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Theme vs Leitmotif - What's the difference?

theme | leitmotif |

In lang=en terms the difference between theme and leitmotif

is that theme is the main melody of a piece of music, especially one that is the source of variations while leitmotif is a melodic theme associated with a particular character, place, thing or idea in an opera.

As nouns the difference between theme and leitmotif

is that theme is a subject of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic while leitmotif is a melodic theme associated with a particular character, place, thing or idea in an opera.

As a verb theme

is to apply a theme to; to change the visual appearance and/or layout of (software).

theme

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A subject of a talk or an artistic piece; a topic.
  • A recurring idea; a motif.
  • (music) The main melody of a piece of music, especially one that is the source of variations.
  • (film, television) A song, or a snippet of a song, that identifies a film, a TV program, a character, etc. by playing at the appropriate time.
  • (computing, figuratively) The collection of color schemes, sounds, artwork etc., that "skin" an environment towards a particular motif.
  • (grammar) The stem of a word
  • (linguistics) thematic relation of a noun phrase to a verb
  • (linguistics) Theta role in generative grammar and government and binding theory.
  • (linguistics) Topic, what is generally being talked about, as opposed to rheme
  • A regional unit of organisation in the Byzantine empire.

    • Related terms

    * thema * thematic * theme music * theme park * theme song * theme tune

    Verb

    (them)
  • (computing) To apply a theme to; to change the visual appearance and/or layout of (software).

    • leitmotif

    English

    (wikipedia leitmotif)

    Alternative forms

    * leitmotiv * leit-motif

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (music) A melodic theme associated with a particular character, place, thing or idea in an opera.
  • A recurring theme.