# What’s that iconic classical piece with two very discordant violin bow strokes in beginning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495 "2020-02-25T15:32:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/1 "2020-02-25T15:32:18Z")
This is driving me nuts. I’m pretty sure it was Mozart or Beethoven and I thought it was a concerto for piano and violin but I could be wrong. It has two screechy discordant violin bow strokes at the beginning and for the life of me I can’t remember the rest (just that I like it). The opening is really quite jarring if that helps. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/2 "2020-02-25T15:40:57Z")
Danse macabre? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YyknBTm_YyM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgXChHMA8=&rs=AOn4CLC8wVYomwalM7keIkq5MJHvuThoqw "Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyknBTm_YyM) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/3 "2020-02-25T16:09:03Z")
Beethoven’s 4th Symphony? Though it actually starts out very gently; in this recording, the dramatic strokes don’t come until nearly the three minute mark (2:57): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kBXRd0tgJHI/hqdefault.jpg "Tomas Netopil - Beethoven 4th Symphony") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBXRd0tgJHI) ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/4 "2020-02-25T16:21:28Z")
I was going to suggest Beethoven’s Third Symphony, even though it’s opening two chords aren’t really dissonant, and they’re not played by only the violins. But it does fit the sort of “jarring opening,” and it is a pretty iconic piece. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nbGV-MVfgec/maxresdefault.jpg "Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (Op. 55) Eroica Berliner Philharmoniker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbGV-MVfgec) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/5 "2020-02-25T16:50:50Z")
There’s [Mozart’s “Dissonance” Quartet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zbNgyJkzdw)but I don’t think that’s the one you mean. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/6 "2020-02-25T16:52:31Z")
Beethoven’s violin sonata No. 9 in A, opus 47? Opens with a short and “discordant” line by the violin, and the first two notes are somewhat jarring. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8NOF_ueaxJ4/hqdefault.jpg "Yuja Wang & Joshua Bell : Beethoven - Violin Sonata No. 9 "Kreutzer" Opus 47") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NOF_ueaxJ4) ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/7 "2020-02-25T17:37:04Z")
Beethoven: Symphony 9, Op 125 (as heard in Clockwork Orange) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeO4RF7eXBc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeO4RF7eXBc) ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-that-iconic-classical-piece-with-two-very-discordant-violin-bow-strokes-in-beginning/848495/8 "2020-02-25T18:50:28Z")
[quote=“Ukulele\_Ike, post:6, topic:848495”] Beethoven’s violin sonata No. 9 in A, opus 47? Opens with a short and “discordant” line by the violin, and the first two notes are somewhat jarring. [/QUOTE] That’s the one. Not quite how I remember it - partly because Bell plays it more sweetly than whoever did for the old Xbox game in which I originally heard it. It’s really the second line I was thinking of. Thanks!