Drama vs Musicianship

I found this YouTube video really interesting because immediately it gives you musical ideas of long notes, and expression of the piece.  The quick change of long words to short abrupt words when she talks about how hamlet has changed from this great figure to how she sees him now. The way in which she uses her voice was a great influence for my music as the long way in which she speaks dictates the way in which you would sing. This is shown in my composition from using semi tones when the words are longer and important to changing when she becomes angry by using crotchets.

The Use of Shakespeare in Music

As part of my research for my own composition, looking into how others perceived Shakespeare in a musical context was a great insight for me. It has given me some direction and inspiration for my own piece. It allows me to question my work, and ask myself if there's a reason behind using certain musical elements, either it be influential from other composers or aspects from the modern day

Winton Dean writes, in context of already established Shakespearean operas, 'Some are very poor indeed, but the majority throw light on the tastes of their period; in this respect the librettos are often more instructive than the music.' (Dean:1966)

Therefore, this is why I decided to take Ophelia's Monologue and view it primarily as a piece of drama, when you understand the character, the plot and the character's intentions, for me the music writes itself. The use of motifs, will be essential in my composition as it creates direction for the character as well as foreshadowing the plot. Dissonance will also be used, again giving the character a sense of uneasiness and an insight of the characters immanent fate.