Theatre Music: My Perception
Being a disciple of music through theatre, I always feel strong urge to be associated to theatre music and hence going to write some thoughts regarding this genre.
Theatre music is not any distinguished department of music itself but it is only the whole music used and formed for theatres. Rather than we can say theatre music is only a kind and /or ingredient of theatre. Later on I will try to discuss this topic in very detailed manner. But a few important things, I would like to mention here.
As a production takes a shape for performance, simultaneously, it gets the music ready for use, however, it is not definitive that the created music is the only best and/or only suited music. Because all the theatre activities goes with personal perceptions of creations and differs from person to person. As one script can be treated in many different ways, the music also can be treated so differently for the same script which depends on Music composer’s and Director’s creative perceptions.
For the theatre music, in India, in amature theatre specially, the basic thought flown in its creation, believes that theatre music should not be so melodic and soft, because it can affect audience’s phenomenal response towards picking the line of thought or message of script and it can make viewers in this regard.
But, I always felt strong arrogance about this thought, and did not follow this line of action, even a single time. I always believed that the melody and softness is a totally different issue in the regards of theatre music, and why theatre should be punished by neglecting these fundamental things of music. I strongly oppose the perceptions, which proposes that melody and softness of music in theatre affects the expression adversely. I believe, Music, is the most expressive way to make better, rather to say, best communication of feelings and emotions. And I always proved my ideology right, through the feedback of audience and critics both. Even the most competitive work forces (groups and persons) in theatre in my circle appreciated and enjoyed my work at utmost.
Another thing I always used, in my theatre music creations, is the music of contrasts. Although I am not the first person who used this i.e., music of contrast, but I feel, I am amongst the few ones who liked to do it. The music of contrast is very simple thought though very difficult to perceive as it involves the huge experience of life as well as a highest level of creativity. Simply we can say, music of contrasts is basically contrast of feelings, created and symbolized by music. For example of this music, we can take a creature of a renown theatre music composer, in which, in the scene of a dead body of husband in front of his wife, he used the sounds of a marriage ceremonial procession and succeeded in making the enhancement of feelings of the wife, who was seeing his dead husband.
To be different is the best way to create the theatre music. I would like to share an example of my composer friend, Ishteyak from National School of Drama, who used, in scene of extreme jealousy, the sound of showers of water on the hot plate of iron, which is used to make chapatti in this Indian community. It was the best example of symbolic music, I saw ever.So all the small discussion made here is regarding my beliefs for the theatre music. And that’s all for my today’s contribution.
