Quiz: Mystery scores

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

OK - Auld Lang Syne... And now I have to find out which work by Bridge!

Christmas Dance...

My God, that was tough!

[(poco) Sforzando]

Actually, both are in Bach's handwriting...

But which Bach?

[karlhenning]

Anna Macarena.

[lukeottevanger]

Anna Macarena.

She the one who wrote the cello suites?

[lukeottevanger]

The Tchaikovsky is right, the Bridge is right (it's better known as 'Sir Roger de Coverley'). And Maciek+Sforzando's suspicions about the Bach one(s) are on the money...

[Maciek]

Anna Macarena Bach Variations on my husband's complete cantatas - which are mine and belong to me, Anna Macarena, brackets, Mrs., brackets.

Where?

[Guido]

It's also one of the only viola concertos! I agree though, it is a special work.

I have just been contacted by a conscientious and concerned GMGer, informing me that there are in fact a myriad of fine viola concertos - I would just like to assure everyone that I was joking here - please never take anything that I say very seriously! I have enjoyed the pieces by Bartok, Holst, Kancheli, Britten, Bloch, Vaughan Williams, Howells and Rozsa (as well as I am sure a fair few others) too!

[lukeottevanger]

You forgot to say, though, that they'd all be better down the octave and in bass clef....

A light updating. I have a feeling clues may be wanted soon, so I'll see what I can do.

First list, part one
and
First list, part two

Second list (one long part)

Third list (one long part)


New list:

Set by Luke
362 - Carter - Diversions  - (Steve)
363 - ? -
364 - Mozart - Impressario overture - (Mark)
365 - ? -
366 - ? -
367 - Riley - In C - (Mark)
368 - Babbitt - ? - (Steve)
369 - Feldman - Intersection (which one?) - (Guido)
370 - Bryars - Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet - (Guido)
371 - Arnold - Hobson's Choice - (Chrone)
372 - Cage - 4'33" - (Mark)
373 - Guy - Inscape-Tableaux 5 - (Chrone)
374 - ? -
375 - N. Nabokov - Piano Sonata - (Maciek)
376 - Britten - A Ceremony of Carols - (Sforzando)
377 - Barth - from Giles Goat-Boy - (Maciek)
378 - Martinu - The Three Horsemen - (Maciek)
379 - Bowles - Tamanar - (Johan)
380 - ? -
381 - Bridge - Christmas Dance, Sir Roger de Coverley - (Johan)
382 - Enescu - Symphony no 2 - (Johan)
383 - ? -
384 - Stravinsky - Movements - (Sforzando)
385 - Sibelius - Finlandia - (Sforzando)
386 - ? -
387 - ? -
388 - ? -
389 - ? -
390 - ? -
391 - Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier - (Johan)
392 - ? -
393 - Harvey - Bhakti - (Guido)
394 - ? -
395 - Walton - Viola Concerto - (Guido)
396 - Tchaikovsky - Piano Trio - (Maciek)
397 - Liszt - Piano Concerto 1 - (Maciek)
398 - Varese - Ionisation - (Karl)
399 - Messiaen - ? - (Mark)
400 - Stravinsky - Three Pieces for string quartet - (Karl)

Set by Guido
53 - ? -
54 - ? -

Set by Maciek
91 - Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - (Karl)
92 - Dukas - L'apprenti sorcier - (Karl)

[Guido]

You forgot to say, though, that they'd all be better down the octave and in bass clef....

hmm... I often find that viola transcriptions somehow work less well than violin transcriptions. Haven't tried any of 'em. I only really see miniatures as fair game for transcribing - concertos and sonatas seem to be more hallowed ground in general - and are rarely cellistically idiomatic when transcribed. Bartok's viola concerto is nowhere near as good in the cello range, and nor are Bloch's two viola/orchestra works. For some reason violin/cello transcriptions often seem to work better, at least in my experience. Listening to Holst's Lyric movement today though, makes me wonder about this one...

[lukeottevanger]

I only really see miniatures as fair game for transcribing - concertos and sonatas seem to be more hallowed ground in general - and are rarely cellistically idiomatic when transcribed. Bartok's viola concerto is nowhere near as good in the cello range, and nor are Bloch's two viola/orchestra works.

Yes, but the other way round is a different matter - played on the viola, the Elgar Concerto at last sounds halfway decent, I'm sure you'll agree   



(you know I don't mean it)

[Guido]

Oh, it's not so bad. It only lacks the pathos, beauty, darkness and power of the original - hardly a sacrifice considering we get to hear it on viola.

[lukeottevanger]

Exactly!

[lukeottevanger]

Clues, everyone!!

Firstly, these are my old clues to 363, 365, 366, 368, and 374, but now augmented by new clues in red.

363 - is by an extreme, provocative and controversial experimental composer, British, who has been on this thread more than once. This score exudes an aura of the scholastic textbook which is not inappropriate for this piece. The composer was killed in a shocking, mysterious and violent way, and the first syllable of his surname tells you exactly how.

365 - from the short score to an opera by one of the 20th centuries finest lyrical voices; the opera is named after one of its characters, and that character sings on this page. Guido started a thread about this composer recently, and this work was among those recommended to him.

366 - This piece is for one, two or three people. That old clue is much better than it looks (said the third little pig to his big bad adversary....)

368 - Babbitt, as has been guessed. I linked it to the Carter Diversion earlier, because they appear in the same source. That source is simply the book I have both pieces published in - a special commemorative/educational album with works by quite a few big names (also Tan Dun, Rzewski, Rihm....)

374 - By a composer one of whose piano works, says Ian Pace, is amongst the three or four hardest pieces ever written for the instrument. And not Finnissy or Richard Barrret as Greg guessed. A composer I like very much, possibly related to Bob Dylan...

And these are a first set of clues for the rest of my unguessed ones:

383 - strangely enough, another composer to die in mysterious and violent circumstances

383 - a major contemporary composer, featured on this thread more than once before. One of his less-discussed works, but it's still fairly widely known.
386 - J.S. Bach's handwriting, and the music is by Bach too.
387 - Also Bach's handwriting, and also by Bach. But I'd read those two clues very carefully. I will come to your assistance once you've got the general idea on these two.
388 - The daughter of a composer, married to another composer. This work is available on a Naxos disc, and it's really rather beautiful, this page being a highlight IMO.
389 - A member of a famous group of French composers!
390 - This piece is a Concerto, and a close look will reveal the solo instrument. It's recorded on a disc I've mentioned in the last few weeks. This composer, however, has also written concerti for viola, harpsichord, oboe d'amore, clarinet, orchestra, trumpet, four for piano and three for either one or two violins. According to Wiki's disambiguation page, he's also either a Shakespearean scholar and biographer, an author and geneticists, or a Roman Catholic pirest and theologian.
392 - I believe I already gave you a partial clue about this one. Here it is again.
394 - This composer appeared elsewhere among my more recent ones. This sample is cut from a much larger page for a very big orchestra.
399 - Messiaen, as Mark guessed. One of his most purely birdy pieces, this movement, though the work from which it comes demonstrates more of Messiaen's typical techniques and procedures than the purely ornithological. Time is of the essence, though!

[greg]

Clues, everyone!!

Firstly, these are my old clues to 363, 365, 366, 368, and 374, but now augmented by new clues in red.

363 - is by an extreme, provocative and controversial experimental composer, British, who has been on this thread more than once. This score exudes an aura of the scholastic textbook which is not inappropriate for this piece. The composer was killed in a shocking, mysterious and violent way, and the first syllable of his surname tells you exactly how.

can't wait to hear about this one.....

[lukeottevanger]

Well, trawl through the previous dead British experimental composers on this thread, checking out the first syllables of the surname, and you'll find him. It's not an unusual way to die, sadly, but there was an element of mystery in this particular case...

[(poco) Sforzando]

374 suggests Zimmerman (Bob Dylan).

[lukeottevanger]

Good thinking. And correct, too!

[Mark G. Simon]

399 - Messiaen, as Mark guessed. One of his most purely birdy pieces, this movement, though the work from which it comes demonstrates more of Messiaen's typical techniques and procedures than the purely ornithological. Time is of the essence, though!

Kodakromie, er

Chronochromie?

[lukeottevanger]

Time of the essence indeed!

Yes, that's correct. The Epode movement, which is essentially like the page I posted all the way through. Astonishing.

[lukeottevanger]

According to this rather good programme note:

The Épôde, the penultimate movement, is an extraordinary polyphony of birdsongs scored for eighteen solo strings. It was this section that most disconcerted audiences at the first performances of Chronochromie. At the Paris première (13 February 1962, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), one senior critic, Rene Dumesnil, likened the reception to the notorious premiere of Le Sacre du printemps, which by coincidence had taken place in the same auditorium nearly half a century earlier.

The note also includes this cool picture and annotation:


A 1959 sketch of the waterfall Gorges de la Bourne used in Chronochromie.

Amazing, the closest of possible links between the visual stimulus and the notes themselves!