# Classical Piece ID Needed

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-piece-id-needed/283242>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 5, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-piece-id-needed/283242 "2005-01-05T18:41:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-piece-id-needed/283242/21 "2005-01-06T15:27:57Z")

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> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Fortuna was a Roman god - who also makes a popular appearance in Medieval music in the song [Fortuna Desperata](http://www.areditions.com/rr/rrm/m037.html).

You are quite correct, **GorillaMan**. I was attempting to question in a snarky way whether the author of the poem _O Fortuna_ was referring to the goddess in an allegorical way, or whether he was revelling in a display of heretical chutzpah. I guess my snarkiness fell flat.

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-piece-id-needed/283242/22 "2005-01-06T15:36:35Z")

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> [@Kizarvexius](#):
>
> You are quite correct, **GorillaMan**. I was attempting to question in a snarky way whether the author of the poem _O Fortuna_ was referring to the goddess in an allegorical way, or whether he was revelling in a display of heretical chutzpah. I guess my snarkiness fell flat.

Yes and no - depends on whether the Roman god was allegorical in the first place 😉 😛

(And the issue of the popularity of this non-Christian idol in medieval sacred music is an open topic, too…but that’d be getting a bit too serious for this time in the afternoon…)

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classical-piece-id-needed/283242/23 "2005-01-06T15:39:21Z")

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> [@av8rmike](#):
>
> I’d bet that back when it was written, it wasn’t well-liked, but now it’s just become clichéd and overexposed. It’s a shame, because there’s so much good music in there.

I ran the full MIDI piece from that site and was surprised how good it all was. And despite how cliched and overexposed “O Fortuna” has become I still find it menacing and foreboding, which says something for it. I don’t normally like 20th century composers but I plan to look at Orff more now.

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