A few words about the music. It took some getting used to. I never pay much attention to the music in the shows I watch in English because it's ingrained in me It adds to the feel of the scene, like it's supposed to of course, and I am too familiar with the instruments. Sitar, gypsy violin...these are new and my ear starts to pay attention. I'll have to start listening more critically to American and Canadian shows but I suspect they are less dramatic overall. The music in Binbir Gece seemed almost intrusive at first, not just because of the new kinds of sounds but it's louder, more attuned to the culture it comes from. Possibly t.v. music in other countries is noticeable in general, a character in its own right.
Aside from the now popular trend of a regular radio play song at the end of the show to act as denouement, I don't recall being impacted much by the music in what I watch. I'm curious now just how used to the intrusion of music I am in US shows.
At any rate, the new stuff took some getting used to. They great thing though is that now that I am familiar with the standards, I can tell what the music is heralding. My Western eye might not understand a character's relationship to the situation based on a cultural reference. But the music helps me to watch the scene as a tender moment, an ominous one, playful one.
Our show culture trains us. In US shows, if a character--male or female--is walking through a parking garage alone at night, something bad is about to happen. I had several anxious moments for characters (especially in a Ukrainian show called Sniffer--the man has an entire level to himself) until I realized I was falling under an American cultural reference. In Turkey though, it could simply denote a passing of time, the end of the work day and mark the transition to home. 'Oh, she left the building. We saw her walking through the parking garage.'
I might think nothing of the swift transition of a character sitting at work and then seeing them on the couch in their apartment. I have been trained to accept this. Turkish viewers however (or Ukrainian ones) might be confused by seeing the same things happen to Sherazat. Europeans have a habit of changing out of their work clothes. But seeing her at the office, in her suit, and then at home in different clothes, without that intermediary scene, could throw viewers for a loop. 'Is it the next day? Did I miss something?'
These cues are subtle but important. Even earlier shows from the same culture have a similar effect. Watch Dirty Harry again. The transitions are 1970's and it shows. Curt, gruff, no small talk--these are traits of Harry and the movie, but the plot was supposed to feel fluid. It's not meant to be disjointed. The sensibilities about fluid have changed though. Dirty Harry today is as foreign as foreign television is in general. 80's movies are notoriously bad for transitions. Or too long on mediocre plot relevant events.
Here's a breakdown of the most recurrent compositions:
There's the Boss Music, usually accompanying Onur and Kerem as they walk down the corridor to a meeting or pop out of the offices. Boss Music is like a drum cadence--staccato, direct and definite. It means business and signifies importance.
An orchestra dirge: usually when Onur is riding through the woods. Signifies aristocracy, reliving tough moments.
Violin & acoustic guitar, mournful song: when Onur regrets the night and wants to take back time, talking to Firdevs, after Onur visits Sherazat for the cd, Bennu and love is hard, talking to Mirhaban about Onur's proposal, troubling thoughts, uneasy decisions
And my favorite, the BWAAAAH! music that signifies a big announcement or reveal. It's ominous, awestruck and denotes a critical junction. It's sometimes paired with my favorite special effect of the show too (the only special effect maybe?): the widening lens of realization. The figure stays the same size but the camera pans out around them causing an effect of being gobsmacked. It happens to Onur the moment he finds out why Sherazat needed the money--twice actually it happens to him in that scene and once goes out, then in and out again. Double whammy.
The synthesizer: low grade tension such as when Onur shows up at Sherazat's doorstep, or the transfer of chairman of the board to Kerem
The opening music is snare drums, strings, symbols, synthesizer cresendo, heavy. It's telling us to expect drama.
A single hand, tinkling minor key piano symbolizes devious thoughts and masked masked tensions.
Acoustic guitars are for tender moments like Sherazat and Kaan, budding romances and sisterly confidences. It makes your brain say, "awwwww."
Fast violins: tension, about to explode, someone gets the upper hand
Plinking guitar playing down the scale means surprising new info
