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Most striking classical compositions7/28/2023 Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition – Promenade It is an impressive opening, and with less than two minutes of runtime, conveys quite a bit of drama with just a handful of very simple gestures and repetition.Ĥ. In fact, some people tend to think of this as the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, rather than the beginning of Richard Strauss’ Nietzsche-inspired tone poem. Speaking of movie scores… this is perhaps the most famous use of classical music in a Hollywood film. Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra – I. From the percussive ostinato that continues throughout the piece, the blaring brass fanfares, and lush orchestration, this is the perfect pre-cursor to the epic, Hollywood movie score.ĥ. ![]() This ominous and driving work is another pop culture darling that has been used in much the same ways as O Fortuna, to symbolize drama or conflict, and science-fiction fans are likely all too aware of the influence The Planets has had on movies set in outer space. ![]() The Latin text of the work speaks of the unpredictable quality of fortune and how fate is an oppressive and unshakable force in life, colored by the incredibly dramatic music that slowly builds into an accelerated climax.įireworks display in Bratislava. Television commercials and movie trailers have appropriated O Fortuna for years, and those familiar with Bruce Boughton’s soundtrack to Young Sherlock Holmes might notice some similarities. To understand the popularity of this piece, one need not look far. Like many pieces of the time, this symphony was motivated by World War II, and features a great deal of the composer’s distinctive rhythmic style and dissonance, which has been honed and polished since The Rite of Spring decades before. This is one of Stravinsky’s most successful works in his neoclassical period, also one of the first works he wrote after immigrating to the United States in the 1940s. Igor Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements – I. Many of the themes from Candide itself are present here and have been woven together in clever and inspired ways.Ĩ. It is a staple in both the orchestral and the concert band repertoire, and its success has certainly surpassed the success of the opera for which it was written. Leonard Bernstein: Overture to CandideĪpart from the music of West Side Story, this overture could easily be Bernstein’s best-known work. ![]() Adams’ post-minimalist techniques are at their peak in this work, featuring a considerable amount of repetitive material, but with influences of impressionism and romanticism prevalent as well.ĩ. John Adams sure knows how to make an entrance! The piece comes right out with blaring E minor chords in the brass, setting up a piece of prodigious proportions. To celebrate the coming of this new year, here is a companion list to our Top Ten Finales list from last year… now with great musical beginnings! HPM Top Ten List: Great Symphonic BeginningsĢ015 is here! With a new year come new experiences, and only time will tell what those experiences are, just as first movements in music are only a hint of things to come.
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