# Help discovering name of piece/composer



## Vidar (Mar 10, 2010)

Hello, any suggestions would be appreciated, although i am not sure i will be able to give enough information for it to be possible but here goes.

About 12 to 15 years ago, i was getting bored with my metal and rock music and started exploring classical, and i was coming home from second shift work, and just as i parked a song came up on classical radio that i sat in my turned off car and listened to and it blew me away. Of course i wasnt perspicacious enough to actually call the station and find out the song or composer (that would have been too logical), and havent been able to find it since, but i am going to describe it as best i can and see if i can get some help.

To whit, it sounded like a haunted circus . 

The impression i got while listening to it, was that it had the kind of instruments you might hear at an old fashioned circus or carnival, something like that. There was a haunting eerie type of organ going on, pretty sure some strings like violins or such, woodwind (an old fashioned type of one), something fairly deep like a tuba, but it seemed like it was more than just a few instruments, like it was an orchestra. I dont want people to think this sounded like some happy kid circus music, because that wasnt the feeling i got from it, it was, i dont want to say macabre, but it was off, if that makes sense. 

Sorry i cant be more specific, should have done this long time ago, but time has a habit of slipping away. Thank you for any suggestions.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

The first thing that pops into my mind is Saint-Saëns' third symphony.


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## Vidar (Mar 10, 2010)

My local library has it so i will check it out by checking it out. Thank you.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

Vidar said:


> My local library has it so i will check it out by checking it out. Thank you.


It's a popular piece, it's probably posted on Youtube. The sound quality isn't as good as a CD, but it can save you a trip to the library.


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## Vidar (Mar 10, 2010)

you saved me a trip to the library, but unfortunately that wasnt it. but thank you for the suggestion. i recall it having more organ than that and being more lively, the tempo was a quicker pace. now im trying to remember if there was some sort of drum, like it actually was circus music, or a weird march, but i cant remember. i would know it just from the organ and strings and winds though, but so far no go.


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## Vidar (Mar 10, 2010)

ok i have done some searching around on the internet, thanks for the youtube suggestion, and google video and so forth, and now the closest i can come to what im thinking of is handel's organ concerto's, some of the opus 4 ones have the elements of what im looking for, not to mention are giving me goosebumps, i think i may be a handel organ concerto fan, but i will have to keep searching, for its not quite the stuff i remember, which was eerier.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

Vidar said:


> you saved me a trip to the library, but unfortunately that wasnt it. but thank you for the suggestion. i recall it having more organ than that and being more lively, the tempo was a quicker pace. now im trying to remember if there was some sort of drum, like it actually was circus music, or a weird march, but i cant remember. i would know it just from the organ and strings and winds though, but so far no go.


Did you check all movements?

Did it sound more modern? Maybe give Hindemith's organ concerto a try? Or the Poulenc concerto.

I wish I could help more, I'm not familiar with organ music at all.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Hi Vidar,

MY first thoughts from your description of "haunting" is _Symphonie Concertante_ composed by Joseph Jongen. A piece for full orchestra and organ, some parts of the piece could be thought of to exhibit a circus like feeling. Here's a youtube video of the Toccata movement, here performed by two players on organ.

Here is an audio presentation of the first movement with organ and orchestra.


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## Vidar (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestion. i tried both but still no luck. I almost wish i could go back in time and cuff myself upside the head , or better yet, call the darn radio station. 

Pretty sure i couldnt ask them what they played between 11 and 12 pm about 12 to 15 years ago, but it would be nice. heck i will call them anyways just to see how long they keep records of their program lists. I want to thank you both for your suggestions. This is probably one of those situations where i will give up trying to find it and it will end up hitting me on the head somewhere.


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## Vidar (Mar 10, 2010)

Hello, just a couple years after my post and i believe i have finally found what i was looking for. It is khachaturian's masquerade suite waltz. i guess, now that i am hearing it currently, it still does sound somewhat like a haunted circus to my ears. thanks again to everyone who helped with suggestions.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

That is amazing!


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