# Can anyone identify the song on this webpage?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-the-song-on-this-webpage/195726>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 17, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-the-song-on-this-webpage/195726 "2003-08-17T05:07:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-the-song-on-this-webpage/195726/1 "2003-08-17T05:07:25Z")

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1. Go here:  
[http://www.orientalistart.net/Page1.html](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?

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**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-the-song-on-this-webpage/195726/2 "2003-08-17T06:04:14Z")

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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.

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**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-the-song-on-this-webpage/195726/3 "2003-08-17T08:17:25Z")

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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.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000001GJ9/) 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!