Juxtaposing Nino Rota and Wagner is audacious and interesting. They both had a profound impact in popular culture through their music. Rota's music is still haunting in so many ways. Normally, I would never have thought of this. But it is also a way to look at popular music as the inverse of classical music and how they both can reach our souls.
Juxtaposing Nino Rota and Wagner is audacious and interesting. They both had a profound impact in popular culture through their music. Rota's music is still haunting in so many ways. Normally, I would never have thought of this. But it is also a way to look at popular music as the inverse of classical music and how they both can reach our souls.
I would say the composer of The Godfather shamelessly lifted a theme from Donizetti’s Don Pasquale as explained here: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?topic=17536.0
If you want to read more, these are two great articles on Wagner (and his music’s tense history):
https://radioopensource.org/wagner-and-wagnerism/
https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/alex-ross/