A Twist in the Song: Retracing Myth and Dante´s Poem in Heavy Metal Music
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract:
The study of music is gathering strength in the academic world, although the scope is still growing, and there are plenty of elements it does not contemplate yet. As a multidisciplinary subject, music has the power of the melody and the power of the lyrics, which, apart from being able to reach any social nook, makes it a gigantic cultural tool with the force of sending any kind of message in a dynamic and effective way. The way in which heavy metal – and especially its symphonic branch – plays with this duality of melody and text, together with the mythological content where its lyrics feed on makes this genre an essential step in this kind of research. This investigation has been focused on symphonic metal as a source of mythological knowledge to build a bridge that links this genre of popular music with one of the most celebrated works of literature of all times: The Divine Comedy: with a double purpose: on the one hand, to demonstrate the importance of this genre within our society and, on the other, to study yet one more field which has not escaped the influence of the Dantesque world.
Resumen:
El estudio de la música está cobrando fuerza en el mundo académico, aunque el alcance todavía está creciendo, y hay un montón de elementos que no contempla todavía. Al ser un tema multidisciplinario, la música tiene el poder de la melodía y el poder de las letras, que, además de ser capaz de llegar a cualquier rincón social, hace que sea una herramienta cultural gigantesca con la fuerza de enviar cualquier tipo de mensaje en una dinámica y manera efectiva. La manera en la que el Heavy Metal - y especialmente su rama sinfónica - juega con esta dualidad de la melodía de texto, junto con el contenido mitológico en el que sus letras se alimentan de este género se hace esencial en este tipo de investigación. Esta investigación se ha centrado en el metal sinfónico como una fuente de conocimiento mitológico para construir un puente que une el género de la música popular con una de las obras más célebres de la literatura de todos los tiempos: la Divina Comedia, con un doble objetivo: por una parte, para demostrar la importancia de este género dentro de nuestra sociedad y, por otro, para estudiar todo campo adicional que no ha escapado a la influencia del mundo dantesco.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
How to Cite
References
Alighieri, Dante. (1993/2008) The Divine Comedy. (C.H. Sisson, Trans.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
____________. (1956). Divina Comedia. In Obras Completas. Madrid: Editorial Católica S. A.
Avantasia. (2001). “Serpents in Paradise”. On The Metal opera Pt. I [CD]. Shwalmstadt: AFM Records.
________. (2002). “Neverland”. On The Metal Opera Pt. II [CD]. Shwalmstadt: AFM Records.
Bennett, Reimer. (1989). "Music education as aesthetic education: toward the future." Music Educators Journal, 75.7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3400308
Berger Harris M. & Del Negro, Giovanna P. (2004). Identity and Everyday Live: Essays in the Study of Folklore, Music and Popular Culture. Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press.
Blind Guardian. (1992). “The Bard´s Song – In The Forest”. On Somwhere Far Beyond [CD]. Shallplatten: Virgin Records.
____________. (1995). “Mordred´s Song”. On Imaginations From The Other Side [CD]. Shallplatten: Virgin Records
____________. (1998). Nightfall in Middle Earth [CD]. Shallplatten: Virgin Records.
____________. (2002). A Night at the Opera [CD]. Shallplatten:
Virgin Records.
____________. (2006). “Fly”; “All the King’s Horses”. On A Twist in the Myth [CD]. Grefrath: Nuclear Blast.
____________. (2010). War of the Thrones. On At the Edge of Time [CD]. Donzdorf: Nuclear Blast.
De Champeaux, Gérard & Sterckx, Dom Sébastien. (1985). Introducción a los símbolos. Madrid: Ediciones Encuentro.
Demons & Wizards. (2000). Demons & Wizards [CD]. Hannover: SPV Records.
_______________. (2005). Touched by the Crimson King [CD]. Hannover: SPV Records.
González Ruiz, Nicolás. (1956). Introducción general. In Dante Alighieri,Obras completas. Madrid: Editorial Católica: pp.1-16.
Grave Digger. (1996). Tunes of War [CD]. Senden/Münster: GUN Records.
___________. (1998). “The Battle of Bannockburn”. On Knights of the Cross [CD]. Senden/Münster: GUN Records.
___________. (1999). Excalibur [CD]. Senden/Münster: GUN Records.
Hofstadter, Douglas R. (1979). Göedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Penguin Books: Midlesex.
Iced Earth. (2001). “Jack”; “Jekyll and Hyde”; “Frankenstein”; “Dracula”. On Horror Show [CD]. Florida, FLO: Century Media.
Iron Maiden. (1981). “Purgatory”. On Killers [CD]. London; EMI Records. 1998
Rhapsody of Fire. (2004). “Dawn of Victory”; “The Village of Dwarfs”; “Rain of a Thousand Flames”. On Tales from the Emerald Sword Saga [CD]. Multiple Studios (Compilation album): Limb Music.
Sepultura. (2006). “Dark Wood of Error”; “Convicted in Life”; “City of Dis”; “False”; “Fighting On”; “Ostia”; “Buried Words”; “Nuclear Seven”; “Repeating the Horror”. On Dante XXI [CD]. Hannover: SPV Records.
Spence, Charles et al. (2013). “Looking for crossmodal correspondences between classical music and fine wine”. Licensee BioMed Central Ltd. <http://ipe.sagepub.com/content/6/3/2041669515593027.full> 3 Sep 2016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2044-7248-2-29
Symphony X. (2002).“Inferno (Unleash the Fire)”; “Incantations of the Apprentice”; “Accolade II”. On The Odyssey [CD]. New Jersey, NJ: Inside Out.
__________. (2007). “Oculus ex Inferni”;“Eve of Seduction”. On Paradise Lost [CD]. New Jersey, NJ: Inside Out.
__________. (2015). “Nevermore”; “Without You”; “Legend”. On Underworld [CD]. New Jersey, NJ: Nuclear Blast.
Van Boer, Bertil H. (2012).Historical Dictionary of Music of the Classical Period. UK: Scarecrow Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5771/9780810873865
Wright, Jeffrey E. (1992) On the Nature of Musical Experience. University Press of Colorado.