# Find the piece CHALLENGE, vol.1



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Let's play...
There are 20 small samples from classical pieces (just 1-2 secs). Depending on everybody's favorite composer, some of them will be easy but some will be really hard. Not many, I think.
The selection of the specific part of every piece wasn't random. A characteristic (more or less) sequence of (not too many) notes was selected so that one can recognize the piece.

*PLEASE DON'T POST YOUR ANSWER!!!*
Send me a *Private Message* and post: "_PM sent_" or "_I answered_" or something like that.
The results will be announced after 2-3 days.

Good luck!

More thematic games will follow. Composers, concertos, symphonies, sonatas etc.


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

You can download the samples as separated files from the link below:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/gbw33hkkikl5jbx/samples.zip/file


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

I didn't think it would be that difficult...


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I found it impossible - didn't know any of them for sure.


----------



## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Sent a PM - only one guess though. It's harder than I thought.

P.S. Sent two more guesses. Quite fun game!


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Bulldog said:


> I found it impossible - didn't know any of them for sure.


Some of the pieces are quite popular!


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

I thought that it would be good to inform the participants about their results without revealing the pieces.

*Azol*
3 tries
1 correct (9)
1 correct work/wrong movement (19)
1 wrong (8)

*Mifek*
10 tries
5 correct (2,5,8,14,19)
1 correct work/no movement (4)
4 wrong (1,6,11,13)

Nice try guys!


----------



## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Bulldog said:


> I found it impossible - didn't know any of them for sure.


I recognized two* of them for sure, with a few more standing out to me-- I KNOW I heard a few. I am reasonably certain that one fragment is in a particular piece, but I don't know where.

*One of them immediately, another one the next day after my brain coughed up the music that followed the clip


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

*Azol*
3 tries
1 correct (9)
1 correct work/wrong movement (19)
1 wrong (8)

*Mifek*
10 tries
5 correct (2,5,8,14,19)
1 correct work/no movement (4)
4 wrong (1,6,11,13)

*ORigel*
5 tries
2 correct (8,9)
3 wrong (2,13,19)

Nice try guys!


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Some help...The samples belong to these composers (obviously some have more than one sample).

BACH
BEETHOVEN
BRUCKNER
CHOPIN
DEBUSSY
LISZT
MAHLER
MOZART
MUSSORGSKY
SCHUBERT
SHOSTAKOVICH
SIBELIUS
STRAUSS R.
TCHAIKOVSKY
WAGNER


----------



## MrMeatScience (Feb 15, 2015)

I sent in some guesses. I'm pretty sure I will have heard all of the pieces but the excerpts are so short that only the ones I know like the back of my hand were answerable. Fun challenge though!


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

*Azol*
3 tries
1 correct (9)
1 correct work/wrong movement (19)
1 wrong (8)

*Mifek*
10 tries
5 correct (2,5,8,14,19)
1 correct work/no movement (4)
4 wrong (1,6,11,13)

*ORigel*
5 tries
2 correct (8,9)
3 wrong (2,13,19)

*MrMeatScience*
7 tries
4 correct (2,3,11,19)
3 correct composer but not the work (13,14,18)

Nice try guys!


----------



## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

I sent in a few guesses and I'll probably spend some time today on it and update. It's annoying how many of these I can recognize but not place. The samples are short enough that it makes this really challenging; a couple seconds longer and you'd be able to recognize signature melodies, motifs, harmonic progressions, etc.

I'm at least going to try to get all of the piano samples. Of these, I think I've gotten 1, 2, 5, and 7 and so it's just 12 and 19 left. The only one I'm really baffled by is #12, but even for that one I think I've probably heard it before and have an inkling about its composer.

5 is the only one that clicked instantly on first hearing. But then again I haven't been listening to much tonal music recently.

Fun game - I look forward to more like it (thematic would be nice).


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> The samples are short enough that it makes this really challenging; a couple seconds longer and you'd be able to recognize signature melodies, motifs, harmonic progressions, etc.


Exactly!



BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> The only one I'm really baffled by is #12, but even for that one I think I've probably heard it before and have an inkling about its composer.


Sample #12 is the most difficult of all, I think. Whoever recognizes it :tiphat:



BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> Fun game - I look forward to more like it (thematic would be nice).


I have some plans.
*Composers* (Mahler, Beethoven, Brahms), *Piano Sonatas*, *Piano Concertos* are some of them.


----------



## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

I believe the #17 is hardest of all, I mean, these 2 seconds could come from most any opera in existence


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Azol said:


> I believe the #17 is hardest of all, I mean, these 2 seconds could come from most any opera in existence


Maybe, but if someone knows the piece, it's characteristic.
Anyway, after the sample comes a _b flat_.
Does it help? 










By the way, I love this piece...


----------



## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Skakner said:


> I didn't think it would be that difficult...


It always feels obvious when you're the one making it ....


----------



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

OK, just sent my guesses. I think I correctly identified at least four of them.

It's quite clear to me who is the composer of #2, but which piece? And I know #8, but from where?


----------



## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

Sent PM.

I recognized some at first hearing, I'll check the others more carefully later on.

EDIT: only 7 of them recognized at the moment. It's hard for me to identify the others with only 1-2 secs of it.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Azol said:


> I believe the #17 is hardest of all, I mean, these 2 seconds could come from most any opera in existence


But how many of the listed composers have done opera?


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

I PM'ed twice. Most puzzling are the ones that sound like composers not on the list, like I hear Brahms for #16. And I can't tell which one is Strauss even though I've eliminated quite a few, I hope.


----------



## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Open Book said:


> But how many of the listed composers have done opera?


Eight of them 

P.S. Of course I tried to make a guess before the list of composers was disclosed


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

*Azol*
3 tries
1 correct (9)
1 correct work/wrong movement (19)
1 wrong (8)

*Mifek*
10 tries
6 correct (2,4,5,8,14,19)
4 wrong (1,6,11,13)

*ORigel*
5 tries
2 correct (8,9)
3 wrong (2,13,19)

*MrMeatScience*
7 tries
4 correct (2,3,11,19)
3 correct composer but not the work (13,14,18)

*Allerius*
8 tries
6 correct (4,13,14,15,16,19)
1 correct composer (2)
1 wrong (5)

*jdec*
8 tries
8 correct (2,5,8,10,11,16,18,19)

*Open Book*
16 tries
6 correct (1,4,5,8,9,14)
5 correct composer (2,6,7,18,19)
4 wrong (10,11,12,17)

====================================
jdec	8
Allerius, Mifek, Open Book 6
MrMeatScience 4
Origel 2
Azol 1
====================================

Nice try guys!


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Let's make the disclosure tomorrow so we can move to the next challenge.
I'm thinking of Mahler or Beethoven or Brahms Challenge.


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

*jdec* came up with some new guesses and he sums up to an impressive *13 correct answers*!!
Tomorrow all the samples will be revealed. Unless someone comes up with more correct answers, jdec will be the winner.
In any case, you got some ear my friend! I wouldn't be surprised if you play an instrument.

As expected, #12 proved tough nut! No one found it.
#6 also, although Open Book found the composer.
* Composers of #6 and #12 come from the same country* 

*Azol*
3 tries
1 correct (9)
1 correct work/wrong movement (19)
1 wrong (8)

*Mifek*
10 tries
6 correct (2,4,5,8,14,19)
4 wrong (1,6,11,13)

*ORigel*
5 tries
2 correct (8,9)
3 wrong (2,13,19)

*MrMeatScience*
7 tries
4 correct (2,3,11,19)
3 correct composer but not the work (13,14,18)

*Allerius*
8 tries
6 correct (4,13,14,15,16,19)
1 correct composer (2)
1 wrong (5)

*jdec*
13 tries
13 correct (1,2,5,7,8,10,11,13,16,18,19,20)

*Open Book*
16 tries
6 correct (1,4,5,8,9,14)
5 correct composer (2,6,7,18,19)
4 wrong (10,11,12,17)

====================================
*jdec 13*
Allerius, Mifek, Open Book 6
MrMeatScience 4
Origel 2
Azol 1
====================================

Nice try guys!


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Disclosure time!
Here are the 20 samples.
*#12* proved the more difficult. No one found it.
*#6* also proved hard. _Open Book_ found the composer.

Congratulations to *jdec* (13 correct answers).

Thank you all for your participation!
See you at the next Challenge (Mahler Symphonies).

1. CHOPIN - Fantasy, op.49
2. BACH - Well Tempered Clavier 1, Fugue 1
3. MAHLER - Symphony 1, II
4. BEETHOVEN - Symphony 3, I
5. CHOPIN - Scherzo 2
6. *SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony 10, II*
7. LISZT - Etudes Transcendental, VIII Wild Jagd
8. BEETHOVEN - Egmont overture
9. BRUCKNER - Symphony 8, IV
10. MUSSORGSKY (orch. RAVEL) - Pictures at an exhibition, Bydlo
11. SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony 4, I
12. *TCHAIKOVSKY - Piano Sonata 1, I*
13. SIBELIUS - Symphony 3, II
14. MOZART - Symphony 25, I
15. WAGNER - Der Fliegende Hollander overture
16. SCHUBERT - Symphony 8 "Unfinished", I
17. STRAUSS - 4 letzte lieder, I Fruhling
18. DEBUSSY - Preludes Book I, VII
19. MAHLER - Symphony 2, I
20. BACH - Art of Fugue, 18


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

That was fun, a challenge.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Azol said:


> Eight of them
> 
> P.S. Of course I tried to make a guess before the list of composers was disclosed


That's more than I expected. Some of those composers' operas, like Schubert's, are obscure. And it was easy to rule out Mozart and Beethoven.


----------



## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

#2 I knew it was either the Goldberg Variations or the WTC, I guessed wrong.

#5 I was so close! I even completed the rest of the phrase in my mind. I knew it was Chopin, and thought it sounded like a Scherzo. But maybe I was fooling myself, I thought. I only remembered Scherzo #1. If I'd listened to #2, I would have placed it.

#10 I vaugely recognized it, but had no idea it was the Bydlo I had been listening to on repeat for the last week (a piano version).

#13 I knew it was Sibelius, but guessed Symphony no. 2. It sorta sounded like the opening.

#19 I guessed Sibelius Symphony 5. Wow, I was off!


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

I was convinced #15 was the Tchaikovsky 1st piano concerto, opening movement, just before the piano comes in. The last note even sounded like the piano entering. You can really fool yourself when you want something to be true.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

ORigel said:


> #5 I was so close! I even completed the rest of the phrase in my mind. I knew it was Chopin, and thought it sounded like a Scherzo. But maybe I was fooling myself, I thought. I only remembered Scherzo #1. If I'd listened to #2, I would have placed it.


I was lucky. I'm participating in Bulldog's game involving the music of Chopin. Otherwise I would have had a tough time identifying by name the ones here.


----------



## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

Ahh, got 3 pieces right out of five guesses, I knew it was Chopin in no. 1 but didn't feel like investigating, and the Beethoven Egmont in no 8 I just blew it Almost put that down but changed it at the last second. This game is too much work.


----------



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

I did this little challenge for my own amusement and got nine out of twenty, and guessed the composer correctly on four others. I thought for sure the Liszt Etude was actually the B Minor Sonata. I can’t believe I didn’t get the Mahler 1st and Schubert 8th excerpts since I’ve listened to those countless times. The Mussorgsky/Ravel was the one that I didn’t even have a clue on since I vastly prefer the piano version. Funny, the Shostakovich 10 and the Strauss were two of the easiest for me to recognize instantly. Interesting how ears differ.


----------



## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> I did this little challenge for my own amusement and got nine out of twenty, and guessed the composer correctly on four others. I thought for sure the Liszt Etude was actually the B Minor Sonata. I can't believe I didn't get the Mahler 1st and Schubert 8th excerpts since I've listened to those countless times. The Mussorgsky/Ravel was the one that I didn't even have a clue on since I vastly prefer the piano version. Funny, the Shostakovich 10 and the Strauss were two of the easiest for me to recognize instantly. Interesting how ears differ.


The Mahler sounds like a theme from J. Strauss's "Die Fledermaus" and I couldn't get past that. I still can't tell where in the Mahler #1 movement #2 it comes from.


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

Open Book said:


> I still can't tell where in the Mahler #1 movement #2 it comes from.


I didn't use this recording (I really don't remember which one I did, I got so many...) but the passage is at about *21:08*.


----------



## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

It's from Mahler's Second, not First


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

If we are talking about Sample #19 (Mahler Symphony 2, mov.I) here it is, at *9:50* of the video.


----------

