A lot of people in our culture talk down about classical music, saying often that they just don't know any- but if you look around at all the movies, TV shows, trailers, and YouTube videos that you know, you can easily find a bunch that you've heard before. Check out a couple of the most famous ones around.
1. "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" from Georges Bizet's opera, "Carmen"
Also known as "Habanera", this song may be one of the most famous arias of all time. It's very popular in movies (you can see a list here of all of Bizet's features in movie soundtracks, and "Habanera" is surely a common pick) but this one from "Up" is definitely one of the best.
2. "Sous le dôme épais" from Léo Délibes's opera, "Lakmé"
Most people recognize this from commercials like this one from Lindt or this one from British Airways. In reality, the two singers are just talking about flowers- hence its other name, the "Flower Duet".
3. "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana
When you hear this one, you'll definitely recognize it immediately. Used in tons of movies, trailers, and more, a comprehensive list can be found here of places you may know it from. Examples include "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", "Shrek the Halls", and "How I Met Your Mother".
4. "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner, in the opera "Die Walkure"
Do you know that stereotype that operas are all hours and hours long? That was caused by this opera- or rather, the "series" it's part of, called "Der Ring des Nibelungen" or the Ring Cycle. It's a story based on Norse sagas which explains how majestic this piece in particular is. No wonder it gets used in similar sorts of contexts.
5. "Canon in D Major" by Johann Pachelbel
This piece for strings is commonly used at weddings, but is known by classical musicians as the piece that all cellists hate because of its repetition. From an outside perspective, though, it is definitely pretty!
6. "Spring" from Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"
Another piece known for its string parts! This whole piece is pretty well-known, but "Spring" is the section most easily recognizable.
7. "Overture" from Gioachino Rossini's opera, "Guillaume Tell" ("William Tell")
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This orchestral piece is not just used to open Rossini's opera, but also in this version, featured in the soundtrack to The Lone Ranger and tons of other things involving horses, from movie scenes to carnival games to toys.
8. "Morning Mood" from Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt"
You probably know this piece from morning scenes in movies and more. It's one of the pieces whose original topic is very much connected to the way it gets used most widely.
9. "Hallelujah Chorus" from George Frideric Handel's "Messiah"
Heard this one before? It gets taken out of context a lot, but the work as a whole is sung often around Christmas time because it is based off of religion.
Recognize any of these tunes? There are plenty of other recordings if you just quickly Google them. And if you're interested in getting into classical music, familiar pieces like these are a great place to start!
