De chair et de sons : Kate Bush et la théâtralité sonore intime

Abstract

This article highlights the construction of one of Kate Bush’s sonic trademarks, namely her intimate approach, thanks to a phononarratological survey of the song « The Infant Kiss » (1980). This analysis thus tackles the way music as a recorded object supports or creates narrativity, in this case by reinforcing the protagonist’s emotional reaction to the story’s events. The female character represented in « The Infant Kiss », as often happens in Kate Bush’s repertoire, is not only embodied in an intimate way thanks to nuanced vocals, but also to an instrumentation and sonic environment that fuel an impression of intimacy. This paper aims at explaining how this sonic dramatisation so typical of Kate Bush is structured, and at demonstrating that this intimate theatricality remains essential in Bush’s heritage, through other singers such as Björk or Émilie Simon.

Keywords

• musicology
• narratology
• voice
• sounds
• intimacy