# Pop culture associations with classical music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261 "2018-10-20T20:25:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/1 "2018-10-20T20:25:29Z")
I leave my TV tuned to WNED Classical when I go out so my cat doesn’t get lonely. When I got home from the store this afternoon, they were playing “March of the Toreadors” from _ **Carmen** _. I immediately thought “Oh, _ **Gilligan’s Island** _, cool!” The “William Tell Overture” automatically makes me think of the Lone Ranger, of course. When I hear “Ride of the Valkyries,” I start singing “Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit, hahahaha!” Aside from “_Also Sprach Zarathustra_” and _ **2001** _, can you think of any others? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/2 "2018-10-20T20:35:15Z")
Good Lord, there are tons of them. My wife, Pepper Mill, invariably links _The Blue Danube_ with the Bob Clampett Warner Brothers cartoon _Corny Concerto_ "Quack Quack Quack QuacxkQuack Quack Quack! [A Corny Concerto (1943) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYk7PEi5kuY) I, of course, think of _2001_. The Wiliam Tell overture is pretty long, with multiple parts. The “Morning” section of it was used in a LOT of Warner Brothers cartoons. as for the “Lone Ranger” part, I associate it with _A Clockwork Orange_. The various musical pieces associated with _\Fantasia_, _Fantasia 2000_, and _Corny Concerto_ are effectively ruined. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/3 "2018-10-20T20:36:22Z")
[The Estudiantina Waltz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6R5M52lqlw), by Emile Waldteufel, is for me indelibly associated with the commercials for [Rheingold Beer.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_51RANXHg0) Waldteufel’s [Skater’s Waltz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zirn3M3ewQc) is commonly used in any depiction of ice skating. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/4 "2018-10-20T20:38:16Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > When I hear “Ride of the Valkyries,” I start singing “Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit, hahahaha!” The first thing I think of is [_Apocalypse Now_.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlsfM2BmsJU) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/5 "2018-10-20T20:38:40Z")
I didn’t realize for many years that the theme used by Alfred Hitchcock was an actual, pre-existing piece of music, Gounod’s _Funeral March of a Marionette_ Aaron Copland’s _Rodeo_ now invariably makes me think “Beef – It’s what’s for Dinner.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/6 "2018-10-20T20:39:58Z")
Besides “Kill the Wabbit”, Wagner’s _Ride of the Valkyries_ brings up associations with _Apocalypse Now_, and, mostly through that, scenes from _Watchmen_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/7 "2018-10-20T20:43:06Z")
Ravel’s _Bolero_ used to make people think of Bo Derek and _10_, but I think that’s fading now. For a bunch of animation freaks, it make them think of _Allegro non Troppo_. > **[Bolero Allegro non troppo - Yahoo Video Search Results](https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A2KIbMo8k8tbyRMAC.pXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Bolero%2BAllegro%2Bnon%2Btroppo&fr=yfp-t#id=12&vid=27b8122a22099237a0dea304dd1b53e6&action=view)** > > The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/8 "2018-10-20T20:43:42Z")
Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1” makes me think of (a) Terry Jones’ escape artist and (b) “You’re in Love, Charlie Brown.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/9 "2018-10-20T20:46:57Z")
Khachaturian’s _Sabre Dance_ always makes me think of a guy rushing to keep multiple plates spinning on the ends of long sticks ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/10 "2018-10-20T20:48:19Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Good Lord, there are tons of them. > > My wife, Pepper Mill, invariably links _The Blue Danube_ with the Bob Clampett Warner Brothers cartoon _Corny Concerto_ "Quack Quack Quack QuacxkQuack Quack Quack! > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYk7PEi5kuY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYk7PEi5kuY) > > I, of course, think of _2001_. My earliest association is with an old Friskies Buffet cat food commercial. I cannot unhear it to this day. Maybe not a coincidence it’s the brand I feed my cats. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsVPVTq5OME) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/11 "2018-10-20T20:51:49Z")
Borodin’s _ **Prince Igor** _ makes me think of the “Music Masterpieces” commercial with John Williams (the actor) and the “Polo_vet_sian Dance No. 2.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/guSc6hKC9LE/hqdefault.jpg ""Polevetsian Dance No. 2 by Borodin" 120 Music Masterpieces Recordings") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSc6hKC9LE) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/12 "2018-10-20T20:55:57Z")
One of the most frequently heard classical pieces must be the [Bridal Chorus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J7Jhx93s9w) from Wagner’s _Lohengrin_, aka “Here Comes the Bride.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/13 "2018-10-20T20:59:41Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The Wiliam Tell overture is pretty long, with multiple parts. The “Morning” section of it was used in a LOT of Warner Brothers cartoons. So was part of Franz von Suppe’s (I love that name!) “Light Cavalry March”: Starts here around the 2:08 mark. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/14 "2018-10-20T21:06:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > One of the most frequently heard classical pieces must be the [Bridal Chorus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J7Jhx93s9w) from Wagner’s _Lohengrin_, aka “Here Comes the Bride.” The other “Wedding March” is from Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” I can never hear Wagner's "Meistersinger of Nuremburg" without thinking of the opening scenes of Riefenstahl's \*\*\*Triumph of the Will\*\*\*. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyypHlrZsgg) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/15 "2018-10-20T21:11:49Z")
[quote=“terentii, post:14, topic:823261”] The other “Wedding March” is from Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” I can never hear Wagner's "Meistersinger of Nuremburg" without thinking of the opening scenes of Riefenstahl's \*\*\*Triumph of the Will\*\*\*. [/QUOTE] Curiously enough, it’s the only music (except for the opening credits) in the 1931 _Dracula_ The opening music was _Swan Lake_, which someone at Universal decided was the epitome of “creepy” music. So they used it for the opening credits for _The Mummy_, as well. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/16 "2018-10-20T21:15:48Z")
WBs’ “Mynah Bird Song” is from Mendelssohn’s _ **The Hebrides** _. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAXyj1dy-PE) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/17 "2018-10-20T21:17:58Z")
Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody #2 makes me think of [McDonald’s breakfast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uxt5TxD9U). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/18 "2018-10-20T21:23:03Z")
Here is Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” The Terry Jones part is at the beginning, and the Charlie Brown part starts around the 21:30 mark: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAXyj1dy-PE) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/19 "2018-10-20T21:30:38Z")
More Wagner. If you want background music for a storm at sea, you’ll use the [Overture from _The Flying Dutchman._](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiIDNlEP9KE) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261/20 "2018-10-20T21:37:27Z")
Part of Khachaturian’s “Adagio from _ **Spartacus** _” served as the theme for the British TV series _ **The Onedin Line** _. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FFeTP10DnEM/hqdefault.jpg "The Onedin Line (Alternative Orchestra version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFeTP10DnEM) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-associations-with-classical-music/823261.md?page=2)