The Book Thief - Analysis

[Ludwig 1,120]

I've now started my annual analyses of the year's Oscar nominees for Best Original Score. First up is Williams' The Book Thief, a score rich in subtlety:

http://www.filmmusicnotes.com/oscar-nominees-2014-best-original-score-part-1-of-6-john-williams-the-book-thief/

Enjoy.

[indy4 155]

Nice work! I submitted my analysis for FSMO a few weeks ago (to be published in March with the DVD release). I interpreted the end tag of Liesel's theme a little differently--as a motif for death/mortality (with a lowercase 'd') and it's impact on Liesel, as garnered from Williams' use of a minor scale in almost every melody/motif in the score.

[Ludwig 1,120]

Nice work! I submitted my analysis for FSMO a few weeks ago (to be published in March with the DVD release). I interpreted the end tag of Liesel's theme a little differently--as a motif for death/mortality (with a lowercase 'd') and it's impact on Liesel, as garnered from Williams' use of a minor scale in almost every melody/motif in the score.

Interesting. Do you hear the death/mortality motif in Death's theme?

[indy4 155]

Nice work! I submitted my analysis for FSMO a few weeks ago (to be published in March with the DVD release). I interpreted the end tag of Liesel's theme a little differently--as a motif for death/mortality (with a lowercase 'd') and it's impact on Liesel, as garnered from Williams' use of a minor scale in almost every melody/motif in the score.

Interesting. Do you hear the death/mortality motif in Death's theme?

Yup! First they start on the same note (ie in the opening track, the motif ends on a concert G, and Death's theme starts on a G). But Death's theme also descends down a minor scale after the first 2 or 3 notes