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Original poster

Can you name this piece of classical music-scratchy violin

26 replies

walkinthewoods · 10/10/2008 14:58

I downloaded a piece of music a few years ago but lost it. I havent a clue what it was. The whole track was what I can only descibe as a scratchy violin, which was so sad it used to almost make me cry.

I'm not really into classical all that much so the description is rubbbish sorry.

Any clues??

OP posts:
Katisha · 10/10/2008 19:34

Fast? Slow? Why scratchy? Because of style of music or style of playing or was it an old recording? How long?
Just violin or with piano or orchestra or something else?
See if you can come up with a bit more to go on!

MrsGhoulofGhostbourne · 10/10/2008 19:43

try Michel Nyman - he has done a number of film soundtracks as well as and I LOVE his scratchy violin compositions (DH hates 'em so it is my own secret vice ://www.last.fm/music/Michael+Nyman/+videos/+1-4_yC-Bc5aC0 like this - stick with it to the end - it only gets into its stride after about 20 secs. It is so evocative that even with all crashing around us econimically still transports me out of the mundane.
If yo get a chance to see/hear Michael Nyman live, GO!!!! (I will come with you ) - it is by far teh best music I have heard in conceert ( nb ( am not a music buff, but his stuff is visceral)

tortoiseshellWasMusicaYearsAgo · 10/10/2008 19:46

Could it have been this?

tortoiseshellWasMusicaYearsAgo · 10/10/2008 19:46

(Theme to Schindlers LIst)

kalo12 · 10/10/2008 19:48

spiegel im spiegel - arvo part

Marina · 10/10/2008 19:53

Was it the Romance from Shostakovich's Gadfly Suite? I ask because this was used as the theme to Reilly, Ace of Spies a good few years ago
It is not a solo piece though.
I am not a big fan of violin music, myself, but the solo piece I like best is The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams

Marina · 10/10/2008 19:55

MrsGhoul, I have a fab recording of the Kronos Quartet doing Michael Nyman String Quartets, and the Nyman Band doing his film music. I agree he is hugely underrated as a composer, but I can't think of much of his that is touchingly sad. Scratchy, stirring, yes

tortoiseshellWasMusicaYearsAgo · 10/10/2008 19:57

I just listened through to that link I posted, of the Schindler, and it really is SO sad.

MrsGhoulofGhostbourne · 10/10/2008 20:12

Marina - the Shostakovich is beautiful - I have heard this but not known its provenance. (nb Have never seen Reilly ace of Spades - does it live up to its music )

Marina · 10/10/2008 20:56

It had Sam Neill in

tortoiseshellWasMusicaYearsAgo · 10/10/2008 20:57

the shostakovich is lovely!

MrsGhoulofGhostbourne · 10/10/2008 21:02

Sam Neill!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that has to be worth watching. TOTALLY fell for him in 'Dead Calm' (And DH looks a bit like him (And shamefully, when I took DS1 to see 'Jurassic Park' was the first one to shriek (before any dinosaurs appeared), because had not realised that SAM NEILL WAS IN IT...))

Original poster
walkinthewoods · 10/10/2008 21:02

OK as I remember it was just a violin. It was the style of playing, not an old recording. I can here the tune in my head but there's no way I can describe it because I'm not musically minded. It's slow. Can't remeber how long it was

It wasn't The Lark Ascending or Romance. The closest was Michael Nyman (which I liked) but it was more scratchy than this as if it was being played very naively if that makes sense. I don;t know what else I could say about it really. I might google it?

OP posts:
tortoiseshellWasMusicaYearsAgo · 10/10/2008 21:09

Did you look at the Schindler?

Can you 'type' the tune? Like Schindler would be
Dee-dar dee-dar dee-dee-dee-dee dee-dar-dee-dee-deeeeee

Marina · 10/10/2008 21:13

I am with you there, he is as fit as the proverbial butcher's dog
I am racking my brains to think of something that is so moving it made you cry, but not dissimilar to Nyman's angular style

Original poster
walkinthewoods · 10/10/2008 21:15

OMG I think it might have been Spiegel im Spiegel. The only thing is that the violin was much more 'warbly'. I do remember the piano in it now. I'm guessing that these tracks can be interpreted in different ways so one musician would play it more warbly? Or do you stick to the status quo in classial music, scuse my ignorance.

OP posts:
Katisha · 10/10/2008 21:17

No different musicians can do the same pieces really quite differently. But they usually at least play the same notes.

mehgalegs · 10/10/2008 21:17

don't know if this works with classical music but have you tried the songtapper?

mehgalegs · 10/10/2008 21:19

Actually, maybe don't bother. i have just tried some well known classical pieces and it suggested pink panther and karma chameleon ?

geminigirl · 10/10/2008 21:24

This piece really moves me...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nqSaKlspF0

ScottishMummy · 10/10/2008 21:26

was it yo yo mah Bach concerto is nice

Original poster
walkinthewoods · 10/10/2008 21:45

The Bach concerto I liked, thanks

OP posts:
ScottishMummy · 10/10/2008 22:04

yo yo mah is genius

Bink · 10/10/2008 22:51

I was wondering about Arvo Part too - have Fratres playing as I type.

Bink · 10/10/2008 22:51

Has anyone done any choreography to Part?
Or would that be just fantastically missing the transcendent, non-bodily, point?