1. “Era un problema a farne un tutt’uno” (Ennio Morricone, 1995)
Musemes in The MISSION
“Era un problema a farne un tutt’uno” (Ennio Morricone, 1995)
Philip Tagg — Montréal/Rio de Janeiro, ; Version 3 (F), Montréal , assisted by Simon Bertrand

2. Presentation overview
Introduction (4 slides)
Summary of main musematic categories
Taxonomic criteria
Thematic identity and expressive specificity
The musemes (>30 slides)
7 categories with music examples and intertextual musical references (IOCM)
Conclusions

3. Summary of the 7 main musematic categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

4. Museme classification criteria
Musemes are primarily ordered according to the order of their first appearance in the film.
Musemes are also grouped according to their :
structural similarity of parameters of musical expression (tempo, rythmic and intevallic profile, timbre, harmony, pitch, articulation, etc.)
cinematic function (main themes, diegetic, non-diegetic, etc.)
However ...
These taxonomic criteria inevitably produce some anomalies...

5. Thematic identity and unity versus specificity of musical expression
2 examples 1
Museme 3A1a (‘Indigenous’ woodwind intermittence)
is thematically related (by rhythmic and intevallic profile) to
musemes 3B1-4 (Intermittent percussion blasts)
et even to museme 6A (Hispanic turn). 2
Museme 1A1(b) (Sick strings (2))
derives its rhythmic and intervallic profile from the main theme
(m5 – Concorde et dignité).
Taxonomic priority is therefore given to parameters of musical expression rather than to aspects of thematic construction.

6. Presentation overview
Introduction (4 slides)
Summary of main musematic categories
Taxonomic criteria
Thematic identity and expressive specificity
The musemes (>30 slides)
7 categories with music examples and intertextual musical references (IOCM)
Conclusions

7. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

8. 1: Diaboli in musica (a) 1A. Sick strings 1A1. Sick semitones
a) Letter to the pope
IOCM: Penderecki: Thrénodie pour Hiroshima
b) Mendoza in prison
IOCM : Bartók: Divertimento (II) ̶ fifths & fourths
c) Mendoza’s jealousy (1) visceral string trills
d) Mendoza’s jealousy (2) ongoing string screech

9. 1: Diaboli in musica (b) Penance 1A3b. Visceral outburst
a) Mendoza, in prison, threatens Gabriel
b) Mendoza’s jealousy starts to erupt
IOCM: shark music from Jaws
1B. Tangled woodwind
Penance
IOCM: Handel: The people that walked in darkness (Messiah)
Penance (reprise)
1D. Tritones
a) Mendoza’s increasing jealousy
b) Guaraní puts a knife to Mendoza’s throat.
c) Portuguese mercenaries hack through the jungle.

10. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

11. 2A-B. Danger drums (1)
2A1. Death drum: (loop)
used for:
cardinal’s letter; confronting Mendoza in jungle;
blessing the mercenaries;
as girl sees Guaraní shot on river;
throughout both massacres and at very end of film, etc.
2A2. Miscellaneous single percussion hits
Timpani, cymbal, low piano notes, etc. used in Mendoza’s jealousy and penance ; blessing the mercenaries ; battles and massacres
2B. Roulements de timbales
Distant thunder/threat effect in: intro to Gabriel climbing the falls; Rodrigo buckling his sword, etc..

12. 2C. Danger drums (2) ▬ The March of Death ▬
1. Relentless plodding
a) Mendoza marches to kill Felipe
b) Blessing the mercenaries
c) Mercenaries break camp to advance to the mission
d) Mercenaries scaling the cliffs at Iguazu falls
e) Mercenaries advancing towards the mission
2. Relentless riding and incitement
a) Slaves dragged into Asunción
b) “Ethnic” war drums

13. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

14. 3A. Intermittent woodwind bursts (1)
3A1. ‘Ethnic’ instruments
a) Panpipe punctuations and wood flute hoots
used for: letter to Pope; Guaraní (jungle, start of film); slaves dragged into Asunción; war preparations; massacre 1; massacre 2, at end of film, etc.
b) Panpipe breathy blast (‘martyrdom’) (loop)
c) Shrill flute shrieks
used for: letter to Pope; Guaraní (jungle, start of film; war preparations, etc.)
...all these musemes are less common later in film...

15. 3A. Intermittent woodwind bursts (2)
3A2. European instruments
a) Shrill terror blast: only for massacres and battles
b) Woodwind flutter
Mystery alto flute • Mystery clarinet seconds
mainly for battle preparations
c) Sour chord (min/maj)
• Sword practice • Blessing the mercenaries (pizz.) • Massacre 1 • Rigging the canon (gtr.)

16. 3B. Intermittent percussion bursts
Musemes 3B1 to 3B4 relate thematically to m6A (the Hispanic turn)
1) Battle preparations: timpani (see 6D, Gabriel’s Oboe)
2) Mendoza’s jealousy: cymbal
3) Mendoza’s jealousy: timpani and toms
4) Sword practice: low piano notes
5) Blessing the mercenaries: timpani
6) Massacre 1: snare drum

17. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

18. 4A1. Smooth Euro-harmonies (maj.)
4A1a. Slow rising parallel thirds over pedal point
1) Intro to brothers by the falls (main theme)
2) End of Mendoza’s penance : hope
3) Start of final credits (On Earth as it is in Heaven)
4A1b. Conjunct (hymnal) rising bass line
a) On Earth as it is in Heaven (choir)
b) Gabriel’s Oboe (strings)
4A1c. Classical conjunct falling bass line
a) On Earth as it is in Heaven (choir)
b) Gabriel’s Oboe (strings)

19. 4A1* Euro-harmonies maj. - IOCM
4A1b. Classical conjunct rising bass line
1) Marcello: Oboe concerto in E$ (transp. to D)
2) Handel : ‘The Lord shall Arise’ (Messiah)
3) Gabriel’s Oboe mixed with (1), then (2)
4A1c. Classical conjunct falling bass line
a) J.S. Bach : Air from Suite in D
b) Bach (transposed) with On Earth as in Heaven
c) Bach (transposed) with Gabriel’s Oboe

20. 4A2. European major cadences
4A2a. Standard classical perfect cadences
1) End of main theme (Falls)
2) End of Gabriel’s Climb
4A2b. Standard classical interrupted cadences
Gabriel’s Oboe 2 (the 2 brothers have just died)
4A2c. Standard classical modulations
The cardinal leaves worldly matters and enters the mission church to celebrate mass

21. 4A3. Euro liturgical harmonies
4A3a. Easter Alleluia (Laßt uns erfreuen : Geistliche Kirchengesang, Köln, 1623) 
Gabriel’s climb (Falls)
On Earth as in Heaven
4A3b. Sus4, plagal ‘Amen’ cadences and organist-style delay, on a 6/4 chord, of final tonic
In all versions of main theme (m5) and of Gabriel’s Oboe (m6), especially just before the film’s epilogue ; also after “The beauty and power of the limb I had come to hack off” (cardinal).

22. 4A4. Ethereal Euro harmonies (strings)
Gabriel reaches the top of the falls (Climb)
Mendoza’s hope in Remorse
Rodrigo (Mendoza) reads St. Paul on Faith, Hope and Love

23. 4A5. Euro-romantic harmonies
4A5a. Late C19 idiom for Brothers
4A5b. Special key change for Carlotta’s entrance
4A5c. Relief as tears turn to smiles after long
penance at top of falls
4A5d. Top note and harmonic climax in
Gabriel’s Oboe (A97 at 75%)
IOCM for harmonic climax chord. Handel: aria “He was despised and rejected” (Messiah) “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (transposed)

24. 4B. Euro-minor-key harmonies
1. Bitter loneliness (madd9 & $9)
a) Carlotta does not love Rodrigo Mendoza
b) “Excommunicated, cut off, cast out!”
c) Carlotta : “you won’t hurt him, will you?” ($9) IOCM Manha de carnaval (Bonfa)
2. Sorrow and tragedy
Tears as Rodrigo’s penance is over above the falls
Genocide in Massacre 1
Rodrigo has to kill a mercenary guard (same chords as when Rodrigo realises his loneliness after killing his brother)
3. Religious reflection
Dies irae as Rodrigo reads the bible at night
Cardinal enters mission church for mass

25. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

26. 5. Main Theme (1) a.k.a. “Climb”, “Falls”, “Mission”
A. Concord and dignity
Main title (Falls): pan pipe lead
End of main titles (Falls): full orchestra
The Climb: alto flute lead
End of Remorse: flute lead
Words of St. Paul: harp lead
“Beauty... of the limb”: violin section
Coda: Miserere mei: solo treble
The Climb: introductory motif

27. 5A. Main theme ▬ IOCM a.k.a. “Climb”, “Falls”, “Mission”
A. Concord and dignity?
different character for same 3 melody notes over different chords
End of main theme (Falls): full orchestra
no clix!
The Crystals: And Then He Kissed Me (prod. Phil Spector, 1963)
Mina: Se telefonando (Morricone, 1966)
The 3-note idea 8-#7-5 (g-f#-d in G) works on 6 of the major scale’s 7 different notes. Morricone uses 4: I (G) iii (Bm) vi (Em) IV (C) [I (G)]
The same 3 notes, as (c-b8-g in G), also fit over 6 of 7 notes in the major scale, e.g. g b e c a d [g].

28. 5B. Main theme variants B. Discord and distress
5B1. Confronting Mendoza during slave hunt in
jungle (cf.
5B2. Remorse (1): Mendoza on prison floor
5B3. Remorse (2): Mendoza flares up and
threatens Father Gabriel in prison scene
5B4. Battle preparations: distant trumpet

29. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

30. 6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe (1)
A. Hispanic turn (~) (no clix!)
6A1. Gabriel attempts nervously to play oboe in jungle
6A2 (a) Guaraní take Gabriel by the hand (oboe)
6A3 (a) Hugs and smiles after Rodrigo’s penance and tears (cor anglais)
6A4 (a) Rodrigo’s new life starts at the mission (flute)
6A4 (b) The River: Guaraní paddle cardinal towards the mission (high flute solo, then standard flute with ‘coro illusoriamente etnico’)
6A3 (b) Rodrigo prepares to fight for justice
(cor anglais  8 )
6A2 (b, c) End credits (oboe + continuo, then choir)

31. 6. Gabriel’s Oboe (1) MCIO A. Double-broderie hispanisante (~)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique - Scène aux champs (orig. key, then in D, then Gabriel’s Oboe)
Mahler: Lied von der Erde - Abschied (original key, then in D with Gabriel’s Oboe)

32. 6B-D. Gabriel’s humanist oboe (2)
B. Grace notes and appoggiature
1. On the fifth (mostly occur with the Hispanic turn, m6A1)
2. Straight, descending
3. Descending in triplets, etc.
rossini, grieg
C. Aspiring leaps (rising sixths)
4 variants
On flauto dolce
D. As timpani figure (see also 3B1, 6B and 6C)

33. Gabriel’s Oboe (m6) and delayed plagal cadences (m4A3) : IOCM
Gabriel’s Oboe (the two brothers have just died)
F#3  Bm vi
G  Asus4  A  IV  V 
G IV
D I
Asus4  A V  * * *
interrupted cadence (1)
delayed plagal cadence (2)
Gabriel’s Oboe (II, entier) avec MCIO
J.S. Bach: Air in D (m4A1c: conjunct descending bass line)
‘A man of sorrows’ (Handel): m4A5d
(“and acquainted
with grief”)
End of aria Nessun dorma from Puccini’s Turandot
G IV
D I
Gabriel’s Oboe finally gets to the tonic (D)
together with the death drum (m2A1)

34. The 7 main museme categories
1. Diaboli in musica
2. Danger drums & percussion
3. Intermittent bursts
4. Smooth Euro-harmony
5. Main theme
6. Gabriel’s humanist oboe
7. Musica de livello (quasi-) interno (‘source’ music)

35. “Era un problema a farne un tutt’ uno”
7. Source music (A-B)
A. Euro-referential (excl. Gabriel’s Oboe and ½-tone bells)
7A1. La folía (string ensemble in mission building)
7A2. Gabriel’s Oboe in jungle (see m6a1)
7a4??
7A3. Gregorian plainsong in Jesuit closter
7A4. Baroque flute concerto in instrument workshop at the mission
“Era un problema a farne un tutt’ uno”
B. Ethno-referential (excl. ‘ethnic war drum’)
7B1a. Fiesta/carnaval music (by day)
7B1b. Fiesta/carnaval music (by night)
7B2. Celebratory dance after Rodrigo’s ordination
7B3. Waunana (Guaraní) chant on the river
7B4. Waunana (Guaraní) pipes and dancing to
celebrate cardinal’s visit

36. 7. Source music (C)
C. Syncretic (pseudo-diegetic musics) “Era un problema a farne un tutt’uno”
7C1. Ave Maria Guaraní – solo treble; invisible string orchestra on square at Asunción
7C2. Ave Maria Guaraní - amateur choir
7C3. Te Deum Guaraní – amateur choir with
invisible pan pipe ensemble
7C4. ‘Coro illusoriamente etnico’ 1: The River
7C5. ‘Coro illusoriamente etnico’ 2: End credits

37. Philip Tagg, Montréal, April 2007
FIN
THE END
Version 3 (Englsih),
Philip Tagg, Montréal, April 2007