Home > Incidental music

Incidental music is often "background" music, and adds atmosphere to the action. It may also include pieces which will provide the main interest for the audience, for example overtures, or music played during scene changes. It may also be required in plays which have musicians performing on-stage.

The use of incidental music dates back at least as far as Greek drama. A number of classical composers have written incidental music for various plays, with the more famous examples including Ludwig van Beethoven's music for Egmont, Felix Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream and Edvard GriegEdvard Hagerup Grieg ( June 15, 1843 September 4, 1907) was a Norwegian composer of Scottish descent. He was born and died in Bergen. He married his first cousin, Nina Hagerup, in 1867. Educated at the Leipzig Conservatory, and later by the Danish compose's music for Henrik IbsenHenrik Johan Ibsen ( March 20, 1828 May 23, 1906) was an extremely influential Norwegian playwright who was largely responsible for the rise of the modern realistic drama. His plays were considered scandalous in much of society at the time, when Victorian's Peer GyntPeer Gynt is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was written in 1867, and first performed in Oslo (then called Christiania) on 24 February 1876, with incidental music by the composer Edvard Grieg. Unlike Ibsen's well-known later plays, Pee. Parts of all of these are often performed in concerts outside the context of the play.

More recently, incidental music has been written for computer gameA computer game is any sort of game that is played using a computer. General Although often associated, computer games are not necessarily video games although all but the earliest video games (such as Pong, which used dedicated analogue circuitry) are cos by the likes of Michael Giacchino (the Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States of America. It is awarded "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. Three different medals currently exist, one each for th series), Richard Jacques ( HeadhunterThe Sega Dreamcast ( Japanese: ; code-named "Katana" and "Dural" during development) was Sega's last video game console. After the Dreamcast was discontinued, Sega withdrew from the console hardware business. The Dreamcast was released on November 27, 199) , Jack Wall ( MystMyst is a graphic adventure computer game created by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. It was developed by Cyan, Inc. a Spokane, Washington based studio, and published and distributed by Broderbund. The Millers began working on Myst in 1991 and released III) and James HanniganJames Hannigan born July 23 1971, is a composer of video game music and writer of incidental music. He has scored many games, including Catwoman Freelancer Brute Force Evil Genius, Republic: The Revolution Sim Theme Park Sim Coaster', Grand Prix 4 Warhamm ( Catwoman). One of the best known incidental music composers for British television is Howard Goodall , who wrote music for The Gathering Storm, Blackadder and Red Dwarf as well as the film, Bean.