Accompanying Dialogue
My recent work has led me to begin composing subtle backing pieces to accompany dialogue within the performance. As the play progresses, we are presented with examples of Inka describing memories. As each memory is described I felt a different interpretation presented itself depending on the musical accompaniment. I wanted to compose music that was subjective. I did not want to fall into traps of creating typical ‘tense’ or ‘emotional’ music for example. Our entire concept remains dependent on individual interpretation. It therefore became my responsibility to ensure a suitable atmosphere or tone was created, without it guiding an audience too strongly into believing something was positive or negative.
I worked with Felicity (Inka), and listened to her perform the sections of dialogue, which I felt required accompanying music. After timing each section, I returned to the piano and began roughly developing separate scores. Once I had developed five or six samples I came to rehearsals with the intention to listen to the effects of each when coupled with the speech. It became clear that the more simplistic compositions left the audience with a sense of ambiguity. Minimalism within the music allowed Felicity to drive the emotion vocally rather than rely on the backing. As a company, we agreed that this was the more beneficial way of using the music with dialogue, so as not to overpower the drama. From here, I would use this as a template when creating backing compositions, editing the key slightly to portray the different stages of Inka’s development. The example here is from the track Inka-The Beach, which features in section 4 of the performance. Here Inka describes a memory to Imogen, the simple piano score changes in key as the recurring idea of ‘even’ and ‘odd’ is recalled by Inka.
David Roesner’s book, Musicality in Theatre, offered an interesting perspective on the sounds of theatre. He seeks to ‘demonstrate how music as model, method and metaphor in theatre making has made a vital and lasting impact’ (Roesner, 2014, 1). While I had initially considered the ways in which music might be used to compliment the finalised performance, I was introduced to this term ‘musicality’. Roesner explores the ways sounds and rhythms relate to the rehearsal and theatre making process, rather than the completed product. Interestingly, he discusses ‘instances where musicality has been a particularly central consideration and driver in the process of writing text for theatrical performance rather than a bi-product or after-thought’ (Roesner, 2014, 121). I considered this notion carefully and found it applicable to our work as a company. The work devised within our performance would often come after the music had been written. Our choreographers would experiment with actors using the newly produced music I had given to them. The exposure to new rhythms and sounds had the potential to invoke fresh thinking and original concepts in the devising process that may not have been possible had the music been written in response to the movement. Similarly, this worked with language. I had written five tracks to accompany dialogue, Inka-2008, Inka-The Beach, Inka-13th, Inka-Isaac and Inka-Launch. In rehearsal, it was clear to see the difference in the actors’ delivery when accompanied by music and when left without. The pace, the tone and the emotion was significantly improved when each actor could immerse themselves within the atmosphere the music created. Particularly in the final scene of the performance, the music emphasised our message to the audience and established a emotive and eye-opening conclusion.
Inka-Launch, which accompanied the final scene
Works Cited
Roesner, D. (2014) Musicality in Theatre. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.