Overused classical pieces in films.

- Beethoven - "Ode to Joy" from Symphony No.9

- Bizet - Habanera from Carmen

- Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No.1

- Offenbach - Can-can from Orpheus in the Underworld Overture

- Puccini - "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi

- Rossini - William Tell Overture

- R Strauss - Intro to Also Sprach Zarathustra

- J Strauss - Blue Danube Waltz

- Debussy - Claire de lune

- Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture

- Orff - O Fortuna/Carmina Burana

- Holst - The Planets

- Barber - Adagio for Strings

- Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

- Tchaikovsky - Romeo & Juliet

- Handel - Hallelujah

- Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries

Some of them are just annoying in use now.

Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" for example, it appears in practically every scene in a Hollywood film that depicts wealthy people entertaining. It's even in ALIEN, though with a different purpose. What kills me is that ALL wealthy people in movies listen to classical music. You never see a party thrown by rich people where they listen to country, rock, pop, etc. It's always the exact same collection of half-a-dozen public domain classical pieces. And the bad guys often have tattoos or/and an accent or/and listen to metal music.

At one time long ago Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet was used for SO many romantic scenes to the point it started getting lampooned in films. You don't hear it used any other way now! The Adagio for Strings is dead to me now, it's not just in movies either, it appears in documentaries, comedies, even bloody travel shows.

Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1

just heard Adagio for Strings live tonight - still very alive...

Anything Penderecki and Ligeti should be considered overused in films. But they are not classical and neither are many of your examples..

I love the simpsons version of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik .. Xp

a part from that I don't see the need to compose a different music for every new film .. but I got to agree with Romeo & Juliet is a bit over used ..

I feel like I hear Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams everywhere these days

Canon in D.

Hadyn and Mozart String Quartets are becoming more used. Not to the point of overuse just quite yet as there are so many.

The Rach Piano Concerto number 2 which has been overused was employed to great sarcastic effect in a scene from the remake of Ocean's Eleven.

Pachebel's Canon in D. Is the most overused work in any media, any time.

Bach Tocatta and Fugue in D

The Bach Cello suites

Trumpet Voluntary

1812 Overture

Rodeo

Canon in D

Eine Kliene

Carmina Burana

Flight of the Bumblebee

Just a few.

Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1

I've never come across his Symphony No. 1 in a film - which one did you hear it in?

just heard Adagio for Strings live tonight - still very alive...

The Adagio is EXTREMELY overused.

Anything Penderecki and Ligeti should be considered overused in films. But they are not classical and neither are many of your examples..

You need to watch something other than a Kubrick film.

I just said that the Adagio was still very alive! The music is still moving...

Other than that you two infantiles really don't get it.... Magna: what is classical music? Music from the classical period - you know history?

Charlie: what the fcuk has Kubrick to do with this? Yes he uses Penderecki and Kubrick - but a lot of others use it too.... you even watch movies?

come on you *** - people like you really are bummers

sorry but I didn't include Barber on any list... I just stated that the music he wrote is indeed still very alive.

Man Beethoven isn't classical music, since my definition of it doesn't include him!!!!!

Come on guys, Ligeti can be called "classical music" as can Leonin. Let's not be retarded here thx.

Classical music: music from the Classical period of music.

classical music: "art" music, symphonic music, whatever definition you prefer..

Capitalization....we use it for a reason, people!

well I couldn't care less for capitalization, and what wikipedia says or what your local music teacher says. The fact is that composers for the last 60 years have tried to stay clear calling the music for what it is. Renaissance music is not classical (nor Classical or whatever). Baroque is neither. Romantic music is not and Stravinsky and all the other modern guys are not. What we write today is not classical.

So lets try to keep up with the environment of the people we are talking about instead of hanging ourselves in old prejudistic and flawed boxes of genre names.

Dick: jazz is also art music. pop is also art music. chamber music is also art music, but is also commercial.... what are you trying to define?

well I couldn't care less for capitalization, and what wikipedia says or what your local music teacher says. The fact is that composers for the last 60 years have tried to stay clear calling the music for what it is. Renaissance music is not classical (nor Classical or whatever). Baroque is neither. Romantic music is not and Stravinsky and all the other modern guys are not. What we write today is not classical.

So lets try to keep up with the environment of the people we are talking about instead of hanging ourselves in old prejudistic and flawed boxes of genre names.

Dick: jazz is also art music. pop is also art music. chamber music is also art music, but is also commercial.... what are you trying to define?

Yeah, you're clearly missing the point. But it'd be a waste of time to try and explain it again since at least three people have explained it in as about plain English as possible.

But you're totally right. ligeti is way over-used. I know I get so tired of hearing this in every romantic comedy

Or this in every damn Hollywood action blockbuster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Xj6ULZcHA

And how many tearjerkers have we hear this in?

ligeti was such a loving sell-out, man.

On an unrelated note, this has become so cliche for movies that I can't even stand to listen to it anymore. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rTCRPSh6Gc&feature=related

Charlie: what the fcuk has Kubrick to do with this? Yes he uses Penderecki and Kubrick - but a lot of others use it too.... you even watch movies?

According to IMDB, Barber has been used in more films than Ligeti and Penderecki combined!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0053462/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0509893/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671678/

Holy moley! I guess I don't watch movies, or know what I'm talking about.

Bryla -

Why don't you start your own School of Classical Music and enlighten the world about what is obviously your all-knowing, supremely valid, and utterly foolproof knowledge and experience about the subject?

"Dick: jazz is also art music. pop is also art music."

I'd love you to explain this, Bryla.

I'm going to say a lot of pop music was written with no intention of being art music, but intended to be a commodity. Definitely not art music in those cases. Maybe in a few cases the two cross over, but surely not always?

@Magna Carta --> :thumbsup: , really)

I have refused the term art music as futile and hilarious. Music is art. Tomatoes are vegetables. Art music is like vegetable tomatoes.

Tomatoes are fruits? But I get what you are sayin'.

I don't classify them as fruits, but if you prefer calling them like that and sticking to this definition, no problem. By the way:

While it is botanically a fruit, it is considered a vegetable for culinary purposes (as well as by the United States Supreme Court, see Nix v. Hedden), which has caused some confusion.