The Functions Of Major Aria Music In The Musical 《Carousel》

The musical "Carousel" was adapted from the Hungarian dramatist Ferenc Molnar’s famous drama "Liliom". It presented a story about the bitter life of a lower social, which ended in tragedy. The most special about the musical is that the sadness of tragedy and its interpretation of life and death, which enhanced dramatic emotional expressiveness and tension.This paper is mainly based on the analysis of the drama major aria and the relationship between music and drama, to illustrate the functions of music in a drama. A detailed analysis of the drama major aria is based on the melodic line, rhythm changes, harmonic language, musical structure and musical creation. In the relationship between music and drama part, it analyzes the music how to shape the characters and how to participate in the dramatic conflicts.Conclude:the music must be involved in dramatic conflicts. The relationship between music and drama is close and indivisible. Any part of change or changes in music are bound to the structure and the integrity of a drama. The music in a drama is not to fill blanks or appears as a decorative or entertaining music, but it is a important factor of psychological characterization, shaping characters, promoting the development of story, enhancing drama conflicts. The paper explains how music works in a drama and tries to find new ways of doing musical research.