This undoubtedly was to due the music accompanying it. The music accompanying this particular scene, the death of a prominent character, is Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. This is considered by many to be the saddest song of all time. In 2004, the BBC’s Today program voted it the “saddest classical” work ever, ahead of “Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas” (1) , a song listened to many times in this class’s lectures. Through more research it is was found that this song was also played during the T.V. announcement of both JFK and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s deaths as well as performed at Last Night of the Proms in 2001 in memory of the victims of 9/11 (2). In each of these well-known events and movies, this piece of music was able to provoke a very strong and emotional response to those who listened. The combination of tempo, meter, timbre, form, and many other musical aspects to the piece contribute to this strong and seemingly similar melancholy response shared by all who hear it. These musical concepts and their effect are analyzed during its appearance in Oliver Stone’s Platoon’s
This undoubtedly was to due the music accompanying it. The music accompanying this particular scene, the death of a prominent character, is Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. This is considered by many to be the saddest song of all time. In 2004, the BBC’s Today program voted it the “saddest classical” work ever, ahead of “Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas” (1) , a song listened to many times in this class’s lectures. Through more research it is was found that this song was also played during the T.V. announcement of both JFK and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s deaths as well as performed at Last Night of the Proms in 2001 in memory of the victims of 9/11 (2). In each of these well-known events and movies, this piece of music was able to provoke a very strong and emotional response to those who listened. The combination of tempo, meter, timbre, form, and many other musical aspects to the piece contribute to this strong and seemingly similar melancholy response shared by all who hear it. These musical concepts and their effect are analyzed during its appearance in Oliver Stone’s Platoon’s