leitmotif
leitmotif — noun
1. a short melody in a musical work that appears repeatedly, each time tied to a sp
a short melody in a musical work that appears repeatedly, each time tied to a specific character, emotion, or idea — most famously used in Richard Wagner's operas
In Wagner's Ring cycle, a short brass leitmotif announces the arrival of the dragon Fafner.
orchestral leitmotif announcing a character
The composer gave each hero a distinct leitmotif that plays whenever they enter a scene.
leitmotif assigned to a character
As the villain stepped into the hall, the orchestra played his dark leitmotif.
Élise recognised the love leitmotif from the symphony playing softly in the café.
Music students studied how a single leitmotif changes key to reflect a character's shifting mood.
文法句型
a leitmotif of [character/idea]
leitmotif for [character]
用法筆記
Borrowed directly from German; in older music criticism it is sometimes italicised. The technique is historically tied to Wagner's operas, but the term is now used for any musical work that employs a recurring character-associated theme.
常見錯誤
2. a subject, image, or idea that keeps appearing in a book, film, piece of art, or
a subject, image, or idea that keeps appearing in a book, film, piece of art, or someone's body of work and carries special meaning each time
The leitmotif of identity runs through all of the novelist's early work.
leitmotif of [abstract theme] runs through [body of work]
In Hiro's films, a character staring out of a train window became a visual leitmotif.
visual leitmotif in film
The theme of loss became a quiet leitmotif in paintings created after the war.
Critics described the colour blue as a leitmotif connecting the photographer's portraits.
A single line of poetry returns as a leitmotif throughout the entire novel.
- theme
broader; a theme can appear once or many times and does not necessarily repeat recognisably
- motif
very close in meaning; 'motif' is more common in literary criticism, while 'leitmotif' emphasises the insistent, repeated quality
- thread
more informal; suggests a connecting element that runs through a work, not necessarily a prominent one
文法句型
a leitmotif of [abstract idea]
[something] becomes a leitmotif
用法筆記
The figurative use is common in literary and film reviews. Distinguish from sense 1 by context: if the discussion involves actual music, sense 1 is intended; if it describes a repeat image, idea, or phrase in a non-musical work, sense 2 applies.