Wagner's Heroic "Ride of the Valkyries"

For decades, we have been using classical pieces to enhance scenes in film and television, but none has been used as much as Richard Wagner’s, “Ride of the Valkyries”. This triumphant battle song is one of the most recognized orchestral pieces of all time due to its association with a large amount of visual media. 

The piece is best known from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now, in the iconic scene where the American helicopters are on their way to bombard a Vietnamese village. A scene so iconic, that it has been referred to in other forms of media, such as the 2005 film Jarhead by Sam Mendes, as well as a flashback scene in 2009 film Watchmen by Zach Snyder. The piece evokes a sense of confidence and power leading into a one-sided battle, which is along the lines or what Richard Wagner intended. 

History

German-born composer Richard Wagner, wrote “Ride of the Valkyries” as the orchestral prelude for Act III of Die Walküre, the second opera of four that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelungs). These sequence of four operas, were written through inspiration of Norse mythology, following the story of a family of gods and their pursuit of a golden ring. As far as we know, “Ride of the Valkyries” was first written on July 23, 1851 and fully finished with orchestration by the end of March of 1856, with the complete opera first publicly debuting on June 26, 1870. Wagner’s intention for this piece, was to evoke images of epic battles, mirroring the story from the opera in which the Valkyries ride back from an epic godly battle to gather on a mountaintop. 

How is it used?

His intention in storytelling through the piece has remained the same in western pop culture for the most part, with directors often using the piece as the theme for scenes showcasing military power, grand battles, and war. However, there have also been directors who have chosen to go an entirely different route when using this song for comedic effect as characters are going on a small quest such as the television show The Big Bang Theory, “The Zarnecki Incursion” (Season 4 Episode 19), or even some episodes of The Simpsons. Others use the piece in the middle of the action rather than leading up to it, such as the 2011 animated film Rango directed by Gore Verbinski, and the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis.

One thing that makes this piece stand out from other battle songs, is its tone of heroism. For many hero films, the type of instruments often used to express that feeling of justice is brass; such as the original Superman theme by John Williams. This tone of heroism, makes whoever we are following on the big screen, the main protagonist. This on its own can become a powerful tool for directors. Looking back onto that famous scene from Apocalypse Now, why is it so memorable? It is because we get an ominous sense of unsettlement. We are following the protagonist American Soldiers, who we view to be good along with the heroic music, but as they head to attack a Vietnamese village with children and families. Another example of this song being used in a disturbing manner, is in the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation directed by D. W. Griffith, where the piece highlighted the Ku Klux Klan in a protagonist heroic role as they battle against liberated slaves.  

Some other notable uses:

• Scream (1996) directed by Wes Craven
• Predators (2010) directed by Nimród Antal
• Valkyrie (2008) directed by Bryan Singer
• The Sopranos, “Eloise” (Season 4, Episode 12) directed by James Hayman
•  Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “Halloween IV” (Season 4, Episode 5) directed by Claire Scanlon

 Classic or Cliché?

 While it has been considered a classic for such a long time, this piece has been overused too many times. So much so, that in much of today’s visual media, this piece is more often used for comedic effect rather than its original purpose. While it could still be used in small comedic moments, it has become a tiring trope. A musical cliché.