Wailing woman: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Musical motif and solo vocal effect}} |
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[[File:Lisa Gerrard with her group 'Dead Can Dance' in Paris, 30 June 2013.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Lisa Gerrard]]'s wailing solo vocal effect in ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' (2000) inspired film composers to implement the technique in post-Gladiator [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]].<ref name =carazo/>]] |
[[File:Lisa Gerrard with her group 'Dead Can Dance' in Paris, 30 June 2013.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Lisa Gerrard]]'s wailing solo vocal effect in ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' (2000) inspired film composers to implement the technique in post-''Gladiator'' [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]].<ref name =carazo/>]] |
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The '''wailing woman''' is a [[musical motif]] and [[Solo (music)|solo]] vocal effect that features "an exotic-sounding, ululating female singer" traditionally heard in the [[soundtrack]]s of [[epic films]] and [[historical drama]]s.<ref name=salon>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2004/05/25/wails/|title=Wail watching|author=Dave Roos|website=[[Salon.com]]|date=May 25, 2004|access-date=April 21, 2023}}</ref> Generally composed in [[half-step]]s and featuring heavy [[vibrato]], the "ethnic sounding" wailing woman technique is a "melodious lament" with unintelligible words and an "ethnic" vocal [[timbre]], usually set in the natural [[minor scale|minor]], [[harmonic minor|harmonic]] and/or [[melodic minor]] scale.<ref name= |
The '''wailing woman''' is a [[musical motif]] and [[Solo (music)|solo]] vocal effect that features "an exotic-sounding, ululating female singer" traditionally heard in the [[soundtrack]]s of [[epic films]] and [[historical drama]]s.<ref name=salon>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2004/05/25/wails/|title=Wail watching|author=Dave Roos|website=[[Salon.com]]|date=May 25, 2004|access-date=April 21, 2023}}</ref> Generally composed in [[half-step]]s and featuring heavy [[vibrato]], the "ethnic sounding" wailing woman technique is a "melodious lament" with unintelligible words and an "ethnic" vocal [[timbre]], usually set in the natural [[minor scale|minor]], [[harmonic minor|harmonic]] and/or [[melodic minor]] scale.<ref name=carazo>{{cite book | author = Rachel L. Carazo | date = 16 May 2023 | title = "A Hero Will Endure": Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of 'Gladiator' | publisher = Vernon Press | pages = | isbn = 978-1-64889-659-0 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=k1KuEAAAQBAJ}}</ref> |
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The mournful wail may often deal with a tragic [[adult themes|subject matter]] or a foreign locale, where it heightens the emotional moments in the scenes while expressing a dramatic mood. It has since been used in [[film score|scores]] of [[film genre]]s outside of [[drama film|drama]], |
The mournful wail, typically sung in [[alto]], may often deal with a tragic [[adult themes|subject matter]] or a foreign locale, where it heightens the emotional moments in the scenes while expressing a dramatic mood. It has since been used in [[film score|scores]] of [[film genre]]s outside of [[drama film|drama]], and as well as in television shows and video games.<ref name=carazo/> Other nicknames for this musical technique include, '''wailing female''' or '''moaning woman'''.<ref name = filmscore>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/fsmonline/free_article.cfm?ID=1995|title=Moaning Woman: Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.|author=Timothy Greiving|website= [[Film Score Monthly]]|access-date=April 22, 2023}}</ref><ref name=Meyer>{{cite book | author = Stephen C. Meyer | date = 1 September 2016 | title = Music in Epic Film: Listening to Spectacle | publisher = Routledge | pages = | isbn = 978-1-317-42586-1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JVH0DAAAQBAJ}}</ref><ref name="Wilcox2021">{{cite book | author = Felicity Wilcox | date = 26 August 2021 | title = Women's Music for the Screen: Diverse Narratives in Sound | publisher = Routledge | pages = | isbn = 978-0-429-55994-5 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=C5Q2EAAAQBAJ}}</ref> |
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==Usage== |
==Usage== |
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===Film=== |
===Film=== |
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[[File:Wailingwoman.ogg|thumb|right|Wailing woman example. "Hector's Death" from ''Troy'' (2004). Composed by [[James Horner]] with vocals of [[Tanja Tzarovska]].]] |
[[File:Wailingwoman.ogg|thumb|right|Wailing woman example. "Hector's Death" from ''Troy'' (2004). Composed by [[James Horner]] with vocals of [[Tanja Tzarovska]].]] |
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The wailing woman motif was popularized in ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' (2000), performed by vocalist [[Lisa Gerrard]] and composed by [[Hans Zimmer]], where it was thenceforth used throughout the [[2000s in film|2000s]] in movies such as, ''[[Mission: Impossible 2]]'' (2000), ''[[Black Hawk Down (film)|Black Hawk Down]]'' (2001), ''[[The Four Feathers (2002 film)|The Four Feathers]]'' (2002), ''[[The Gospel of John (film)|The Gospel of John]]'' (2003), ''[[Tears of the Sun]]'' (2003), ''[[Troy (film)|Troy]]'' (2004), ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' (2004), ''[[Duma (2005 film)|Duma]]'' (2005), ''[[Munich (2005 film)|Munich]]'' (2005) |
The wailing woman motif was popularized in ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' (2000), performed by vocalist [[Lisa Gerrard]] and composed by [[Hans Zimmer]], where it was thenceforth used throughout the [[2000s in film|2000s]] in movies such as, ''[[Mission: Impossible 2]]'' (2000), ''[[Black Hawk Down (film)|Black Hawk Down]]'' (2001), ''[[The Four Feathers (2002 film)|The Four Feathers]]'' (2002), ''[[The Gospel of John (film)|The Gospel of John]]'' (2003), ''[[Tears of the Sun]]'' (2003), ''[[Troy (film)|Troy]]'' (2004), ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' (2004), ''[[Duma (2005 film)|Duma]]'' (2005), ''[[Munich (2005 film)|Munich]]'' (2005), ''[[Elizabeth: The Golden Age]]'' (2007) and ''[[The Stoning of Soraya M.]]'' (2008).<ref name=salon/><ref name=Meyer/> |
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Although the vocal scoring approach was made popular by ''Gladiator'', it was not the first film to apply the motif; films released earlier such as, ''[[The Peacemaker (1997 film)|The Peacemaker]]'' (1997), ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' (1998), ''[[8mm (film)|8mm]]'' (1999),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/film/apr99/8mm.htm|title=Mychael DANNA 8MM Eight Millimeter |author=Ian Lace|website= Film Music on the Web|access-date=April 22, 2023}}</ref> and ''[[The Insider (film)|The Insider]]'' (1999) have utilized this style as well.<ref name =carazo/> Much earlier, ''[[Moses the Lawgiver]]'' (1974) and ''[[The Last Temptation of Christ (film)|The Last Temptation of Christ]]'' (1988) have also featured ethnic wailing vocals, though the latter film had a solo male vocalist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.genesis-news.com/c-Peter-Gabriel-Passion-The-Last-Temptation-Of-Christ-CD-review-s313.html|title=Peter Gabriel - Passion: The Last Temptation Of Christ|author=Martin Klinkhardt|website= Genesis News Com|access-date=April 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.philipbrophy.com/projects/tracesofsoundtracks/02.html|title=Ennio Morricone|author=Philip Brophy|website= Philip Brophy|access-date=April 22, 2023}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In fantasy and science fiction, a mournful or [[melismatic]] female soloist has been applied in |
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⚫ | In fantasy and science fiction, a mournful or [[melismatic]] female soloist has been applied in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy]] (2001–03), ''[[The Hulk (film)|The Hulk]]'' (2003), ''[[The Day After Tomorrow]]'' (2004), ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]'' (2005), ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'' (2005), ''[[300 (film)|300]]'' (2006), ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (2009), ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' (2009), ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2]]'' (2011), ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (film)|The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' (2012), ''[[Man of Steel (film)|Man of Steel]]'' (2013), ''[[Thor: The Dark World]]'' (2013), ''[[Gravity (2013 film)|Gravity]]'' (2013) and ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'' (2021).<ref name =carazo/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/yes-that-is-dead-can-dances-lisa-gerrard-on-the-dune-score/|title=Yes, that is Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard on the 'Dune' score|author=Bill Pearis|website= Brooklyn Vegan|access-date=May 17, 2023}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | After the wailing/moaning female became a [[cliche]]d musical trope, the effect became parodied most notably in comedy films like ''[[Team America: World Police]]'' (2004) and ''[[Tropic Thunder]]'' (2008).<ref name = filmscore/> Despite this, the vocal effect has continued to be used in [[2010s in film|2010s]] epic films, such as in ''[[Son of God (film)|Son of God]]'' (2014), ''[[Exodus: Gods and Kings]]'' (2014) and ''[[300: Rise of an Empire]]'' (2014), which feature male and female wailing.<ref name =carazo/> |
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⚫ | After ''Gladiator'', television composers were inspired to use the vocal effect for shows like ''[[Rome (television series)|Rome]]'' (2005-2007), a series which periodically |
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⚫ | After ''Gladiator'', television composers were inspired to use the vocal effect for shows like ''[[Rome (television series)|Rome]]'' (2005-2007), a series which periodically used the mourning woman vocal effect throughout. ''[[Spartacus (TV series)|Spartacus]]'' (2010-2013) and ''[[Gods of the Arena]]'' (2011) included the wailing vocals as a recurring theme. Further, numerous historical [[documentaries]] in the 2000s which covered ancient [[Western civilization]]s, like [[Rome]] and [[ancient Greece]], and [[Middle East]]ern locales, have also featured wailing.<ref name =carazo/> |
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''[[Baraka (film)|Baraka]]'' (1992) used the track ''The Host of Seraphim'' by [[Dead Can Dance]], which features Lisa Gerrard's wailing vocals.<ref>[https://www.soundtrack.net/album/baraka/ Baraka Silver Screen Edition] by Brian McVickar from [[Soundtrack.net]]. Retrieved May 3, 2022.</ref> ''[[Home (2009 film)|Home]]'' (2009), an [[Environmentalism|environmental-themed]] documentary, has also used female wailing in the soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cobmWY2jXLo&list=PLf2L3W_ojt9wPBQPatWzX8tqPWopoUNeI |title=Home - Home Part I (Soundtrack/Armand Amar) |publisher=naïve playlist on YouTube |date= October 3, 2013 |accessdate=May 11, 2023}}</ref> |
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===Video games=== |
===Video games=== |
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The wailing woman vocals made its way into [[video game]]s in the 2000s, where it was predominantly featured in the ''[[Prince of Persia]]'' franchise and ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', with some moderate usage in ''[[Metal Gear]]'', ''[[Resident Evil]]'', ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name =carazo/> |
The wailing woman vocals made its way into [[video game]]s in the 2000s, where it was predominantly featured in the ''[[Prince of Persia]]'' franchise and ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', with some moderate usage in ''[[Metal Gear]]'', ''[[Resident Evil]]'', ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name =carazo/> |
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==Reception== |
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In 2004, film composer [[John Debney]] admitted that the wail is a [[fad]], like many other movie music trends that were used before it, and is a "[[du jour]]" for composers in post-''Gladiator'' cinema, adding, "I think, like anything, it just gets old."<ref name=salon/> |
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American composer [[Jeff Beal]] associated this music technique to the success of [[world music|world]] and [[new age music]] genres in the 1980s, where he states, "I think that was the decade where we became enamored with all sorts of indigenous gestures". He added that even prior to ''Gladiator'', the wailing woman was "already starting to percolate up." Music journalist [[Doug Adams (music journalist)|Doug Adams]] stated, "It was such an unusual thing to have a film score where the performer was so noticeable, especially in a vocal way like that...[[Elliot Goldenthal|Goldenthal]] would use it here and there for something that was out of control, or even [[Danny Elfman|Elfman]]." Furthermore, Adams concluded that [[John Williams]] using the moaning woman motif for ''[[Munich (2005 film)|Munich]]'' (2005) was comparable to "your grandpa buying a [[cellphone]]...You know everybody else has already done this..."<ref name = filmscore/> |
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The wailing phenomenon is also an expression of world events at the turn of the millennium where [[List of modern conflicts in the Middle East|conflict and resulting interest in the Middle East]] escalated, thereby influencing American filmmakers to focus on [[West Asia]] and its affiliated subjects.<ref name = filmscore/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OneWomanWail One-Woman Wail] from [[TV Tropes]] |
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OneWomanWail One-Woman Wail] from [[TV Tropes]] |
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{{Musical techniques|state=collapsed}} |
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[[Category:Soundtracks| ]] |
[[Category:Soundtracks| ]] |
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[[Category:Hans Zimmer]] |
[[Category:Hans Zimmer]] |
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[[Category:Film scores]] |
[[Category:Film scores]] |
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[[Category:Singing techniques]] |
Latest revision as of 12:11, 11 March 2024
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Lisa_Gerrard_with_her_group_%27Dead_Can_Dance%27_in_Paris%2C_30_June_2013.jpg/240px-Lisa_Gerrard_with_her_group_%27Dead_Can_Dance%27_in_Paris%2C_30_June_2013.jpg)
The wailing woman is a musical motif and solo vocal effect that features "an exotic-sounding, ululating female singer" traditionally heard in the soundtracks of epic films and historical dramas.[2] Generally composed in half-steps and featuring heavy vibrato, the "ethnic sounding" wailing woman technique is a "melodious lament" with unintelligible words and an "ethnic" vocal timbre, usually set in the natural minor, harmonic and/or melodic minor scale.[1]
The mournful wail, typically sung in alto, may often deal with a tragic subject matter or a foreign locale, where it heightens the emotional moments in the scenes while expressing a dramatic mood. It has since been used in scores of film genres outside of drama, and as well as in television shows and video games.[1] Other nicknames for this musical technique include, wailing female or moaning woman.[3][4][5]
Usage
Film
The wailing woman motif was popularized in Gladiator (2000), performed by vocalist Lisa Gerrard and composed by Hans Zimmer, where it was thenceforth used throughout the 2000s in movies such as, Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), The Four Feathers (2002), The Gospel of John (2003), Tears of the Sun (2003), Troy (2004), The Passion of the Christ (2004), Duma (2005), Munich (2005), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) and The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008).[2][4]
Although the vocal scoring approach was made popular by Gladiator, it was not the first film to apply the motif; films released earlier such as, The Peacemaker (1997), The Prince of Egypt (1998), 8mm (1999),[6] and The Insider (1999) have utilized this style as well.[1] Much earlier, Moses the Lawgiver (1974) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) have also featured ethnic wailing vocals, though the latter film had a solo male vocalist.[7][8]
In fantasy and science fiction, a mournful or melismatic female soloist has been applied in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–03), The Hulk (2003), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), King Kong (2005), 300 (2006), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Avatar (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Man of Steel (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Gravity (2013) and Dune (2021).[1][9]
After the wailing/moaning female became a cliched musical trope, the effect became parodied most notably in comedy films like Team America: World Police (2004) and Tropic Thunder (2008).[3] Despite this, the vocal effect has continued to be used in 2010s epic films, such as in Son of God (2014), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) and 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), which feature male and female wailing.[1]
Television and documentary
After Gladiator, television composers were inspired to use the vocal effect for shows like Rome (2005-2007), a series which periodically used the mourning woman vocal effect throughout. Spartacus (2010-2013) and Gods of the Arena (2011) included the wailing vocals as a recurring theme. Further, numerous historical documentaries in the 2000s which covered ancient Western civilizations, like Rome and ancient Greece, and Middle Eastern locales, have also featured wailing.[1]
Baraka (1992) used the track The Host of Seraphim by Dead Can Dance, which features Lisa Gerrard's wailing vocals.[10] Home (2009), an environmental-themed documentary, has also used female wailing in the soundtrack.[11]
Video games
The wailing woman vocals made its way into video games in the 2000s, where it was predominantly featured in the Prince of Persia franchise and World of Warcraft, with some moderate usage in Metal Gear, Resident Evil, Halo, and The Legend of Zelda.[1]
Reception
In 2004, film composer John Debney admitted that the wail is a fad, like many other movie music trends that were used before it, and is a "du jour" for composers in post-Gladiator cinema, adding, "I think, like anything, it just gets old."[2]
American composer Jeff Beal associated this music technique to the success of world and new age music genres in the 1980s, where he states, "I think that was the decade where we became enamored with all sorts of indigenous gestures". He added that even prior to Gladiator, the wailing woman was "already starting to percolate up." Music journalist Doug Adams stated, "It was such an unusual thing to have a film score where the performer was so noticeable, especially in a vocal way like that...Goldenthal would use it here and there for something that was out of control, or even Elfman." Furthermore, Adams concluded that John Williams using the moaning woman motif for Munich (2005) was comparable to "your grandpa buying a cellphone...You know everybody else has already done this..."[3]
The wailing phenomenon is also an expression of world events at the turn of the millennium where conflict and resulting interest in the Middle East escalated, thereby influencing American filmmakers to focus on West Asia and its affiliated subjects.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rachel L. Carazo (16 May 2023). "A Hero Will Endure": Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of 'Gladiator'. Vernon Press. ISBN 978-1-64889-659-0.
- ^ a b c Dave Roos (May 25, 2004). "Wail watching". Salon.com. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Timothy Greiving. "Moaning Woman: Beauty is in the ear of the beholder". Film Score Monthly. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Stephen C. Meyer (1 September 2016). Music in Epic Film: Listening to Spectacle. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-42586-1.
- ^ Felicity Wilcox (26 August 2021). Women's Music for the Screen: Diverse Narratives in Sound. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-55994-5.
- ^ Ian Lace. "Mychael DANNA 8MM Eight Millimeter". Film Music on the Web. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Martin Klinkhardt. "Peter Gabriel - Passion: The Last Temptation Of Christ". Genesis News Com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Philip Brophy. "Ennio Morricone". Philip Brophy. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Bill Pearis. "Yes, that is Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard on the 'Dune' score". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ Baraka Silver Screen Edition by Brian McVickar from Soundtrack.net. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ "Home - Home Part I (Soundtrack/Armand Amar)". naïve playlist on YouTube. October 3, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
External links
- One-Woman Wail from TV Tropes