French Musical Culture and the Coming of Sound Cinema
French Musical Culture and the Coming of Sound Cinema, author Hannah Lewis argues that the debates about sound film resonated deeply within French musical culture of the early 1930s, and conversely, that discourses surrounding a range of French musical styles and genres shaped audiovisual cinematic
experiments during the transition to sound. Lewis' book focuses on many of the most prominent directors and screenwriters of the period, from Luis Buuel to Jean Vigo, as well as experiments found in lesser-known films. Additionally, Lewis examines how early sound film portrayed the diverse soundscape of early 1930s France, as filmmakers drew
from the music hall, popular chanson, modernist composition, opera and operetta, and explored the importance of musical machines to depict and to shape French audiovisual culture. In this light, the author discusses the contributions of well-known composers for film alongside more popular music hall
styles, all of which had a voice within the heterogeneous soundtrack of French sound cinema. By delving into this fascinating developmental period of French cinematic history, Lewis encourages readers to challenge commonly-held assumptions about how genres, media, and artistic forms relate to one
another, and how these relationships are renegotiated during moments of technological change.
Publisher Name | Oxford University Press USA |
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Author Name | Hagendorf, Col |
Format | Audio |
Bisac Subject Major | MUS |
Language | NG |
Isbn 10 | 0190635983 |
Isbn 13 | 9780190635985 |
Target Age Group | min:NA, max:NA |
Dimensions | 00.91" H x 00.06" L x 10.00" W |
Page Count | 264 |
Hannah Lewis, Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Texas at Austin, is a historical musicologist who specializes in film music, music and visual media, early twentieth-century French music, and musical theater.