# Help me ID this piece of classical music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 28, 2002, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990 "2002-08-28T21:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/1 "2002-08-28T21:27:06Z")
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: ```auto |...........|...........| E- E---F---E- E---D--- C-BAC-B-A-C-B-D-E----- ``` ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/2 "2002-08-29T00:17:57Z")
Hmmm, doesn’t sound “famous”, are you sure you’ve got that right? ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/3 "2002-08-29T03:25:40Z")
If it is famous, can you think of a movie, commercial, etc. where you heard it? ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/4 "2002-08-29T04:45:35Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/5 "2002-08-29T16:14:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/6 "2002-08-29T16:31:51Z")
Could it be from Wagner’s _Tannhauser_ Overture? After the second motif picks up some strength and speed? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/7 "2002-08-29T17:22:28Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/8 "2002-08-29T17:44:09Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/9 "2002-08-29T18:12:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/10 "2002-08-29T18:28:50Z")
You’re very close, **scratch** , but it’s not _Finlandia_. One of his other popular works. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/11 "2002-08-30T03:12:52Z")
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… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/12 "2002-08-30T04:07:45Z")
Swan of Tuonela??? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-piece-of-classical-music/125990/13 "2002-08-30T13:05:19Z")
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](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000027XX/103-8369565-9235856)