Cartoons have used classical music since the first years of sound film. Bugs Bunny sang Wagner. Tom and Jerry fought over a piano piece by Liszt. Many adults first heard an orchestra this way, and children still do. This page lists well-known cartoons, the real piece in each one, and what to listen for.
Why cartoons used classical music
Old music cost a studio nothing to use. Audiences in the 1930s and 1940s knew the famous tunes, so a joke built on one landed fast. The music is also full of action. It speeds up, crashes, tiptoes, and stops short, which is what a cartoon chase needs.
Carl Stalling wrote the music for the Warner Bros. cartoons for more than 20 years. He stitched short bits of famous pieces into almost every score.
Bugs Bunny and friends
| Cartoon | Year | Piece | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| What’s Opera, Doc? | 1957 | Music from several operas, with “The Ride of the Valkyries” | Wagner |
| The Rabbit of Seville | 1950 | Overture to The Barber of Seville | Rossini |
| Rhapsody Rabbit | 1946 | Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 | Liszt |
| A Corny Concerto | 1943 | “Tales from the Vienna Woods” and “The Blue Danube” | Johann Strauss II |
| Pigs in a Polka | 1943 | Hungarian Dances | Brahms |
| Baton Bunny | 1959 | Overture to Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna | Suppé |
In “What’s Opera, Doc?”, Elmer Fudd sings his hunting song to the tune of “The Ride of the Valkyries.” Read Wagner for kids. See Ride of the Valkyries for kids.
In “The Rabbit of Seville,” Bugs gives Elmer a shave and a haircut in time with the overture. Read Rossini for kids. Read The Barber of Seville for kids.
Tom and Jerry
| Cartoon | Year | Piece | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cat Concerto | 1947 | Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 | Liszt |
| Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl | 1950 | Overture to Die Fledermaus | Johann Strauss II |
| Johann Mouse | 1953 | Waltzes | Johann Strauss II |
In “The Cat Concerto,” Tom is a concert pianist, and Jerry lives inside the piano. It won an Academy Award. Read Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 for kids. Read Liszt for kids and Johann Strauss II for kids.
Disney
The Band Concert (1935). Mickey Mouse conducts the William Tell Overture in a park while Donald Duck and a tornado get in the way. Read the William Tell Overture listening guide.
Fantasia (1940) and Fantasia 2000. Two full films of classical music. Read the Fantasia music list.
Newer shows
Little Einsteins (2005 to 2009). Each episode is built around one piece of classical music and one famous work of art. The characters sing the tune and name the composer. Read Little Einsteins music: the pieces in the show.
Bluey. Many episodes weave in a classical piece. Read classical music in Bluey.
Tunes that cartoons taught everyone
Some pieces turn up so often that they have become a kind of code.
- Sunrise: “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt, by Grieg. Read the Peer Gynt Suite listening guide.
- A chase or a horse race: the end of the William Tell Overture, by Rossini.
- A bee or a rush: “Flight of the Bumblebee,” by Rimsky-Korsakov.
- Spring: “Spring Song,” by Mendelssohn.
- A storm: the storm from the same overture.
- Sneaking: “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” by Grieg. Read the story and what to listen for.
What parents need to know
The old cartoons are full of slapstick: anvils, explosions, and shotguns. Some also show stereotypes that were common when they were made. Watch first, and choose the ones that suit your family.
Things to do together
Name that tune. Watch a cartoon from the tables above. Then play the real piece and ask your child to raise a hand when they hear the part from the cartoon.
Sound off. Watch one minute of a chase with the sound off. Then watch it with the sound on. Ask what the music added.
Score a scene. Pick a short clip of your child’s favorite show. Turn the sound off and play three different pieces over it. Vote for the best fit.
Make a cartoon. Play “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Draw a four-box comic strip of what is happening.
Bingo. Put the pieces from this page on a card with the listening bingo maker.
Print and play
Draw a scene on a listening journal page. For more ways in, read how to introduce kids to classical music.
For more pieces, see classical music listening guides for kids.
More from this guide
This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
1812 Overture for kids: what to listen for
A parent's listening guide to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the story of the battle, the two tunes that fight, the cannons and bells, and games to play.
Air on the G String by Bach for kids: what to hear
A parent's guide to Bach's Air on the G String: where the nickname came from, the walking bass and long notes to listen for, and calm things to do.
Album for the Young by Schumann: a guide for piano families
A parent's guide to Schumann's Album for the Young: the 43 piano pieces he wrote for his children, ten to hear first, and his rules for young musicians.
Amahl and the Night Visitors for kids: the story and the music
Amahl and the Night Visitors explained for kids and parents: the story of the one-act Christmas opera, the music to hear first, and ways to watch it.
Ave Maria for kids: Schubert's song and the Bach and Gounod one
Two famous pieces are called Ave Maria. How to tell Schubert's from the one by Bach and Gounod, where each came from, and what to listen for.
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony for kids: a listening guide
A parent's listening guide to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: five scenes from the countryside, the birds by the brook, the storm, and things to do.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.