| Description |
| On-screen: |
Starring actors and main title |
| Description: |
Over the main titles, we hear a sturdy triple meter theme with strong brass, conveying a dark and ominous mood overall; this theme is only used in the opening title sequence |
| Music annotations: |
[m. 4] ff; [m. 5] ff; [m. 8] ff / soli; [m. 9] gliss; [m. 10] rubato / sfz; [m. 11] sfz; [m. 12] tremolo / heavily / ff / melodia; [m. 14] sfz / accell; [m. 15] sfz / ff; [m. 16] maestoso (slower) |
| Film annotations: |
[m. 4] Big sleep |
| Orchestration annotations: |
[m. 4] str W.W. / chimes / horns / baritone / add harp / big gong / trbs; [m. 6] brass; [m. 7] some W.W. + chimes; [m. 10] b. d. + cymb. / timp / (strg tremolo); [m. 12] 3 trps / trbs / tuba / basses / celli / horns; [m. 14] chime / timp; [m. 15] chime / chime / 4 trpts / timp; [m. 16] hand cymbal / timp; [m. 17] gong; [m. 19] W.W. + chime / vibra also |
| Analysis: |
The theme has an ABA construction, with a three-note stepwise motive in the A section; the B section is more turbulent and unpredictable, modulating from a minor to ab minor, followed by a chromatic sequence moving through E and F major; the A idea then returns in e minor |
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| Tags |
9th chord | ABA structure | cast list | chromatic mediant | chromatic sequence | dark | heavy | leading lady | leading man | Neapolitan | opening title sequence | silhouette | smoke | smoking | starring list
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