Ride of the Valkyries

Ride of the Valkyries (German Walkürenritt) is probably the best known piece by Richard Wagner. It stands out in part because it is a self-contained piece, Wagner's equivalent of an aria, an operatic style he tended not to employ extensively in his compositions.

Related Topics:
German - Richard Wagner - Aria

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It is from Die Walküre (Act III, Scene 1) and has been used to great effect in a wide variety of films, from the helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now to being lampooned in What's Opera, Doc? and The Blues Brothers, to the spa sequence in Fellini's 8½. In the 1984 cult film Repo Man, Duke and the remainder of his gang hum the tune as they prepare to commit a robbery, presumably to work up courage. Hitler used the song in a Nazi propaganda film, as background to film of German planes in flight.

Related Topics:
Die Walküre - Apocalypse Now - What's Opera, Doc? - The Blues Brothers - 8½ - Repo Man - Hitler

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The song and its singer seem to be the iconic opera stereotype: The Valkyrie Brunhilde in breastplate and horned helmet, clutching a spear and shield, and crying out "HO JO TO HO!"

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Caltech has a tradition of playing Ride of the Valkyries loudly the morning of finals week.

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