Top 10 Television and Movie Scores that Were Influenced by Classical Music
A list was made long ago about classical pieces that influenced film and TV scores. However, this discussion is about those that were influenced by classical music.
It was clearly influenced by Mars (the Bringer of War) & Venus (the Bringer of Peace) by Gustav Holst from his Planets suite, as you can hear elements of Mars in the opening sequence and when Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star, along with The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky (when the stormtroopers ran on the Death Star as well as when Darth Vader interrogated Leia Organa Solo & when C3PO walked on Tatooine's dune sea & got onto the sand crawlers). Additionally, a bit was influenced by the Arabian dance from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet. Plus the requiem Dies Irae by Mozart influenced the death of Luke Skywalker's aunt & uncle. Yet obviously (as with all Star Wars episodes), the main theme was influenced by many pieces, including the theme of King's Row by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Yet the ending has apparent influence from Beethoven's 9th symphony.
The love theme was a dominant part of this and was influenced by Violin Concerto #2 by Tchaikovsky. Yet, as with all Star Wars episodes, the main theme was influenced by many pieces, including the theme of King's Row by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
The opening soundtrack clearly had a nod to Neptune (the Mystic) by Gustav Holst from the Planets, & the Ewoks encounter track was influenced by the Romeo and Juliet suite by Saint-Saëns from Carnival of the Animals. Yet again (as with all Star Wars episodes), the main theme was influenced by many pieces, including the theme of King's Row by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
The bike theme was influenced by Dvorak's Piano Trio #4 & Serenade for String Orchestra in E Major & the main theme was influenced by the Romantic Symphony by Howard Hanson. The final soundtrack has elements heard in the finale of Respighi's Pines of Rome, though two keys higher-pitched.
The main theme was clearly inspired by the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, though the melody for this was different to sound more fresh. The fight soundtracks were influenced by Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (which ironically showed dinosaurs in Fantasia).
Just like John Williams' soundtrack for Jurassic Park, the main theme used inspiration from Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
The opening theme (which also played when a tree branch knocked the power out) was heavily influenced by Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from his Nutcracker ballet. Furthermore, Somewhere in My Memory (also by John Williams himself) apparently has elements from the Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas cover of Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel (made more obvious when Kevin saw other families celebrating Christmas), as well as We Wish You a Merry Christmas if you noticed that. Additionally, there's the soundtrack that was heavily influenced by the Trepak dance from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet.
Just like the first Home Alone film, this had inspirations from Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy & Trepak dance from the Nutcracker ballet, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
The soundtrack during the massacre scene was obviously influenced by O Fortuna (the Fortune) by Carl Orff.
The battle soundtrack was obviously lifted from Mars (the Bringer of War) by Gustav Holst. In fact, Hans Zimmer got sued for plagiarism after admitting about Holst.
The Newcomers
The ending sounds like an obvious nod to O'Fortuna from Orff's Carmina Burana.
Who knew such a dark classical piece would make a good Christmas soundtrack.
Apparently, the theme was influenced by O'Fortuna by Carl Orff from the Carmina Burana Opera, showing its influence on Disney entertainment.
The main theme was apparently influenced by Beethoven's 9th Symphony, while the map room soundtrack was obviously influenced by Saturn (the Bringer of Old Age) by Gustav Holst from his Planets suite.
The opening soundtrack, during the Battle of Jakku, was apparently influenced by Beethoven's Symphony of the Fates as well as Egmont. Additionally, the soundtrack during the Rathtar attack scene was apparently inspired by Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. And, of course, you'll hear Mozart's Dies Irae influence, which also played in A New Hope, when Rey and Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) start their duel. Yet as always, the ending has apparent influence from Beethoven's 9th symphony.
The soundtrack during the scenes in Otoh Gunga on Naboo was clearly influenced by the Aquarium movement of Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals, as well as Neptune (the Mystic) by Holst from The Planets.
Of course, Duel of the Fates was included, which was influenced by Orff's O Fortuna (The Fortune) and Dvorak's New World Symphony. Yet as expected, the ending has an apparent influence from Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
The Kraken theme was based on Bach's Toccata and Fugue. It was indeed an interpolation.
The main theme, He's a Pirate, was apparently influenced by Beethoven's Symphony #7 in A Major, which was a perfect idea for the uptempo mood.
The theme has apparent inspiration from Pachelbel's Canon in D.
The track I Could've Done More was influenced by Ase's Death from Edward Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite.
The track where the characters had nothing to forgive was apparently influenced by Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto #2.
The Courting Song has a prominent nod to Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto No. 2, giving us another reminder how influential that was ands still is.
R.I.P. Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840 - November 6, 1893).
