Of the Musical Environment of a Documentary (Presentation of Cultural and Historical Heritage) Cover Image
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За музикалната среда в документалния филм (представяне на културноисторическо наследство)
Of the Musical Environment of a Documentary (Presentation of Cultural and Historical Heritage)

Author(s): Valeri Pastarmadjiev
Subject(s): History, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Cultural history, Music, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
Published by: Институт за изследване на изкуствата, Българска академия на науките

Summary/Abstract: Cultural heritage preservation for posterity is a special challenge and an ever-topical subject. There are a number of tools allowing to preserve and present historical memory to the general public. Among the most effective ways to do so is its recreation by using audiovisual media and its objectification in documentary films. Film, and in particular documentary film, uses a set of devices to achieve the desired goal. Musical environment, in holding the potential for creating an overall feeling of a certain period, plays a special role in effectively representing events of cultural and historical significance. In this respect, the goal of this study is to bring forth the role and specifics of the musical environment of documentary films in preserving cultural and historical heritage. The object under study here is the musical environment in a documentary dealing with Bulgaria’s cultural and historical heritage, namely The Masters Who Turned Time Forward. Another important focus is also the process of composing music as an impactive element with its own specificities. The article presents some aspects of the interplay between musical atmosphere and visual environment in the documentary as a symbiosis between the act of presenting and capturing and, in this sense, preserving cultural and historical heritage. An overview has been made of the role of music in films and more specifically, in documentary filmmaking. The correlation between the film story, the sites on which historical events unfold, and the film score has been analysed. The reasons behind the choices of genre, musical instruments and merging musical styles have been provided. The documentary shows historical sites of architectural value constructed by master builders from Bratsigovo. The author presents the above-mentioned devices as an effective tool in creating the musical atmosphere of a documentary viewing cultural and historical heritage as a prerequisite for facilitating the reception of and social commitment to the presented cultural values.

  • Issue Year: 2019
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 60-73
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: English, Bulgarian