Incidental music

Music can play in a show. It stays in the back. It helps you feel the story.

Sometimes the music sounds scary. This tells you something big might happen. Other times it is soft. It helps set the mood.

A short tune can mark a change. It might show that time has passed. This is called a stinger.

A theme song is also used. It can play at the start. It can play at the end too.

Some music plays during a scene change. This can happen in a play. It can even happen in a video game. Music makes stories feel real.

Music can help tell a story. This is called incidental music. It is used in plays, TV shows, and video games. It is not the main part of the show. Instead, it stays in the background. It helps set a mood.

One type is an underscore. This is soft music. It plays while people act. You might not even notice it is there. Another type is a stinger. A stinger is a very short piece of music. It can show that a scene has changed. It can show that time has passed.

Some shows use a theme song. This song represents the whole show. It often plays at the start or the end. A special love theme might play during romantic parts.

An overture is music played at the very beginning. It can be a simple tune or a full song. Many famous people have written this music. Felix Mendelssohn wrote music for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Edvard Grieg wrote music for Peer Gynt. People often listen to these songs in concerts, too. They are not just for the plays.

Incidental music helps tell a story in many ways. It is used in plays, radio shows, and video games. This music is not the main focus of the show. Instead, it works in the background to set a mood. It might be a low, scary tone for a sudden event. It can also help a story move along smoothly. Some plays even have musicians performing right on the stage.

There are many different ways this music works. An overture is music played at the very beginning. It can be a simple tune or a full work. A theme song represents the whole show. It often plays at the start or the end. Some shows use a love theme for romantic scenes. An underscore is a soft sound that stays in the background. You might not even notice it is there. A stinger is a very short bit of music. It can show a change in place or time.

People have used this kind of music for a long time. It goes back to ancient Greek drama. The name comes from a German word, Inzidenzmusik. This word means music written for a play that is not a main part of it. Many famous composers wrote this music for plays. Henry Purcell wrote music for Abdelazer. George Frideric Handel wrote for The Alchemist. Joseph Haydn wrote for Il distratto. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote Thamos, King of Egypt.

Many famous pieces are now played in concerts. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote Egmont music. Carl Maria von Weber wrote Preciosa music. Franz Schubert wrote Rosamunde music. Felix Mendelssohn wrote for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Robert Schumann wrote Manfred music. Georges Bizet wrote L'Arlésienne music. Edvard Grieg wrote Peer Gynt music. These pieces are often performed outside of the original plays.

Incidental music is different from a musical. In a Broadway musical, the songs are the most important part. They help show what a character is like. Incidental music is mostly for the background. You can also find this music in religious ceremonies. It is used when people walk from place to place. Comedy shows also use it for quick entertainment. Musicians like Paul Schaffer and Jon Batiste do this work.

Incidental music is a specialized type of musical composition. It is used within plays, television programs, radio shows, and video games. This music is not the primary focus of the presentation. Instead, it serves to support the existing action. It often functions as background music to build a specific atmosphere. A composer might use a low, ominous tone to suggest a startling event. Other pieces might enhance a sequence that advances the story. Some productions even feature musicians performing live on the stage.

There are several distinct types of incidental music used in performances. An overture is music played at the very beginning of a play or film. It can be a complete musical work or a simple tune. Some overtures include musical themes that reappear later in the show. A theme song represents the entire performance. It is often played at the start or the end. In films, these songs frequently play during the credit rolls. A special version called a love theme accompanies romantic scenes between protagonists.

Other techniques involve how the music interacts with the scene. An underscore is a soft soundtrack theme. It accompanies the action so that spectators are only indirectly aware of it. This helps to set or indicate the mood of a scene. A stinger is a very brief moment of music. It often accompanies a scene transition to mark a change in location or time. For example, the television series Friends used stingers to mark scene changes.

In some media, music is designed for continuous use. Loops are short sequences of recorded music. They are designed to be repeated indefinitely and seamlessly. This is very useful for accompanying visuals in documentary or trade films. This method ensures the background music remains steady without obvious breaks. These tools allow creators to control the pacing and emotional weight of a production.

The history of this art form is quite long. The use of incidental music dates back to ancient Greek drama. The term itself comes from the German word *Inzidenzmusik*. The *Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre* defines this as music written specifically for a play. However, it does not form an integral part of the work. This distinguishes it from musical theater. In a Broadway musical, songs reveal character and move the plot forward. In incidental music, the music remains mostly in the background.

Many famous classical composers have contributed to this genre. Henry Purcell wrote music for *Abdelazer*. George Frideric Handel wrote for *The Alchemist*. Joseph Haydn composed for *Il distratto*. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote *Thamos, King of Egypt*. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote *Egmont* music. Other notable examples include Franz Schubert's *Rosamunde* and Felix Mendelssohn's *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. Edvard Grieg wrote the famous *Peer Gynt* music. Many of these pieces are now performed in concerts outside of their original plays.

Incidental music also appears in many other settings. It is found in religious ceremonies when officiants walk from place to place. This is different from hymns, which are the focus of worship. It is also used extensively in comedy shows. In these cases, it provides mild entertainment during dull transitions. Musicians like Paul Schaffer, Max Weinberg, and Jon Batiste work in this style. Modern composers like Pierre Boulez and Iannis Xenakis also work within this field.