The Listening Service
The Listening Service
BBC Radio 3
Needle Drop: the power of classical music in film
28 minutes Posted Mar 10, 2024 at 5:31 pm.
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Show notes

Tom Service discovers the mighty musical power of needle drop - the use of pre-existing music in film soundtracks.

From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Barbie, from The Shining to Maestro, Tom listens in to some of the most iconic film scenes using needle-dropped classical music. He explores how directors harness the resonance and meanings of a piece of music to enrich the film's storytelling, and how a successful fusion of sound and image can leave such a deep impression in viewers' minds that music and film become inextricably entwined in popular consciousness.

Plus, Maggie Rodford - one of the film industry's most sought-after music supervisors - pulls back the curtain on the processes and thinking behind choosing the right needle drop for the right scene to make the most meaningful movie.

Producer: David Fay