Music (Media)

Hanz Zimmer - 'Inception' 'Dream is Collapsing'

The elaborate 'dream within a dream' set up during the film begins to collapse as various crisis in each level trigger a violent shock which will wake the dreamer at the next level up.
Accompaniment in low strings, suggesting depth and darkness
music builds gradually which suggests the overarching links between the scenes all coming to a synchroised climax.
begins on electric guitar, repeated quavers with echo.
melody obsessively repeates a single note (six times) and then the semitone below it
fortissimo accented brass chords underline the harmony
horn countermelody in dotted minims, often clashing with the harmony (added 2nds and 7th feature)
huge build up of dynamics with increase in texture
layers of ostinato rhythm build up over the circling chord changes: upper strings added to guitar lines, further harmony added, distorted guitar chords added.
high violins continue to play a melody consisting only of a semitone with a cross-rhythmic 6/8 against the prevailing 3/4 metre

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Driving, with intensity (crotchet =126), creates tension through the tempo
minor key and chromatic movement
time signature 6/4, creates poor sense of pulse
no sense of total centre, no functional harmony
first two notes, perfect 4th = motif
bar 4, bassline - notes tied across two beats
minimalism - hold two notes down, sounds within sounds, links to drem within a dream, minimalist movement
bar 5, first chord = E major chord
bar 3, first chord = C major abd dotted rhythms that are turned to octives
bar 17, first chord uses 5th and not the 3rd of chord
bar 18, Gb major
bar 19, Eb major
bar 20, B major raised 7th chord.
bar 21, G minor chord
= fast harmonic rhythm

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monophonic/tonic pedal notes throughout
quiet dynamics sustained throughout
low register woodwind/horn chords
chromatic melody with narrow range
tremolo violins/celeste
obsessive spanish habanera/tango rhythm on spanich theme of the portrait
slow moving mysterious chords, mainly minor tonality, but with unexpected chromatic shifts, producing some augmented and diminished harmony, often quite dissonant (through subtly) against the pedal note
phrase repeated with muted horns and high violins doubling the melody

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