Classical Music, Instrumental Music, Original Movie Score Music...

[The Chosen One]

Just wondering, if there are any of you there that enjoy listening to non-vocal music...? I think my love for instrumental pieces began when I was younger with wrestling entrance themes that didn't have any words to them. I would watch rasslin' on Monday Night, then throughout the school day hum the themes in class and on the bus. Then music from cartoons became stuck in my head.

As I got older, the more television (non-cartoon and non-wrestling) I began to watch, the more tv commercials with classical pieces in the background and TV's use some instrumental or classical piece. Then movies I watched had them.

So was just looking at my old phone (what I use as my current MP3 player), and was amazed at how many tracks I have from movies, classical composers, tv commercials. I've always been in love with how songs with no words, tell more of a story than ones that do. You can feel more emotion and intensity from the sound of the instruments than someone singing.

Just thought I'd share a few that you might know.

This was a piece some fan mixed all of the best epic LOTR's tracks from the first three flicks.


This is from the 2001 Ocean's Eleven movie, called "Tess" (named after Julia Roberts' character).


This is from 2012 The Dark Knight Rises, titled "Rise" by none other than Hans Zimmer who's done almost all the memorable scores from the last two decades worth of blockbuster movies it seems like.
3:30 to 7 is truly extraordinary.


I first heard this live at a piano concert at 9, fell in love with it instantly. Sucked that twilight ruined it for the masses and first timers.


Rostropovich playing the famed "Bach Cello Suite Prelude" in 1.5 speed. A cover I seem to be a bit more biased to than the speed everyone else plays and it's known for.


From Ocean's 12 (2004). A track I didn't care for much, but now I really really really enjoy it, especially listening to in my car at night on the road.


First heard this in the movie Se7en, when Morgan Freeman's character goes to the library after-hours with the security guards playing a game of poker and he doing his research (pre-internet age!)


Probably my favorite Gershwin piece, this is probably the closest thing to playing this piece perfect as I've heard. Many others have interpreted it to play faster but I think it his the metro jazz style just nicely.


And finally... this was from a GMC Commercial from a decade ago called "Ideas"... and I actually e-mailed GMC to get me in touch with the song producer. The producer then actually sent me a copy of an extended version of the background song without the advertisement words and car sound effects. lol

[The Chosen One]

Oh here's a trimmed version of Evey Reborn theme from V for Vendetta... that was used in the trailer for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar movie.

[jpx7]

To plentiful to list, so I'll start with: Overtures by Rossini.

[zitothebrave]

I don't always listen to classical music, but when I do, it's cause Paul Gilbert gives my guitar a boner

[Carp]

Anything by John Williams is gold

[TURBO]

I love this genre/ type of muisc. Weird I know. Love listening to some epic orchestra stuff.

[The Chosen One]

The score by Daft Punk for Tron Legacy is glorious. I have most of that soundtrack on my regular play lists.

[zitothebrave]

BTW to cover a left out instrumental part of the title

[Carp]

Allman Brothers - Jessica

[50PoundHead]

I'm pretty eclectic in my tastes. Grew up with a transistor radio pressed to my ear (the 1960s version of an mp3 player which was controlled by forces outside one's self), but I've expanded my tastes dramatically as I've aged. Pretty much enjoy all music. Especially enjoy classic era jazz (and no, I wasn't there personally to see Charlie Parker play, but did see Count Basie perform once) with an affinity for B-3 organ jazz by guys like Brother Jack McDuff, Charles Earland, and Richard "Groove" Holmes. I also enjoy classical music, but I'm not enough of an aficionado to tell the difference between one composer and another.

[AerchAngel]

I love all of Harry Nilsson work. He was an composing genius.

One of my high school colleagues who works in Hollywood said that Mr. Wilsson was one of the nicest people he associated with and taught him a few things about composing for movies/tv shows.

[mossy]

Great topic!

As a classically trained cellist, I have a few I was exposed to I might never have heard unless forced to rehearsal by my mother. I'll think of more then I can, but there are a few.

Greig's Piano Concerto. The first time we played this in rehearsal at symphony I knew I'd be buying the CD, which indeed I did purchase the next day. It's remained one of my favorite classical pieces to this day. So much beauty, so much emotion.


Pretty much ANYTHING by Chopin, but I do love this piece.


My mother used to play this piece by Scott Joplin alot when I was young, and it invokes some of my earliest memories of listening to my mother play the piano for hours. Hard not to hear this song and wish I was 5 again. Fast forward to 3:30 for the recognizable tune. Not really into ragtime, but this piece has always been one of my very favorites.


Every cellist eventually learns this one, played by Yo-Yo Mah. I can still play this one, but not like this guy. :)


There's a few more I can't think of the names of, but will post when I find them.

[rico43]

As an impressionable adolescent, seeing the climax of Excalibur (which will always be on my Top 10 list), I always equated this with King Arthur.
This stirs me as well as any AC/DC, Springsteen, Green Day, ... this is inspired, rock of ages. I know Ray Manzarek recorded at some point.

[rico43]

In the same inspirational vein, I give you Randy Newman's best work, so fitting for this site:

[rico43]

Had to do my Trifecta. This soundtrack is my favorite guilty pleasure. A rarity, a Disney, Joe Johnston, super hero movie that bombed. I love the damn thing, start to finish. The theme stirs me.

[rico43]

I love all of Harry Nilsson work. He was an composing genius.

One of my high school colleagues who works in Hollywood said that Mr. Wilsson was one of the nicest people he associated with and taught him a few things about composing for movies/tv shows.

One of the neat discoveries I made ferreting out standards for my dad to listen to is Nilsson's take on them: A Little Touch of Schmillson in the Night. Worth finding, but it ain't easy.

[zitothebrave]

[Hawk]

YYZ giving me PTSD 'Guitar Hero' flashbacks.

[Runnin]

A few years ago I bought a set of CDs called "Mozart for Mom's and Babies" for a family member who had a new baby and became a big fan of classical music as BGM. It really does change the entire mood in a house to have a little light music playing. I use it everyday. I'd like to have a sound system set up for the whole house and outdoors controlled in a central location.

[BedellBrave]

One of the neat discoveries I made ferreting out standards for my dad to listen to is Nilsson's take on them: A Little Touch of Schmillson in the Night. Worth finding, but it ain't easy.