I think a good way to start your inquiry would be to analyze the musical
pieces used in "Closer". If the two pieces are taken from two operas, then
one might think whether they "signify" anything within the frame of the
plots (Cindrella tale and partner swapping). So the question would be: do
the themes used in Rossini's overture give the listener any clue about the
story unfolding in the opera, or in other words; is the overture
"programmatic", like in Richard Strauss' tone poems for instance? My
hypothesis (I'm not very familiar with Rossini's music) is that the overture
is composed more to sound good then to provide any information about the
story. As for Mozart, I think that the music, ripped from its context (the
opera), would not signify much, unless we know that it is indeed taken from
Cosi Fan Tutte (provided we know the plot). So I guess the director's
intention is not to use a diegetic music, but rather, incite the audience to
connect Mozart's music to his film with more or less the same theme (I
haven't seen the film). In this sense, the music works as a cultural
signifier, not merely as sounds reminding us of certain leitmotives or
emotions (but then, what was used from Cosi? Recitativos, arias, or
interludes?). Seen like this, Rossini's overture becomes more problematic of
course. I would guess that its use in the film would show that the director
wanted to remain coherent in his choice of music (time period, style and
genre). You may ask the director why he chose this overture, it may even
well be the case that he doesn't care about the opera's plot at all.
Sorry for not giving a philosophical answer.
baris
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