ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the interplay between early modern music and gender in the three films cited, focusing specifically on the ways in which music serves to register Elizabeth's often contradictory roles as a female ruler, lover, and Englishwoman. Perhaps one of the most original approaches to scoring Elizabeth takes place in the BBC's 1971 mini-series Elizabeth R. The producers of Elizabeth R mine this connection and material in creating their own character of Elizabeth. Original music, somewhat mimicking a concertina, accompanies Elizabeth and Orlando out of doors the following day, where she names him her new favorite. The music for Elizabeth was written by Australian composer David Hirschfelder and contains a mixture of period pieces and original works. The importance of music in Elizabeth R, Orlando, and Elizabeth in defining Elizabeth's person and personae, as well as signifying her emotions and even policies, should not be underestimated.
