emphasize or reduce the role of the leitmotif. Comparing the leitmotif technique of "Transformation" (1916), "In Search of Lost Time" (1913-27) and "Ulysses" (1922), V. Nabokov comes to the conclusion that it is present in Kafka and Proust along with other techniques, while Joyce's entire text is "a pattern of recurring themes" (Nabokov V.V. Lectures on Foreign Literature). The ways in which the leitmotif technique is applied are manifold; already in ancient epic poetry you can find a repetition of a static leitmotif. At the same time, it not only serves as a “reminder”, but, according to the concept of the “epic formula” of M. Perry - A. Lord, is one of the main compositional elements of the epic poem. However, outside of epic poetry, the technique of repeating static leitmotifs, helping to compare each given event with events earlier or later, does not endow this event with an additional, symbolic meaning. The repetition of static leitmotifs can also be used to stylize or parody an epic narrative. The leitmotif can become a truly structural factor in the narrative in the process of variation, when it is repeatedly reproduced in different situations, applied to different characters, each time receiving a new emotional coloring (for example, the image of the starry sky in the finale of each of the chapters of T. Wilder's novel "The Bridge of King Louis Saint", 1927). As a result, the leitmotif acquires associations, becomes not just a visible display of the theme, but also a symbol. In its symbolic quality, the leitmotif is capable of acquiring a certain independence from the theme. The terms "" and leitmotif are often confused. Subject literary work is outside the text and is embodied in the leitmotif, which is a direct structural element of the text. The leitmotif system of the work provides a figurative embodiment of themes and problems in the text.

In a broader sense, the leitmotif is the main idea, idea, emotional tone of a literary work or creativity of a given author.

The word leitmotif comes from German Leitmotiv, which means - the leading motive.

Leitmotif in literature is the main idea, which is a red line through the entire work. Initially, this term was musical, and literary critics, without thinking twice, borrowed it. The word "leitmotif" comes from the German das Leitmotiv, and literally it translates as " main motive or "leading motif".

Both in music and in literature

The leitmotif is the main melody, theme or musical turn that is played out in the composition. We can say that most of the compositions are a melody taken as a basis, which are given different variations. and is called a leitmotif. The meaning of the word "leitmotiv" in the literature can be understood on an intuitive level, since the word "motive" is in active vocabulary most people. The emotional plan, concept or main theme of one or more works, the entire work of the writer or his works in a particular period - that is what a leitmotif is.

Music as thought and feeling

Musicologist and teacher Friedrich Wilhelm Jens was the first to introduce the concept of “leitmotif” into music, and the famous Richard Wagner began to actively use it in his works. Hans von Wolzogen himself used the term "leitmotif" most often, especially when referring to works by Wagner. Since Richard Wagner wrote long operas different nature and content, the use of the leitmotif was obligatory and even natural for him, because it was in this way that it was easiest to maintain a certain atmosphere and keep the listener in the right mood. Even the shortest ones make the listener quit everything and devote himself only to listening to music, because the leitmotifs that Wagner uses cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Lost souls and lack of hope

Explain literary terms best on concrete examples, and in this case the writers of the so-called " lost generation". So, Remarque wrote about completely different people and rarely used the same characters in several of his works, but the leitmotif of his work is human despair and the search for oneself after the horrors of war experienced.

Similar or identical ideas were used in their books by other representatives of this group of writers. Their main leitmotifs are the inability to live normally without a homeland, the denial of the future after participating in hostilities, and complete nihilism based on a cynical attitude to life and a lack of faith in the best. Another famous representative writers of the lost generation - this is in whose books there is more softness, but in general the atmosphere in them is very similar to that which is always felt in the works of Erich Remarque.

You apply - match!

In general, leitmotifs are something not only clearly observed in creativity, but also subtle, hidden between the lines. Sometimes mood can be the leitmotif. For example, it can be said that in their work writers early postmodernism use the leitmotif of the conflict of the individual with himself, the irrationality of the world around him and the importance of sincere emotions and feelings. Most often, when a writer chooses for himself a certain direction in which he would like to create, he also gets acquainted with the main topics that affect his colleagues. For example, if adherents of naturalism suddenly begin to cringe from descriptions explicit scenes, and adherents of realism - to tell how the main character was visited by a fairy in her right mind, then colleagues will not understand and will not support such an initiative. True, the correct leitmotifs are the basis, rather, for classical writers, and in modern literature these boundaries have long been erased.

How to distinguish good literature from bad?

It is noteworthy that the leitmotif, which is played by the writer in one or several works, forms his style and manner of writing. The use of several highlighted themes, as well as the peculiar construction of dialogues and the use of figurative and stylistic means - this is exactly what distinguishes a particular writer from hundreds of others. There is an opinion that good writer very easy to distinguish from the mediocre. If the author can be recognized by several paragraphs or at least pages, then he managed to create own style and characteristic handwriting, for which readers fell in love with him. In popular literature and fiction, this phenomenon is almost never observed, because the main emphasis is on stating facts and describing events, rather than the feelings and thoughts of the characters. It is believed that leitmotifs are an unnecessary element for popular literature because such books are most often read once and immediately forgotten.

Literary teachings for the little ones

Surprisingly, such a phenomenon as a leitmotif is observed even in Of course, in most fairy tales for kids, the theme and main idea contain an undisguised lesson and a bright moral, but they are just a very effective leitmotif. By the tone of writing, a fairy tale can always be distinguished from other genres of literature, even if the work has gone through several translation processes. In works for children, such leitmotifs should be presented as clearly and specifically as possible, but sometimes writers offer young readers to think on their own. If in “adult” literature the leitmotif is used rather to reveal the author’s intention, then in fairy tales and cautionary tales it is specially made obvious by placing it in the center of the work and developing the plot based on it.

In art theory, many terms intersect. They are used to refer to different or similar concepts. Let's figure out what the meaning of the word leitmotif is. This is an ambiguous term that is used in different types of art to characterize certain aspects, for example, a leitmotif in music. This is usually called the periodic repetition of the same expressive fragment throughout the entire work.

This technique was introduced into musical theory by Richard Wagner. Without using the term, he used musical element: repetition of fragments of sounds in his operas in order to create the integrity of the work, to strengthen semantic load melodies and emotional impact on listeners.

It was this term that G. Wolzogen used when describing the work of Wagner. The so-called element of a musical work, which is repeated at equal intervals of time. This is a detail that, through repeated repetition, sets the overall tone, the idea of ​​the whole melody.

But musical theory even earlier attempts to use the principle of repetition are known: in 1607, Monteverdi used a similar technique in Orpheus, but at that time he could not gain a foothold due to cultural and historical features development of musical art.

The term later spread to other art forms:

• theater
• literature,
• choreography,
• architecture,
• painting.

It began to be actively used in everyday life, denoting with its help the main idea, cyclically repeating events, phenomena in human life and different aspects his activities.

Functions

The leitmotif performs the following functions:

• expressive and semantic: it helps to emphasize the important ideological and thematic aspects of the work, to focus on the details;
• constructive: unites the work thematically, creates the unity of the text or melody

These functions are characteristic of the leitmotif both in music and in literature.

In prose and poetry

In literary works, the leitmotif is an important compositional element of the text.

It is expressed through:

• a detail that is repeated throughout the story;
• artistic image, which is the main one through which the theme and idea of ​​the text are revealed;
• through intonation (this applies to poetic texts);
• description of the experiences of the characters, their thoughts.

Keynote in music

It can be seen that such a concept in literary works is modified, transformed. In voluminous texts, several leitmotifs can intertwine and complement each other.

First to use musical techniques in literature tried S. Baudelaire and S. Mallarme. They used not only lexical meanings different words, but also their stylistic possibilities for enhancing the semantic impact of texts on readers.

Interesting! It is important to distinguish between the concepts of "theme" and "leitmotif": in the theory of literature one can find a mixture of these terms.

The topic is what is outside the text. The leitmotif is what the theme is embodied in, it is a structural component of the composition, sets the general emotional tone of a literary work, embodies its main idea.

An example of a leitmotif in literature is the sound of a broken string in P. Chekhov's work " The Cherry Orchard". It can be a word or phrase that is constantly repeated. For example, in the poem "My genealogy" there are lines: "Noise, noise, obedient sail ...". In Proust's In Search of Lost Time, a recurring detail is the Madeleine cookie, which the author constantly recalls: this image symbolizes childhood, lost time, days that remain in memory.

Note! Poetry, as the closest kind of literature to music, is most closely intertwined with the concept of leitmotif.

IN poetic texts distinguish the following types:

• intonational - repetition of intonational elements: questions, rhetorical exclamations, appeals;
• sound - the repetition of the same sounds, sound combinations. It is realized through the use of rhyme, stylistic figures: anaphora,;
• lexical - the repetition of the same words or word forms with a similar sound.

Leitmotifs in poems are manifested not only at the level of content, but also at the level of form, which is especially clearly observed in classical poetry.

What is a leitmotif image: let's give examples from the texts. This is the image that is the key that runs through the whole narrative through various details and elements of the text. For example, in Ch. Dickens' novel " Big hopes» it is possible to single out the leitmotif image of hope as the main idea. This image from the first pages becomes an integral part of the protagonist, accompanies him throughout the development of the plot and at the moment of climax is revealed to the maximum: collapsed hopes are the key point in the development of the leitmotif.

IN " American tragedy» T. Dreiser one of the leitmotif images is the image of Roberta, who goes from beloved to victim, and through her the facets of the character of another are revealed important character- Clyde. Her image serves as a litmus test for describing the protagonist's decency; in his attitude towards her, he reveals his aspirations and dreams. The leitmotif of her image in this case lies in the fact that she becomes a through element of the composition: the influence of the heroine on the course of the narrative remains even after her death. Thus, the main criterion of the leitmotif is preserved - repetition.

Useful video: keynote

Transferring meaning to other areas

In Ozhegov's dictionary this concept also referred to as something that "passes like a red thread through something." This meaning has helped the musical term become part of people's daily lives. They call the main idea different types human activity.

For example, this concept is actively used in design, defining the leitmotif of photography, interior or wedding. In choreography, it is used to indicate the main idea of ​​the dance, and in in social networks you can even come across this word as a title for the main concept of a blog or information resource.

This means that the essence of the concept expands significantly over time and it is quite acceptable to use it where the main idea or topic should be highlighted.