# Music from Amelie

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 30, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307 "2008-10-30T19:49:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/1 "2008-10-30T19:49:26Z")

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I was recently rewatching the film Amelie, and was struck by a very familiar piece of sombre music. It plays while she is watching her “funeral” on TV. I found a clip of it on YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_SqU-Qs3P-Y&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SqU-Qs3P-Y&feature=related) - it starts at about 7:36. Can anyone identify this? I’m sure it’s a common piece, as it is so familiar to me.

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**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/2 "2008-10-30T19:54:04Z")

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I’m not sure of the title, but Yann Tiersen did the music for the movie. The soundtrack is available for purchase.

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**Author:** ![Mike\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mike\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Fun)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/3 "2008-10-30T20:03:53Z")

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It’s Samuel Barber’s “[Adagio for Strings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber%27s_Adagio)”

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**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/4 "2008-10-30T20:07:02Z")

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> [@Mike\_Fun](#):
>
> It’s Samuel Barber’s “[Adagio for Strings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber%27s_Adagio)”

Grrrr. Just a fraction too late! :mad: 😉

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**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/5 "2008-10-30T20:07:17Z")

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And now that I’ve done a little looking, the song appears to be Adagio for Strings composed by Samuel Barber, and doesn’t appear on the soundtrack. Here’s link to the BBC orchestra playing it [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g)  
And next time I’ll preview. . .

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**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/6 "2008-10-30T20:53:06Z")

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Thanks guys! I didn’t think it was composed specifically for the film, it seemed too familiar to me.

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**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-from-amelie/470307/7 "2008-10-30T21:25:49Z")

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> [@Ultraviolet](#):
>
> Thanks guys! I didn’t think it was composed specifically for the film, it seemed too familiar to me.

It may be best known for its prominent use in Oliver Stone’s **Platoon**.