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What is the last famous classical music not for a film?
When was orchestral music for it's own sake eclipsed by film scores? I know people still compose classical music for concert halls, but nothing with widespread popularity. Basically, what's the last piece of classical music most people know when they hear it? (I think I know, but I want to hear what you think.)
@Malcolm D - My guess was Rhapsody in Blue (1924), but I think O Fortuna (1936) is now the one to beat.
@13Across - Fanfare For The Common Man (1942) is very familiar. Thank you for that addition. I don't know about the Britten, though. I didn't recognize it when I played the video, it was written for a film (although I take your point), and most of all, the theme is Purcell's from 1695.
@Mordent - Gorecki's Symphony no. 3 (1977) is unknown to me. The wikipedia article seems to cast doubt on its popularity - suggesting its album sales are a fluke. I would be interested to hear what others think before I choose a best answer.
3 Answers
- 13AcrossLv 79 years agoFavorite Answer
Any advance on 1942? I think a serious contender for the title must be Aaron Copland - Fanfare For The Common Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr6CnG5dmvM
It was notoriously arranged by Emerson Lake & Palmer in 1977.
How about 1946? Britten - Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, aka Variations & Fugue On A Theme Of Purcell. Although originally written for a film, it isn't film music. I think it's as least as well known as Peter And The Wolf, though I doubt that either is really well known among the general public. The entry of the heavy brass to restate the theme towards the end of the fugue is one of the greatest tingle moments in the history of music.
- MordentLv 79 years ago
Gorecki's Symphony no. 3 (sorrowful songs - 1977) reached number 6 on the UK album charts in 1993, making him one of the only classical musicians to enter the mainstream charts - even for film music.
- Malcolm DLv 79 years ago
Probably Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" which has been used in several films including Platoon, The Elephant Man, Lorenzo's Oil and most recently "Amelie." It dates from 1936.
Coincidentally, Carl Orff's O Fortuna dates from around the same time... it has also been used extensively in other media.
Another possibility is Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" - yet another composition from 1936.
