The song of the sirens

July 23, 2007 12:07 PM

What's that music that comes in dramatic previews on many movies? It's like a choir of opera voices, but it builds up to a crescendo.

It's a common music from dramatic previews. The words go something like: "ta ti ta ta!" It's a chorus of female voices, but in a softened type of opera style. I believe in movies like where there is a hero riding, doing action scenes, this song is often played, and it suddenly cuts out with that 'Lost' thump, followed by a wiseass remark.

You know what I mean, don't you?

posted by markesh to media & arts (11 comments total)

Carmina Burana?
posted by dirtdirt at 12:10 PM on July 23, 2007

Without really having any idea what you're talking about, I'm going to go ahead and guess you mean the first movement of Carmina Burana; there are many many samples on YouTube if you wanna check it out.
posted by rkent at 12:13 PM on July 23, 2007

More specifically, it's "O, Fortuna".
posted by mkultra at 12:22 PM on July 23, 2007

Yep, it's the "o fortuna" part of the Carmina Burana.

O Fortuna, verut luna...etc etc.
posted by konolia at 1:10 PM on July 23, 2007

From the AskMe Wiki, question number one under Music & Arts:

Q: What is that dark, dramatic choral music you hear all the time in movie trailers?
A: "O Fortuna" from [Carmina Burana] by Carl Orff.
Examples: [1] [2] [3] [4]
posted by cgc373 at 1:37 PM on July 23, 2007

The translated lyrics are worth a read, O Fortuna is pretty intense stuff--and some of the other songs are funny (Cignus ustus cantat).
posted by anaelith at 1:41 PM on July 23, 2007

Yeah, that was the first thing I thought of too, before I even read his rough description.....but remember, he hasn't confirmed it yet.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 2:35 PM on July 23, 2007

Who hasn't confirmed what, Rich? The asker marked best answers, above.
posted by cgc373 at 2:57 PM on July 23, 2007

Here's one of the more famous uses (Excalibur).

And of course there's the techno remix.
posted by schoolgirl report at 6:09 PM on July 23, 2007

Damn. Too late.

The Surgeon General needs to put a warning on that song.

"WARNING: May lead to looting and pillaging neighboring villages. Do not use in combination with battle axes. Horse may loose footing while running down fleeing peasants."
posted by tkchrist at 6:39 PM on July 23, 2007

It's a big ad.
posted by musicinmybrain at 5:21 AM on July 24, 2007