Quiz: Mystery scores

[Larry Rinkel]

No, but I can see your logic!

So can I, but it doesn't look like Dittersdorf either.

[lukeottevanger]

 


Re Nocturnal - Bingo! Previous list hereby updated....

[Larry Rinkel]

I'm afraid, though, I've reached the limits of my guessing power without further clues.

As for the three of mine left unsolved, I'll repeat and amplify the hints:

One is by a composer already represented in my same series of 7. This composer has already been identified, and is not well known for string quartets.

One piece was quite popular at one time, a favorite of Brahms, but is rarely heard today, though a few recordings have been made.

Two of the pieces were championed by the same well-known conductor.

Though one of the pieces is from an opera, the composer is not one most associated with opera. On the other hand, one of the other composers (other than Wolf, already identified) wrote a once-popular opera little known today.

Actually all three composers wrote operas that are hardly played today.

One composer was Jewish.

One composer was not American, but you might get the impression there were some American aspects to his career.

Two of the composers contracted the same serious disease, though with different effects.

Two of the composers lived during the same highly partisan period in musical history, but one managed to stay friendly to both sides while the other was quite rabidly partisan.

C'est tout!

[lukeottevanger]

[will look at these further clues in a second Larry]

Guido, is your no 14 Carter, by any chance? It looks quite a lot like him - in fact he was the first thought that came to mind, but I'd clean forgotten about his cello concerto (which I haven't heard).

[Maciek]

And I'll repost Larry's photos to go with the hints above:

LR30 aka LR21


LR31 aka LR22


LR35 aka LR26


(I hope I didn't get these mixed up - let me know if I should correct anything!)

[lukeottevanger]

So the first of these - the D minor quartet movement - is the first movement (Grave) of Wolf's Quartet, I assume.

[Maciek]

Will it be completely wrong if at this messed up point I throw a couple of mine in?

I know it would but, as you all know, it's difficult to resist once you have them on your computer. 0:) Luckily - I've only got five. Two of these are admittedly a bit obscure, one is half-obscure ( ) but very easy to guess if you've heard the piece even once. The other two are laughably easy (IMHO)... As I said before: look at who is posting these and you will easily guess all the rest.

[Maciek]

MM04 and MM05

[Maciek]

(I'll let you on on the theme though: all of them feature at least one solo piano... )

[lukeottevanger]

The fact that is you, and also the print style, lead me to think all are Polish. No 4, I think, is from the Szymanowski Symphonie concertante (Symph 4) - second movement. I need to look at the others a little more.

[Mark G. Simon]

No. 3 is the Lutoslawski Piano Concerto?

Edit: Duh, it's more likely the Paganini Variations. My first guess was based solely on the appearance of the PWM typography, which never fails to put the name Lutoslawski in my head.

[Maciek]

The fact that is you, and also the print style, lead me to think all are Polish.

Some very good thinking there, Luke.

No 4, I think, is from the Szymanowski Symphonie concertante (Symph 4) - second movement.

Correct!

Edit: Duh, it's more likely the Paganini Variations.

Correct!

That's the two laughable ones behind us.

[lukeottevanger]

and no 3 looks (just possibly) like Lutoslawski Paganini Variations,...


darn, Mark already got there. The typeface and cutaway style says Lutoslawski; the sequences say Paganini...

[lukeottevanger]

OK, some clues to follow Larry's. My remaining ones are: 9, 10, 13, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34


Only one is American; it is recognisably so, but it specifically and titular-ly (?) associates itself with certain aspects of  twentieth century European music.

Two quote or refer to earlier works by major composers whose surnames begin with M

Two set religious texts (in Latin)

One depicts a very specific landscape and culture; the score contains an obvious hint as to what landscape/culture this is.

One is a memorial

One includes parts for football whistles and alarms

One is from an opera riddled with adverts, parodies, grotesqueries and social comment.

Two are from symphonies

One is taken from the last movement of the third piece of a very well-known triptych

One is a concert version of a film score.

One is infamous

The only one I haven't given a clue to was chosen by me, which is clue enough

[lukeottevanger]

Maciek, is one of yours Penderecki? I'm thinking about no 5, but have little to justify myself.

[greg]

mm5 looks like Penderecki, i mean that's exactly how he writes his scores...
i just opened my Oxford Dictionary of music and flipped right into Penderecki's page right when i opened the book without turning any other pages (don't know how that happened) and tried looking for a piece with just piano and timpani, but couldn't find any (i didn't think i would).

the only too composers i know with scores that may look exactly like his are Serocki and Gorecki, i'm guessing the composer is Polish (big surprise!  ) But i'm guessing Serocki over Gorecki- Serocki- Continuum...

(i've heard this before, and i should have a page from the score still on a CD somewhere)

oh wait..... let me change my guess again. Fantasmagoria

[lukeottevanger]

Yes, I thought Serocki too - I've only seen a few of his scores, a long time ago, but I called them to mind when i saw no 5. Wouldn't know which piece it could be if it was him, though.

[Maciek]

opera riddled with adverts, parodies

Type that into Google, and what do you get?

VeggieTales - Sumo of the Opera

Is my guess correct?

Maciek, is one of yours Penderecki? I'm thinking about no 5, but have little to justify myself.

Luke, it is not Penderecki, though I can see why you thought it was him. It's probably the most obscure piece on the list. This composition was commissioned by the same man who commissioned Penderecki's Passion. It's the only one of mine scored for two pianos and orchestra. That's enough clues for now.

OK, while I was writing this you guys narrowed it down very well. I've therefore made the clue a little shorter.

It's neither Continuum nor Fantasmagoria.

I must say I'm really impressed, BTW. Serocki is one of my favorite composers, and I've been intending to start a separate thread on him for a long time now.

[greg]

It's neither Continuum nor Fantasmagoria.

dude, i give up, i have no idea 

[Larry Rinkel]

So the first of these - the D minor quartet movement - is the first movement (Grave) of Wolf's Quartet, I assume.

Correct. Keep using your clues.