Quotation

Contrary to imitation, quotation (citation) is a textual reprise and does not imply distance. It is easily identifiable in musical and verbal contexts, but it can also be observed in the everyday sound environment. This semiotic effect can range from homage to burlesque. The quotation effect will always be accomplished in the scope of a known cultural product; it is conventional and is recognized in a given culture. This excerpt of another expression is accompanied by signs that make it possible to recognize the original source. While the imitation effect stimulates a style of reference, the quotation effect is located at the level of the content, the sonic figure. Reprise, another related effect, differs from quotation because it repeats a sound motif in an identical way. Reprise implies a self-reference, since the pattern that is replayed has its founding in the work itself.