Introduction music in the movie 'A Space Odyssey'

[oneighty]

Arthur C Clarke.

Google has failed me.

What is that classical piece?

180

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. You mean the famous theme?

Bah-baaaah, ba-DAH
(boom-boom, boom-boom, boom-boom)

That's the fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra ("Thus Spake Zarathustra") by Richard Strauss.

[oneighty]

2. Yes Lydia That one.

Domo arigato gozaimasu.

I happened to catch it on our local classical music station. It had never occurred to me it might be other than composed for the movie. And now I can find it and buy it.

Ba dah boom!

180

[stopbush]

3. The recording used in the movie is on Decca with Karajan

conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Decca only allowed its use if no credit was given to the conductor, orchestra and record label - they though it would demean their classical product!

For the original 2001 soundtrack recording, MGM records subbed the Deutsche Grammophon recording by the Berlin Philharmonic under Karl Bohm.