04 November 2010 17h00
IMM Studio A 2.24
Kristo Šagor on music in the theatre
In films, it's the soundtrack. But what about the theatre?
As well as opera, musicals and song recitals, music also plays a role in so-called spoken theatre. Sometimes it is used to back emotional moments one-to-one, as is usually the case in film, sometimes it is used to intensify emotion, for example by contrasting the poignancy of a moment by its own light-heartedness. Theatre music can provide a commentary; it can also arouse associations through the use of leitmotivs.
Theatre music is often more restrained than music in other media. A little is a lot. The music leaves spaces for action, for the spoken text. Sometimes the director uses favourite music, sometimes the music is specially composed for the play.
Kristo Šagor compiles a brief typology of music, illustrating it with examples from his own and others' productions.
Kristo Šagor is a writer and director. He studied linguistics, literature and theatre at the Free University Berlin. Kristo Šagor has directed at the Schauspielhaus Hamburg, the Schauspielhaus Bochum and the Schauspielhaus Hannover, among others. In 2008 he was awarded the German theatre prize DER FAUST.