Musical Mimesis inOrphans of the Storm

Abstract

In this essay I explore the use of musical mimesis in the score for D. W. Griffith’s 1921 filmOrphans of the Storm. I demonstrate that the score, created by Louis F. Gottschalk and William Frederick Peters, offers coherence through the use of central themes and the employment of several characteristic leitmotivs; provides recognizable musical characterizations of emotions and physical phenomena, establishing a consistent mimetic aspect to the music; and reflects the structure of the film as a whole.