Can anyone identify the song on this webpage?

Cafe Society
#1

  1. Go here:
    http://www.orientalistart.net/Page1.html

  2. Click on ‘Terra.’ It will shortly download a familiar-sounding piece of Arabic/Middle Eastern tune in Quicktime.

I know I have heard this before – anybody know what it’s called?

#2

Well, according the the Credits page of that site, it was written in part by the site’s author. A linked page says that it was inspired by the seond movement of Sibelius’s Second Symphony. I am unfamiliar with that work, so I can’t say how derivative the result may be.

#3

I am exquisitely familiar with most of the works of Jean Sibelius (my dad was semi-obsessed with his music, and I love him too) and I can say that this piece “Terra” does not directly lift too much from Sibelius’s Second Symphony. It was “inspired,” as the composer says, but it’s not like I would recognize it as being derived from Sibelius had I not been told that.

“Terra” is a very lovely piece of music. Thanks for letting us know about it!