Exploring the evolution of film music, this book examines aesthetic trends and structural changes while contextualizing them within socioeconomic, technological, cultural, and philosophical frameworks. It provides a comprehensive understanding of how various factors have influenced the creation and significance of music in cinema throughout history.
Derided for its conformity and consumerism, 1950s America paid a price in anxiety. Prosperity existed under the shadow of a mushroom cloud. Optimism wore a Bucky Beaver smile that masked worry over threats at home and abroad. But even dread could not quell the revolutionary changes taking place in virtually every form of mainstream music. Music historian James Wierzbicki sheds light on how the Fifties' pervasive moods affected its sounds. Moving across genres established--pop, country, opera--and transfigured--experimental, rock, jazz--Wierzbicki delves into the social dynamics that caused forms to emerge or recede, thrive or fade away. Red scares and white flight, sexual politics and racial tensions, technological progress and demographic upheaval--the influence of each rooted the music of this volatile period to its specific place and time. Yet Wierzbicki also reveals the host of underlying connections linking that most apprehensive of times to our own uneasy present.
Exploring the philosophical depth of Terrence Malick's filmmaking, this concise book delves into the intricate relationship between sound and visuals in cinema. It enhances our appreciation of Malick's unique style and the themes he explores, highlighting how these elements work together to create profound cinematic experiences.
Exploring the intricate relationship between music and the socio-political landscape of the 1960s, this book delves into how various musical genres—Folk, Rock, Jazz, Avant-Garde, and Classical—reflect the era's complex mix of aspirations and disillusionments. Through its chapters, it addresses the universal struggles for identity and the moral dilemmas faced by Americans across diverse backgrounds. The Prologue and Epilogue further emphasize the profound impact of the decade's cultural movements, highlighting the intertwined nature of music and societal change.