The Moonlight Sonata is among the most recognized compositions by one of the most recognized composers. Filmmakers know this, so when they decide to use it, it’s not the musical counterpart to the hero getting out of bed (unless there’s a corpse in there with her) or buying a mop (unless it’s to stab a… Continue reading Classical Music and Cinema: Beethoven and “Elephant”
Category: Classical Music in Film
It is no secret that classical music makes a great movie soundtrack! Here we explore famous classical music works and their placement in, and contribution to, film.
Classical Music and Cinema: Pachelbel and “Ordinary People”
Pachelbel’s Canon. Where would weddings, high school graduations or any public celebration of passage be without it? You’ve heard it if you’ve ever played in an orchestra. Heck, you know PC if you’ve ever seen an orchestra. It’s formal name is “Canon in D major”, its composer a German named Johann Pachelbel. But if you… Continue reading Classical Music and Cinema: Pachelbel and “Ordinary People”
Classical Music in Film: Wagner + Apocalypse Now
Today we begin a new series here at Salon97 on the role of classical music in cinema. Our first case study: Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” in the famous helicopter assault from Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. In his 1979 review of Apocalypse Now, Roger Ebert called the scene above “simply the greatest movie battle… Continue reading Classical Music in Film: Wagner + Apocalypse Now