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{{Short description|Short, constantly recurring musical phrase}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{For|the album of the same name|Leitmotif (album)}}
[[File:Siegfried leitmotif.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Leitmotif associated with Siegfried's horn call in [[Richard Wagner]]'s 1876 opera, [[Siegfried (opera)|''Siegfried'']]]][[File:Siegfried's Horn Call.wav|thumb]]

A '''leitmotif''' or '''leitmotiv'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|publisher=Macmillan Publishers|year=2001|editor-last=Sadie|editor-first=Stanley|location=London|editor-last2=Tyrrell|editor-first2=John}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|l|aɪ|t|m|oʊ|ˈ|t|iː|f}}) is a "short, recurring [[phrase (music)|musical phrase]]"<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Kennedy|first=Michael|title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1987|isbn=978-0-19-311320-6|location=Oxford}}</ref> associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''.<ref name=":0" /> The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglicization of the [[German language|German]] ''[[wikt:Leitmotiv#German|Leitmotiv]]'' ({{IPA-de|ˈlaɪtmoˌtiːf|IPA}}), literally meaning "leading motif", or "guiding motif". A [[motif (music)|musical motif]] has been defined as a "short musical idea ... melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic, or all three",<ref name=":1" /> a salient recurring [[Figure (music)|figure]], musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a [[musical composition|composition]]: "the smallest structural unit possessing [[theme (music)|thematic]] identity."<ref>{{Cite book|last=White|first=John|title=The Analysis of Music|publisher=Prentice-Hall|year=1976|isbn=9780130332332|pages=26–27}}</ref>

In particular, such a motif should be "clearly identified so as to retain its identity if modified on subsequent appearances" whether such modification be in terms of [[rhythm]], [[harmony]], [[orchestration]] or accompaniment. It may also be "combined with other leitmotifs to suggest a new dramatic condition" or development.<ref name=":1" /> The technique is notably associated with the [[opera]]s of [[Richard Wagner]], and most especially his ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'', although he was not its originator and did not employ the word in connection with his work.

Although usually a short [[melody]], it can also be a [[chord progression]] or even a simple [[rhythm]]. Leitmotifs can help to bind a work together into a coherent whole, and also enable the composer to relate a story without the use of words, or to add an extra level to an already present story.

By association, the word has also been used to mean any sort of recurring theme (whether or not subject to developmental transformation) in [[literature]], or (metaphorically) the life of a fictional character or a real person. It is sometimes also used in discussion of other musical genres, such as instrumental pieces, cinema, and [[video game music]], sometimes interchangeably with the more general category of ''[[Subject (music)|theme]]''.

==Classical music==

===Early instances in classical music===
The use of characteristic, short, recurring motifs in orchestral music can be traced back to the early seventeenth century, such as ''[[L'Orfeo]]'' by [[Monteverdi]]. In French opera of the late eighteenth century (such as the works of [[Gluck]], [[André Grétry|Grétry]] and [[Étienne Méhul|Méhul]]), "reminiscence motif" can be identified, which may recur at a significant juncture in the plot to establish an association with earlier events. Their use, however, is not extensive or systematic. The power of the technique was exploited early in the nineteenth century by composers of Romantic opera, such as [[Carl Maria von Weber]], where recurring themes or ideas were sometimes used in association with specific characters (e.g. Samiel in ''[[Der Freischütz]]'' is coupled with the [[chord (music)|chord]] of a [[diminished seventh]]).<ref name=":0" /> The first use of the word ''leitmotif'' in print was by the [[critic]] [[Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns]] in describing Weber's work, although this was not until 1871.<ref name=":1" />

Motifs also figured occasionally in purely instrumental music of the [[Romantic music|Romantic]] period. The related idea of a musical ''idée fixe'' was employed by [[Hector Berlioz]] in reference to his ''[[Symphonie fantastique]]'' (1830).<ref name=Britannica>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Gorlinski |first=Virginia |title=Idée fixe - music |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/idee-fixe |website=Britannica |access-date=6 May 2023 |language=en |date=2012}}</ref> This purely instrumental, programmatic work (subtitled ''Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections'') features a recurring melody representing the object of the artist's obsessive affection<ref name=Britannica/> and depicting her presence in various real and imagined situations.

Though perhaps not corresponding to the strict definition of leitmotif, several of [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]'s operas feature similar thematic tunes, often introduced in the overtures or preludes, and recurring to mark the presence of a character or to invoke a particular sentiment. In ''[[La forza del destino]]'', the opening theme of the overture recurs whenever Leonora feels guilt or fear. In ''[[Il trovatore]]'', the theme of the first aria by Azucena is repeated whenever she invokes the horror of how her mother was burnt alive and the devastating revenge she attempted then. In ''[[Don Carlos]]'', there are at least three leitmotifs that recur regularly across the five acts: the first is associated with the poverty and suffering from war, the second is associated with prayers around the tomb of Carlos V, and the third is introduced as a duet between Don Carlo and the Marquis of Posa, thereafter accentuating sentiments of sincere friendship and loyalty.

===Wagner===
[[File:Siegfried's Horn Call E flat version 02.png|thumb|350px|[[Siegfried (opera)|Siegfried]]'s horn call leitmotif from the prologue to Act I of Wagner's opera ''[[Götterdämmerung]]'', the fourth of his ''Ring'' cycle The theme is broader and more richly orchestrated than its earlier appearances, suggesting the emergence of Siegfried's heroic character.[[File:Siegfried's Horn Call E flat version 01.wav|thumb|]]]]

[[File:Leitmotif transformed in Hagen's Watch 02.png|thumb|350px|A more sinister version of the horn call motif, articulated as a [[half-diminished seventh]] [[arpeggio]], “music of dark strength and magnificence,” occurs in “Hagen’s Watch” towards the end of Act 1 of ''Götterdämmerung''. Hagen, who eventually murders Siegfried, contemplates ways of using the benighted hero to further his own ends.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Donington|first=Robert|title=Wagner's 'Ring' and its Symbols|publisher=Faber and Faber Limited|year=1976|isbn=978-0571048182|pages=226}}</ref>[[File:Leitmotif transformed in Hagen's Watch 01.wav|thumb|]]]]

[[Richard Wagner]] is the earliest composer most specifically associated with the concept of leitmotif. His cycle of four operas, ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' (the music for which was written between 1853 and 1869), uses hundreds of leitmotifs, often related to specific characters, things, or situations. While some of these leitmotifs occur in only one of the operas, many recur throughout the entire cycle.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music|publisher=Thames & Hudson|year=2001|isbn=978-0500282748|editor-last=Millington|editor-first=Barry|pages=234–235|orig-year=1992}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Grout|first1=Donald|title=A Short History of Opera|last2=Williams|first2=Hermine|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2003|isbn=0-231-11958-5|edition=4th|location=New York}}</ref> Wagner had raised the issue of how music could best unite disparate elements of the plot of a music drama in his essay ''[[Opera and Drama]]'' (1851); the leitmotif technique corresponds to this ideal.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sutton|first=Richard|title=The Wagner Companion|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1979|isbn=0-571-11450-4|editor-last=Burbidge|editor-first=Peter|location=London|pages=345–346}}</ref>

Some controversy surrounded the use of the word in Wagner's own circle: Wagner never authorised the use of the word ''leitmotiv'', using words such as ''Grundthema'' (basic idea), or simply ''Motiv''. His preferred name for the technique was ''Hauptmotiv'' (principal motif), which he first used in 1877;<ref name=":0" /> the only time he used the word ''Leitmotiv'', he referred to "so-called Leitmotivs".

The word gained currency with the overly literal interpretations of Wagner's music by [[Hans von Wolzogen]], who in 1876 published a ''Leitfaden'' (guide or manual) to the ''Ring''. In it he claimed to have isolated and named all of the recurring motifs in the cycle (the motif of "Servitude", the "Spear" or "Treaty" motif, etc.), often leading to absurdities or contradictions with Wagner's actual practice.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Richard Wagner and His World|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-571-11450-4|editor-last=Grey|editor-first=Thomas|location=Princeton}}</ref> Some of the motifs he identified began to appear in the published [[Sheet music|musical score]]s of the operas, arousing Wagner's annoyance; his wife [[Cosima Wagner]] quoted him as saying "People will think all this nonsense is done at my request!".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wagner|first=Cosima|title=Cosima Wagner's Diaries|publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich|year=1978|isbn=978-0151226368|editor-last=Gregor-Dellin|editor-first=Martin|volume=2|translator-last=Skelton|translator-first=Geoffrey|orig-year=1878-1883|editor-last2=Mack|editor-first2=Deitrich}}</ref> In fact Wagner himself never publicly named any of his leitmotifs, preferring to emphasize their flexibility of association, role in the musical form, and emotional effect. The practice of naming leitmotifs nevertheless continued, featuring in the work of prominent Wagnerian critics [[Ernest Newman]], [[Deryck Cooke]] and [[Robert Donington]].<ref name=":2" />

The resulting lists of leitmotifs also attracted the ridicule of anti-Wagnerian critics and composers (such as [[Eduard Hanslick]], [[Claude Debussy]], and [[Igor Stravinsky]]). They identified the motif with Wagner's own approach to composing, mocking the impression of a musical "address book" or list of "cloakroom numbers" it created.

However, later commentators have defended Wagner’s use of the leitmotif. According to [[Pierre Boulez]], “Wagner’s was the first music in which forms never return literally, are never repeated. As the music progresses, it carries all the thematic elements with it, linking them in new ways, placing them in different relations to each other, showing them in unfamiliar lights and giving them unexpected meanings.” Boulez adds: “''Leitmotivs'' are in fact anything but the traffic signals to which they have been mistakenly compared, for they have a double virtue – both poetic and dramatic, as well as formal. They are essential to the structure of both music and drama as well as to the different characters and situations. Their evolution is a kind of ‘time-weave’, an integrating of past and present; and they also imply dramatic progression.”<ref>{{Cite book|last=Boulez|first=Pierre|title=Orientations: Collected Writings|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1990|isbn=978-0674643765|editor-last=Nattiez|editor-first=Jean-Jacques|pages=251|translator-last=Cooper|translator-first=Martin}}</ref>

===After Wagner===
[[Image:Salome leitmotif salome.jpg|thumb|right|350px|The leitmotif associated with Salome herself in Richard Strauss's opera ''[[Salome (opera)|Salome]]'']]

Since Wagner, the use of leitmotifs has been taken up by many other composers. [[Richard Strauss]] used the device in many of his operas and several of his [[symphonic poem]]s. Despite his sometimes acerbic comments on Wagner, [[Claude Debussy]] utilized leitmotifs in his opera ''[[Pelléas et Mélisande (opera)|Pelléas et Mélisande]]'' (1902). [[Arnold Schoenberg]] used a complex set of leitmotifs in his choral work ''[[Gurre-Lieder]]'' (completed 1911). [[Alban Berg]]'s opera ''[[Wozzeck]]'' (1914–1922) also utilizes leitmotifs.<ref name=":1" /> The leitmotif was also a major feature of the opera ''[[The Immortal Hour]]'' by the English composer [[Rutland Boughton]]. His constantly recurrent, memorably tuneful leitmotifs contributed significantly to the widespread popularity of the opera. In [[Prokofiev]]'s ''[[Peter And The Wolf]]'' (1936) each character or animal has its own leitmotif played on a particular instrument.

===Critique of the leitmotif concept===
The critic [[Theodor W. Adorno]], in his book ''In Search of Wagner'' (written in the 1930s), expresses the opinion that the entire concept of the leitmotif is flawed. The motif cannot be both the bearer of expression and a musical "gesture", because that reduces emotional content to a mechanical process. He notes that "even in Wagner's own day the public made a crude link between the leitmotifs and the persons they characterised" because people's innate mental processes did not necessarily correspond with Wagner's subtle intentions or optimistic expectations. He continues:
<blockquote>The degeneration of the leitmotiv is implicit in this ... it leads directly to [[film music|cinema music]] where the sole function of the leitmotif is to announce heroes or situations so as to allow the audience to orient itself more easily.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Adorno|first=Theodor|title=In Search of Wagner|publisher=Verso|year=2009|isbn=978-1844673445|location=London|translator-last=Livingstone|translator-first=Rodney|orig-year=1952}}</ref></blockquote>

==Entertainment==
The main ideology behind leitmotif is to create a sense of attachment to that particular sound that evokes audiences to feel particular emotions when that sound is repeated through the film. Leitmotifs in Adorno's "degenerated" sense frequently occur in [[film score]]s, and have since the early decades of sound film. One of the first people to implement leitmotif in early sound films was [[Fritz Lang]] in his revolutionary hit ''[[M (1931 film)|M]]''. Lang set the benchmark for sound film through his use of leitmotif, creating a different type of atmosphere in his films.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}} 
*In the film ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (1960), composer [[Bernard Herrmann]] created a 3 note leitmotif that is first heard when Norman Bates covers up the murder of Marion Crane committed by his "mother" and can be heard throughout the film in certain scenes involving both Norman and/or his Mother. [[John Williams]] would later pay tribute to Herrmann by using a similar 3 note leitmotif in ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope]]'' (1977) when Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, and Chewbacca emerge from the Millennium Falcon's smuggling compartments.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
*In the [[Jaws (franchise)|''Jaws'' franchise]], the main "shark" theme, composed by [[John Williams]] in 1975, stands out as a suspenseful motif that is a simple alternating pattern of two [[Musical note|note]]s, [[E (musical note)|E]] and [[F (musical note)|F]].<ref name="Film Score Friday">{{cite news|author=Matessino, Michael |publisher=filmscoremonthly.com |title=Letter in response to "A Study of Jaws' Incisive Overture To Close Off the Century" |url=http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/1999/24_Sep---Film_Score_Friday.asp |date=24 September 1999 |access-date=17 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017155301/http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/1999/24_Sep---Film_Score_Friday.asp |archive-date=17 October 2006 }}</ref>
*In the first ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' film in 1977, John Williams used a large number of themes specifically associated with people and concepts, and he would expand upon this concept for the following films of the [[Star Wars original trilogy|original trilogy]] (for example, [[The Imperial March|a particular motif]] is attached to the presence of [[Darth Vader]], another to the concept of the [[Death Star]], and another to the concept of [[the Force]]). Williams would later revisit this material for the [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|prequel trilogy]] starting in 1999, and then again for the [[Star Wars sequel trilogy|sequel trilogy]] starting in 2015, each time crafting new themes while incorporating the old. Other composers would utilize some of Williams' iconic leitmotifs in spin-off material.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Ross|first=Alex|date=2018-01-03|title=A Field Guide to the Musical Leitmotifs of "Star Wars"|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-field-guide-to-the-musical-leitmotifs-of-star-wars|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-11|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US}}</ref>
*In the 1989 film ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'', [[Danny Elfman]] composed the heroic theme for the titular character, which is also used in the [[Batman Returns|later film]].<ref name="Keyboard">{{cite magazine|last1=Doerschuk|first1=Robert L.|date=October 1989|title=Danny Elfman – The Agony & The Ectasy of Scoring Batman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uqI4AQAAIAAJ&q=editions:0AFLRE70qWmXAq5ValDV7etdAc4q4jzzLQSv-MjCnitt3Aj0W4vjoEHo|publisher=GPI Publications|volume=15|issue=10|pages=82–95|access-date=12 January 2018|journal=Keyboard}}</ref>
*In ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' (1997), composer [[James Horner]] used a number of recurring leitmotifs that are associated with the film's romance, tragedy and the disaster.<ref>{{cite web| title = James Horner – Titanic| publisher = Mfiles| url = http://www.mfiles.co.uk/reviews/james-horner-titanic.htm| access-date =1 January 2016}}</ref>
*John Williams composed the music for the first three ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' movies starting in 2001, and leitmotifs are prominently utilized to represent specific characters, feelings, and locations, most notably the track entitled [[Hedwig's Theme]]. While Williams did not score the rest of the franchise, this theme would consistently return in the scores of later composers [[Patrick Doyle]], [[Nicholas Hooper]], [[Alexandre Desplat]], and [[James Newton Howard]] as they worked on the final films and spin-offs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roberts|first=Maddy Shaw|date=2020-09-08|title=Harry Potter soundtrack: 'Hedwig's Theme' and everything to know about the film franchise's magical score|url=https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/film-tv/harry-potter-soundtrack-hedwig-theme-john-williams/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Classic FM|language=en}}</ref>
*In [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'']] film series starting in 2001, composer [[Howard Shore]] prominently utilizes a vast amount of interconnecting leitmotifs to convey the ideas supporting specific characters, locations, and overall landscape of [[Middle-earth]]. His score is noteworthy because there is no singular "main theme" for the series, but a selection of several could hold this title, including the themes for [[The Fellowship of the Ring|the Fellowship]], the [[Rings of Power|Ring of Power]], [[Lothlórien]], [[the Shire]], [[Isengard]], [[Mordor]], [[Rohan (Middle-earth)|Rohan]], and [[Gondor]]. Variations in these themes convey the changes that occur to the corresponding subjects throughout the trilogy. For the prequel [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'' trilogy]] starting in 2012, Shore revisits some of these themes while introducing new leitmotifs for some of the new characters,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Keane|first=Paul|date=2021-08-05|title=Howard Shore in The Lord of The Rings: How to use leitmotif technique to create a masterpiece?|url=https://taketones.com/blog/howard-shore-in-the-lord-of-the-rings-how-to-use-leitmotif-technique-to-create-a-masterpiece|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-11|website=TakeTones.Com|language=en-US}}</ref> and is expected to do so again for the show ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'' alongside [[Bear McCreary]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=July 21, 2022 |title=LOTR's Howard Shore Returns For The Rings Of Power, Alongside God Of War Composer |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/lotrs-howard-shore-returns-for-the-rings-of-power-alongside-god-of-war-composer/1100-6505741/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref>
*Composed by [[Hans Zimmer]], [[Klaus Badelt]], and [[Geoff Zanelli]], the [[Pirates of the Caribbean film series|''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series]] consists of several motifs and themes associated with the protagonists, villains and moods starting in 2003. One prominent motif is "[[He's a Pirate]]", which is associated with pirates in general and the heroic action sequences they are involved in. Besides the general leitmotifs, specific characters such as [[Jack Sparrow]], [[Davy Jones (character)|Davy Jones]], Angelica, and Salazar each have their own unique motifs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schweiger|first=Daniel|date=16 May 2011|title=Audio: On The Score With Hans Zimmer|url=http://www.filmmusicmag.com/?p=7890|access-date=7 August 2011|publisher=Film Music Magazine}}</ref>
*[[The Dark Knight trilogy|''The Dark Knight'' trilogy]] features several recurring themes and motifs for Batman, the villainous characters, and action scenes composed by Hans Zimmer and [[James Newton Howard]] starting in 2005.<ref name="zimmer">{{cite web|last=D.|first=Spence|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/13/batman-vs-hans-zimmer-and-james-newton-howard-part-2|title=Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard Part 2|website=IGN|date=13 June 2005|access-date=1 December 2006}}</ref>
*The original [[Music of Minecraft|soundtrack]] of the 2009 [[video game]] ''[[Minecraft]]'' features a number of recognizable leitmotifs composed by [[C418]], with its most prominent being the main melody featured in the soundtrack's title track, "Minecraft", which generally serves as a leitmotif for the overworld.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hornsey |first=Jamie |date=31 January 2018 |title=The Lasting Power of Minecraft's Procedurally-Generated Music |url=https://theboar.org/2018/01/minecraft-c418-soundtrack/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=theboar.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> The same melody appears throughout the soundtrack, such as in "Door" and "Mutation". Other tracks with popular leitmotifs include "[[Sweden (song)|Sweden]]", "Wet Hands", "Haggstrom", "Subwoofer Lullaby", "Mice on Venus", and "Danny".<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Tsai |first=Raymond |date=2019-05-17 |title=Review: German musician known for Minecraft soundtrack C418's latest, 'Sweden' |url=https://highschool.latimes.com/south-torrance-high-school/review-german-musician-known-for-minecraft-soundtrack-c418s-latest-sweden/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=HS Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>
*While the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] has been criticized for its lack of iconic leitmotifs across its ever-expanding repertoire of films and shows, two recurring themes are prominently featured particularly towards the end of [[Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Three|Phase Three]]: [[Alan Silvestri|Alan Silvestri's]] theme for the [[Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Avengers]] team and Ludwig Göransson's theme for the [[Wakanda]] setting.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Reynolds|first=Jeremy|date=2018-05-09|title=Here's why the music in Marvel superhero movies is so forgettable|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2018/05/09/Soundtrack-review-Marvel-Avengers-Infinity-War-music-score-theme-Captain-America-Alan-Silvestri-Marvel-Cinematic-Universe-MCU-Black-Panther-Reynolds/stories/201805070146|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|language=en}}</ref>
*Premiering in 2015, [[Hamilton (musical)|''Hamilton: An American Musical'']] uses several leitmotifs throughout to introduce characters and reinforce connections, composed and written primarily by [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]]. Almost all characters have a trademark leitmotif; for example, the way the name [[Alexander Hamilton]] is sung.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thatiranianphantom.tumblr.com/post/148823344106/hamilton-and-leitmotif|title=Hamilton and Leitmotif|date=12 August 2016|website=Tumblr|language=en-US|access-date=10 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dunbar |first1=Alexandra |title=Resonances: Engaging Music in Its Cultural Context |last2=Morgan-Ellis |first2=Esther M. |date=2020 |publisher=University of North Georgia Press |isbn=978-1-940771-31-1 |editor-last=Morgan-Ellis |editor-first=Esther M. |location=Dahlonega, Georgia |chapter=4.2.1: Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton |chapter-url=https://human.libretexts.org/@go/page/92110}}</ref>
*In [[Toby Fox]]'s soundtrack for his video game ''[[Undertale]]'' (2015), which has been well received by critics as part of the success of the game, thematic and character connections are frequently portrayed using leitmotifs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yu |first=Jason |date=2016-04-06 |title=An Examination of Leitmotifs and Their Use to Shape Narrative in Under |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/an-examination-of-leitmotifs-and-their-use-to-shape-narrative-in-undertale---part-1-of-2 |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Game Developer |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yu |first=Jason |date=2016-04-14 |title=An Examination of Leitmotifs and Their Use to Shape Narrative in UNDER |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/an-examination-of-leitmotifs-and-their-use-to-shape-narrative-in-undertale---part-2-of-2 |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Game Developer |language=en}}</ref> In particular, "Hopes and Dreams", the boss theme when fighting the final boss in the run-through where the player avoids killing any monsters, brings back most of the main character themes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-02 |title=Note Block Beat Box: Listening to Hopes and Dreams from Undertale {{!}} USgamer |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/note-block-beat-box-listening-to-hopes-and-dreams-from-undertale |access-date=2022-12-23 |archive-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502124052/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/note-block-beat-box-listening-to-hopes-and-dreams-from-undertale |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|leitmotif}}
* [[Image song]]
* [[Motif (music)]]
* [[Motif (narrative)|Motif (literature)]]
* [[Motif (art)]]
* [[Ostinato]]
* [[Theme music]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}{{Motives (music)}}
{{Opera terms}}
{{Narrative modes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Motifs (music)]]
[[Category:Formal sections in music analysis]]
[[Category:Opera terminology]]
[[Category:Literary motifs| ]]
[[Category:Richard Wagner]]
[[Category:German words and phrases]]

Leitmotif - Revision history

MableHaight9: Improved article clarity and structure

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article