Progressive metal is all about leitmotifs. Dream theater specially uses the technique to great effect. Like in Six degrees of inner turbulence or the meta album (each song in the album is in a different other album but construct a separate sequence) 12 step suite, about alcoholism.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 years ago

Gawd I love Dream Theater.

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'll have to listen again but I don't recall 6doit having any recurring musical phrases that accompany characters or other ideas throughout the album. there is an overture at the beginning that introduces the songs.

[–] dustyData@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It does, the overture doesn't only introduces later songs (through leitmotifs), it reuses them again for a reprise and a finale. Other examples include Metropolis part II: scenes from a memory, which is almost a musical, including characters, scenes and acts, and A change of seasons, where leitmotifs are not for characters but concepts.

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It does, the overture doesn’t only introduces later songs (through leitmotifs), it reuses them again for a reprise and a finale.

yeah what I'm saying is I don't think that's really what a "leitmotif" is.

[–] dustyData@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

How is it not?. If anything, DT's instrumental use of leitmotif for composition is more classical and predates the crude and vulgar current interpretation of leitmotif="this character is on screen".

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

A leitmotif or Leitmotiv[1] (/ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf/) is a "short, recurring musical phrase"[2] associated with a particular person, place, or idea.

I don't think any of DTs recurring musical phrases are "associated with a particular person, place, or idea." Like there has to be more to it than recurrence to be considered a leitmotif. Recurrence in music happened a lot for various reasons before the idea of leitmotifs, so if you use the term generically to that extent it loses any meaning.

[–] dustyData@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

OK.