Mozart and Marianelli, Pride and Prejudice: A Scrupulous Study of the Score

[University of Michigan, 2008]

               As the eighteenth century came to a close, many exciting developments had taken place in Europe. The first decade of the century brought the invention of the pianoforte, with a dynamic range that the harpsichord lacked.[1] The bass clarinet was first manufactured in the latter half of the century, which Wagner utilized fifty years later in the final measures of Tristan und Isolde.[2]  Among these many accomplishments was the birth of the novel; with a rising middle class, increased literacy, and the growing popular appeal of reading books, the public demand for this genre steadily increased.[3]  In the beginning of the nineteenth century, this interest in novels was bolstered by author Jane Austen, who wrote six between 1811 and 1817.[4]  Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, depicts life in late eighteenth-century England and follows the romance of a lighthearted Elizabeth Benet and a formidable Mr. Darcy.  A cinematic version of the novel was produced in 2005, with music by Dario Marianelli and directed by Joe Wright.  By examining stylistic characteristics of the Classical Era, the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the film music of Pride and Prejudice, we can see that Marianelli has created a score that is an accurate reflection of the narrative's time period.  Not only does this period music exemplify the spirit and emotions of the characters in the film, but it also—with the help of diegetic music—makes the film much more believable.

            Most of Austen's biographers agree that Pride and Prejudice takes place in the years 1796-1797, more than a decade before its publication.[5]  In music history, the Classical Era unquestionably embraces the time period of Pride and Prejudice, spanning from about 1750-1820.[6] Marianelli's music emulates the musical style of the Classical Era in several ways.

            The most prevailing characteristic of Classical Era music is a natural, pleasing sound, also known as the galant style.  In contrast to the static, precise music of the Baroque (1600-1750), audiences of the Classical Era were ready to be entertained with variety and contrast.[7] In Marianelli's score, this galant style is heard throughout the movie.  For example, the most recurring music in Pride and Prejudice is Liz's theme, titled "Dawn" on the soundtrack. Heard first by the piano during the opening scenes of the film, it introduces each member of Liz's family. Later in the movie, this theme is joined by the orchestra, as Liz and Jane giggle underneath the covers. "Liz On Top of the World," the cue heard as Liz gazes across a beautiful landscape, is Liz's theme in the minor mode; it is also intertwined in "Mrs. Darcy," the cue for the final scene of the movie.  Finally, in case any doubt exists, Liz plays this theme on the pianoforte in Lady Catherine de Bourgh's parlor. The opening cue of the film—when "Dawn" is played in its entirety—is an excellent example of how Marianelli's score imitates music of the Classical Era. We can also see that by employing some of these techniques, the music parallels developments in Liz's attitude toward Mr. Darcy.

            Themes were often repeated and varied in Classical Era music,[8] and those themes were regularly presented in a manner that "clearly separated melody from accompaniment."[9] Likewise, "Dawn" is homophonic and includes contrast, repetition and variety.  The theme occurs four times, and varies in some way with each repetition. As the sun rises in Hertfordshire, "Dawn" is fittingly heard in its initial statement in an unhurried two-against-three melody in the treble clef. The camera follows Liz, walking and reading in nature's company. The bass clef accompanies the melody with steady broken triads, always moving in the same direction as the tune. As Liz closes her book, the first statement of the theme ends. The second statement—which begins as Liz approaches her family's farm—transfers the melody to the bass clef in straight quarter notes, allowing it to move along a bit faster. The right hand continuously pulses the same note, driving the left hand melody forward while also allowing it to be heard distinctly. The second half of the theme gives the melody to the treble clef once again, and Liz's sisters are shown. As the younger girls run through the house laughing, the third statement of the theme is presented, amidst broken thirds and seconds in the treble clef. Together, the notes in the treble and bass clefs soar up and down the range of the piano, utilizing all of the pitches in the dominant and tonic triads. As the theme dies down, Liz walks up the stairs to her house and watches her parents through the window, and the final and contrasting version of the theme begins. Instead of lighthearted leaps and bounds, the end section is purely chordal, and the melody—found in either the top or middle note of the chord—moves slowly and deliberately.  This creates a devotional, hymn-like atmosphere which leaves the listener in a state of peace and serenity. Overall, the theme becomes more and more complex with each statement until the closing section, when it is reduced to a quiet serenity.

            "The greatest change in eighteenth-century tonality…a new emphatic polarity between tonic and dominant, previously much weaker."[10] A harmonic analysis of "Dawn" reveals yet another feature typical of the Classical Era: most of the cue is in the tonic, dominant, or subdominant. These harmonies are emphasized in that there are very few passing tones; arpeggios strictly outline the notes of the triad to make the harmony very obvious.  Also characteristic of the Classical Era, there is a strong sense of conclusion at the end: the dominant-seven harmony lingers for quite some time before four authentic cadences draw the music to a close. Finally, the use of alberti bass—another manifestation of the galant style[11]—is included in "Dawn."

If the melody of "Dawn" had words, it would tell the story of Elizabeth Benet; Marianelli's music functions beautifully as Liz's theme. Just as Liz is beautiful, confident and curious, the melody of "Dawn" is lyrical, bold and inquisitive. Actually, the cue seems to follow the chronology of Liz's character development in the film quite perfectly. Liz is taken aback when she hears Mr. Darcy speak unfavorably of her, and doesn’t quite know how to react. Her first encounters with him are polite but resolute, declaring that dancing is the most suitable way to show affection "even if one's partner is barely tolerable." The first time the theme is heard in "Dawn," the melody—like Liz—seems to hesitate before taking off. It sits on one note, which is played ten times before launching. When the melody finally gets going, it too is polite and determined. The tempo is initially restricted in speed, and the melody draws on two against threes in order to have more time to fold out at its leisure. But chromaticism soon sneaks in, and just as Liz is not exactly a proper and conventional young lady (as shown by her mockery of Mr. Darcy), it is clear that this melody is not always going to do what is expected. As it progresses, the melody encompasses more and more chromaticism, and the harmonic and melodic rhythm quickens.  In the second statement of the theme, the melody is in the left hand and the tempo is faster. The tempo picks up just as Liz's confidence picks up, and the melody is in straight quarter notes instead of a two against three sequence, causing it to progress evenly and with much more certainty. The music is still restricted in range, however, and ventures down to the lower register for just two notes at a time. Alberti bass makes for more notes and a busier score, and at the end of the section the music is in constant suspense, with no tonic harmony until the next variation of the theme begins. Just as the second statement of the theme becomes more secure in its proclamation yet remains restrictive in its range, Liz's confidence increases the next few times she sees Mr. Darcy, but is not without limits. She is assertive in her critical remarks both at the Bingleys' ball and in Lady Catherine de Bourgh's parlor, yet still preserves proper conduct by masking her contempt in a dance and a piano performance.  In the third statement of the theme, the music seems to really let loose; melodic embellishment adds more notes, the range opens up tremendously, and the music fills in this range by swooping up and down the piano in arpeggios of inverted triads. While there are more notes, the music is slower so that it may accentuate this range and allow the melody to be heard in the thick busyness of embellishment. A chromatic note is bravely prolonged before resolving, and the melody is heard in octaves to accentuate its presence. This third thematic occurrence can be thought of as Liz's ultimate outburst with Mr. Darcy, when they are standing in the shelter from the rain. After pronouncing him arrogant and selfish, she firmly rejects his marriage proposal: "You are the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry," she declares. Like the final statement of the melody in "Dawn," Liz does not hold back in her feelings, expressing herself ardently and blatantly. Finally, the last section of the "Dawn" cue—the chordal, devotional section—represents Liz's gradual realization that Mr. Darcy is not what he appears to be. Liz's temperament is soothed by the end of the film, just as the music gradually realizes the melody, now peaceful and relaxed. She settles down with Mr. Darcy, just as the melody settles down in tempo and complexity.  The music comes to a decisive resting point at the end, affirming the home key for two long chords.

The simulation of Classical Era music in Pride and Prejudice is important not only in its historical accuracy and its interaction with the characters, but also as a function of the narrative itself. There is a great deal of diegetic music in the film, and every instance of this source music is confirmed with shots of the musicians. Even the orchestra, which provides lively dance music for the two balls, is shown. By having diegetic music, and showing the source of that music, the film is much more believable.  A harp stands in Mr. Darcy's parlor, behind Georgiana's pianoforte, and as this instrument "enjoyed a vogue during this [Classical Era] time,"[12] its presence adds even more to the historical accuracy of the film.

The use of the pianoforte is especially significant, for the "great event of the second half of the century was the slow but irresistible rise of the forte-piano."[13] Each home in Pride and Prejudice boasts a pianoforte, with the exception of Hunsford, the small cottage of Mr. Collins and Charlotte (as far as the viewer can see). In addition, diegetic music is employed on each pianoforte at least once, reflecting the "growth of interest in music for the home."[14] The naturalness and simplicity of the galant style was in part to appeal to the widest audience possible, and to accommodate the increase of amateur pianists,[15] also reflected in the film. At Longbourn (the Benet estate), Mary seems to be continuously practicing her scales. At Netherfield Park (the Bingley estate), Mary again sits down at the pianoforte to play during the second ball. At Pemberley (Mr. Darcy's estate), Liz peaks into the parlor to find Georgiana at the pianoforte. Finally, Liz is forced to tweak something out of the pianoforte at Rosings, Lady Catherine's estate, during her visit with Mr. Collins and Charlotte.

Pianoforte music in Pride and Prejudice also acts an indicator of social status. Georgiana, younger sister of the wealthy Mr. Darcy, plays the pianoforte gracefully and flawlessly. She practices often, according to Mr. Darcy, and is skillful enough so that Lady Catherine de Bourgh inquires of her playing. Indeed, "music figured largely in the upbringing of every young woman of wealth and class."[16] Georgiana also enjoys duets, which were also popular during the Classical Era,[17] and insists that Liz play one with her.  Conversely, Mary Benet's playing is never well-received. Part of a middle class family, her adequate playing is bothersome to her mother and provokes ridicule when she plays at the ball. Lady Catherine de Bourgh—a woman of utmost wealth and propriety—insists that Liz play something on the pianoforte, because "music became more and more a social grace."[18] The Benet's lower social status is confirmed when Georgiana, a girl of high social standing, flawlessly plays the piece that Liz had painfully struggled through in Lady Catherine de Bourgh's parlor—"Dawn," Liz's own theme.

In an interview with Marianelli, film music critic Dan Goldwasser discovers that early Beethoven sonatas were used as a model for the music in Pride and Prejudice.  "They became a point of reference, and their spirit—or my understanding of that spirit, at least—became the starting point for the score," recalls Marianelli.[19] However, an examination of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart reveals that Marianelli's music bears a closer resemblance to Mozart's music than to the sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven. Moreover, Robert K. Wallace published an entire book on the convergence of these two subjects, titled Jane Austen and Mozart: Classical Equilibrium in Fiction and Music. Wallace dedicates an entire chapter to Pride and Prejudice and Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 K. 271.  He first compares the three movements of the concerto to the three volumes of the novel, and then correlates the simultaneous opposition and union and wit and clarity of both works.  Furthermore, "most Mozart concertos parallel the broad formal outlines of Pride and Prejudice," Wallace claims.[20]

In Mozart the Freemason, an exploration of Mozart's music, musicologist Jacques Henry states: "Mozart knows that the third, either in the form of a chord or in intervals expressed in a melodic line, is a symbol bearing harmony….he knows its evocative power." The theme from the first movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 39 is expressed in thirds, in addition to the themes of the first and second movements of the Divertimento in E-flat Major K 563.[21]  Mozart also incorporates broken thirds in many of his piano sonatas. For example, in Sonata in C Major K 330, the opening six measures of the first movement include broken thirds in the bass clef, at times shifting to a fourth or a second.[22]

            Marianelli repeatedly employs thirds throughout his score. "The Living Sculptures of Pemberley," is the cue heard when Liz and her aunt and uncle first enter Mr. Darcy's estate (Pemberley) to enjoy a room full of sculptures.  A series of broken minor thirds is heard in the bass clef underneath a slow, stepwise melody in the treble clef.  Then the bottom bass note is lowered, and perfect fourths preside. The top of the bass line then shifts down one whole step for another series of minor thirds, and soon the treble clef assumes the thirds, this time major.  With these first major thirds, Liz admires a sculpture, secluded from her aunt and uncle. She has a look of wonderment on her face, and just as the music shifts from minor to major, Liz's opinion of Mr. Darcy seems to be shifting from abhorrence to admiration. Again, a few perfect fourths occur before a single pitch is changed to create major thirds. This pattern of indecisive thirds fluctuating between major and minor, treble and bass clef, persists for most of the cue. The music barely moves as these alterations sneak in, just as Liz's emotions are gradually swayed. The clarinet assumes the melody gently and unpretentiously, as if nudging the thirds along as it contemplates its mode. As Liz admires more and more sculptures, strings take over the melody, pushing the thirds along even more by becoming thicker and a bit more prominent. By the time the effigy of Mr. Darcy slowly comes into focus, the French horn undertakes the melody, heroic and noble. The camera pans around the statue, remaining on Liz as she studies it, and the look on her face is one of sincere veneration. The maid asks Liz if she knows Mr. Darcy, and a fermata allows her to pause before she replies that she knows him a little. The minor thirds resume slowly once more as the maid then asks if she thinks Mr. Darcy is handsome, and as she answers in the affirmative, the strings execute a series of tender chords. This seems to be the point at which Liz, after having talked of Mr. Darcy aloud, realizes her true affection for him. The music comes to a resting point as well, the broken thirds finally pausing for a moment to recognize Liz's revelation. The melody resumes in the strings, and as her aunt and uncle resume the tour, Liz remains fixed on Mr. Darcy's image. The broken thirds have dissipated by now, lost to the assertive melody. Liz, too, is now certain of her feelings toward Mr. Darcy, and by the time she emerges from her deep trance, the group has already moved on. She continues the house tour alone, and as her hand gently move across the different figurines, the cue ends on a third, in the tonic but still not completely resolved.  Liz is left with distinct new feelings, but she isn't quite sure what to do about them.

Another common expression of the galant style was the use of alberti bass.[23] Mozart's sonatas, like many Classical Era works, frequently employ this technique. In fact, each of his eighteen piano sonatas includes alberti bass at least once. His Sonata in A Major K 300, for example, features consistent alberti bass in Variation II.[24] "Georgiana," the theme for Mr. Darcy's younger sister, also features continuous alberti bass. Its lightheartedness, ornamentation, and harmonic rhythm are comparable to Variation II of Mozart's Sonata in A Major, and thus can be seen as an accurate representation of the Classical Era.

            The cue "Georgiana" is first heard as diegetic music, as Georgiana herself plays it on the pianoforte in her parlor. This cue is later heard in its entirety by the orchestra as Mr. Bingley nervously practices his marriage proposal to Jane. Though Georgiana doesn't play her theme to the end on the pianoforte, one can discern in her performance many traits that are characteristic of the Classical Era. There is a single, distinct melody line, reflecting the emergence of homophony. Furthermore, this melody is repeated and varied by way of melodic embellishment, using octaves instead of single pitches, a shift to the bass clef, and trills as ornamentation. Ornamentation was a popular way of exploring themes as part of the galant style, and was employed often in Classical Era works.[25] Distinctive cadences are also obvious in this cue, as there are five authentic cadences before the music concludes.  In the Classical Era, "cadential affirmations of key were used frequently."[26] In case there is any doubt of the home key, the tonic chord is played three times at the end.

            Other examples of strong cadential affirmations include "Dawn," and "Arrival and Netherfield." "Dawn," the opening cue of the film, has three authentic cadences, and "Arrival at Netherfield," heard as Liz treks across an open field to look after Jane at the Netherfield estate, includes five authentic cadences at the cue's conclusion.  "Arrival at Netherfield," like "Georgiana," also contains trills as ornamentation.

            Another way that "Georgiana" may be seen as musical work representative of the movie's period is in its form. Sonata for the solo keyboard was one of the dominant mediums of the Classical Era.[27] The first movement of a typical piano sonata contains an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. The exposition usually contains two themes of contrasting keys, the development section explores these themes through fragmentation, liquidation, and transposition, and the recapitulation brings the themes back in their original form.[28]  In "Georgiana," many of these progressions occur. The theme is heard after the first few measures, and immediately undergoes a key change. The same melodic motif is developed in major and minor, in the bass clef and the treble clef, and in single pitches and octaves. Another modulation occurs near the end of the cue, and after many cadential affirmations, the cue ends in a different key than it had started. Often, the second theme of the exposition is in a different key than the main theme, and since the exposition ends with the second theme, it may end up in another tonal area. "Georgiana" is also repeated in its entirety (in the full orchestral version), just as most sonatas have a double bar at the end of the exposition, signifying the performer to start over again from the beginning. "Georgiana," therefore, may be heard as an exposition to the first movement of a piano sonata. Since Georgiana plays this music in her parlor, and has practiced it enough so that it could easily be performed in a recital setting, it is easy to hear this music as a piano sonata.

The emulation of Mozart and the Classical Era in "Georgiana" works well for many reasons. Because the cue is played by Georgiana, a girl of high social status who practices regularly and plays with expertise, one is led to believe that it was a respected musical work of its time. Mozart, who lived from 1756-1791, is only a few years ahead of the time period of Pride and Prejudice, set in 1796-1797. Thus, seeing and hearing a character play Mozart-sounding music makes the film quite believable. Mozart's playful, cheery style also works well as Georgiana's theme, at once bringing to mind the youthful, energetic girl that eagerly rushes to the door to meet Liz.

According to Andy Trudeau, most Austen scores have three characteristics: the English countryside, classical elegance, and a dramatic sequence.[29] But Marianelli's score has more: not only is it historically and musically loyal to the narrative's time period, but it functions superlatively as music representative of Austen's characters and their development throughout the novel. It is no wonder, therefore, that the film score for Pride and Prejudice was nominated for an Oscar in 2005, and that Marianelli took home the 2007 Oscar for his musical work in Atonement. For like Mozart, when it comes to writing music, Dario Marianelli knows exactly what he is doing.

Bibliography

Deresiewicz, William. Jane Austen and the Romantic Poets. New York: Columbia

     University Press, 2004.

Downs, Philip G. Classical Music: The Era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. New

     York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1992.

Goldwasser, Dan. "A Musical Vendetta." Soundtrack, March 15, 2006,

     http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=187.

Henry, Jacques. Mozart the Freemason. Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2006.

Herttrich, Ernst. Mozart: Piano Sonatas Volume II. Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1977

Karp, Theodore. Dictionary of Music. Chicago: Northwestern University Press, 1983.

Pestelli, Giorgio. The Age of Mozart and Beethoven. New York: Cambridge University

     Press, 1984.

Poplawski, Paul. A Jane Austen Encyclopedia. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998.

Rosen, Charles. The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. New York: W.W.

     Norton & Company, 1997.

Sachs, Curt. The History of Musical Instruments. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,

     1940.

Sadie, Stanley. The Billboard Encyclopedia of Classical Music. New York: Billboard Books,

     2004

Trudeau, Andy. "Oscar Nominated Scores: Pride and Prejudice." Weekend Edition

     Sunday, March 5, 2006, 

     http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5245902

                                              

Watts, Ian. The Rise of the Novel. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1957.

Wallace, Robert K. Jane Austen and Mozart: Classical Equilibrium in Fiction and Music.

     Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1983.

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[1] Giorgio Pestelli, The Age of Mozart and Beethoven (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 12.

[2] Curt Sachs, The History of Musical Instruments (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1940), 414.

[3] Ian Watts, The Rise of the Novel (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1957), 57. 

[4] Paul Poplawski, A Jane Austen Encyclopedia (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998), 16-21

[5] William Deresiewicz, Jane Austen and the Romantic Poets (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 16.

[6] Theodore Karp, Dictionary of Music (Chicago: Northwestern University Press, 1983), 8.

[7] Philip G. Downs, Classical Music: The Era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 1992), 70.

[8] Downs, Classical Music, 37

[9] Pestelli, The Age of Mozart and Beethoven, 7

[10] Charles Rosen, The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (New York: W.W. Norton, 1997), 26.

[11] Pestelli, The Age of Mozart and Beethoven, 136.

[12] Downs, Classical Music, 130.

[13] Pestelli, The Age of Mozart and Beethoven, 12.

[14] Downs, Classical Music, 370.

[15] Ibid., 36

[16] Ibid., 153.

[17] Ibid., 370

[18] Rosen, The Classical Style, 46.

[19] Dan Goldwasser, "A Musical Vendetta," Soundtrack, March 15, 2006, http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=187.

[20] Robert K. Wallace, Jane Austen and Mozart: Classical Equilibrium in Fiction and Music (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1983), 83.

[21] Jacques Henry, Mozart the Freemason (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2006), 5.

[22] Ernst Herttrich, Mozart: Piano Sonatas Volume II (Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1977), 146.

[23] Pestelli, The Age of Mozart and Beethoven, 136.

[24] Herrtrich, Mozart Piano Sonatas, 162.

[25] Ibid., 7.

[26] Downs, Classical Music, 38.

[27] Downs, Classical Music, 29.

[28] Stanley Sadie, The Billboard Encyclopedia of Classical Music (New York: Billboard Books, 2004), 200.

[29] Andy Trudeau, "Oscar Nominated Scores: Pride and Prejudice." Weekend Edition Sunday, March 15, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5245902