Chromatic Mediants and Narrative Context in Film

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article examines specific narrative connotations associated with chromatic mediant motions in film music. Following the neo‐Riemannian work of theorists such as David Kopp and Richard Cohn, and film‐music theorists such as Scott Murphy and Frank Lehman, I propose a lexicon of harmonic motions and associative connotations. The article provides a survey of both major‐mode and minor‐mode chromatic mediant relationships in as many different genres of film as possible, with science‐fiction and fantasy films being most common. Through this survey I aim to demonstrate not only the extent to which chromatic mediants have become staple devices of film‐scoring harmonic practice, with meanings so consistent that they can be subverted for ironic and satirical purposes, but also to lay out a speculative path for future film‐music theorists to use these connotations in additional film contexts.