Thus Spake Classical Music

Alex Ross's The Rest is Noise reminded me of classical music's quintessential role in films and also about its presence in my life. When Ross referred to one of the "most famous opening flourish in music: the "mountain sunrise" from Thus Spake Zarathustra" I realized Richard Strauss's influence in film. Then, I realized that classical music has influenced me via totally unrelated movies. First I heard Zarathustra in Toy Story 2, one of my favorite movies as a child, then in Zoolander, and finally in 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

Music has the ability to set the tone for everything it accompanies, like it does in movies. Thus Spake Zarathustra "draws… cosmic power" (p. 7), says Ross. 2001 begins with a black screen and Zarathustra playing creating a sense of anticipation before an eclipsed sun is revealed and then the Earth is shone by the sun. Later, in the "Dawn of Man" scene this same tone poem evokes anticipation, then confusion and then a sense of achievement when an early hominid succeeds in killing another tribe's leader. To me 2001 is a film of cosmic proportions in every sense that, besides its acclaim in every possible area, exposed me to classical music.

Music also creates bonds between the different media. To me, both Toy Story 2 and Zoolander allude to the superb 2001: A Space Odyssey and when I see and hear this, I sympathize with these movies. They not only create feelings of expectation through sound, but also mock and reference the innovative work of Kubrick's film. Toy Story 2 does not mock Kubrick's film because it uses Zarathustra very briefly, but Zoolander totally mimicked the "Dawn of Man" scene I talked about earlier. To me, this allusion simply reminds everyone who watched Zoolander about 2001: A Space Odyssey and it makes me think (possibly I am wrong) that the makers of this movie praise it even more than I do. Besides Zarathustra, I can immediately say I also remember Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" in a handful of movies. Most notably, in Apocalypse Now, Watchmen and even The Hangover. Definitely classical music makes its way into pop culture. 

swath: a broad strip or area of something

vexatious: causing or tending to cause annoyance