The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism

In the following article, I will show that Austrian music plays a very particular role in international film and television productions, as well as in Austrian TV productions, that explicitly address the Holocaust and National Socialism, especially when National Socialist violence and perpetrators a...

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Main Author: Elias Berner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Musikwissenschaft 2023-04-01
Series:Musicologica Austriaca
Subjects:
Online Access:https://musau.org//parts/neue-article-page/pdf/147
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author Elias Berner
author_facet Elias Berner
author_sort Elias Berner
collection DOAJ
description In the following article, I will show that Austrian music plays a very particular role in international film and television productions, as well as in Austrian TV productions, that explicitly address the Holocaust and National Socialism, especially when National Socialist violence and perpetrators are represented. On the basis of this observation, I argue that irrespective of the general question of a perceived difference between Austria and Germany, a specific “Austrianness,” which is mediated in many ways via the sound level, has developed into a global pop cultural stylistic device in the characterization of Nazi violence since the late 1970s. This development is analyzed against the background of the role played by Austrian music in the first Austrian films dealing with National Socialism. From this point, I also set off in search of “The Sound of Austria” in Claude Lanzmann’s nine-hour documentary Shoah and the two Hollywood blockbusters Inglourious Basterds and Schindler’s List. What role does the image of Austria as a “country of music” play in these very different films and film genres that deal with the Shoah? How does the approach develop historically and geographically?  previous article back to index next article
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spelling doaj.art-6369eefd07ce4ac9b4dc9e07dd7b4f612023-04-16T07:50:03ZengÖsterreichische Gesellschaft für MusikwissenschaftMusicologica Austriaca1016-10662411-66962023-04-01Austrian Music Studies: Topics, Perspectives, ConceptsThe Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National SocialismElias Berner0University of Vienna; Department of MusicologyIn the following article, I will show that Austrian music plays a very particular role in international film and television productions, as well as in Austrian TV productions, that explicitly address the Holocaust and National Socialism, especially when National Socialist violence and perpetrators are represented. On the basis of this observation, I argue that irrespective of the general question of a perceived difference between Austria and Germany, a specific “Austrianness,” which is mediated in many ways via the sound level, has developed into a global pop cultural stylistic device in the characterization of Nazi violence since the late 1970s. This development is analyzed against the background of the role played by Austrian music in the first Austrian films dealing with National Socialism. From this point, I also set off in search of “The Sound of Austria” in Claude Lanzmann’s nine-hour documentary Shoah and the two Hollywood blockbusters Inglourious Basterds and Schindler’s List. What role does the image of Austria as a “country of music” play in these very different films and film genres that deal with the Shoah? How does the approach develop historically and geographically?  previous article back to index next articlehttps://musau.org//parts/neue-article-page/pdf/14720th centuryaustrian identityconcentration camp sitesfilm musicholocaustholocaust representationperpetratorsschlagerviennese songwaltz
spellingShingle Elias Berner
The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism
Musicologica Austriaca
20th century
austrian identity
concentration camp sites
film music
holocaust
holocaust representation
perpetrators
schlager
viennese song
waltz
title The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism
title_full The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism
title_fullStr The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism
title_full_unstemmed The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism
title_short The Sound of Austria in Films about the Shoah and National Socialism
title_sort sound of austria in films about the shoah and national socialism
topic 20th century
austrian identity
concentration camp sites
film music
holocaust
holocaust representation
perpetrators
schlager
viennese song
waltz
url https://musau.org//parts/neue-article-page/pdf/147
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