Zum Sterben schön. : Ein Versuch über den Umgang von Filmmusik mit dem Tod.

Abstract Mirkko Stehn: Zum Sterben schön. Ein Versuch über den Umgang von Filmmusik mit dem Tod, magisteruppsats 30hp, Uppsala universitet (Institutionen för musikvetenskap), 2008 The ambition of this treatise aims on finding answers to the question why scenes connected to the death of a hero in Hollywood movies are commonly accompanied by pieces of music of the softest and aesthetically most appealing kind. One could say that the visual staging of such scenes, which appear to be very explicit in many cases, sharply contradicts the musical information. Wondering about the roots and reasons for this habit led to the trial to search for historical contexts in which death appears to be linked to pleasing and emotive music. One explanation for this phenomenon might be found in the tradition of Requiem masses, especially considering the compositions of the 19th century. Through theories of transcendence and a philosophically influences discussion about death itself, the romantic picture of a life after death also affected the compositions of that time. Some of those ideas and principles survived. They are to be found in today's cinema. By means of a historical inquiry combined with the analysis of relevant movies published during the past five years, interesting similarities, as well as problems of the theory, are at this juncture discussed