# Classical music that rocks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835 "2002-11-26T04:34:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/1 "2002-11-26T04:34:12Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=144553&highlight=music+rocks). For those of you more knowledgeable about the classical genre, I’m looking for those selections that just have to be listened to with the volume turned all the way to 11. Thanks in advance, I know you guys will educate my little redneck self. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/2 "2002-11-26T04:46:16Z")
Well, I wouldnt consider myself “more” knowledgeable about classical, but i have seriously wanted to mosh to **Carmina Burana** ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/3 "2002-11-26T04:55:42Z")
“o’ Fortuna” by Carl Orf. You will recognize it when you hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/4 "2002-11-26T04:56:13Z")
And these are not quite (mosh)-pit worthy, but when I think of classical music that rocks and should be listened to at high volume, I think of most of the tracks on the soundtrack to Conan the Barbarian (best soundtrack ever, IMO) and several tracks from FOTR (especially the Balrog fight scene) Come to think of it, **Conan** is partially based off of Carmina Burana, and FOTR certainly sees the influenced of both of them. Oddly enough, even though all are 20th century/early 21st, and thus could be accused of being more “modern” than what people are looking for in “classical”, they purposely look back to the medieval or even earlier period for their musical inspiration.\* Thats what I like about them. (As a general aside, IMO baroque, renaissance, and “early” music “rock” more than classical/romantic, although i wouldnt play them any louder than i would the later periods.) \*okay, maybe FOTR doesnt do this purposely, but it is difficult to imagine writing a medieval-ish fantasy score without paying indirect homage to the other two compositions. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/5 "2002-11-26T04:58:03Z")
oops, sorry, **Muab** i used the wrong title(but seriously your honor i didnt think anyone would call me on it! heheheheh) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/6 "2002-11-26T05:04:13Z")
**Beethoven’s 9th** , the one performed in _Immortal Beloved_. Great movie, great song. Other renditions I’ve heard just can’t stand up to that one (does anyone know who did it?) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/7 "2002-11-26T05:06:09Z")
**Wagner’s** _Ride of the Valkyries_. Preferably, in a helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/8 "2002-11-26T05:35:55Z")
_Romeo and Juliet_ by Prokofiev. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/9 "2002-11-26T05:38:56Z")
Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/10 "2002-11-26T05:57:20Z")
**Mars, Bringer of War** from “The Planets” by Gustav Holst. **1812 Overture** by Tchaikovsky **Organ Symphony, last mvmt** by Saint-Saens (symphony #3) **Night On Bare Mountain** by Mussorgsky **The Great Gate of Kiev** from “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Moussorgsky **Bolero** by Ravel ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/11 "2002-11-26T06:10:22Z")
Also Sprach Zarathustra (theme from 2001:a Space Odyssey) ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/12 "2002-11-26T06:21:05Z")
The prologue to Boito’s, “Mefestofele”. This one is rarely mentioned, but it’s quite grand. Let’s see, Throne Room of Heaven is the setting? Yeah, it qualifies. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/13 "2002-11-26T06:41:44Z")
Oh, I can’t believe I forgot **In the Hall of the Mountain King** by Edvard Grieg. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Dirx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@Sir\_Dirx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Dirx)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/14 "2002-11-26T06:44:20Z")
I notice a lot of these are on the Classical Thunder albums. Seriously, grab yourself a copy. The first one is a must; the second is great too, though it seems I’m in a slight minority there. But yeah, Classical Thunder is definitely worth it if you’re looking for that kind of music. ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/15 "2002-11-26T07:10:48Z")
You guys are amazing. Thanks for all the input. I have a lot of new CD’s on my shopping list. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/16 "2002-11-26T07:16:59Z")
Sorry, don’t have the opus and number handy, but some piano pieces: The 3rd movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. Chopin’s “Revolutionary” Etude in C Minor. Prokofiev’s “Tocatta” Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #2” (Tom and Jerry got me turned on to Liszt.) ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/17 "2002-11-26T07:44:46Z")
The overture to “The Flying Dutchman”. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/18 "2002-11-26T08:02:19Z")
Respighi - Pines of Rome Strauss - Ein Heldenleben Stravinsky - Rite of Spring Hindemith - Mathis Der Mahler Tchaikovsky - 4th Symphony Mozart - Requiem ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/19 "2002-11-26T09:04:35Z")
_The Firebird Suite_ by Stravinksy _Symphony No. 1, The Titan_ by Mahler _Requiem_ by Verdi and the biggest baddest classical butt-kicking of them all… _Symphony No. 2, The Resurrection_ by Mahler ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835/20 "2002-11-26T09:15:15Z")
_Mars, Bringer of War_ from Holst’s _The Planets_ has been ripped off of in movie scores almost as often as _O Fortuna_. One noteable example is the opening battle in _Gladiator_. Me, I crank Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto (as played by big R himself) but I’m a sucker for emotional pieces like that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-music-that-rocks/138835.md?page=2)