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.