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Sonic Patterns and Compositional Strategies in Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

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Abstract

Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975) has been the subject of many academic analyses; the song has not been considered, however, in the context of Queen’s wider output. This article examines ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in relation to Queen’s idiolect as identified from the group’s songs written between 1973 and 1975. ‘Idiolect’ refers to the common musical details of an artist’s output or segment of their output. I subdivide the category of an idiolect to include sonic patterns and compositional strategies. The former accounts for patterns that are consistent in their presentation across songs, the latter accounts for patterns that differ in their presentation across songs. The formal and harmonic structures of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ reflect the group’s common compositional strategies; the song’s textural arrangements highlight Queen’s sonic patterns. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ occupies a unique place in Queen’s output, as the first song to present all the major elements of the group’s idiolect.

Item Type: Journal article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Popular Music, Analysis, Style, Historiography
Subjects: M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Divisions: Schools > School of Media Arts
Depositing User: Nick Braae
Date Deposited: 25 Oct 2016 20:47
Last Modified: 21 Jul 2023 04:23
URI: http://researcharchive.wintec.ac.nz/id/eprint/4569

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