Expert: David Froom - 12/30/2009

Question
This piece is sometimes heard in trailers, shows, etc. It is intensely dramatic. It is the only piece that stands on the same ultra-dramatic level of O Fortuna. It doesn't have any choir, it's not Ride of the Valkyries or the Wagner's Valkyrie opening or Tchaikovsky's 1812 or Grieg's Mountain King or John Williams stuff... I listened to these top 100 classical pieces here: http://www.youtube.com/user/kickassclassical and it's none of those. Please help! Think ultra-dramatic, this piece penetrates fortresses, breaks ships in half, stirs earthquakes and volcanoes! Think O Fortuna! Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hi,
You've only given me 100 examples of what it isn't!  Classical music is vast.

I'll take one shot at it, though.  The only thing I can think of is two bits from Stravinsky, and I've heard both of them in movies:

The "Dance of the Adolescents" from "Rite of Spring" and the "Infernal Dance" from "Firebird."

Here is the "Infernal Dance":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzDo-BX74uU

Here is the bit from "Rite":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uMfXh4OOx8
(for this one, start at about 3:35)

Good luck.  If you don't know these, you'll like them anyway, if you're looking for well-known bits of classical extreme drama.

David Froom