# What's the name of this classical piece? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844 "2003-05-22T17:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/1 "2003-05-22T17:30:20Z")
Can’t remember the name of it. I’ll give you the melody in the key of A: E ABC#DE A A F# DEF#G#A1 A A ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/2 "2003-05-22T17:54:52Z")
You must be thinking of the Minuet in G from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. While this piece was not actually written by J.S. Bach, he collected pieces like this for inclusion in the book. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/3 "2003-05-22T17:55:50Z")
Can’t remember the name of it, but it is by Bach. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/4 "2003-05-22T17:57:26Z")
[Minuet in G.](http://www.mysheetmusic.com/minuetg1.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/5 "2003-05-22T17:59:02Z")
Also known as “A Lover’s Concerto” by the Toys. (“How gentle is the rain…”) ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/6 "2003-05-22T18:12:08Z")
I love you all. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/7 "2003-05-22T19:21:24Z")
I bet you heard it on a cellphone, right? 😉 Here’s a website which identifies classical tunes if you can tap in the melody on an on-screen keyboard. I’ve experimented with it; the database is small but apparently growing. It would have turned up the answer to your question, I think. [http://sd.znet.com/~iwamura/kbdif/kbdif.html](http://sd.znet.com/~iwamura/kbdif/kbdif.html) ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/8 "2003-05-22T19:26:29Z")
For those who answered the question: did you read that string of notes and hum it in your head, then identify it? Or can you identify it without the middle step (the turning into music one)? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/9 "2003-05-22T19:30:20Z")
Yes. No. ---
**Author:** ![Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misery_Loves_Co)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/10 "2003-05-22T20:24:23Z")
I was momentarily thrown off by going up a 4th rather than down a fifth, but believe it or not I recognized the shape of the rhythm a split second before the notes slipped into place . . . Ain’t music grand? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/11 "2003-05-22T20:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Misery Loves Co. \* > \*\*I was momentarily thrown off by going up a 4th rather than down a fifth, but believe it or not I recognized the shape of the rhythm a split second before the notes slipped into place . . . Ain’t music grand? \*\* I was wondering if anyone was gonna get my odd rhythmic notation. ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/12 "2003-05-23T03:21:37Z")
I “thought” it in my head, but didn’t hum or play it. I regognised it mostly from the A major scale patterns. I don’t think I would have understood the rhythm at first without having already heard the piece, though. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/13 "2003-05-23T03:49:00Z")
As a hijack from this specific thread, but in keeping with the title - Say, what’s the name of the classical piece or pieces often heard as “circus music”? Anybody know? Not calliope music, but the music that is associated with the Big Top. I know I heard it on a Classical Thunder TV ad, but I have no idea which piece it was. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/14 "2003-05-23T03:51:55Z")
You mean, C B BbBBbA Ab G Gb G? 😉 If anybody knows an informal system of staffless notation better than the OP’s, I’d like to know it. I wonder about this a lot. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/15 "2003-05-23T04:12:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\*As a hijack from this specific thread, but in keeping with the title - Say, what’s the name of the classical piece or pieces often heard as “circus music”? Anybody know? Not calliope music, but the music that is associated with the Big Top. I know I heard it on a Classical Thunder TV ad, but I have no idea which piece it was. \*\* Yes **Masonite** , that’s what I was thinking too. It’s called “Entrance of the Gladiators” by a guy named Fucik (spell that one carefully!) You can [hear it here](http://www.deniseswanson.com/stybr/examples/gladiatr.mid) ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-this-classical-piece/176844/16 "2003-05-24T16:05:37Z")
Thanks, that’s most definitely it!