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From: kovsky@netcom.com (Bob_Kovsky)
Subject: Re: Musical Memetics
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Date: Sat, 2 Mar 1996 17:12:30 GMT
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lcarnelian@aol.com (LCarnelian) wrote:
I am a musician and am new to the concepts and theory of memetics.  I have
been playing with the idea of 'musical memes' and how they might  work.  I
thought to do some crude 'research' by asking you meme guys; what do you
think of music memes?  can you refer me to some theorist whom has covered
this subject?  describe how memetics might apply to music and to the
creation of it.  

Mr response:

Sounds like Wagnerian lietmotifs to me.  E.g., a bundle of related
orchestral phrases that express the varying moods and activities of the
character Siegfried.  Then, during the music at his funeral, the phrases
are organized into a rhapsody. 

Wagner influenced those who created movie music in the 1930's and that is
where this technique most often abounds. 

It is, of course, a topic in music theory.  I do not know of any mention
of it in studies of memes.  It should be reachable by back-of-the-book
index. 

