# Question about some "Poirot" music



## Bellinilover

I'd like some help from members with more knowledge of "classical" music than I have. I am a huge admirer of English film and television composer Christopher Gunning and his music for the long-running BBC series _Agatha Christie's Poirot_. Now, whenever I hear soundtracks from films or TV shows set in some past era, I tend to assume the composers have deliberately modeled their music after the music of "the great composers" (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.). In the case of _Poirot_, I believe that much of Gunning's music sounds like the concert-hall music of the 1930's (e.g. Stravinsky), but that the two selections I've posted below are exceptions. Listening to them, what do they sound like to you? I'm assuming #1 is late-Romantic in style, while #2 is more "20th century" -- but what _specific composers_ do they remind you of? Thanks.


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## MAS

In #1 I hear echoes of Rachmaninov and Gershwin 
in #2, Kachaturian and Mahler


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## elgar's ghost

Whatever they are, at least they are not unpalatable like the cheesy sax-driven theme tune.


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## Bellinilover

MAS said:


> In #1 I hear echoes of Rachmaninov and Gershwin
> in #2, Kachaturian and Mahler


I sort of figured #1 was "Russian" to some extent, but I never even considered Gershwin. Very interesting.

With #2 I really had no idea, so thanks for the help.


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## Bellinilover

elgars ghost said:


> Whatever they are, at least they are not unpalatable like the cheesy sax-driven theme tune.


It's funny -- I'm not a particular fan of the saxophone but always liked that theme and thought it was quite haunting. But I agree that you haven't heard anything until you've heard the _rest_ of Gunning's music for the series!


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