Quiz: Mystery scores

[Symphonien]

#5

Fairly well-known composer, not so well-known of a piece. If you look carefully though, there is a very obvious clue.

[Symphonien]

#6

This one may prove difficult, involving a lesser-known composer. I chose this excerpt for its interesting string notation which I haven't come across anywhere else so far.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

# 2 = Stravinsky, 'Les Noces'

# 5 = Shostakovich (DSCH), but I don't know the work...

[Symphonien]

#7

This one shouldn't require too much thought.

[Symphonien]

#8

Just for fun: an extremely obscure composer, but perhaps not so obscure in other areas.

[Symphonien]

# 2 = Stravinsky, 'Les Noces'

Correct. I love the use of four pianos.

# 5 = Shostakovich (DSCH), but I don't know the work...

Good work spotting the clue however; although Shostakovich is an important part of this piece, he was not the composer.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Correct. I love the use of four pianos.

Good work spotting the clue however; although Shostakovich is an important part of this piece, he was not the composer.

Okay... What about Ronald Stevenson, then, Passacaglia on DSCH?!

And the obscure composer of #8 - Nietzsche.

[Symphonien]

Okay... What about Ronald Stevenson, then, Passacaglia on DSCH?!

A good guess, but this piece is by a more famous composer.

And the obscure composer of #8 - Nietzsche.

Nice job! Did my clue give it away?

Well now that you have the composer, as an extra challenge, it shouldn't be too hard to find the name of the piece in question.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Nice job! Did my clue give it away?

A bit. In addition to the German tempo markings and the ninteenth-century style.

Well now that you have the composer, as an extra challenge, it shouldn't be too hard to find the name of the piece in question.

I'll have to do some research. But not now...

The Shostakovich piece I leave to better minds, after two shots at it. 

[Mark G. Simon]

#5 must be Schnittke's Prelude in memoriam Dmitiri Shostakovich for two violins.

[Mark G. Simon]

#7 is "Es" from Aus die sieben Tagen by Stockhausen.

[Mark G. Simon]

#3: The text gives it away. A Survivor from Warsaw (Schoenberg).

[Symphonien]

All correct there Mark. Good work!

Yes, I thought the Schoenberg would be quite easy, with the text. I think it provides an interesting example though of Schoenberg's post-Pierrot Lunaire style Sprechstimme notation, indicating pitches but without a traditional clef.

[lukeottevanger]

No fair! Putting scores up whilst I was away! I could have got a few of those already got!   

No 1 is Lachenmann, I think - Pression?

No 2 - les Noces (my score is lost, but it's fairly clear!)

No 3 - Survivor from Warsaw (I knew that one!)

No 4 -

No 5 - wild guess - Berio!

No 6 - no clue

No 7 - Stockhausen (Knew that one too)

No 8 - I wouldn't have got this one, I suspect. Not quickly, anyway!

[Guido]

No.8 is Nietzsche's "There flows a brook". A gorgeous little piece - I am really fond of his music. Lots of unexpected little turns (especially under the first time bracket) - I implore anyone who has piano skills to play through this little ditty.

[Symphonien]

Both correct there Luke and Guido, with the Lachenmann and Nietzsche scores respectively. I haven't actually played through the Nietzsche yet; I was just surprised to come across it one day, when I had never realised that he had composed music before.

Well, it looks like that leaves only numbers 4 and 6 then. I'll leave you guys to think about them for a while, and if no-one has any ideas I may have to give clues. I would imagine one could narrow down #4 by looking carefully at the score, #6 is more obscure.

[lukeottevanger]

Another guess on no 5, if it isn't Berio (doesn't look like any of the duets from his first set anyway): Smirnov?

[Sean]

I tried thinking through the notes in my head Luke but didn't ring any bells. When at Sussex uni the Prof there was a Berio man and I had to do something on his opera La Vera storia, the score being an enormous slab of a book- I've no idea how a conductor could keep track of so many lines.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Another guess on no 5, if it isn't Berio (doesn't look like any of the duets from his first set anyway): Smirnov?

#5 is Schnittke, Luke. Mark got it right:

#5 must be Schnittke's Prelude in memoriam Dmitiri Shostakovich for two violins.

Johan

P.S. Did you see this posting about Turnovsky?

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9.msg173875.html#msg173875

[Sean]

A very common English learner's error- I didn't saw, thinking they need saw because didn't is past tense: you need see because you're only describing the past as it was...