After his father’s death, Mozart composed Ein musikalischer Spass, more commonly known as a “musical joke”. The music intended to sound funny as it was making fun of “village musicians, third-rate artists who hit wrong notes, played out of key, and produced tonal absurdities” (Melograni 27). This song is very appropriate for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as it plays during the famous comedian Jim Carrey’s scene in which he comically wears a tutu as a disguise in a mental illness facility. He pretends to have a mental illness in order to gain more clues for a case he is working on.
In another scene, Ace Ventura also includes parts of the second and third movements of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. This song is appropriately used as he composed this piece in August of the same year that he wrote “musical joke” (Melograni 207). The song is one of his most famous pieces and plays at the beginning of an A-list party that Ace Ventura attends. The scene opens with a shot of the party location that resembles one of the many prestige palaces that Mozart worked in during his life time. (During this time in particular he was working in the palace of the Roman Emperor Joseph II).
This song is meant to set the tone of the classy black tie event that they enter. Ventura’s date warns him that he better not embarrass her, however his obnoxious and humourous behavior serves as a great contrast to the festivities and the music accompanying it.
Citation:
Melograni, Piero. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2007. Print.
That's awesome! I haven't seen that movie in so long and would not have noticed the song in it had I not seen this post! Just goes to show how Classical music is truly such a huge part of life - even in modern entertainment!
That's awesome! I haven't seen that movie in so long and would not have noticed the song in it had I not seen this post! Just goes to show how Classical music is truly such a huge part of life - even in modern entertainment!
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