# Most (ab)used classical pieces



## manueelster (Feb 7, 2013)

In your experience and opinion what are the most used (and abused) classical pieces in films, tv, or advertising?


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

1. Vivaldi Four Seasons
2. Barber Adagio for Strings
3. Tchaikovsky Nutcracker


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Delibes - Flower duet from Lakmé
Mozart - 2nd movement from the Piano Concerto No. 21, Rondo alla Turca
Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries
Rossini - The Barber of Seville Overture, Largo al factotum
Brahms - Lullaby, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Mendelssohn - Wedding March from A Misdummer Night's Dream


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Eine Kliene Nachtmusik ends up in a lot of telephone holding music, especially if a company wants to sound pretentious. 

Ode to Joy keeps popping up in the strangest places. 

Also, the opening to Carmina Burana is ubiquitous. 

Fortunately, after the '80s, Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1 was unleashed from abuse. 

A couple years ago, I heard the main theme of Bruckner's 7th symphony in an Arby's fish sandwich commercial and held my breath, but fortunately, that one is safe also.


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## Logos (Nov 3, 2012)

Pachelbel's canon
Boccherini's minuet
Grieg's Morning Mood


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Are people suggesting these works are used often or that they are abused? If abused, could you give me some sense of why you feel that way (i.e. what is negative about the use for you)?


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

*** Nessun Dorma & Un bel di Vedremo

There was a time they were using the Queen of the Night aria in contraceptives advertising.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Fur Elise -- which seems to be the only piece lay pianists play when they have to be shown playing something classical on the piano.


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## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

This was a good day to ask. I never understood why 1812 Overture is used so much during 4th of July celebrations here in America. It was written by a _Russian_ composer to celebrate victory over _France,_ and has nothing at all to do with the United States. But it does make good background music for fireworks, so why not, I guess.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Gordontrek said:


> This was a good day to ask. I never understood why 1812 Overture is used so much during 4th of July celebrations here in America. It was written by a _Russian_ composer to celebrate victory over _France,_ and has nothing at all to do with the United States. But it does make good background music for fireworks, so why not, I guess.


The 1812 is popular because American composers evidently are not fond of cannons. If you write a sprightly work with the big guns in it, I guarantee your lasting popularity...at least once a year. :lol:


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

I think the use of Copland's _*** Down_ from Rodeo in the "Beef, it's what's for dinner" ads in the US is objectionable. People who don't know/don't care about classical music and/or are just too lazy to look it up will think "oh that's the 'beef it's what's for dinner' music and never bother to find out what it came from or who wrote it.

Same goes for Satie's Gymnopedie for Alka Seltzer.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

As always, that three-letter word for a sharp-bladed farming tool is outlawed here! I wonder if the mods would agree that's going a bit far… :lol:


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

An icecream van began including my street on his rounds a few weeks ago. If I never hear his signature tune "O sole mio" ever again, it won't be too soon!


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Look up any bog-standard classical compilation cd and the chances are that each track has been used for TV somewhere along the line.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> Look up any bog-standard classical compilation cd and the chances are that each track has been used for TV somewhere along the line.


Well, not long ago I heard the opening of Beethoven's Waldstein sonata used in a TV commercial for Honda. _That _was unusual.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

It's always nice to know that there are occasional exceptions to the rule, Ken. I reckon that many bog-standard compilations are made BECAUSE the pieces therein have been used on TV and in film - the tail wags the dog.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Just because some great music is used for other purposes outside of the concert hall should be a plus not a minus, of course the most popular pieces will get aired more, what is the problem?


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Lack of imagination, perhaps? Some pieces are used so often it turns the premise into a cliché.


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

I think Tchaikovsky's music is some of the most abused. Namely The Nutcracker. It's used for stuff about christmas relentlessly, so much that most people think of it as a joke. In TV shows, it's portrayed as "that stuffy old boring cliché christmas music". One specific example that was really blatant with insulting the work was in The Office where it showed the "good" christmas party with pop music and the "bad, boring" christmas party with The Nutcracker.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Dan Ante said:


> Just because some great music is used for other purposes outside of the concert hall should be a plus not a minus, of course the most popular pieces will get aired more, what is the problem?


If every time someone sat down at the piano, he/she played Fur Elise, how long before you got the sledge hammer out?


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2018)

Evidently, I don't watch enough TV to notice...........


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Any classical piece used in a movie, television, advertising, etc. is likely abused by that use, especially if a person then is reminded of that movie, etc. when listening to the music. I am glad I never saw Clockwork Orange so I have no association of it with Beethoven's Ninth (so at least I have heard it was used in that movie).


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2018)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Any classical piece used in a movie is likely abused by that use.


Shame on the movie Amadeus!!!

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, is it? If well used, I tend not to have any bad feelings about the choice of music in a movie.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

MarkW said:


> If every time someone sat down at the piano, he/she played Fur Elise, how long before you got the sledge hammer out?


I have never experienced that.


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## licorice stick (Nov 24, 2014)

I've heard the overture to Fledermaus used a few times even though I watch almost no TV. It seems to fill the role of "momentous frivolity."


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## BobBrines (Jun 14, 2018)

Then there was the ad for plumbing fixtures that used one of the sections of Handel's "Water Music" I wonder what percent of the population caught the joke?


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Gordontrek said:


> This was a good day to ask. I never understood why 1812 Overture is used so much during 4th of July celebrations here in America. It was written by a _Russian_ composer to celebrate victory over _France,_ and has nothing at all to do with the United States. But it does make good background music for fireworks, so why not, I guess.


My sentiments exactly. Plus, the 1812 commemorates the survival of one absolute autocracy following an attack by another autocrat. Not a word anywhere about popular sovereignty; it's Tsar v. Emperor. Big choice. Fitting Fourth of July fare? I think not.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

KenOC said:


> As always, that three-letter word for a sharp-bladed farming tool is outlawed here! I wonder if the mods would agree that's going a bit far… :lol:











I know what to get the mods for Christmas.


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## Chromatose (Jan 18, 2016)

Fredx2098 said:


> I think Tchaikovsky's music is some of the most abused. Namely The Nutcracker. It's used for stuff about christmas relentlessly, so much that most people think of it as a joke. In TV shows, it's portrayed as "that stuffy old boring cliché christmas music". One specific example that was really blatant with insulting the work was in The Office where it showed the "good" christmas party with pop music and the "bad, boring" christmas party with The Nutcracker.


Yeah but in that specific instance it wasn't the music that made it a "bad, boring" party it was a character and her attitude that made the party the negative one to be at. The focus wasn't the music at all, it was only featured because it fit that character and her back story. It wasn't the intent of the scene to paint "the Nutcracker" in a negative light.


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## Chromatose (Jan 18, 2016)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Any classical piece used in a movie, television, advertising, etc. is likely abused by that use, especially if a person then is reminded of that movie, etc. when listening to the music. I am glad I never saw Clockwork Orange so I have no association of it with Beethoven's Ninth (so at least I have heard it was used in that movie).


I don't think when a film uses a piece of pre-existing orchestral music, it degrades the music if anything it brings more people to that music. A great piece of music will withstand being in a substandard film and complements being in a good one. Your missing out by avoiding "Clockwork", for that reason it's a great film (Kubrick is one of the very best, in a way you could say he's the Beethoven of movie making).


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

Chromatose said:


> Yeah but in that specific instance it wasn't the music that made it a "bad, boring" party it was a character and her attitude that made the party the negative one to be at. The focus wasn't the music at all, it was only featured because it fit that character and her back story. It wasn't the intent of the scene to paint "the Nutcracker" in a negative light.


It may not have been the intention to insult The Nutcracker, but I think the juxtaposition is enough for someone unfamiliar with the music to reinforce the idea that it's boring overused christmas music. I feel like there was an emphasis on the contrasting music in that scene. It felt like it was saying "At fun christmas parties they play pop music, and at boring christmas parties they play The Nutcracker." If it was supposed to reflect Angela's character, then I think that's definitely insulting.

I didn't really expect more from The Office though. It seems like it's made by the kind of people who think of The Nutcracker as old boring christmas music rather than Tchaikovsky's ballet. I don't like any music used in The Office that I can remember, except The Nutcracker which was used as a joke or at least part of a joke, which offended me. Life goes on though.


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## Chromatose (Jan 18, 2016)

Fredx2098 said:


> It may not have been the intention to insult The Nutcracker, but I think the juxtaposition is enough for someone unfamiliar with the music to reinforce the idea that it's boring overused christmas music. I feel like there was an emphasis on the contrasting music in that scene. It felt like it was saying "At fun christmas parties they play pop music, and at boring christmas parties they play The Nutcracker." If it was supposed to reflect Angela's character, then I think that's definitely insulting.
> 
> I didn't really expect more from The Office though. It seems like it's made by the kind of people who think of The Nutcracker as old boring christmas music rather than Tchaikovsky's ballet. I don't like any music used in The Office that I can remember, except The Nutcracker which was used as a joke or at least part of a joke, which offended me. Life goes on though.


If something like this causes you offense, (especially considering "the Nutcracker" is such a saccharine work, Tchaikovsky himself grew to loath it himself), you'd do well to learn how to lighten up and not take things like a piece of music used in a sitcom so seriously. It's highly doubtful the masses of people who saw that episode, didn't come away thinking "God classical music sucks and only people like Angela like it".


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## Fredx2098 (Jun 24, 2018)

Chromatose said:


> If something like this causes you offense, (especially considering "the Nutcracker" is such a saccharine work, Tchaikovsky himself grew to loath it himself), you'd do well to learn how to lighten up and not take things like a piece of music used in a sitcom so seriously. It's highly doubtful the masses of people who saw that episode, didn't come away thinking "God classical music sucks and only people like Angela like it".


Maybe "offended" wasn't the best word. I just meant that I didn't think it was tasteful or funny (not saying that all comedy needs to be "tasteful" but I like it to at least be funny). I'm not actually bothered by it, but this thread is about overused pieces of music so I think what I said was appropriate.

I don't think the average person would need any more reasons to think that classical music is stupid music for stuffy old people. It's rampantly used in comedy shows as parts of jokes, so I think the connection of "classical music = stuffy old people joke" is well-established in a lot of people's minds.

But regardless of what anyone, even the man himself, says about his music, I still enjoy a lot of it. He's not one of my favorites, but I don't dislike his music.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Gordontrek said:


> This was a good day to ask. I never understood why 1812 Overture is used so much during 4th of July celebrations here in America. It was written by a _Russian_ composer to celebrate victory over _France,_ and has nothing at all to do with the United States. But it does make good background music for fireworks, so why not, I guess.


I just went to fireworks where the Detroit Symphony Orchestra played the 1812 Overture. They used the choral version and had real cannons. During the firworks they played Sousa marches, which is far more appropriate. I should put in a suggestion for next year that they play Beethoven's Wellington's Victory instead of the 1812.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Chromatose said:


> I don't think when a film uses a piece of pre-existing orchestral music, it degrades the music if anything it brings more people to that music. A great piece of music will withstand being in a substandard film and complements being in a good one. Your missing out by avoiding "Clockwork", for that reason it's a great film (Kubrick is one of the very best, in a way you could say he's the Beethoven of movie making).


But isn't it some movie that you had to watch in the 1970s when everybody was on drugs? Or is everybody still on drugs today? Anyway, I am not so much avoiding the movie as just not going out of my way for it. Maybe I should see if some of it is in You Tube so I get a feel for what it is about. Also, I guess my statement was way too absolute. A great movie could enhance a piece of music and I think the guy who turned me on to the Ninth way back in the day had learned of if from Clockwork Orange.


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