I've loved Defence of the Realm since seeing it at the cinema years ago, have worn out my video of it and have at last graduated to the (very lacking in extras) DVD. Can anyone tell me what is the wonderful classical music playing while Nick Mullen is typing in his flat? I think it might be Bach, but not sure.
shareI just saw Defence of the Realm, and want to ask the same question. I really liked that music too, but dont know much about classical music.
share[deleted]
Id be gratefull if someone could answer that question for me as well.
Can i assume you have the Region 2 version from the silver collection? My copy seems to be pretty poor quailty, wondered if it was the way the film had been preserved or just a dodgy DVD?
Thanks for your information carrilou ;-)
shareCarrilou, it would be nice to recieve a response but as the message board currently consists of one thread I won't take it personally if I don't. It sounds like Nick is playing Pachelbel's Canon in D at the wrong speed. I have always heard the piece played at a slower rate. There's definately a difference. This, suprisingly, is what came to mind when the music came on! Perhaps that was the bomb. Maybe the clue was there all along!
P.S. After considering the record player bomb theory, I believe it to be true. After all, the first time he notices people have been in his flat the needle on his player had been moved. Hmmm...
I was lucky that I found this thread for the title of that piece of music so quickly. I saw it on TV last night and have played those 2 clips over & over. Not knowing the music it could have been fast or slow but reading what botson said, I too think it was fast in the film.
Nick is playing a 12" vinyl there and I wonder if that LP should have been at 33 rpm not the 45 it looked like in the film. I found a couple of clips of Pachabel's Canon on the web and they sound about a third slower - this could be the answer ?? I'll check again to see if both clips were too fast.
He listened to it previously, but didnt let the piece end. He took the needle off early and went out. It was only when the needle settled back onto its cradle that the bomb was triggered, so I presume that the bomb was there all along.
shareListed are several sites to hear the Music which you want. The piece is a popular recital favorite by Johann Pachelbel, Canon in D major.
The London Symphony video is the authentic composition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u1Ur3egPjo&NR=1
Yu Jian Duet with violin and piano shows the change in tempo which
is in keeping with the typewriter and also some outdoor scenes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYBDmVCiUF8&feature=related
There are several others which you may want to listen to at your
leisure with a bit of "detente in a glass"
Johann Pachebele's canon in d, there are many variations and many midi files available to download from the internet
shareHey Courrilou, thanks! Saw this movie last night and came here like the rest looking for this answer.
shareIsn't is appropriate that they used Pachelbel's "CANON" - - ha ha.
Someone mentioned the tempo of the piece. The first recording ever made, by Arthur Fiedler, took the piece at an amazingly fast clip. I don't think there's a tempo marking on the original, so conductors can feel free to do with it as they wish.
I downloaded Canon and changed the playback speed setting on Windows Media Player. The result was exactly what was in the movie.
And its sounds better than it does at the slower speed. You just got to make sure you don't set it too fast.