What is Leitmotif?
A '''leitmotif''' (pronounced {{IPA|[ˈlaɪːt.motif]}}, “LITE-mow-teef”) (also spelled '''leitmotiv'''), is a [[German language|German]] word meaning '''leading [[motif]]'''. It is a little [[theme (music)|musical theme]] that is often repeated in a piece of music, very often in [[opera]]. The leitmotif is linked in the musical story with a person or a thing or an idea. The leitmotif might be a short tune, but it can also be a [[rhythm]] or just a [[chord]]. The word “leitmotif” is sometimes used in other things such as [[literature]]. In a book it might be an idea that keeps coming during the story. It can also be used in [[movie]]s or [[video game]]s. The word “leitmotif” is particularly associated with the operas of [[Richard Wagner]]. The leitmotif helps to make the story dramatic and bind it together, because it makes the music easier to understand. Sometimes a leitmotif will change during an opera as the character changes. Various dramatic effects can be made with leitmotifs. For example, a leitmotif might be played before a character comes onstage, so the audience will know who is coming before the actor can be seen. Three examples of leitmotifs from Wagner's [[Ring Cycle]] ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]] '' are: the leitmotif for the chief god Wotan (a person), the leitmotif for the Tarnhelm, the invisibility helmet, (a thing), and the leitmotif for the Renunciation of Love (an idea). The use of leitmotif was not completely new in the [[19th century]]. For example: the first four notes of [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Fifth Symphony]] are used like a leitmotif during the whole symphony. It was, however, [[Carl Maria von Weber]] who first used it a lot in his operas. A [[music critic]] called F. W. Jähns used the word to describe Weber’s work. [[Hector Berlioz]] wrote a symphony called ''[[Symphonie Fantastique]]'' which has a tune which he called '''idée fixe''' (“fixed idea”) to represent the love between the two characters. Wagner did not actually use the