Classic Pairings

My Top 10 Favorite Uses of Classical Music in Film

Classical music is used in countless films.  It can be used in brief, repeatedly as a theme, or supply an entire soundtrack. It can be heard in everything from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (believe it or not) to Ed Wood, Mrs. Doubtfire to 10, or Kramer Vs. Kramer to The Witches of Eastwick. This week’s blog is at most a very casual list, and I am sure I am not the only one who has ever created a list and then said at a later date, “How could I have ever forgotten…?” But, when I think of classical music in films, these most always come to the forefront for me.  And hopefully, as my blog always intends, this list is to get you to think of your own favorites as well. So, with that in mind, here we go!

 

#10 – ANIMATED Fantasia (1940)

Although this is not a favorite film of mine, this Disney feature film brings classical music to the masses.  Mussorgsky’s "Night on the Bare Mountain" is a tour-de-force of intensity and fright, while Dukas’ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" mixes the charm of the beloved Mickey Mouse with exposure of consequences of irresponsibility.  Schubert’s "Ave Maria" is a hallowed piece within this masterwork that must be watched again and again.

#09 –LEGEND Excalibur (1981)

I love the legend of King Arthur, and this adaption is an all-encompassing one. With the use of Orff's "Carmina Burana,” Wagner’s "Prelude to Tristan & Isolde" & his "Siegfried's Funeral March for Gotterdammerung, " the tale becomes even more mystical in its telling.

#08 – WAR The Dirty Dozen (1967)

How can you not love the escapades of Major Reisman and his rag-tag crew of military inmates in their quest to assassinate a hive of German top ranks, all the while we hear Joseph Hayden's "Emperor" and Johann Strauss II’s "Emperor Waltz"?  It just works!

#07 ROMANCE Somewhere in Time (1980)

Rachmaninoff's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" becomes the background of one of the most romantic movies ever made; the beauty of Mackinac Island, Michigan, the idea of time-travel; and the beauty of both Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve are increased by the haunting melodies of this piece.

#06 SCI-FI Rollerball (1975)

The spine-chilling, hair-raising use of Bach's “Tocatta in Fugue” at the onset of the title sequence grabs the viewer from the start.  What in the world does this Baroque piece have to do with the future? At first glance, this science-fiction classic looks to have lost its effectiveness due to age; however, the storyline goes deeper than its 1970’s appearance, and the visionary message is louder than ever today than it was 40 years ago.

#05 MUSICAL An American in Paris (1951)

I fell in love with musicals around the age of 13 and soaked up as many as possible. With the use Gershwin’s signature piece to create Jerry Mulligan’s (played by Gene Kelly) dream sequence, it surrounds and enraptures us in the marriage of dance and music. For me, An American in Paris is the opera of musicals, and leads me to my next selection.

#04 OPERA Philadelphia (1993)

The depth of writing in this film not only makes Tom Hanks’s character an attorney, but a lover of opera.  This deepens our knowledge of Andrew Beckett and serves as a catalyst for our interest and concern for him. The score is woven with operatic fare, and Umberto Giordano’s “La Momma Morta” provides the backdrop for an emotionally moving motion picture sequence.

#03 – DRAMA/COMEDY The Four Seasons (1981)

Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is the canvas of this how 'friends stay friends' story written & directed by Alan Alda. Alda weaves these love-hate relationships among the threads of Vivaldi’s composition, and the seasons turn, we see how friendship can be tried and tested. This is one of my Top 10 favorite films, and I will be bringing it back to the blog for more exposition in the future.

#02 BIOPIC Amadeus (1984)

This has to be the ‘father’ of all biopics, especially when it comes to the use of the subject's craft used within the story.  Aside the fact that this film garnished eight Oscars, Mozart’s music is used as the soundtrack that mimics the master’s life. I am always amazed at how 2 hours and 40 minutes can go by so quickly. This is mostly due to the perfected use of the song to story relationship.  My favorite are in the brightness of the "Symphony No. 25" & the darkness of the "Requiem."

#01 OVERALL Gallipoli (1981)

This sleeper film introduced me to Mel Gibson. But it had more impact than that – it is the briliant choices of music for this historical drama set in World War I. Bizet's "Duet from the Pearl Fishers and Paganini’s "Centone di Sonate No 3" are lovely pieces that add to our knowing the story's destiny; yet it is the haunting recurring theme of Albinoni’s "Adagio" that will solidifies the visual images in our minds of the unfortunate fate of subject.