nplotts1

Warning, this is longer than I anticipated it being when I started posting it on TH. It is some what of a walk down memory lane, and some what of a rant on the lack of culture today's cartoons bring

I remember growing up and watching the Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry, etc and absolutely loving it. Tom and Jerry did not speak and so all of their emotions came from the background music and body language which the animators would give them. Bugs Bunny was often in operas, or orchestras, and even when he wasn't, their was often times music of a classical nature in the show. These cartoons and others like them are now a thing of the past, which is a shame because they brought famous composers into the ears of children who, otherwise, may never hear Rossini's Barber of Seville.

Today, I played in my first ever orchestra concert, it was an outdoor annual pops concert that our college orchestra puts on. I have recently grown interested in classical lit., so I asked the maestro if he needed any more trumpets. It just so happened that he did need one. One of our pieces (which I unfortunately didn't get to play on) was that classic Barber of Seville. Every time we rehearsed it, and the consquential performance of that piece reminded me of a friendly rabbit running away from a shotgun, dawning a barbers jacket and giving this hunter (Elmer Fudd) a head massage on all fours, then later making a salad on his head. It was all I could do to keep from laughing in the middle of the concert.

I just now got done watching that episode on youtube (Rabbit of Seville), along with Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna (Baton Bunny) and have rekindled my love for the rabbit and wonder why on Earth would this kind of programming, which brings comedy and music together, no longer be around forcing our younger generations to grow up with the likes of Sponge Bob and My Gym Partner is a Monkey?
For those interested, Cartoon Network still airs reruns of Tom and Jerry (6-10 a day) from 1-2pm EST (it may be 2-3, I have classes so I dont get to see it) on weekdays and between 12 and 3 on Sunday (not sure the exact time I think 130-230pm)

BTW I am 20 years old and miss the classics such as these and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain Planet, and the like.

Siegtrmpt

The cartoon music of yesteryear was fabulous. I love watching Tom and Jerry. Even without the video the comic and expressive nature of the music tells you exactly what's going on. There's a reason why these older cartoons have lasted all these years. Good quality animation and classic humor for all ages that's timeless. Great stuff!

Firestas'1

I wholeheartedly agree! Todays cartoons just don't include the same quality of entertainmemt as those of the past.

One interesting thing I discovered as a kid while watching Tom and Jerry is that whenever there was a closeup of Tom's hands playng piano, the fingerings often actually matched the music!
I actually played part of one of the pieces just by watching the cartoon!

nplotts1

If it does match, I have the feeling that it is often going to be in the wrong octave

gglassmeyer

There's a tune that they used to play whenever they showed industry, trucks coming and going out of factories and the like. I frequently go to our company's manufacturing plants and find myself whistling this tune. I have no idea what it is or how better to describe it, but I can hear it as clear as I could on Saturday mornings as a child.

One other excellent use of music in the bugs bunny cartoons was when Yosemite Sam had a piano set to explode when Bugs played a certain note on the piano. Bugs routinely played it wrong which enraged Sam who ends up blowing himself to bits. I think the director of our community band gets to that point with some of our members who routinely miss the same note.

nplotts1

I remember the piano thing, I am trying to think of the industrial tune. I miss Bugs Bunny

Firestas'1

Is this the song you are thinking of?

http://raymondscott.com/Powerhse.wav

Powerhouse” is a 1937 instrumental musical composition by Raymond Scott. Nowadays it is probably best known as the iconic “assembly line” music in Warner Bros. animated cartoons

Powerhouse (song - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

gglassmeyer

Powerhouse it is! Thanks, now I know the name I can look on itunes for a recording so I can play it while I visit our mfg plants.

flugelgirl

I'm a BIG fan of cartoons new and old, and also learned a lot of classical literature from them growing up. I had the pleasure of playing the Pastoral Symphony(did I get the title right? I'm a jazzer, so I forget sometimes....) a few years ago, and it brought back memories of Fantasia - loved it! I also happen to be a big Spongebob fan, though - check out "Sailor Mouth" and the marching band episode( I forget the name of that, too...) and you'll see why! For great music in current cartoons, though, I love Venture Brothers on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and Dial M for Monkey, featured in Dexter's Laboratory. Great trumpet work in those, and some twisted cartoon fun, too!
Nplotts1, some of what you are missing you will find on the Boomerang channel, along with stuff like Smurfs, etc. BTW, Smurfs is really funny in spanish......

nplotts1

I know, but I don't get all the extra channels and such. Being in college and having limited $$$ for expenses means not paying out the wall for all the extra channels. Boomerang is one of a few of those channels that I would LOVE to get.