We all know how riveting a great movie score or soundtrack can be in itself--a crucial element to our overall experience of a film, or the magical moment when a certain piece of classical music creates the emotional climax of a movie. (Just think how how opera is at the emotional core of a film like Philadelphia, when Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington listen together to the immortal Maria Callas singing Giordano's Andrea Chenier or, in a much lighter vein, in Pretty Woman, where Julia Roberts' character is dazzled by a night out to hear Verdi's La Traviata.)
But when musicians and the art they create are at the very center of a movie, the effect is only heightened. Here are some of our favorite movies about music and musicians, and some of the central pieces put in these films to such great use.
Amadeus
Mozart: Serenade No. 10 for winds in B-flat Major, K. 361 "Gran Partita"
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Mozart: Requiem, K. 626
Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183 (K. 173dB)
Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201 (K. 186a)
Autumn Sonata:
Bach: Suite for solo cello No. 4, BWV 1010
Chopin: Preludes for piano, Op. 28
Handel: Recorder Sonata in F Major, Op. 1, No. 11
Schumann: Fantasy Piece "Aufschwung" for piano, Op. 12/2
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
Brassed Off:
Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1
Grainger: Irish Tune from County Derry ("Londonderry Air")
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra
Rossini: Overture to William Tell
Un Coeur en Hiver:
Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor
Ravel: Sonata for violin and cello
Ravel: Sonata for violin and piano No. 2 in G Major
Diva:
Catalani: "Ebben?" from La Wally
Fantasia:
Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, "Pastoral"
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain
Ponchielli: "Dance of the Hours" from La gioconda
Schubert: Ave Maria
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Tchaikovsky: "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker
Farinelli:
Handel: "Lascia ch'io piango" from Rinaldo
Five Easy Pieces:
Chopin: Prelude for piano No. 4 in E minor, Op. 28/4
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Food of Love:
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major, Op. 87
Chopin: Scherzo for piano No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31
Chopin: Barcarolle for piano in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Chopin: Prelude for piano No. 16 in B-flat minor, Op. 28/16
Hilary and Jackie:
Bach: Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007
Bach: Suite for solo cello No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
Bach: Suite for solo cello No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012
Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, "Archduke"
Brahms: Sonata for cello and piano No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99
Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
Franck: Sonata for violin and piano in A Major, M. 8 (arranged for cello)
Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, H. 7b/1
Schumann: Fantasy Piece No. 1 for clarinet (or cello or violin)
Immortal Beloved:
Beethoven: Bagatelle for piano in A minor, "Fur Elise"
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, "Pathetique"
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, "Moonlight"
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, "Pastoral"
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral"
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
Kolya:
Dvorák: Serenade for string orchestra in E Major, Op. 22
Dvorák: Slavonic Dance No. 15
Dvorák: String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 "American"
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"
Mendelssohn: Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Smetana: Ma Vlast
Tchaikovsky: Nocturne for cello and small orchestra (or piano) in D minor, op. 19/4
Madame Souzatska:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, Op. 54
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
The Magic Bow:
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 6 MS 21
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor "La campanella"
Mr. Holland's Opus:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
My Geisha:
Puccini: "Un bel di" from Madama Butterfly
A Night at the Opera:
Verdi: Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore
Shine:
Chopin: Polonaise for piano No. 6 in A-flat Major "Heroique"
Chopin: Prelude Op. 28, No. 15 "Raindrop"
Liszt: Un sospiro for piano in D-flat Major
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
Rachmaninov: Prelude in C-sharp minor, "The Bells of Moscow", Op. 3/2
Vivaldi: Gloria in D Major, RV 589
The Pianist:
Chopin: Nocturne for piano No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72/1
Chopin: Ballade for piano No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38
Chopin: Waltz for piano No. 3 in A minor, op. 34/2
Browse more editorial features here
by Anastasia Tsioulcas
Featured Albums
