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Claiming Amadeus: Classical Feedback in American Media

2002; University of Illinois Press; Volume: 20; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/3052244

1945-2349

Melanie Lowe,

Music Technology and Sound Studies

Lisa Simpson, the sensitive, politically correct, intelligent, seven-yearold conscience of Fox's cartoon sitcom The Simpsons, joins MENSA. Three ordinary high-school students (and soon-to-be kidnappers) knock on the door of their nemesis, the condescending teacher Mrs. Tingle in Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Pet detective Ace Ventura, in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, crashes a party hosted by one of Miami's billionaires. Ben Stein prepares to risk more of his own money as a common contestant on Comedy Central's game show Win Ben Stein's Money. These four seemingly random screen happenings are all tracked by Mozart's ever-current hit, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Despite music requirements in education, the wide availability of the classical Top 40, and the heightened marketing of classical recordings, the popular media, along with the incessant soundtracking of daily life, introduces most Americans to Western art music. For the average American-who watches several hours of television a day, goes to the movies at least every few months, and is subjected to tens of thousands of media advertisements a year-the possible meanings of classical pieces are increasingly determined within extramusical, particularly visual, contexts.' For decades Mozart's music has accompanied countless moving images, enhancing our filmic experience and acquiring for itself new associations and compounded signification.