Classical music thread

From my understanding, Rite of Spring was definitely an inspiration, as well as the start of Ravel's La Valse.

You'd probably find that a lot of film composers are greatly inspired by 20th century composers, especially Horror movies are filled with that heavily percussive atonal stuff. It's good at setting a mood while not being overly melodic or having an obvious form. Hans Zimmer is a gret example of this. John Williams seems to take more of a Romantic inspiration though, I hear a lot of Tchaikovsky and Bernstein in his music. Stuff like Jaws seems a little less common.
 
Actually, the Jaws theme is most often compared to the opening of Dvorak's 9th ("New World") Symphony. Just listen to the opening seconds:


I hear your Stravinsky comparison. The bits with loud chords blasting over a quiet string backing. Compare for example 1:25 and on in Jaws to this:

:

That's Igor's most famous bit of music. I'm sure that Williams drew it from the Rite. It's kind of like the chord sequence E-C-D-E in a metal song: if you do it, you're gonna sound at least a little like Maiden. Just so, if you use loud chords in strange rhythms, you're gonna get compared to Stravinsky.

When I listen to that entire Jaws theme, my strongest impression is "Mahler". Most of the orchestration reminds me of Gustav Mahler and other late 1800s / early 1900s composers. Here's a bit of Mahler, from his 5th Symphony, and maybe the most metal piece of orchestral work out there:


If you really want your mind blown about movie themes and classical music:

 
Something different: percussion ensemble. (Remember that piano is a percussion instrument, the sound generated by hammers hitting strings.)

George Antheil, Ballet Mécanique
This is only an excerpt, the full work is about 35 minutes long.

From wiki:
George Antheil (/ˈæntaɪl/; July 8, 1900 – February 12, 1959) was an American avant-garde composer, pianist, author and inventor whose modernist musical compositions explored the modern sounds – musical, industrial, mechanical – of the early 20th century.
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About this piece:
Antheil described his "first major work" as "scored for countless numbers of player pianos. All percussive. Like machines. All efficiency. No LOVE. Written without sympathy. Written cold as an army operates. Revolutionary as nothing has been revolutionary."[32] Antheil's original conception was scored for 16 specially synchronized player pianos, two grand pianos, electronic bells, xylophones, bass drums, a siren and three airplane propellers, but difficulties with the synchronization resulted in a rewrite for a single pianola and multiple human pianists.[33] The piece consisted of periods of music and interludes of silence set against the roar of the airplane propellers.[34] Antheil described as "by far my most radical work... It is the rhythm of machinery, presented as beautifully as an artist knows how."[35]
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Good thing Stravinsky could hear, because he was so blind he needed two pairs of glasses.

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Speaking of him, I noticed something weird. I heard Stravinsky (and possibly many other 20th century composers) in some parts of the Simpsons theme. 0:29-0:34 and 0:51-1:06 for example.

 
Beethoven, as performed by harmonica trio:


The thing you're seeing in the thumbnail is a bass harmonica, lowest of the trio. There's also an alto harmonica, and finally the soprano harmonica you're used to seeing.
 
Arvo Pärt is the most well-known Estonian composer. He has written heartbreakingly beautiful works, such as this one.

 
Another divine composition from Pärt. A little anecdote from childhood: I remember multiple occasions on which we would have a guest over and someone proposed to put music on and recommended Pärt but then it was collectively decided that Pärt sounds too dark for the moment.

 
Saapanael said:
Another divine composition from Pärt. A little anecdote from childhood: I remember multiple occasions on which we would have a guest over and someone proposed to put music on and recommended Pärt but then it was collectively decided that Pärt sounds too dark for the moment.

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Have you heard this version?
 
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