Quiz: Mystery scores

Sean · August 27, 2007, 06:49:47 AM

Can you identify this music? I'm afraid I only have two scores to hand to show at present, and so below are photos of parts of three movements from different works of a set (the third might confuse a little), plus parts of four movements from one other, very different, work. Extra points for the movements as well as works...

I might take my camera to the library for next time if people seem to like this sort of thing.

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

Photo #6

Photo #7

Larry Rinkel · August 27, 2007, 07:01:45 AM

Bach Cello Suites: Prelude from #1 in D minor, Courante from #4 in Eb, Courante and Sarabande from #5 in C minor (with scordatura).

Excerpts from Messiaen's Vingt Regards (though I don't know which offhand).

greg · August 27, 2007, 07:18:59 AM

keep the scores coming, Sean!

Sean · August 27, 2007, 08:59:36 AM

Almost all correct there of course Larry, though you'll find a slight error in your answer...

Sean · August 27, 2007, 09:39:05 AM

Answers-

Photo #1: Bach Cello suite No.2, first mov Preludium, one of the most profound and moving things he wrote. Maiksy playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWyrxAZCOhA

Photo #2: Bach Cello suite No.4, third mov Courante.

Photo #3: Bach Cello suite No.5, end of third mov Courante and first two of the three lines of the fourth mov Sarabande- this suite possibly his greatest work with the Sarabande 'the essence of Bach's genius' to quote Rostropovich and paraphrase Tortelier. It was originally for a six stringed cello so there are two lines of music, one with the relevant notes transposed for regular cello. Maisky again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWyrxAZCOhA

Photo #4: Messiaen Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jesus mov 11, an effective example of his birdsong writing. Roger Muraro playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaSmgxN-Das&mode=related&search=

Photo #5: Messiaen Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jesus mov 20, manic and monumental creativity in this finale, impossible to play fast enough without great technique. Unfortunately the first half of the video of Katsaris playing this piece seems to have disappeared but you'll get a feel for the virtuosity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuOUBCdw7qg

Photo #6: Messiaen Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jesus mov 15, the end of the climactic section, releasing huge tension. The section builds up particularly from 2'30'' with tension breaking at 2'50''- the last line on the photo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bsvVdBJXtQ&mode=related&search=

Photo #7: Messiaen Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jesus mov 4, magical dissonance here (I used to play from memory).

Larry Rinkel · August 27, 2007, 09:48:51 AM

Quote from: Sean on August 27, 2007, 08:59:36 AM
Almost all correct there of course Larry, though you'll find a slight error in your answer...

Quite right, #1 is in G and #2 in d minor. Slip of the finger, but it stands.

Sean · August 27, 2007, 10:21:51 AM

I've just remembered the opening bars of Vingt regards mov 20 are repeated- go to 2'28'' of the Katsaris video (the first flourish has a shot of some trees or something before returning to the keyboard)- the velocity is amazing.

BachQ · August 29, 2007, 03:05:24 AM

Nicely done, Larry .......... looks like you scared away Sean, though ........

greg · August 29, 2007, 07:43:32 AM

psssssssst
now let's talk about him behind his back

Larry Rinkel · August 29, 2007, 07:46:35 AM

Quote from: greg on August 29, 2007, 07:43:32 AM
psssssssst
now let's talk about him behind his back

Talk about whom?

greg · August 29, 2007, 08:00:00 AM

Sean

Larry Rinkel · August 29, 2007, 04:54:47 PM

Quote from: D Minor on August 29, 2007, 03:05:24 AM
Nicely done, Larry .......... looks like you scared away Sean, though ........

"My! People come and go so quickly here!"
- Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz

greg · August 30, 2007, 06:22:51 AM

maybe Sean considers GMG his internet bathroom

Larry Rinkel · August 30, 2007, 06:26:14 AM

Quote from: greg on August 30, 2007, 06:22:51 AM
maybe Sean considers GMG his internet bathroom

True, he does seem to leave his waste products.

How about we keep this going? I'm going to upload six excerpts from musical scores. See which you can identify. If you're not sure, take your best guess but give a sentence saying why you answered that way. Some should be very simple, some a bit tricky. All are by familiar composers.

Larry Rinkel · August 30, 2007, 08:12:01 AM

#3-4:

Larry Rinkel · August 30, 2007, 08:12:52 AM

#5-6:

Novi · August 30, 2007, 08:27:29 AM

No. 1. Bach, Mass in B Minor, 'Quoniam tu solus sanctus'

I recognised the horn part, but cheated to check which section

. Incidentally, this was the first score I ever bought (Dover rocks!).

This must be the very simple one if even I can recognise it

.

cx · August 30, 2007, 08:30:41 AM

3: Beethoven op.95

Novi · August 30, 2007, 08:37:13 AM

No. 5. Elgar, Cello Concerto

Larry Rinkel · August 30, 2007, 08:40:26 AM

Three correct answers so far. This is obviously too easy. Now, how about the other three?

Again, if you don't know for sure, use your sense of style and history to narrow it down. Some of these are harder than others.