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Penguin Pool Murder (1932)

Home > Film: Penguin Pool Murder > Theme: Penguin Pool Murder > Instance: 0:00:23



Instance
Theme name: Penguin Pool Murder
Start time: 0:00:23
End time: 0:01:00
Total duration: 0:00:37
Page #: no score available
Measure #: no score available
Scene: no score available
Key: b - unstable
Meter: 6/8
Tempo (bpm): 104
Instrumentation: orchestra
Description
On-screen: Main title, starring list, and cast list
Description: The main theme establishes a more serious tone as the main title appears on the screen; the penguin is still walking and swimming in the background; the theme has an air of mystery
Analysis: Starting out with a fanfare in b minor (theme X), this cue soon becomes unstable with the use of chromatic parallelism in the accompaniment; in the A part (the first 16 measures) theme X is transposed and transformed (altered intervallically and rhythmically) over parallel diminished seventh chords and parallel minor triads in the lower voices; in the B part (the next 8 measures), theme X is transformed through rhythmic diminution and alternates with a contrasting Y theme that features a hemiola pattern; in the final C part, fragments of theme X appear over an accompaniment that fluctuates between diatonic and whole-tone collections, ending with whole-tone melodic gesture in the solo violin
Tags

cast list | chromatic parallelism | diminution | diving | double exposure | dramatic | hemiola | linear chromaticism | mysterious | opening title sequence | penguin | pool | starring list | swimming | tense | thematic transformation | through-composed | title of film | transcribed by ear | whirlpool | whole-tone | whole-tone chord

Media