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 and Venus, the Bringer of Peace by Gustav Holst from his Planets suite. You can hear elements of Mars in the opening sequence and when Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star. Additionally, The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky is evident when the stormtroopers ran on the Death Star, during Darth Vader's interrogation of Leia Organa Solo, and when C3PO walked on Tatooine's dune sea and got onto the sand crawlers.
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 and uncle. The main theme was influenced by many pieces, including the theme of King's Row by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. 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. 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.
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 and 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.
The main theme was clearly inspired by the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, though the melody 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 has elements from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas cover of Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. This is more obvious when Kevin saw other families celebrating Christmas, and also in We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Additionally, there's the soundtrack 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 and 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 by Carl Orff.
The battle soundtrack was obviously lifted from Mars, the Bringer of War by Gustav Holst. Hans Zimmer was sued for plagiarism after admitting the influence of Holst.
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 inspired by Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. You can also hear Mozart's Dies Irae, which played in A New Hope, when Rey and Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) start their duel.
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 and Dvorak's New World Symphony. As expected, the ending has 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).
Apparently, the theme was influenced by O'Fortuna by Carl Orff from the Carmina Burana Opera, showing its influence on Disney entertainment.
One of the soundtracks has nods to Dvorak's New World Symphony.