Role of Music
An initial obvious difference between The Snow Queen and Frozen is, of course, the music. The Disney version of most fairy tales generally include several songs and tunes that help the viewer understand the story or a character’s thoughts and plans.
Frozen uses the same Disney strategy through five major songs, each giving the viewers insight into the characters, all composed by husband and wife songwriters, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. The film opens with Frozen Heart, a mood-establishing tune sung by workers cutting through ice, which adds action, setting, and intensity to set the stage. Princess Anna's early song is For the First Time in Forever, a declaration of hopes and dreams as her castle opens its doors for the first time for her sister Elsa's coronation. Love Is an Open Door helps
to make it believable that the lonely Anna would agree to marry the dashing Hans after only a couple of hours spent together. Let It Go is the centerpiece song that captures the heart of the movie as the audience witnesses Elsa’s transformation. And finally, In Summer, sung by Olaf, shows his naivete, almost like that of a child.8
A noted quote from Hans Christian Andersen--“where words fail, music speaks” --seems quite appropriate for this particular film adaptation.9
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