THE LEITMOTOFS IN 'KING ROGER'

• Authors: Helman Zofia
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Szymanowski's readings and his novel 'Efebos' are revised as important sources for the opera 'King Roger' (began in 1918 and finished in 1924). Some of the essential aesthetic ideas are then described, such as the principle of 'coincidentia oppositorum', as expressed in the contrasting of the elements in the libretto and music. The authoress observes that music contains only references to the most general features of medieval or oriental music, which should be termed rather as stylistic allusions than stylisation. It is the emotional character of the music, which is more important than the stylistic accuracy. The external contrasts of the action are according to the authoress levelled out by the leitmotifs common to all the acts and representing the three main characters. They provide the musical cohesion and create the inner action, which on occasions reveals the hidden meaning of the verbal layer. One of the examples of the treatment of the leitmotifs, corresponding to the dramaturgy, is the deconstruction of Roger's motif in the third act, expressing his psychological disintegration. The transformations of the motifs are analyzed in other crucial moments of the action, which provides some explanation of the opera's complex meanings.

Keywords

EN

'KING ROGER' - LEITMOTIFS; MUSIC ANALYSIS; SZYMANOWSKI KAROL

Discipline

• ARTS_&_ARCHITECTURE: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Musicology Today
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 5
• Pages: 79-93
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Helman Zofia

• Zofia Helman, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Instytut Muzykologii, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 32, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

09PLAAAA067322