History of Music in Film and Audiovisual Media
A.Y. 2021/2022
Learning objectives
The course deals with the use of music in audiovisual media, especially in film, from a historical and theoretical point of view. We will illustrate the historical-cultural contexts, the ideological ramifications and the production practices underlying music and sound in cinema. We will develop basic analytical tools and detail the expressive resources conveyed by music in film. We will then consider the interpretive and critical options made available by "listening to" audiovisual media.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have developed historical and theoretical awareness about the main periods and currents of music in cinema, from the silent period to the digital turn of contemporary audiovisual media, with special reference to the topic of the monographic course. They will also be enabled to decipher some fundamental dramaturgical aspects of the use of music in audiovisual media. Finally, they will acquire awareness of the theoretical terminology used in film music studies.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Lessons will be given primarily in presence in the classroom and in streaming on the TEAMS platform of the Course. Access registration to the classroom has to follow procedures given by the University.
Course syllabus
PART A: Elements of theory of music and sound in audiovisual media.
Subjects covered:
- Basics of audiovisual theory;
- Functions of music in film;
- Elements of sound analysis in audiovisual media;
- Sound formats in film;
- Music and narrative film;.
PART B: Historical overview of music in international cinema
Subjects covered:
- Music practices from early cinema to the coming of synchronised sound;
- Music and sound in classic Hollywood;
- The crisis of the Studio System and the emergence of new music paths in Hollywood (1950-70);
- European new waves and sound experiments;
- Musical film, rockumentaries and music biopic;
- New Hollywood, compilation soundtrack and the rise of sound design;
- New symphonism, blockbusters and synergies between film industry, video and record industry;
- Popular music and the new auteur in end-of-century cinema
- Digital cinema and the frontiers of film sound.
PART C: Historical overview of music in Italian cinema
Subjects covered:
- Music practices from early cinema to the coming of sound;
- Film music during the Fascist regime: typologies, open questions;
- Music and sound between neorealism and popular cinema in the postwar years;
- New sound and music configurations from the economic miracle to the "anni di piombo";
- Music and sound in Italian auteur cinema;
- Music and audiovisual media in Italy from the late 1970s to the end of the First Republic;
- Music and film from the 1990s to the present.
Subjects covered:
- Basics of audiovisual theory;
- Functions of music in film;
- Elements of sound analysis in audiovisual media;
- Sound formats in film;
- Music and narrative film;.
PART B: Historical overview of music in international cinema
Subjects covered:
- Music practices from early cinema to the coming of synchronised sound;
- Music and sound in classic Hollywood;
- The crisis of the Studio System and the emergence of new music paths in Hollywood (1950-70);
- European new waves and sound experiments;
- Musical film, rockumentaries and music biopic;
- New Hollywood, compilation soundtrack and the rise of sound design;
- New symphonism, blockbusters and synergies between film industry, video and record industry;
- Popular music and the new auteur in end-of-century cinema
- Digital cinema and the frontiers of film sound.
PART C: Historical overview of music in Italian cinema
Subjects covered:
- Music practices from early cinema to the coming of sound;
- Film music during the Fascist regime: typologies, open questions;
- Music and sound between neorealism and popular cinema in the postwar years;
- New sound and music configurations from the economic miracle to the "anni di piombo";
- Music and sound in Italian auteur cinema;
- Music and audiovisual media in Italy from the late 1970s to the end of the First Republic;
- Music and film from the 1990s to the present.
Prerequisites for admission
The course assumes a good awareness of key elements of twentieth-century western music history as well as of film history. Students are therefore advised to attend this course after having passed other exams in music and film studies.
Teaching methods
The course is based on class lectures, which are integrated by teaching materials uploaded to the Ariel virtual platform, as well as by reading materials. The classes will alternate theoretical and historical overviews with analysis and collective discussions of audio-visual clips.
Teaching Resources
For preparing the 9-cfu exam, please refer to Parts A-B-C of the programme. The 6-cfu exam will instead be based on Parts A and B .
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to get in touch with the course instructor as soon as possible to define personalised assignments.
The study materials for students with physical and/or learning disabilities will need to be arranged with the course instructor, according to the guidelines of the competent Helpdesk.
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Part of the final assessment will be:
- The subjects covered during the classes;
- The thorough study of the audiovisual clips discussed during the classes as well as those included in the textbook of Part A;
- The study of the reading materials, organised as follows:
PART A
· MARIANI, MASSIMO. Il suono per il cinema. Elementi per l'analisi e la progettazione della materia sonora nell'audiovisivo, Torino: UTET, 2020 (including audiovisual clips accessed via the book's designed app).
· KALINAK, KATHRYN. Musica da film. Una breve introduzione, Torino: Kaplan, 2012, pp. 1-38 (chs. 1-3) and 111-142 (ch. 7) (original edition: Film Music: A Brief Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2010).
PART B
· KALINAK, KATHRYN. Musica da film. Una breve introduzione, Torino: Kaplan, 2012, pp. 39-110 (chs. 4-6) (original edition: Film Music: A Brief Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2010)
· MOUËLLIC, GILLES. La musica al cinema. Per ascoltare i film, Torino: Lindau, 2005, pp. 3-63 (chs. 1-3).
PART C
· From the special issue "All'ascolto del cinema italiano: musiche, voci, rumori", eds. Roberto Calabretto, Marco Cosci ed Elena Mosconi, «Quaderni del CSCI», 15 (2019), the following articles:
- MOSCONI, ELENA. Muto ma non silenzioso. I suoni del primo cinema italiano, pp. 11-18;
- VALENTINI, PAOLA. Il passaggio al sonoro in Italia tra un inedito paesaggio mediale ed esperienze uditive complesse, pp. 19-23;
- FINOCCHIARO, FRANCESCO. Musica e cinema nel ventennio fascista, pp. 24-30;
- FERRARA, ANTONIO. La musica cinematografica nel secondo dopoguerra. Neorealismo e dintorni, pp. 31-37;
- CORBELLA, MAURIZIO. «Lo sfondo ai sentimenti di domani». Note sulla musica elettroacustica nel cinema italiano (1950-1980), 136-141;
- TOMATIS, JACOPO. Cantanti e canzoni fuori e dentro lo schermo, pp. 162-169;
- IZZO, LEO. Incorporazioni. Il jazz nel cinema italiano, pp. 177-183;
- GIUGGIOLI, MATTEO. Lo "specchio" melodrammatico e i suoi riflessi. Persistenza dell'opera nel cinema italiano, pp. 184-190.
· From "La musica nel cinema e nella televisione", ed. Roberto Giuliani, Milano: Guerini, 2011, the following essays:
- SCOGNAMIGLIO, RENATA. Considerazioni sul film biografico, pp. 65-75;
- MICELI, SERGIO. Nino Rota - Ennio Morricone, pp. 103-112;
- CALABRETTO, ROBERTO. La musica nel cinema di Antonioni e Pasolini, pp. 113-123;
- CALABRETTO, ROBERTO. Nicola Piovani - Franco Piersanti - Carlo Crivelli, pp. 125-141.
· BISONI, CLAUDIO. Cinema, sorrisi e canzoni. Il film musicale italiano degli anni Sessanta, Soveria Mannelli: Rubbettino, 2020, ch. 3.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
In addition to the bibliography assigned to the attending students, the following materials will be part of the final assessment:
PART A
· MICELI, SERGIO. Musica per film. Storia, estetica, analisi, tipologie, Milano-Lucca: Ricordi-LIM, 2009, pp. 607-699.
PART B
· MICELI, SERGIO. Musica per film. Storia, estetica, analisi, tipologie, Milano-Lucca: Ricordi-LIM, 2009, pp. 181-304 (Part I, chs. 2-3) oppure pp. 735-832 (Part III, chs. 2-3).
PART C
· MICELI, SERGIO. Musica per film. Storia, estetica, analisi, tipologie, Milano-Lucca: Ricordi-LIM, 2009, pp. 333-378.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to get in touch with the course instructor as soon as possible to define personalised assignments.
The study materials for students with physical and/or learning disabilities will need to be arranged with the course instructor, according to the guidelines of the competent Helpdesk.
ATTENDING STUDENTS
Part of the final assessment will be:
- The subjects covered during the classes;
- The thorough study of the audiovisual clips discussed during the classes as well as those included in the textbook of Part A;
- The study of the reading materials, organised as follows:
PART A
· MARIANI, MASSIMO. Il suono per il cinema. Elementi per l'analisi e la progettazione della materia sonora nell'audiovisivo, Torino: UTET, 2020 (including audiovisual clips accessed via the book's designed app).
· KALINAK, KATHRYN. Musica da film. Una breve introduzione, Torino: Kaplan, 2012, pp. 1-38 (chs. 1-3) and 111-142 (ch. 7) (original edition: Film Music: A Brief Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2010).
PART B
· KALINAK, KATHRYN. Musica da film. Una breve introduzione, Torino: Kaplan, 2012, pp. 39-110 (chs. 4-6) (original edition: Film Music: A Brief Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2010)
· MOUËLLIC, GILLES. La musica al cinema. Per ascoltare i film, Torino: Lindau, 2005, pp. 3-63 (chs. 1-3).
PART C
· From the special issue "All'ascolto del cinema italiano: musiche, voci, rumori", eds. Roberto Calabretto, Marco Cosci ed Elena Mosconi, «Quaderni del CSCI», 15 (2019), the following articles:
- MOSCONI, ELENA. Muto ma non silenzioso. I suoni del primo cinema italiano, pp. 11-18;
- VALENTINI, PAOLA. Il passaggio al sonoro in Italia tra un inedito paesaggio mediale ed esperienze uditive complesse, pp. 19-23;
- FINOCCHIARO, FRANCESCO. Musica e cinema nel ventennio fascista, pp. 24-30;
- FERRARA, ANTONIO. La musica cinematografica nel secondo dopoguerra. Neorealismo e dintorni, pp. 31-37;
- CORBELLA, MAURIZIO. «Lo sfondo ai sentimenti di domani». Note sulla musica elettroacustica nel cinema italiano (1950-1980), 136-141;
- TOMATIS, JACOPO. Cantanti e canzoni fuori e dentro lo schermo, pp. 162-169;
- IZZO, LEO. Incorporazioni. Il jazz nel cinema italiano, pp. 177-183;
- GIUGGIOLI, MATTEO. Lo "specchio" melodrammatico e i suoi riflessi. Persistenza dell'opera nel cinema italiano, pp. 184-190.
· From "La musica nel cinema e nella televisione", ed. Roberto Giuliani, Milano: Guerini, 2011, the following essays:
- SCOGNAMIGLIO, RENATA. Considerazioni sul film biografico, pp. 65-75;
- MICELI, SERGIO. Nino Rota - Ennio Morricone, pp. 103-112;
- CALABRETTO, ROBERTO. La musica nel cinema di Antonioni e Pasolini, pp. 113-123;
- CALABRETTO, ROBERTO. Nicola Piovani - Franco Piersanti - Carlo Crivelli, pp. 125-141.
· BISONI, CLAUDIO. Cinema, sorrisi e canzoni. Il film musicale italiano degli anni Sessanta, Soveria Mannelli: Rubbettino, 2020, ch. 3.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
In addition to the bibliography assigned to the attending students, the following materials will be part of the final assessment:
PART A
· MICELI, SERGIO. Musica per film. Storia, estetica, analisi, tipologie, Milano-Lucca: Ricordi-LIM, 2009, pp. 607-699.
PART B
· MICELI, SERGIO. Musica per film. Storia, estetica, analisi, tipologie, Milano-Lucca: Ricordi-LIM, 2009, pp. 181-304 (Part I, chs. 2-3) oppure pp. 735-832 (Part III, chs. 2-3).
PART C
· MICELI, SERGIO. Musica per film. Storia, estetica, analisi, tipologie, Milano-Lucca: Ricordi-LIM, 2009, pp. 333-378.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam will be oral. Students will be asked to elaborate on topics discussed during the classes and found in the study material of the course. The following aspects will be subject to evaluation: ability to critically engage with the course's topics; factual knowledge of historical turning points and of the audiovisual contents of the course; ability to draw on and connect different subjects in developing personal interpretations; appropriateness of expression, language and terminology.
The modes of examination for students with physical and/or learning disabilities will need to be agreed with the course instructor, according with the guidelines of the competent Helpdesk.
The modes of examination for students with physical and/or learning disabilities will need to be agreed with the course instructor, according with the guidelines of the competent Helpdesk.
Unita' didattica A
L-ART/07 - MUSICOLOGY AND HISTORY OF MUSIC - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-ART/07 - MUSICOLOGY AND HISTORY OF MUSIC - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-ART/07 - MUSICOLOGY AND HISTORY OF MUSIC - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Thursdays, 10:00-13:00, upon appointment. Meetings will either take place in presence or via Microsoft Teams.
Office of the professor, Via Noto 6 (1st floor)