Recurring themes in prog

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   Peter Hammill uses this technique a lot in his opera "The Fall of the House of Usher"; there are several themes which will occur again later. He uses a lot of other highly advanced composing techniques in it too, by the way, like true polyphony and counterpoint.

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BaldFriede Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: June 02 2005 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 10266	Posted: March 02 2009 at 06:38
	Peter Hammill uses this technique a lot in his opera "The Fall of the House of Usher"; there are several themes which will occur again later. He uses a lot of other highly advanced composing techniques in it too, by the way, like true polyphony and counterpoint.
	BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.

progkidjoel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: March 02 2009 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 19643	Posted: March 02 2009 at 05:10
	Yes lyrics often feature the "Eyes Of Child" as a lyric, not sure what it means. Nature and the magic of life is also a common theme or so it would seem.


Toaster Mantis Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 12 2008 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 5898	Posted: March 02 2009 at 04:10
	When I saw the title, I thought this thread would be more about themes in the sense of "what the music is about" and a lot of progressive rock being about similar subject matter, rather than in the Wagnerian leitmotif sense.
	"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook

DamoXt7942 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Joined: October 15 2008 Location: Okayama, Japan Status: Offline Points: 17493	Posted: March 02 2009 at 02:49
	The Beach Boys' "Smile" might be able to use a lot of reocurring phrases as you said...if the album could be made completely...I think. (I found the possibility in their box set...several songs far from completion of SMILE.)


topofsm Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: August 17 2008 Location: Arizona, USA Status: Offline Points: 1698	Posted: March 01 2009 at 21:34
	One of the things I love about symphonically based music is the reocurrence of important themes and motifs in a piece of music. As a percussionist in my local symphony orchestra, I have to say I'm quite familiar with the usage of this by the masters. However, I also like rock and metal bands that utilize reocurring and familiar themes. This aspect of music is one that I find is consistently pulled off well by Dream Theater. As much as I don't see the greatness in their critically acclaimed album "Scenes from a Memory", they dabble familiar melodies in well all throughout it. They especially make great use of it in "Home", where they reuse chord progressions and drumkit rhythms from "Metropolis Pt. 1". Another artist that I feel does this well is Nine Inch Nails. Anybody who has heard "The Downward Spiral" or "The Fragile" knows that several songs on each of those albums share a couple familiar melodies. Not only that, but Trent Reznor also writes in some great reocurring lyrics. If you've heard a fair amount of NIN material, chances are you've heard the phrase "Nothing can Stop Me Now" more than once, and not even just in one album. Anyways, what are some artists that you feel use this technique well?