# The Classical music piece used in "The Critic's" student film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287 "2003-11-09T21:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/1 "2003-11-09T21:18:00Z")
On the off-chance that one of the other 3 fans of the old TV show “The Critic” frequent this board…does anyone know the name of the classical music piece used in Jay Sherman’s student film, “L’Artiste de Mort”? I can dig up a .wav file, if need be. Well, thanks for your patience… Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/2 "2003-11-09T22:30:29Z")
I think this board’ll have more than 3 fans. Count me in. No idea on the name of the piece, though. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/3 "2003-11-09T23:42:16Z")
[Here is a wav file](http://www.leenite.org/thecritic/wavs/parodies/jaysfilm.wav) I don’t know what the music is though, sounds like Verdi or maybe Berlioz (I can’t even tell what language it is!). ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/4 "2003-11-10T00:46:24Z")
Or perhaps it’s Wagnarian. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/5 "2003-11-10T00:50:50Z")
Damn. It’s familiar. I don’t know if it’s Wagner, though. I just don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Labor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Labor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/6 "2003-11-10T19:36:59Z")
I disagree, not Wagner, wrong type of voices and singing, the chorus in Wagner is more mellow and rounded. It might be Verdi, sounds like opera to me. Not Berlioz, the brass parts are not in his style. I am inclined to say Beethoven or Mozart. Either from Fidelio by Beethoven or some late Mozart. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/7 "2003-11-10T20:27:03Z")
I’m voting for Mozart. I thought it was from the Requiem: it is very close in style to the _Dies Irae_, but that’s not what it is. (you can listen to this URL=http://www.3logic.net/~ilp/midi/requiem/kv626-2.mid]midi file, but imagine a more resounding chorus). Maybe something from the Don Giovanni? It could also be Verdi. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/8 "2003-11-10T21:27:06Z")
[Corrected link](http://www.3logic.net/~ilp/midi/requiem/kv626-2.mid). I also tried to find it with [MelodyHound](http://name-this-tune.com), but didn’t get an exact match. The chorus sings a slightly different melody to the accompagniment, which complicates things. I tried several possibilities, but no luck. Selecting only Mozart and Verdi I get these: Verdi, Giuseppe: Un ballo in maschera Act II: Ma dall’arido stelo Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Cosi fan tutte Act I: Un’aura amorosa Verdi, Giuseppe: Un ballo in maschera III: eri tu che macchiave Verdi, Giuseppe: Falstaff Act II E sogno? o realtà? Verdi, Giuseppe: La forza del Destino III: Solenne in quest’ora I don’t know what these sound like. Anyone familiar with these? ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/9 "2003-11-10T22:01:42Z")
It’s the Dies Irae from Mozart’s Requiem. Didn’t anybody notice the name of the MIDI file? KV626-2. It’s a Kochel number. Although the “-2” 2nd movement might imply the Kyrie. The Dies Irae is the 3rd movement. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/10 "2003-11-10T22:18:20Z")
Sorry, **Jpeg Jones** , there seems to be some confusion. I deliberately linked to a **midi-file** of the Dies Irae for comparison purposes. However, the OP asks for the choral music in the earlier linked **WAV file** (at 0’21’’). Unless I’m mistaken, the two pieces are similar but not the same. Listen closely: the melody may begin in a similar manner, but quickly diverges. Or am I getting tone deaf? ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/11 "2003-11-10T22:22:54Z")
Ah. Gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-classical-music-piece-used-in-the-critics-student-film/212287/12 "2003-11-10T22:40:56Z")
It’s not Mozart’s _Dies Irae_, but it would be very easy to confuse them. I’m not sure what it is.