mozart wishes he were me

my name is Lauren and sometimes I do music things

[soothifying-sounds-asmr]

Drone Flute by sim.hamilton

[matthewjohnsons]

i love music so much bro where would we be without noises

[laurenwritesmusic]

String Quartet No. 1 “The Red Quartet” Premiered 18 September 2020 by the Australian String Quartet

String Quartet No. 1, affectionately titled “The Red Quartet”, was written as the major project in composer Lauren McCormick’s final year of her undergraduate degree. What began as a compositional exercise, designed by McCormick as a tentative exploration of unfamiliar musical structures such as quartal harmony and uneven phrase lengths, soon evolved into a passionate and emotional work, which is now the third movement of the quartet as it exists today.

The first movement is bright and spirited, reminiscent in part of a lively ballet in the distinctive lydian mode. Its energetic pace is almost frantic, seeming to come close to losing control as the melody is thrown around the quartet. The middle section of the movement evokes almost a Shostakovich-ian feeling, the chromaticism of the melody obscuring any suggestion of a secure mode. This chromaticism, paired with the steady pace of the harmonic accompaniment, creates an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty, drawing the listener in before returning to the first theme for a dramatic finish.

This momentum is maintained throughout the second movement, which features rapid alterations between irregular time signatures in an almost aggressive nature. The chromaticism featured in the first movement is also continued, although in this new context its presence mocks and teases the listener, prancing jauntily across the quartet as it settles into a lilting 6/8. The conclusion of the second movement transitions directly into the beginning of the third which, although at a much more sombre pace than the previous movements, holds its own as a deeply passionate and mournful movement against its brisk and light-hearted predecessors. Its grave deliberation is melancholic and bittersweet, constantly hinting at something that remains just out of reach.

[laurenwritesmusic]

Heyo Tumblr friends!

I’ve been gone from here for a while (not truly gone, but lurking), but I’m back with a glorious return after working on a bunch of projects. So, here’s what I’ve been up to!

Perhaps most importantly, I’ve finally set up an official website for all my work. There you can read about me, my compositions, as well as some other fun things like my written academic work, which includes a comparative analysis of Ravel’s orchestration of Ma mère l’Oye, another orchestration analysis discussing the use of the orchestra as an accompanying body, and a few more niche discussions about Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire.

I’ve also set up a YouTube channel, which I will post performances and videos of my works to (and maybe some scrolling scores and personal projects, but we’ll see). I’ll be posting links to the individual videos here as they’re uploaded, along with anything else I publish.

Finally, I’m incredibly excited to be seeing my new work Pilgrimage to Patroclus performed by the incredible Omega Ensemble at the Sydney Opera House at the beginning of December. If you happen to live in the area and want to come along (or just feel like checking out the program) then all the details are HERE on the Omega Ensemble’s website. This piece was commissioned as part of the CoLAB: Composer Accelerator Program run by Omega, and they’re currently accepting applications for 2022. So, if you’re an emerging composer from Australia (between the ages of 21 and 35) then I would highly encourage you to apply!

Between this, I’ve also been working on my Masters degree in composition, so you can expect to see bits of that pop up every now and then too!

Godspeed, everyone!

[that-piano-violin-girl]

Some days, being a musician is the hardest thing in the world. Sometimes it feels impossible.

When you spend hours and hours alone in a practice room, sometimes playing the same five notes over and over and over again until you think you’ll go insane.

When you hear such beautiful music in your head but you can’t make it come out, no matter how hard you try.

When you’re your own harshest critic, and there’s nothing you can do to make yourself happy, and everything you’re doing is wrong.

And worst, there are those horrible days when your very best is simply not good enough, when all you can so is go back into that practice room and aim for a perfection that’s impossible to attain.

But it’s all worth it. For that one perfect play-through, even if you’re in the practice room and the only person to hear it. For that one passage or harmony that twists your heart just so and reminds you why you’re a musician, sending you right back into that practice room not because you fell short but because a million different opportunities just opened up and you can’t stand not making music right that second. For that utterly complete exhaustion of mind and body, burning hands, that only comes after a performance that took everything you have and a little bit more. For the realization that THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT, that ‘right’ is an infinity of possibility, that there’s no such thing as ‘wrong.’

And that is why I keep going back to the practice room day after day, pushing through inconveniences and disappointments. Because I’m addicted to that indescribable feeling of pouring out music and knowing it’s not coming from me, that I’m an instrument myself. My happiest and saddest moments have all been because of music, but music gets me through the sad and makes me so much more than happy. Because I have music in my heart and in my hands, and I can no more keep it inside me than I can stop my heart beating or my lungs breathing.

[lingling40hrs]

[parcai]

as cool as john williams’ music is, i hope u all know his most famous movie scores (star wars mainly) are copied off classical music 😚

[mattbear-music-nz-deactivated20]

Worth pointing out that composers typically have only a few weeks to write entire feature-length film scores. Drawing direct inspiration from existing works or temp tracks can be necessary to get over an hour’s music written on time.

Composers like John Williams also tend to work with orchestrators and editors, who take initial sketches and expand them out to full orchestra. (Or in Hans Zimmer’s case, collaborate with several additional composers who arrange the final cues from his suite-style draft tracks). It’s not fair to expect a single person to take on every role, or maintain complete “artistic integrity”, when they’re working against time constraints.

[thepixelbard]

True, they’re working with very little time to create something, so it’s very very interesting to see what works they fall back on to to find inspiration. TwoSet Violin made this video specifically about John Williams bascially copying Korngold, Holst, and Stravinsky. 

[parcai]

korngold is okay because i’m p sure williams got rights to copy it, but stravinsky and holst were straight rip-offs 😭

[mattbear-music-nz-deactivated20]

John Williams used similar orchestration & chord structure to Holst’s The Planets in Star Wars, but I’d say he changed the rhythms up enough to make it it’s own distinct work. (Incidentally, so did Hans Zimmer in Gladiator) In the case of Stravinsky, I’m also of the opinion that the quote from The Rite of Spring in Star Wars was a deliberate choice - and again Williams takes the initial material and develops it in a new direction, with his own melodies. It becomes a variation, a homage. 

I’m personally of the opinion that there’s no point in talking in terms of “rip-offs” in the context of traditional Western music & the 12-tone equal temperament scale. Worrying about originality to such an extent is something I’ve chosen to set aside, both for judging my own compositions and for judging other composers. I really used to get worked up about ‘having to make my pieces completely original’ to the point it messed with my musical output and mental health. Writing the music I hear in my head without scrutinizing it so much is kinda liberating and enables me to properly enjoy composing.

Deliberately taking another composer’s material and appropriating it entirely as one’s own is definitely wrong. But intentional stylistic homages, accidentally stumbling upon a similar melody or chord progression, or making a similar melody distinctive enough to have it’s own unique character … I can forgive that. I generally wouldn’t consider those occurrences a “rip-off”.

[justanotherpiccplayer]

There is a bit that I distinctly remember from lego star wars that is identical and I mean like identical to the opening of the second half of the rite of spring, but that’s just one small bit of a huge film score, but I see why people could say its a “rip off” coz it’s not a million miles away especially in that one instance.

Williams certainly has his place as an incredible composer but personally I do prefer me a bit of Stravinsky myself, but that’s because I’m not into that sort of film music that much.

[mattbear-music-nz-deactivated20]

This cue?

Yeah, I can’t say that it’s not very close in instrumentation to Stravinsky’s original. I think my point is more that I can distinctly associate that bit from Star Wars and the Rite of Spring as separate pieces of music - that to my ear at least they’re different enough (even though I do recognize the homage/inspiration on Williams’ part).

Personally I guess I’ve always been drawn to how film music underscores & reinforces narrative & emotion in a mimetic fashion.

[laurenwritesmusic]

It’s also worth noting that classical music has a long and fruitful history of “borrowing,” in ways that would absolutely infringe on modern copyright rules. But honestly? That’s almost part of the culture! It’s nothing new for a composer to be inspired by another composers’ work (especially one who is no longer alive), and, in fact, we’re encouraged to quote famous melodies in every composition class I’ve taken at my university. 

Also, there’s no way that what John Williams does is “ripping off” other composers. Honestly, I’d challenge almost anyone to try and do what he does with a single motif, chord, rhythm, or small melody taken from another composer. What he does is completely transformative, both in the ways of development and orchestration, and honestly if he can pull it off that well, then all the power to him!

Plagiarism, in classical music, really isn’t the same issue that it is in many other areas of art. If, however, John Williams took significant inspiration from another living composer and passing it off as his own work, then that would absolutely be an issue. But imitating well-known, famous musical works really isn’t the same kind of intellectual transgression. Williams found musical sounds that created the desired emotional effect for a specific track, consolidated what it was about the original score that caused that emotional response, and then applied it to his own work. It’s a smart way of composing that (like I mentioned before) we’re encouraged to do. 

And wasn’t it Stravinsky himself who fathered the saying, “Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal”?

(Let’s not forget the time that Mozart added an introduction and coda to a Haydn symphony and slapped his name on it at the end. I’d argue that’s a much greater transgression than anything John Williams has ever done)

[thepixelbard]

Random Piano sketches

Since it’s PianoWrimo and I can’t do it this year (on account of life, school, and doing NanoWrimo), I thought I’d share some of my own piano music. I’ve never really written a full-fledged piano piece (thought I’ve tried many times). I guess I’ll have to challenge myself next year. Enjoy everyone!

[jesmusicblog]

PIANOWRIMO 2020

November is nearly upon us.

What is Pianowrimo?  

in November 2017 I decided to write 30 pieces during the month — short pieces, just piano, but they had to be finished, recorded, and neatly presented.  And then I did the same thing the next two years.   And I ended up with some pieces I was actually really proud of, the sense of achieving something, and a bit of insight into both my favourite musical elements/fallback habits and what happened when I was pushed past them.

And that’s basically all there is to it. 

(Also it’s a pun on NaNoWriMo, to which it has absolutely no affiliation.)

But really what are the rules

If you want to keep to my rules, then it’s compose 30 piano pieces, make both a recording and a sheet.  In 2017, my challenge to myself was particularly the notation; I was coming up with a lot of little piano pieces and not writing them up neatly, and I’ve since got a lot better at that.  But you might want to change things.  Maybe you’re not actually much of a pianist or aren’t able to record things so you wouldn’t do that part.  (Or maybe, your challenge would be to write music to your own level that you can play!)  Or maybe you want to add a themed element, borrowed from an art month, there are many lists around.  You can set your own rules .

The main things, I think, are to have fun and to challenge yourself to write some music.  To write what feels like a lot of music, enough that you don’t have time to worry too much about whether it is ‘good’.   At the end of the month you’ll have a whole heap of pieces, and then you’ll surely like some of them, if not all of them.

Keep reading

[composerinprogress]

I really like the concept of pianowrimo particularly because this is the sort of thing anyone can participate in, regardless of experience

thank you @jesmusicblog for creating this challenge. I’m excited to see what everyone comes up with

[stravinsky]

I’ll be joining the fun! Every day for the next 30 days I’ll write and post a short piano piece. Great idea @jesmusicblog! I’ll have a blast, I’m sure of it. I hope more people participate.

[mattbear-music-nz-deactivated20]

On an appropriately rainy day in Auckland, NZ, here is the new scrolling score video (with NotePerformer sound patch) for my 2016 piano composition ‘Untitled Piano Piece No. 1 “Lament for a Rainy Day”’. 🌧️☔

“The piece was inspired by being stuck indoors on a rainy day, when I noticed how the rain started and stopped, and varied from full-on downpours to light showers. I have tried to reflect this in the piece.

The piece starts with the beginning of the rainfall; large drops, represented by the steady left-hand arpeggios, fall from the dark sky, increasing in intensity and then fading away as the bands of rain pass over. A second heavy shower passes over; in its wake is a sunshower, the sun breaking through the clouds even as the rain continues to fall. Shifts from major to minor and back again represent the sun being hidden and revealed again by the ever-changing clouds.

Another squall passes over. Following it is a steady drizzle; light droplets fall regularly in a hazy mist from the sky. The shower gets heavier and heavier, building up to a downpour with thunder and lightning. Having exhausted itself, the storm moves on. It is followed by another heavy shower, similar to the first, which builds itself into a thunderstorm, then weakens, slows, and returns to a fading shower. The clouds float away as the last drops of rain slowly patter to the ground.”

[soothifying-sounds-asmr]

The Rain (Cover) by Haburu

[gollumunchkin]

i’m crying

[bluejay73ffs]

There are cats, and there are cats that belong to pianists

[laurenwritesmusic]

Music event by Elder Conservatorium on Friday, September 18 2020 with 174 people interested and 38 people going.

My work “The Red Quartet” is being premiered by the Australian String Quartet tomorrow! I’m so incredibly lucky for this performance to be going ahead given the current circumstances, and it will be publicly livestreamed over on Facebook if anyone is interested in watching it, and I’ll be putting a recording on the concert up on my SoundCloud as well. 

[jinliveblogsshit]

when I first started watching classicaloid I had 0 classical music knowledge and just kind of assumed the characters were like that for comedic effect but the more I learn from people like you the more I realize classical composers were just unhinged as fuck

i’m laughing os hard oh my god

but yeah no all the composers were pretty out there one way or another. for more ridic shit about some other composers including hte classicaloids

erik satie refused to eat anything that wasn’t white. he only wore grey suits. he hated the sun. he also named some pieces some of the weirdest shit, like “veritable flabby preludes (for a dog)” or “desiccated embryos”

arnold schoenberg had a fear of the number thirteen. like a ridiculously wild fear, despite being born on the 13th… and dying on friday the 13th on his 76th birthday, 7+6 being 13

hector berlioz was an opium user, so you end up with pieces like “symphonie fantastique” which basically follows the story of an artist who poisoned himself with opium because unrequited love sucks and then experiences witches and Dies irae. this is just like… one of several other things. berlioz did some weird shit

mozart fucking loved potty jokes. especially about farting and poop. like they’re found everywhere in his letters

also another thing about mozart, one of his most beloved operas, don giovanni… well, some of it was literally written the day before and day of the premiere because #yolo

j.s. bach once pulled a sword on a bassoonist who accused him of slander and supposedly called him a “nanny-goat bassoonist”

he also ended up in jail for a month or so because he pissed off his boss by illegally looking for a job somewhere else while employed

joseph haydn was cheeky af and wrote a lot of music that kind of showed that (surprise symphony, farewell symphony, to name some)

or there would be some high class drama like

johannes brahms had the biggest crush on robert schumann’s wife, clara schumann (who to be fair, is a total catch because she was a fab pianist and composer). it was pretty unrequited tho so he was left just pining for her

the ever popular story of how igor stravinksy’s rite of spring starting a riot (literally) on the day of its premiere. people were so angry with the music that they just started… punching and shit

or the fact that richard wagner went off and married franz liszt’s daughter (and they’re from different schools of thought), and liszt was so livid that this all happened

welcome to classical music :___)

[dentondeathmetal]

The fact Richard Wagner bankrupted an opera house and then slept with the owner’s wife because he is t e r r i b l e

The time Beethoven was performing and his piano accidentally caught on fire and he just kept fucking going

Schubert was arrested for backtalking a police officer. Schubert also supposedly met beethoven once. He brought his music along and was so nervous to meet his idol. When bee pointed out a single error in his music Schubert got super flustered and left.

His letters are also a fucking trip and solidify him as “world’s most relatable composer”

Chopin was turned on by the sound of the female voice. He was also Liszt’s drinking buddy even though they could not be more different (exceptionally highlighted in Hark! A vagrant’s Chopin / Liszt comic)

Lisztomania. Just fucking lisztomania. The fact you could tell where the women were seated apparently by the dampness of the seats no i am not kidding. People would try stealing his hair.

Tchaikovsky’s mother fucking CANNONS. Also he hated the nutcracker.

I’m sorry I just I love composer facts

[tristesse-and-distress]

Mozart was basically like the version of him in Classicaloid to many accounts but with more “gifted kid burnout”—and of course “Lick My Ass,” his own composition.

Chopin and Liszt were not drinking buddies, but rather frienemies, who were competitors who also hung out and played together (the drinking buddies thing is something made out in pop culture); Chopin was very ill most all of his life, and he and Liszt were opposites in aesthetic and music style (as can be heard in their compositions). Liszt even wrote a biography about Chopin after Chopin died, though it’s overtly wordy and very Liszt-style (Kate Beaton does a good job on that, agreed, but they weren’t really what one would call drinking buddies). While Liszt was flamboyant and literally broke pianos (and figurative hearts of women who would faint at his concerts), Chopin was decidedly private, introverted, and preferred playing parlor “salon” concerts and making money through teaching as to concert halls. His health, depression, and past trauma from leaving Poland, his sister dying, being ill, and heartbreak, certainly worsened his depression/mental state, and made him more closed off to many people, except for his close circle of friends and family.

The “turned on by the female voice” thing seems to be an internet fave when talking about Chopin, certainly he was fascinated by it, had unrequited love for at least one female singer, and the vocal-style came out in his piano style (which is v cool Classicaloid used Vocaloid for his pieces), but I honestly believe the man was asexual or on that spectrum based on his own writings and others’ accounts, including that or George Sand (with whom he was with for around nine years) saying how he repeatedly turned down her advances. In the show, his total introversion, and not showing his past kind of makes sense, as he died of TB at the age of 39 and suffered quite a lot in his last few years especially, physically and emotionally.

Tchaikovsky was VERY GAY and also VERY TALL. I’m still sad we didn’t get his Cannon piece because gosh dang that would have been awesome. This is a very good article. He had an honorary doctorate from Cambridge along with Saint-Saën, with whom he is recorded with having lunch there with. He also had depression, especially it would seem when it came to dealing with his love life and sexuality vs public appearance.

Beethoven, like in the show, enjoyed cooking and coffee, both facts I did not know until watching. Also, the state of his room in the show, according to contemptuous accounts, very much matched his IRL counterpart’s appearance as he got older, and his room and habits most of his life.

Tekla Badarzewska was a Polish woman composer in the Romantic era who did write more than “Maiden’s Prayer” (the song Bada features in the show as a “one-hit wonder”) but that is the one which really took off and she was known for during her very short life (1834-1861). She had five children—one of her daughters even had been enrolled in a music school later on. Tekla Badarzewska apparently has a crater on Venus named after her.

Schubert was a cinnamon roll of a person and the anecdote about the police sums him up from what I know. Also, he ended up buried (I think per request) next to Beethoven, after dying broke and from and illness (typhoid and/or STD. Apparently, though broke quite a lot, he was generous when he disnhasve money and a fun person to go out and drink with where this man who was about 5’ tall would just shout out stuff like “I am Franz Schubert!” to like a group of musicians (yes, there is an account of this). He relied on family and friends for support and was using his brother’s piano for composing.

I honestly don’t know very much about Bach but I know he was looked to by the above-mentioned composers as a father of music.

Richard Wagner in real life was more like DICK Wagner. He was Liszt’s son-in-law later on, even though he wasn’t much younger than Liszt; I don’t think Liszt liked him very much at all. (Liszt also mellowed out a whole lot when he was older including becoming a religious man). Wagner was one of Hitler’s favorites and I think that says a lot. Wagner was eallyball about “OVERTHROW FOR THE REVOLUTION” in real life, and made pamphlets at one point and organized rallies to actually contribute to revolution. He had very strong views on what “art” was and wrote a lot of opera. Cosima, his wife and Liszt’s daughter apparently tried to burn as many copies of his autobiography as possible after he died.

The real life Dvorak (“Dovo” in the series) LOVED TRAINS. A lot. Brahms was a big fan of his. He also apparently liked steam ships and general advancements of the time and New York.

[casualclassical]

Throwback :D

[storyandasong-deactivated202108]

Ephira

Tamra Baca, cello

Jessica Cordner, harp

One secret I’ve been keeping is out! I hired musicians to play one of my pieces!

commissions | sheet music | soundcloud | questions?

[laurenwritesmusic]

SO I haven't posted anything original on this account in ages but that's because I've been up to my ears in working on this piece, Waves of Fear and Fortitude, which I completed composing this week for my university symphony orchestra.

This was an interesting piece to write, particularly because of the lack of horns (in my brief, I was told to write for a double wind orchestra, with two trumpets, two trombones and tuba — no horns), which was a definite challenge for me. Horns are one of my favourite instruments, and I found that I missed them a lot, but hopefully I'll be able to reorchrstrate this work for a more standardised ensemble.

The current premiere date is set for October 9, and I attended the first rehearsal this afternoon. Suffice to say, I was incredibly impressed with the way the orchestra took to the music, and I can't wait to hear it through for the first time.

[preciousnugget]

Classical Pieces You've Probably Heard but Might Not Remember the Name

William Tell Overture- Rossini (Most famous part at 8:45, but why not listen to the whole thing?) I’m adding hints, at least to the ones I recognized culturally. This one is “go, horsey, go!”

Also Sprach Zarathustra- Strauss Slow, dramatic entry scene, IN SPAAACE.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik- Mozart People running out of a fancy wedding or something. Also known as DUN, dun DUN, dun DUN dun DUN dun DUUUUN.

Symphony 94, Mvt. 2 “Surprise Symphony”- Haydn ?

Toccata and Fugue in d Minor-Bach Halloween organ!

Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2- Chopin Picture a tiny old woman playing piano in a sunlit room with lots of flower vases, about the spill the tragic secrets of her past to some timid young visitor.

Rondo alla Turca- Mozart the babysitter from The Incredibles: “Time for some COGNITIVE ENRICHMENT!”

Sinfonie de Fanfares: Rondeau- Jean-Joseph Mouret Royalty is coming. Or someone is getting married. Or royalty is getting married. Also the PBS Masterpieces theme.

The Four Seasons: Spring- Vivaldi (I just linked to the whole thing because it’s great) Again, someone is getting married, but this one is strings instead and a lot less frumpy.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring- Bach That one that amateur guitarists love where the notes are all up and down but all the same length. Also used in movie weddings.

O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)- Carl Orff SONG OF DOOM. Also song of “baby on fire!” in The Incredibles.

Funeral March- Chopin ?

Orpheus in the Underworld: Infernal Galop (A.K.A. Can Can)- Offenbach Well, “aka can-can” says it all.

Pomp and Circumstance (You probably graduated to this)- Elgar Oh yes, Baaaa dun dun dun duun duuuuun… Also if you were a bandie you had to play it for 3 years before graduating to it.

Gayane: Sabre Dance- Aram Khachaturian Comically hectic productivity, a circus clown juggling while standing on a ball, or perhaps a rapidly-approaching termite infestation. Could go any way, really.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Wedding March- Mendelssohn The song movies play right AFTER they both say “I do.”

Carmen: Les Toreadors- Bizet I can’t be the only one who remembers when ‘Hey Arnold’ did this. “Bullfights and swordfights, rolling in manuuure!”

The Ride of the Valkyries- Wagner Good song for a naval battle I guess? I can only think of the mini golf course I went to as a kid with the creepy castle on Hole 18 that played this.

Für Elise- Beethoven That one every amateur piano player loves to play because the beginning is just E and E-flat over and over. Also ballet and piano recital scenes in movies.

Dance of the Hours- Ponchielli Hello mudda, hello fadda, here I am at, Camp Granada…

Rigotello: La Donna e Mobile- Verdi More than a few sophisticated movie villains (or snobby good guys) have this playing on a Victrola. Also, tell me you don’t picture Pavaroti no matter who’s actually singing.

Night on Bald Mountain- Mussorgsky ?

Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme- Tchaikovsky More movie-love, usually building up to admitting they live each other.

Entry of the Gladiators- Julius Fucik I have one word for you: CIRCUS.

Lakmé: Flower Duet- Delibes OMG ALIAS. Nadia’s spy  backstory in Film Noir!

Peer Gynt: In the Hall of the Mountain King- Greig Mischievous Tiptoeing in Movies song. Also something growing out of control, slowly at first and then quickly, and (comically) exploding.

Rodeo: Hoedown- Copland The title says it all tbh.

Peer Gynt: Morning Mood- Greig Sunrise/waking up Movie Song du jour.

New World Symphony Mov. [2][4]- Dvorak Well now I’m thinking of “An American Tail” and I’m crying…

Ave Maria (You knew this, but did you know that it was by Schubert?) Nothing to add. I’m not a music snob, really, but if you didn’t know this, YOU SHOULD.

Canon in D- Pachelbel This is the one that the pretty Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas song comes from. :-)

Add others if you want! Have fun!

[jsbachtopus]

Dies Irae (from Requiem) - Verdi Scary scenes in cartoons, especially involving storms, holes, or treacherous waterfalls.

Flight of the Bumblebee - Rimsky-Korsakov Oh come on, everyone knows this one! It sounds too much like the title for you to forget what it’s called! Also: Drumline.

Finale to the 1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky Naval battle! Cannon! Fireworks! 4th of July in ‘Murica! Even though it’s about that *other* war going on in 1812!

Der Holle Rache kocht in meiner herzen (aka the Queen of the Night aria) - Mozart The one that fancy ladies in movies use to try and break champagne glasses.

Libiamo ne’ lieti calici - Verdi ?

Largo al factotum - Rossini Does your cartoon need a classical tune for your rotund Italian chef to sing while tossing pizza dough? Have we got a song for you!

Overture to The Barber of Seville - Rossini Fast-paced, sneaky-things-are-afoot movie song.

The Blue Danube Waltz - Strauss Da-da-da dum dum. *plink plink* *plink plink*. As heard in Jack’s entry to First Class in “Titanic,” and a million other places. (Veggie Tales “Stuff Mart,” anyone?)

Moonlight Sonata (mvmt. 1) - Beethoven The ultimate pretty-and-sad piano and/or ballet scene song.

Symphony No. 5 - Beethoven dun dun dun DUUUUUN.

I’m sure there are more but these were some of the first that came to mind as missing!

[teunvolkarin]

I think this one’s missing, one of my favourites:

Danse Macabre - Camille Saint-Saëns

[maythecorpsbewithyou]

This is one of the best classical music master-posts I’ve ever seen. I’m so proud of yall

[pallascatisnotimpressed-blog]

Pavane for a Dead Princess- Maurice Ravel. Apparently it’s in Dark Knight Rises? I just think it’s pretty.

And

Tales from the Vienna Woods- Johann Strauss II. Contains the melody playing on Rose’s music box in Titanic just before Cal gives her the Heart of the Ocean.

[pippenpaddlopsicopolisthethird]

Adding one more I hear a lot!

Bolero - Maurice Ravel. It‘s got the slow-build from serene to intense like Hall of the Mountain King but without the spooky vibes. Off the top of my head it was used in Doctor Who as well as in the original Digimon Adventure series.

[storyandasong-deactivated202108]

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The viola has a very special place in my heart. So does this piece. It’s my longest and my most unabashedly romantic. Unfortunately, because I submitted it to a call for scores, I worked too hard near the end and burned out, leaving myself unable to enjoy it for what it was until a few weeks had passed. Here it is at last. Please pray, cross your fingers, or use your good luck ritual of choice in hopes that musicians will choose to play it, and please tell me how the music makes you feel!

If you’re interested in the sheet music, use this link. I won’t post it in screenshots like I usually do because it’s 14 pages long, so here’s one of the more visually compelling passages:

My signature is hidden somewhere in the music, though not necessarily the measures pictured. What do you think it is?

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