MovieChat Forums > Art School Confidential (2006) Discussion > which is the classical piano piece at th...

which is the classical piano piece at the end ???

posted 19 years ago by saransh16
16 replies | jump to latest

hi all
though i haven't seen the movie, my friend whoz seen it n into classical stuff wants to know the follow:

There was a classical piano piece, played for a period of time, partuculary at the end of the film. The composition seemed like moztart with the melancholly of a sad Shubert procession combined with the lyrical touch of Beethoven pounding out lounging. Unlikely to be a Brahms.
What Piece, composer and pianist wz it

will be grateful if i get the answer
thanx

[–] saransh16 19 years ago

plz could someone hint on which piece was that

thanx

[–] Otto-Phocus 18 years ago

funny thing...when I saw it in the theater, the end credit music was the theme from "Facts of Life"...or was I high?

[–] Frel 18 years ago

Nobody is probably gonna read this, but I'll be happy to give the answer anyway. The theme used several times in the movie to dramatically underline the romantic scenes is the first minute of the second movement of the fifth piano concerto of Ludwig van Beethoven. There you go.

It is indeed a beautiful theme. The music by Brahms is one of his all too well-known Hungarian Dances, and it plays under the compilation of scenes in which art students all try to make their masterpieces. Unlike Brahms, the Beethoven-theme isn't mentioned in the end credits. I don't understand why not.

[–] Sunny_D 18 years ago

"Nobody is probably gonna read this but..."

Thanks for your reply Frel, I came to the message boards specifically looking for that piece of info. Great movie BTW.

[–] fmlt 18 years ago

me too... :)

[–] joe-1883 18 years ago

Have several recordings of the Beethoven on CD but still couldn't quite place it...thanks Frel!

[–] obscure_note 18 years ago

Oh it is listed. Trust me, I got the DVD.

[–] ninetymin 18 years ago

What is interesting about that piece (2nd movement of Beethoven's 5th piano concerto) is that it is "copied" as the underlying melody in West Side Story's "There's a Place for Us."

I think Leonard Bernstein copied it because he was such a huge fan of Beethoven. Leonard wrote the score for West Side Story.

It was also interesting like the above post said , it was not mentioned in the credits, yet was played throughout the entire film.

[–] jnkiii 17 years ago

i also was specifically looking for this as I saw this movie and Blades of Glory for the first time tonight which uses it in its opening.

[–] user1684 17 years ago

Thanks for the valuable info.

Wasn't the 5th Piano Concerto 2nd movement also used in "Immortal Beloved" the 1994 movie with Gary Oldman about Beethoven?

[–] Zardock 17 years ago

Throughout the entire film, they (the moviemakers) only play the first few seconds of the movement, before the piano section begins. I thought that was odd. At the end, they include a part of the piano section but then splice it up so it sounds more "up beat" or something. The performance itself is horrible, it sounds like a bad computer program played it. Few seconds of that then jump to something more modern. Who is the target audience that they are so carefully trying to protect from Beethoven's masterpiece? Ironically, I think it is the urban arty bohemians that they are after...
I was really amazed by the fact that the piece is not even credited in the listing. Was this an intentional omission or an accident (just like this movie was)...

[–] lskellerman 18 years ago

Why didn't they credit Beethoven???
Funny that while I've always loved the 2nd movement of Concerto #5, I've never much cared for "There's a Place for Us". In fact it wasn't until reading your post that I realized the melody had been borrowed. ( Now it seems obvious.)

[–] rassendyll52 17 years ago

It is indeed the second movement of Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto, subtitled "Emperor". The interesting thing, to me, is that in all the scenes save the final one, the music fades just before the piano entrance. I know the piece well, and it kept frustrating me waiting for the piano to enter. I suppose there's a parallel with the development of his relationsip.

[–] Playball100-1 17 years ago

I think it was 'The Facts of Life' theme song.But what do I know I was an Art major.

[–] punkl34 17 years ago

Ya and whats the name of the classical song in the trailer? Its towards the middle and goes till the end

[–] ninetymin 17 years ago

punkl34...that's the "Toreador's Song" from the opera "Carmen." The composer is George Bizet.