This is driving me nuts. It’s an orchestral piece, pretty famous, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is. The theme goes something like this:
(Key of A minor, slow 3/4 time)
| = beginning of bar, E- signifies an eighth-note, E— a quarter-note etc.
4 bars:
|...........|...........|
E- E---F---E- E---D---
C-BAC-B-A-C-B-D-E-----
Hmmm, doesn’t sound “famous”, are you sure you’ve got that right?
If it is famous, can you think of a movie, commercial, etc. where you heard it?
I’m humming it over and over again and I ain’t got a clue.
Could you give any other info? Texture? What instrument has the theme? dynamics?
Anything to paint a more complete picture.
Oh, and since I’m the 3rd one here so far who doesn’t recognize it (and people here are usually incredible at these song ID questions), can you confirm that you wrote it correctly, and that it is indeed famous?
Could it be 1812 Overture?
After the long introduction, things quiet down, and there’s a prelude to a gypsy dance. The notes Usram wrote seemed to flow into that for me.
Could it be from Wagner’s Tannhauser Overture? After the second motif picks up some strength and speed?
Never mind, I’ve remembered where it’s from. Perhaps “well known” rather than “pretty famous” - I think it’s one of those tunes that a lot of people would, like me, recognise if they heard it played, even if they didn’t know its name.
Do you want a clue, or shall I just tell you? Here’s a clue anyway - the composer is the only famous one from his country. And the piece was written in the late 19th century. BTW, the above 4 bars repeat seveal times, with minor variations.
DAMN! I know that song. I want to sing a slightly different rhythm to it though. That theme was in the violins, wasn’t it?
Sibelius? Finlandia? I’m trying to think of countries with just one famous composer, and Finland’s the first to spring to mind. Norway’s second, but I can’t make anything from Grieg fit that melody.
You’re very close, scratch, but it’s not Finlandia. One of his other popular works.
Well, Usram, you’ve stumped even me, and IMHO, that’s pretty hard. I was thinking Valse Triste, or possibly some part of the Karelia Suite. If it’s not either of those, then it’s far more obscure than you’d have us believe… 
Swan of Tuonela???
It was part II of the Karelia Suite. Sample no. 5 on this page:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000027XX/103-8369565-9235856