# ID This Piece of Classical Music, Please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105 "2006-12-14T09:26:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/1 "2006-12-14T09:26:16Z")
It’s played at the beginning of _The Economist_’s podcast. I thought that it was from _Different Trains_ by Steve Reich, but having listened to Reich’s piece, it’s obviously not from that, though it does sound like his style. Anyone know what it might be? It’s driving me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/2 "2006-12-15T16:43:43Z")
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? You can find the podcast via iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/3 "2006-12-15T18:50:15Z")
All the Podcasts I found start with the interviews, not with the music (I don’t have I-Tunes, so maybe that’s the difference). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/4 "2006-12-15T18:51:04Z")
Maybe if you hum it…? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/5 "2006-12-15T20:08:45Z")
[Try here](http://www.economist.com/index.html) (‘audio’ on the right hand side). No idea, but I’d hazard a guess at Michael Nyman. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/6 "2006-12-16T03:08:06Z")
I’m 99% certain it’s by Philip Glass, and I think it’s from a film score, but I’m a little less sure about that. [Here’s](http://www.philipglass.com/html/pages/mp3.html) a whole page of brief Glass clips. You might find it there. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/7 "2006-12-16T03:59:35Z")
The Music is by Pengiun Cafe Orchestra, I beleive from their first album “Broadcasting from home”. See: [https://www.i-pay.tv/zopfshop/detail.asp?id=77](https://www.i-pay.tv/zopfshop/detail.asp?id=77) I can’t remember WHICH piece it is, however… Regards FML ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/8 "2006-12-16T21:51:55Z")
It’s “Perpetuum Mobile,” by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. This has been used in several commercials, and was featured in the pilot episode of the CBS series **3 Lbs.** ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-piece-of-classical-music-please/384105/9 "2006-12-16T22:11:27Z")
Crap. Well, so much for being 99% sure. It’s used a lot on (US) National Public Radio and [del]I’m 99% sure[/del] **I think** I’ve heard it on _This American Life_.