Dance of the Knights
Encyclopedia
"Montagues and Capulets" is a piano transcription of the original ballet piece called "Dance of the Knights". It is a score
reduced by Sergei Prokofiev
himself to be included into Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 75. The original piece (Op. 64, No. 13) is from Act I, Scene 2 of the ballet
Romeo and Juliet
.
A dark and atmospheric piece, it has become a de facto
signature tune for the Soviet
era, and is used as the soundtrack for numerous dramas, documentaries and advertisements that have Soviet subject matter. It was used as the background music in a popular 1990s French commercial for Chanel
's Egoiste fragrance. Porto come out to the piece at home European matches. English Premier League club Sunderland have used this piece in pre-match build up since they moved to the Stadium of Light in 1997, other English clubs have followed suit since. The piece has also been used as concert introductory music: Iron Maiden
used a rendition of the score during their 1998 Virtual XI World Tour
, and in 2009 by the rock band Deep Purple
. The song "Got One Life" by the drum and bass band, Qemists (feat. Navigator), mixes "Montagues and Capulets" into the background. A version of this song is played through a dog-shaped speaker in a series of 2009 Softbank
advertisements featuring Quentin Tarantino
. This piece was also used in the UK as the title theme on Channel 4's National Football League
American Football show in the 1980s. An interpretation of this piece is used in the video game Sid Meier's Civilization V as Catherine the Great's theme. Industrial band VNV Nation
covered the piece in the intro of their live concert DVD "Pastperfect" (2004). This piece is the opening song for the art exhibition Van Gogh Alive.
It is known as the theme song to the British and Irish versions of the Mark Burnett Productions franchise The Apprentice.
It is also used in the game Supreme Ruler Cold War
when playing as the Soviet Union.
It is also featured on The Simpsons
episode "The Falcon and the D'Ohman
", the 23rd season première.
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
reduced by Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
himself to be included into Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 75. The original piece (Op. 64, No. 13) is from Act I, Scene 2 of the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)
Romeo and Juliet is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is one of the most enduringly popular ballets...
.
A dark and atmospheric piece, it has become a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
signature tune for the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
era, and is used as the soundtrack for numerous dramas, documentaries and advertisements that have Soviet subject matter. It was used as the background music in a popular 1990s French commercial for Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
's Egoiste fragrance. Porto come out to the piece at home European matches. English Premier League club Sunderland have used this piece in pre-match build up since they moved to the Stadium of Light in 1997, other English clubs have followed suit since. The piece has also been used as concert introductory music: Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
used a rendition of the score during their 1998 Virtual XI World Tour
Virtual XI World Tour
The Virtual XI Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 22 April 1998 to 12 December 1998. During the American leg, singer Blaze Bayley lost his voice, and the band cancelled 16 shows. The band later made up the Los Angeles and San Diego dates...
, and in 2009 by the rock band Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
. The song "Got One Life" by the drum and bass band, Qemists (feat. Navigator), mixes "Montagues and Capulets" into the background. A version of this song is played through a dog-shaped speaker in a series of 2009 Softbank
SoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
advertisements featuring Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
. This piece was also used in the UK as the title theme on Channel 4's National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
American Football show in the 1980s. An interpretation of this piece is used in the video game Sid Meier's Civilization V as Catherine the Great's theme. Industrial band VNV Nation
VNV Nation
VNV Nation are a British/Irish electronic music band originally from Dublin, Ireland and Essex, United Kingdom and now based in Hamburg, Germany. They combine elements of electro-industrial, trance, synthpop and electronic body music . The members are Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson...
covered the piece in the intro of their live concert DVD "Pastperfect" (2004). This piece is the opening song for the art exhibition Van Gogh Alive.
It is known as the theme song to the British and Irish versions of the Mark Burnett Productions franchise The Apprentice.
It is also used in the game Supreme Ruler Cold War
Supreme Ruler Cold War
Supreme Ruler Cold War was developed by BattleGoat Studios and was officially announced August 19, 2010 by Paradox Interactive at the 2010 Gamescom video gaming convention held in Cologne, Germany and released on July 19, 2011. It is set during the Cold War Era from the end of World War II to the...
when playing as the Soviet Union.
It is also featured on The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "The Falcon and the D'Ohman
The Falcon and the D'ohman
"The Falcon and the D'ohman" is the season premiere of the twenty-third season of the animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 25, 2011. In the episode, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant hires a new security guard named Wayne and Homer...
", the 23rd season première.