Name that piece! The game

[klingsor]

No...but...

No, I changed my mind. I won't give any hints yet. Too early in the game.

Sarge

Your "No...but.." makes me think he was a film composer (I know, we can only have one guess and I've had mine) 

[Lethevich]

Us guessers may need to combine forces to climb this mountain Maybe list who we thought it might be, and why it's probably not them.

I initially thought something baltic such as Vasks until the more I listened, the less "smooth" and postmodern it sounded. A few devices common in that style (the sense of inner-glow, the strings around ~38s) are outnumbered by the more standard sounding mid-century palette. I then moved on to Arnold, specifically his 8th symphony, but it wasn't that. I flirted with the idea of Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem, a work that I don't know well, but gave it a listen and it turned out not to be that. My Holmboe guess was due to his rather stark use of brass as well as the bubbling, vital use of percussion and strident strings, but this does seem to be less crystaline in its polyphony and drive, and now that I listen again, I can see that I was clutching in the wrong direction. If this was 50% faster and accompanied by a battery of side drums I would have guessed a lyrical moment from a Havergal Brian work that I am unfamiliar with

[mc ukrneal]

Us guessers may need to combine forces to climb this mountain Maybe list who we thought it might be, and why it's probably not them.

I initially thought something baltic such as Vasks until the more I listened, the less "smooth" and postmodern it sounded. A few devices common in that style (the sense of inner-glow, the strings around ~38s) are outnumbered by the more standard sounding mid-century palette. I then moved on to Arnold, specifically his 8th symphony, but it wasn't that. I flirted with the idea of Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem, a work that I don't know well, but gave it a listen and it turned out not to be that. My Holmboe guess was due to his rather stark use of brass as well as the bubbling, vital use of percussion and strident strings, but this does seem to be less crystaline in its polyphony and drive, and now that I listen again, I can see that I was clutching in the wrong direction. If this was 50% faster and accompanied by a battery of side drums I would have guessed a lyrical moment from a Havergal Brian work that I am unfamiliar with

I'm afraid I have nothing to add - not a clue about it. But you are welcome to use my guess to guess again (when you are ready).

[Lethevich]

Hindemith (Symphony in E-flat)

That is a great thought - the starkness to the initial brass gesture does sound like some of Hindemith's music, or at least hints towards possibly being inspired by neoclassicism...

[Sergeant Rock]

If this was 50% faster and accompanied by a battery of side drums I would have guessed a lyrical moment from a Havergal Brian work that I am unfamiliar with

That's really fascinating. While making the clip the music suddenly, and for the first time, reminded me of Brian too. In fact, I thought someone might suggest Brian (knowing that I'm a bit of a fan of Havergal  )  But it isn't him.

Time for a clue: the mystery composer is not British but he was an Anglophile.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

I also thought of Piston (Symphony No. 2) and Hindemith (Symphony in E-flat) which both sound style-wise in the ballpark, but since I don't have either of them handy can't do an actual check.

Not Piston, not Hindemith. Sorry. He is a very famous composer.

Sarge

[Lethevich]

If it's Mr. B.H., then I think klingsor guessed him first, by not so subtle implication

[Sergeant Rock]

If it's Mr. B.H., then I think klingsor guessed him first, by not so subtle implication

Correct. Bernard Herrmann, his Symphony from 1941. The clip was taken from the composer's own recording on Unicorn:





Klingsor did guess (we exchanged PMs). Maybe each of you should submit a new clip?

Sarge

[Lethevich]

That would be awesome - I could redeem myself from my all too obvious first pick

Also, as suspected, I do have that work - playing it now. Do you know why it is often labeled "No.1" when I can find no evidence of a second?

[Sergeant Rock]

Do you know why it is often labeled "No.1" when I can find no evidence of a second?

I don't. I'll see if I can dig something up.

Sarge

[Lethevich]

Alrighty - here's mine (what's this one, 6a?): Mystery link! (4shared has always been a little fussy for me - here's a mirror if required: link)

Hint: this is an orchestral section from a symphonic cantata-style work. The composer is semi-known, more so than a decade or two ago. I kinda wish I could avoid turning this into obscure-orchestral-fans-club, but I am smarting from how easy my Berlioz one was to guess

[mc ukrneal]

Alrighty - here's mine (what's this one, 6a?): Mystery link!

Hint: this is an orchestral section from a symphonic cantata-style work. The composer is semi-known, more so than a decade or two ago. I kinda wish I could avoid turning this into obscure-orchestral-fans-club, but I am smarting from how easy my Berlioz one was to guess

I really liked that! Unfortunately, I don't know what it is. But I may have a new item for my wish list when I do! 

[Sergeant Rock]

I kinda wish I could avoid turning this into obscure-orchestral-fans-club, but I am smarting from how easy my Berlioz one was to guess

I preferred the Berlioz...I didn't have to think    Damn, it sounds like I should know it.

Sarge

[Scarpia]

I think the point of the game is not to get the right answer, but to get answers that could have been right.   People who recognize the piece should recuse themselves.   

[Lethevich]

I think the point of the game is not to get the right answer, but to get answers that could have been right.   People who recognize the piece should recuse themselves.   

Indeed, fumbling towards the goal is very fun

[Sergeant Rock]

I think the point of the game is not to get the right answer, but to get answers that could have been right.   People who recognize the piece should recuse themselves.   

Right...and contestants on Jeopardy who know the answer (the question) should never push their buzzers 


Sarge

[karlhenning]

Indeed, fumbling towards the goal is very fun

Said the actress to the bishop.

[Scarpia]

Right...and contestants on Jeopardy who know the answer (the question) should never push their buzzers 

Yes, but there is no prize here, so a definitive answer only serves to cut off the fun.   

[DavidW]

Indeed, fumbling towards the goal is very fun

That's what I like about it, I like being on the right track even if I haven't gotten a single one.  Dang once Sarge went well no... to my Korngold I thought of Herrmann but I didn't even know that he wrote a symphony!

[klingsor]

  To be fair, I never wrote the name Bernard Herrmann, so the 'prize' should not go to me. I was trying to come up with a UK composer.

And dammit, I should have recognized the Herrmann symphony, I've heard it at least 5 times