Music, collective memory, trauma, and nostalgia in european cinema after the second world war
Abstract
In the wake of the Second World War, the arts and culture of Europe became a site where the devastating events of the twentieth century were remembered and understood. Exploring one of the most integral elements of the cinematic experience-music-the essays in this volume consider the numerous ways in which post-war European cinema dealt with memory, trauma, and nostalgia, showing how the music of these films shaped the representation of the past. The contributors consider films from the United Kingdom, Poland, the Soviet Union, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Austria, and the Netherlands, providing a diverse and well-rounded understanding of film music in the context of historical memory. Memory is often underrepresented within scholarly musical studies, with most of these applications found in the disciplines of ethnomusicology, popular music studies, music cognition, and psychology and music therapy. Likewise, trauma has mainly been studied in relation to music in only a few historical contexts, whereas nostalgia has attracted even less academic attention. In three parts, this volume addresses each area of study as it relates to the music of European cinema from 1945 to 1989, applying an interdisciplinary approach to investigate how films use music to negotiate the precarious relationships we maintain with the past. Music, Collective Memory, Trauma and Nostalgia in European Cinema after the Second World War offers compelling arguments as to what makes music such a powerful medium for memory, trauma, and nostalgia.
Publication Title
Music Collective Memory Trauma and Nostalgia in European Cinema After the Second World War
Recommended Citation
Baumgartner, M., & Boczkowska, E. (2019). Music, collective memory, trauma, and nostalgia in european cinema after the second world war. Music Collective Memory Trauma and Nostalgia in European Cinema After the Second World War, 1-314. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315298450
