# BEEF! It's what's for dinner. What's the music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334 "2004-02-21T05:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/1 "2004-02-21T05:17:15Z")
I’m wondering, what is the orchestral piece that plays during commercials for beef? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/2 "2004-02-21T05:20:23Z")
[_Rodeo_](http://www.teevee.org/archive/stationbreak/2001/07/04/) by Aaron Copland. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/3 "2004-02-21T06:07:02Z")
Specifically, the Hoe Down from Rodeo. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/4 "2004-02-21T07:04:07Z")
And it is pronounced like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills not like the cowboy sport. Row day o ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/5 "2004-02-21T14:18:11Z")
Even more specifically, Hoe-Down is the fourth movement of _Rodeo_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/6 "2004-02-21T14:37:44Z")
And it was composed on a Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/7 "2004-02-21T14:43:03Z")
Interestingly enough, Mr. Copland had had beef for lunch before settling down to work that Tuesday afternoon. Coincidence? You be the judge. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/8 "2004-02-21T15:33:25Z")
Another interesting fact…Aaron Copeland is Stuart Copeland’s (of The Police) father. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/9 "2004-02-21T16:30:08Z")
> [@Gail](#): > > Another interesting fact…Aaron Copeland is Stuart Copeland’s (of The Police) father. Only if, by “fact”, you mean something that’s not true (though Stewart’s father was pretty cool in his own way). ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/10 "2004-02-21T17:08:11Z")
Wait wait wait. I remember hearing somewhere, specifically, that the instrumental music in the beef commercials was _Napoleon’s (Bonaparte) Retreat_. Unless the background music has changed since then? If I was hoodwinked, then is there any connection between _Rodeo_ and _Retreat_? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/11 "2004-02-21T19:18:11Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Even more specifically, Hoe-Down is the fourth movement of _Rodeo_. More specifically still, it’s part of the complete ballet score, and it’s the last of the _Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo_ ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/12 "2004-02-21T21:55:05Z")
And kindly note the correct spelling: Aaron Copland. **NOT** “Copeland.” ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/13 "2004-02-21T22:20:46Z")
> [@Chicago Faucet](#): > > Wait wait wait. I remember hearing somewhere, specifically, that the instrumental music in the beef commercials was _Napoleon’s (Bonaparte) Retreat_. Unless the background music has changed since then? > > If I was hoodwinked, then is there any connection between _Rodeo_ and _Retreat_? I know a few years ago, they used the overture from Bizet’s _Carmen_ in a beef commercial. When I saw this thread title, that’s what came to mind. I obviously haven’t been paying attention to recent beef commercials. In any case, however, it seems like they’ve used different instrumental pieces over the years. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/14 "2004-02-22T03:12:59Z")
Fun fact: BEEF his hexadecimal for 48879. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/15 "2004-02-22T03:14:08Z")
Fun fact: BEEF is hexadecimal for 48879. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/16 "2004-02-22T03:16:03Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Mr. Copland had had beef for lunch _Kosher_ beef. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/17 "2004-02-22T05:04:18Z")
> [@](#): > > If I was hoodwinked, then is there any connection between Rodeo and Retreat? Yep. According to [this site](http://www.janusmuseum.org/): > [@](#): > > W.H. Stepp played “Bonaparte’s Retreat” for Alan and Elizabeth Lomax in Salyersville, Kentucky, in October 1937. Ruth Seeger transcribed the performance, and it was included in the Lomax’s “Our Singing Century”, where Copland found it while looking for traditional material for his ballet “Rodeo” in 1942. Copland orchestrated it almost note-for-note for the Hoe-Down section of the ballet. Not unlike the way Copland “borrowed” the Shaker tune Simple Gifts for _Appalachian Spring_. Furthermore, I believe it was his sister Esther’s pastrami sandwich he had for lunch that day. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/18 "2004-02-22T17:49:50Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Only if, by “fact”, you mean something that’s not true (though Stewart’s father was pretty cool in his own way). It doubly unlikely Stewart was Aaron’s son, since Aaron Copland was gay – and quite happy with the fact. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/19 "2004-02-22T18:30:36Z")
He might have come out of the closet later in life, but when he was young, he got married to have a “beard”. His widow? Clara Peller. ---
**Author:** ![CairaJade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@CairaJade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairaJade)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334/20 "2004-02-25T05:35:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by _Skopo_ > I know a few years ago, they used the overture from Bizet’s Carmen in a beef commercial. When I saw this thread title, that’s what came to mind. > > I obviously haven’t been paying attention to recent beef commercials. In any case, however, it seems like they’ve used different instrumental pieces over the years. They’ve been using Hoe Down for well over a decade. Sweet Jesus I hope never have to play this piece again. Over the years, I’ve played the first violin, second violin, and viola parts, all in different orchestras. The first time I played it was probably 1992 or 1993 (high school orchestra), and it was known as “the beef song” then too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-its-whats-for-dinner-whats-the-music/230334.md?page=2)