I am doing a presentation about World War II and I’d like to have some background musics. Could anyone suggest me some songs that I could use. It doesn’t need to be stricly war theme, as long as it sounds “right”, then it works
Thanks in advance
Richard Rodgers’ Victory at Sea is wonderful WWII music.
Mars from Gustav Holst’s The Planets.
Lizst’s Les Preludes has that authentic sweeping-past-Polish-monastries-at-the-head-of-an-armoured-column feel: I’ve actually heard it soundtracking German WW2 newsreels {as well as the original Flash Gordon movie serials}.
I don’t know if you’re only looking for “military” type music, but there’s also the pop music of the time.
Over There
Lili Marlene
Music & lyrics in German and English here : http://www.openface.ca/~dstephen/marlene.htm
We’ll Meet Again Music and lyrics: http://www.openface.ca/~dstephen/wemeet.htm
Till We Meet Again http://www.openface.ca/~dstephen/tillmeet.htm
Two pieces directly relating to the war, which may be useful to counteract the militaristic music: Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time (written while he was in a PoW camp - try the last movement), and Gorecki’s third symphony (settings of holocaust-related texts, and not-uncommon fare for documentary soundtracks). Come to think of it, his second symphony has some fairly suitable sections, too - and is also a neglected masterpiece, IMO. For general ‘marching’ type sounds, without the obviousness of Holst, I’d suggest the opening of Mahler’s second symphony.
Rodger’s Victory at Sea was the first thing that came to my mind, too.
If it doesn’t have to be from the period, you’d have a hard time missing by including Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from Patton.
If you’re looking for stricktly “backgroundy” stuff, then stick with instrumental music. But if you want the occasional song or piece of vocal music, you might try:
Charles Ives’ song, “He is there!”
Excerpts from Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem (some of it based on poems of a WWI soldier)
Good suggestion - his earlier Sinfonia da Requiem could also be appropriate, and has the advantage of being instrumental.
Wow, you guys are very helpful. I am glad I paid the subcription 
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And yes, I want instrumental songs since it will work as background music. Something slow but still reflects the emotion.
You should consider Beethoven’s 5th (D-day music), Dambusters theme, 633 squadron theme, and William Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue. For vocals, anything with Dame Vera Lynn, especially “We’ll meet again.”
Oh, how could we all forget! Shostakovich’s seventh symphony, (partly) written in beseiged Leningrad, and which became a tool of Allied propaganda.
You beat me to it.
For scenes of thousands of dead on the battlefield or Jews being oppressed, you can’t go wrong with Barber’s Adagio for Strings. A little overused, but that’s because it goes so well with so many things. (It was even used in Seinfeld when Frank was having war flashbacks).
The “Tempo Giusto” from the first movement from Nielsen’s 5th Symphony.
Since I was originally taught that Barber’s Adagio is a reflection on the change from Summer to Fall in upstate New York, when and where it was composed, I never really liked it used to score the Vietnam War. (BTW - the Adagio was also played at Princess Grace’s funeral, the first of two times that Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess was overlooked. But at leat the Adagio beats "Candle in the Wind.)
For “pity of war” music, Shostakovich’s Babi Yar is effective, as is Katchaturian’s Invention, for scenes of the Russian Front. for Western Europe, I’d suggest Ralph Vaugh Williams, who, unlike Gustav Holst, actually experienced war firsthand*.
Frank Capra used Stravinky’s Firebird to score his “Why We Fight” propaganda films. And both Eisenstein and Woody Allen have used Prokofiev’s Charge of the Teutonic Knights.
*What do actuall combat veteran’s recommend as background music? There’s probably a wealth of suggestions from them for this. The only one I can recall offhand is from an Israeli soldier from the Yom Kippur War, who recalled having the Stone’s Gimme Shelter as an earworm as he was under fire.
Well, I wouldn’t say Eisenstein used this piece–it was actually written specifically for Alexander Nevsky (aka the greatest film music ever written).
While undeniably wonderful, the Adagio does unfortunately convey something of ‘Americanism’. Not in a negative way, and it’s nothing inherent to the music, but it’s through association through it having become the American default choice for ‘mournful music’. The OP doesn’t give his location, but it’s possibly something to be aware of.
Let’s not forget Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries - remember Apocalypse Now?
I’m pretty sure that using that for a WW2 soundtrack counts as a variant of Godwin’s Law. Or it should do.
Every track on this album would work quite well (I know it’s on sale in the States, too, but couldn’t find it easily on Amazon).