# Any help identifying this opera would be superb!



## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

We've been struggling with this one for a bit. The available audio sample is very short, but the section of music it contains does seem to be distinct to my ear. We are more interested in knowing what piece of music this sample is from rather than an exact recording. It seems to be derived from a piece of music that features a solo operatic singer with a men's choir - I'm certain the original key of the recording is one of these three pitches heard in the audio example below. The recording this piece of audio was derived from will have been in circulation by 1989 at the latest.

My description is certainly a little vague, but the melody the singer is performing does sound highly distinctive to my ear, I'm hoping this may stick out to someone better versed in opera than myself. Thank you!

Audio Example (SoundCloud)


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## classicalmusicfinder (9 mo ago)

Hm, what are the 3 segments you posted? Are these 3 original parts or is it the same part pitch shifted 3 times?


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Correct, it is a single audio recording being played back at three keys, one of which will be the original key the piece of music it is derived from will be in.


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## classicalmusicfinder (9 mo ago)

Zelda said:


> Correct, it is a single audio recording being played back at three keys, one of which will be the original key the piece of music it is derived from will be in.


Out of curiosity, how did this happen? You aren't sure which key is correct? Also, do you know any general info like time period or maybe it would be helpful to know how you came across it?


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Amended the OP to include a latest possible year (1989). This piece of audio has quite a story attached to it. It is derived from an E-mu Emax II keyboard program designed for live use by the English band Depeche Mode for their famous song "Enjoy the Silence". This musical part is one of several layers of sampled sounds derived from classical recordings and other sources that are used in creative ways to form the ethereal choir staccatos heard throughout the song. The sample is used very subtly and is best heard during the delivery of the chorus lyric: "Here" - sample occurs on the first beat of the new measure - "in my arms." Very quiet and just barely there - the art of sound design!

As the audio samples used for these keyboard programs were often encoded at differing pitches during the production process, the key this sample was encoded at (which is the first play-through heard in the audio demonstration) may not necessarily be the same as the source audio recording. For this reason, the sample is played here at "educated guess" pitches, one of which is likely to be the audio's original root key.


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Updating this thread to mention we have a small group of people who would be happy to offer a cash reward for the name of the composition/piece of music this choral passage is from. We are very excited to find this one. The search so far has been very enjoyable.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

If I may say so, renew the link , it's a now a bad gateway on my screen.


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Rogerx said:


> If I may say so, renew the link , it's a now a bad gateway on my screen.


No problem, let me know if this link works (hosted via SoundCloud).


__
https://soundcloud.com/din%2Fchoral-demonstration-various-pitches


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Zelda said:


> No problem, let me know if this link works (hosted via SoundCloud).


*404 Not Found*
nginx 

This is what I am getting, sorry.


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Rogerx said:


> *404 Not Found*
> nginx
> 
> This is what I am getting, sorry.


I have updated the previous post to embed the audio directly, not sure if this will help, the link appears to be functional after a cache clear on desktop Chrome, Firefox, and mobile (you may have a browser extension or plugin that is blocking SoundCloud from loading audio). Let me know if this still produces that error for you and I can try another platform.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Zelda said:


> I have updated the previous post to embed the audio directly, not sure if this will help, the link appears to be functional after a cache clear on desktop Chrome, Firefox, and mobile (you may have a browser extension or plugin that is blocking SoundCloud from loading audio). Let me know if this still produces that error for you and I can try another platform.


I am using the Opera browser ( no joke)


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Rogerx said:


> I am using the Opera browser ( no joke)


Perhaps YouTube will do the trick!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Now it's working, but alas I don't know the answer.


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Rogerx said:


> Now it's working, but alas I don't know the answer.


Thank you for listening. It's certainly an interesting phrase


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

You started this thread in the correct forum, but I'm moving it to the opera forum to see what the experts say.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I sounds like Philip Glass or John Adams to me. How could it be used by Depeche Mode without infringing copyright.

(Similarly it could just be some old bloke doing some vocal warm ups.)

N.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I thought about Yma Sumac, because she could do weird things with her voice and recorded sounds withiut words. But I do not say I recognize the melody. I listened to my parent's vinyl once and it did not interest me further. Also, my pitch hearing is impaired and such a short phrase would not be remembered. Is there a chorus in the background ? I do not hear it at all.


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

BBSVK said:


> I thought about Yma Sumac, because she could do weird things with her voice and recorded sounds words. But I do not say I recognize the melody. I listened to my parent's vinyl once and it did not interest me further. Also, my pitch hearing is impaired and such a short phrase would not be remembered. Is there a chorus in the background ? I do not hear it at all.


Sumac is certainly worth a look, along with Philip Glass. It is a chorus audible in the background, the clip is likely to be a piece with a full chorus and a soloist. Not knowing the exact original pitch of the recording does make it more of a challenge.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Zelda said:


> Amended the OP to include a latest possible year (1989). This piece of audio has quite a story attached to it. It is derived from an E-mu Emax II keyboard program designed for live use by the English band Depeche Mode for their famous song *"Enjoy the Silence". This musical part is one of several layers of sampled sounds derived from classical recordings and other sources that are used in creative ways to form the ethereal choir staccatos heard throughout the song. *The sample is used very subtly and is best heard during the delivery of the chorus lyric: "Here" - sample occurs on the first beat of the new measure - "in my arms." Very quiet and just barely there - the art of sound design!
> 
> As the audio samples used for these keyboard programs were often encoded at differing pitches during the production process, the key this sample was encoded at (which is the first play-through heard in the audio demonstration) may not necessarily be the same as the source audio recording. For this reason, the sample is played here at "educated guess" pitches, one of which is likely to be the audio's original root key.


Here's the full quote - taken from a page which chronicles the extensive use of samples by Depeche Mode -






Depeche Mode sample sources - Depeche Mode Live Wiki


This page aims to document all verifiable sound sources for many of the musical parts used by Depeche Mode in the production of their studio albums, official remixes, live performances, and other works.




dmlive.wiki





*From the section - "Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode - 1990 - Listed under "Self-made samples"*

Choir stabs - The *textured choral stabs* heard on the first beat of every measure throughout "Enjoy The Silence" are *comprised of a series of sampled choir sounds each playing individual notes of a chord*. Among these sounds are two sourced samples *potentially derived from one or more classical recordings*, the first of which is played on the first beat per measure throughout the song, the second of which is played on the first beat of every fourth chorus measure (in time with the lyric "In my arms"); a choir sound previously used for live performances of "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" on the Music For The Masses tour; *and a series of custom vocal "ahh" samples likely produced by sampling vocal sustains sung by **Martin Gore*, which are notably also used to play the choir melody heard in the song's outro.


Note the use of "potentially derived from one or more classical recordings" - which essentially translates to "we have no idea - not even a clue - we're just guessing" - Each choir sound is an individual note of a chord combined into a series which are themselves a derivation rather than sourced from an original. They broke something apart into individual pieces and then reassembled it into something completely unique that consequently bears no resemblance to an "original" of whatever it may have once been and thus how can anyone be expected to identify something that never actually existed and even if it once did, it has now been altered beyond recognition?

The sample you're referring to combines elements of the choir sound used for live performances of "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" and a series of custom vocal "ahh" samples likely produced by sampling vocal sustains sung by Martin Gore, the guitarist for DM. The choir sounds are comprised of a series of sampled choir sounds each playing individual notes of a chord.

It's not a composition per se - It's a series of notes from a variety of sources combined into a choir stab sample.

Now... How do I go about collecting that cash reward you were so eager to offer?


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Shaughnessy said:


> Here's the full quote - taken from a page which chronicles the extensive use of samples by Depeche Mode -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Would you believe I am the curator of that page? 😅 Have to use insightful but non-definitive language there so as not to make a claim one way or the other. Good eye, though. This particular sound (and the one I mention above that is too generic to be of use) are the two pieces of audio derived from a third party mentioned on the page.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Zelda said:


> Would you believe I am the curator of that page? 😅 Have to use insightful but non-definitive language there so as not to make a claim one way or the other. Good eye, though. This particular sound (and the one I mention above that is too generic to be of use) are the two pieces of audio derived from a third party mentioned on the page.


Allow me to express my unabashed admiration for being responsible for the creation of that page - My compliments - That page is evidence of powers far beyond mere mortals - But I'm still not entirely certain that you're on the right path with your attempt to tie this brief excerpt into an identifiable melody that anyone - including the composer - would be able to recognize. But it's your page - Your quest - and I can't do anything other than wish you the very best of success with the caveat that if it wasn't recognized here, it's not going to be recognized anywhere else. 

Cheers!


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## Zelda (Jun 7, 2020)

Sneaking in the answer to this question, we were able to identify it with a little luck. The audio is derived from a 1975 performance of "Sableyalo mi Agontze (The Bleating Lamb)" by the Bulgarian State Female Vocal Choir. Not quite opera, but gorgeous nonetheless. Their vocal style is rooted in tradition spanning Bulgaria's Thracian and Byzantinian history, and is of note for its use of diaphonic timbres and dissonant harmonies.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Zelda said:


> Sneaking in the answer to this question, we were able to identify it with a little luck. The audio is derived from a 1975 performance of "Sableyalo mi Agontze (The Bleating Lamb)" by the Bulgarian State Female Vocal Choir. Not quite opera, but gorgeous nonetheless. Their vocal style is rooted in tradition spanning Bulgaria's Thracian and Byzantinian history, and is of note for its use of diaphonic timbres and dissonant harmonies.


I am so glad you found it, even better that you 've told us the outcome, the times people put a question down and never been seen again is so fustrating. Good luck .


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Zelda said:


> Sneaking in the answer to this question, we were able to identify it with a little luck. The audio is derived from a 1975 performance of "Sableyalo mi Agontze (The Bleating Lamb)" by the Bulgarian State Female Vocal Choir.


Oh, of course! Now you mention it...

N.


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