Topic: Quiz: Mystery scores

[Larry Rinkel]

Oh, I think I know what it is. It is one of the later Pettersson symphonies. I don't remember which number, maybe 6 or 7, but I think I actually played that piece a long, long time ago. I didn't see that second page at first, but I just looked at it again and scrolled over to the right. That seems to have triggered some deeply buried (mostly bad) memories of the piece.

Good for you! it's from 7. I thought that endlessly repeated trombone figure would give it away.

What the heck, a few more:

[Larry Rinkel]

And after these three I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really have to stop.

[lukeottevanger]

Luke, why not give us some items from your no doubt huge score library.

I might do that later. Problem is, my scanner is broken, and as you've said, photoing, cropping etc. takes time. Also, I'd like to choose good samples as you have done - what would be the point of choosing obscure things that don't give anyone a chance: it needs to be pitched right. I will think on...

Good for you! it's from 7. I thought that endlessly repeated trombone figure would give it away.

Ah, of course - you're right, that trombone figure should have given it away (it's amazing how similar some passages in Nielsen are, actually...). I've never seen a Pettersson score (  ) so again I think it's interesting how the look of the print, as well as the notes themselves, made me think of something Nordic - is it a Hansen score?



As for the new ones...

18  - I thought of Verdi at first (contour of some of the melody) before I realised it was Carmen. But it's one of the bits that isn't in my score...

19 - is one of the Ligeti Etudes (Book II, L'escalier du diable).

20 - have to admit I searched for this one (googled the unusual, lengthy tempo marking), so I think I have the right answer [edit - I know I have the right answer as I just listened to a sample at Amazon!], but I don't want to spoil it for those who might know it 'properly', so I won't say here.
My first thought, BTW, was Mendelssohn, but then I thought that, pre-Liszt, the tremolo is little used by real pianist-composers, more in transcriptions (which I momentarily thought this might be) and in music I tend to think of as less pianistic, so I ruled out Mendelssohn. The composer who it really is by is not a million miles from Mendelssohn, though.

21 - Stockhausen - Klavierstucke IX (again, the look of the score - Universal Edition style - is the first thing that I notice, then the notes and the language, though still all in the first glance, of course)

22  - that surprising measure of 5/8 is the clue - it's that famous 'first' of Handel's, Orlando's mad scene  IIRC

[Larry Rinkel]

Of course you've now told everyone else how to identify 20! 

Very good - I couldn't fool Luke at all, even with that Carmen excerpt.

But I think maybe I'll just pull a few more from online scores, which takes far less time and effort, and make them simpler, so lots more people can play. I think I'll have to ask Luke and Diego to sit these next ones out, so others have a fair chance.

[M forever]

Good for you! it's from 7. I thought that endlessly repeated trombone figure would give it away.

It wasn't actually that, though (unfortunately) that came back to me once I had figured it out. It was the c-c# leaps in the bass part which reminded me of the very unpleasant and thankless experience of playing this piece with its totally awkward (and completely ineffective) bass part. You play these leaps about 2 million times.

[Larry Rinkel]

It wasn't actually that, though (unfortunately) that came back to me once I had figured it out. It was the c-c# leaps in the bass part which reminded me of the very unpleasant and thankless experience of playing this piece with its totally awkward (and completely ineffective) bass part. You play these leaps about 2 million times.

I know what you meant. I picked the page I did because the trombone motif is about the only thing I can ever remember from that symphony, and thought it might be similarly familiar to others.

Yes, Luke, it's Hansen - very hard to read, poor typography and layout.

[lukeottevanger]

I've made 16 samples now, but most of them are slightly too big to fit as attachments here, so it may be some time before I get them all up.

As I said before, I want these to be get-able, so I've steered clear of the too-obscure or, if I have gone obscure, I've left enough clues for the answer to be found.

No 1

[lukeottevanger]

No 2 - Very typical of this composer (at this time) and the visual style is also unique to him AFAIK. Should be possible, I think.

[lukeottevanger]

No 3 - should be straightforward, I think - lots of clues here. Sorry about poor quality image

[lukeottevanger]

No 4 - there is also a big clue here, but unfortunately the poor quality makes it hard to read. Good luck!

[lukeottevanger]

No 5 - composer should be fairly clear; then just follow clues

[lukeottevanger]

No 6 - combination of printer's house style, musical style and instrumentation/layout ought to be clues.

That's enough for now, I have ten more ready to go for later...

[Larry Rinkel]

All I can say is I think yours are harder than mine (or they just show all the gaps in my knowledge)!

#5 looks like Brian Ferneyhough.

#4 could be Janacek, but not a piece I recognize.

#1 looks familiar, but I can't place it.

[Mark G. Simon]

Luke's #4 is the Khachaturian Piano Concerto, 2nd movement. The monster bass clarinet solo isn't on this page, but the piano is playing it in the left hand at the top of the page.

[Mark G. Simon]

Luke's no. 3: The handwriting looks familiar. Is that Feldman?

Edit: A little more sleuthing revealed that this is indeed Why Patterns by Morton Feldman.

[edward]

Hm. #2 looks rather like Lutoslawski, but I don't recognise the work. I'll guess Jeux venetiens but I can't read the directions on the score properly on the laptop (which should give a better hint).

[greg]

ok, i didn't look at the responses:
10- Mahler 9, 2nd movement (easy one)
11 and 12- looks like a Webern score, possibly his string quartet?

ok, now some more guessing

[greg]

ok, i guess 11 and 12 were wrong

#5 looks like Crumb to me, could be Ferneyhough but I vote Crumb

[Larry Rinkel]

ok, i didn't look at the responses:
10- Mahler 9, 2nd movement (easy one)
11 and 12- looks like a Webern score, possibly his string quartet?

ok, now some more guessing

Yes to the Mahler. No to the others. Keep thinking of other possibilities.

Luke, is your #6 Schoenberg? Those dotted vertical lines suggest otherwise, but the harmoniums and clarinets say maybe yes.

[greg]

Yes to the Mahler. No to the others. Keep thinking of other possibilities.

Luke, is your #6 Schoenberg? Those dotted vertical lines suggest otherwise, but the harmoniums and clarinets say maybe yes.

i read the answers already 
the Carter i don't remember but the Boulez i shoulda just played through, i might've recognized it