Leveling Up the Leitmotif: Understanding How the Unique Medium of Video Games Explores and Develops the Leitmotif

Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Joseph Bognar

College

Arts and Sciences

Discipline(s)

Music

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-25-2024

Abstract

In the 19th century, composer Richard Wagner popularized the leitmotif in his operas and music. Defined as a recurring musical melody or theme that is associated with a character, place, idea, theme, or situation, the leitmotif has become a crucial aspect of scoring music for entertainment mediums such as movies, television shows, and more recently, video games. Due to the unique aspect of audience and storytelling in the medium of video games, the leitmotif is transformed for different purposes both musically and narratively, such as providing gameplay cues for the player and expanding on the musical ideas based on atmosphere and story. Scholars such as Jibril Ibrahim, Karen Collins, and Ashley Hallett have studied the leitmotif as an aid to the player and the relationship between sound cues, while other scholars like Neil Lerner, Tim Summers, and Jamie Sexton have focused on the leitmotif’s role in aiding the story of the video game. This paper explores the unique function of the leitmotifs in games such as The Legend of Zelda series, Hollow Knight, Resident Evil, and Undertale. Games from the The Legend of Zelda series and Resident Evil demonstrate the way that leitmotifs can be used to provide information and feedback to the player in a specifically non-diegetic way. Hollow Knight and Undertale highlight the ways that leitmotifs are composed in video games to support the narrative; they way they would be traditionally used in other mediums. By understanding how leitmotifs can be utilized as a player assisting mechanic as well as developing the story, scholars can continue to analyze and appreciate the unique ways that video games help to further the development of the leitmotif.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

I am a junior music education major, and have always been interested in how music relates to visual storytelling mediums. As someone who has received training in classical music styles, I have noticed that video games are not seen as an esteemed art form for their soundtracks to receive sufficient study and analysis. With this project, I aimed to highlight the unique way that the medium of video games allows for music exploration.

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