Hidden Melodies

ShiroKuro

Building off the discussion in the Last Song thread, I wanted to start a thread for sharing hidden melodies. I’ll start.

This is Alexis Ffrench’s September Song. When I first heard it (many years ago), it was driving me crazy because there was something about it that was reminding me of something else and I couldn’t place it. Then I spontaneously thought “it must be Earth Wind and Fire,” but I knew it wasn’t “September.” And despite the title, it is also not the jazz standard of the same name. But I finally figured it out. It’s from Fantasy. So here are the two spots:

September Song by Alexis Ffrench (cued up)

Fantasy by Earth Wind and Fire (hopefully cued up correctly)

Ok who’s next?

TulipAcid

Pretty sure Einaudi embeds the old 13th century Latin hymn Dies Irae into some of his works (Primavera.) Or something very much like it. Can’t quite figure it out.

ShiroKuro

TulipAcid Oh interesting! I'll have to listen for that.

danno858

ShiroKuro If you listen to Rachmaninov Piano Concert no 2 the theme in the second movement was “borrowed” for the popular song All by Myself

MRC

ShiroKuro

MRC that was fun!!

Actually, I’m glad you posted this, because it makes me think about how to classify hidden melodies… this one has singing in the rain as not hidden at all, but then is there more than one Ravel piece in there? I’m not sure.

But anyway, it makes me think about the different between a hidden melody and a more obvious medley or even piano mash up…. What’s the ? A fun question to consider!

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro this one has singing in the rain as not hidden at all, but then is there more than one Ravel piece in there? I’m not sure.

Most of this piece (which I've heard Hamelin play live) is based on Ravel's Jeux d'eau but at the very end I think there is a measure of two from A Boat on the Ocean. The Ravel pieces are not meant to be hidden. Sciarrino's piece is meant to be a clever joke to those familiar with the Ravel pieces. The more familiar one is with Jeux d'eau, the more clever one will find Sciarrino's very extensive use of that piece as the basis for Singin in the Rain. Of course, those not familiar with the Ravel pieces might only think of the piece as a beautiful arrangement of Singin in the Rain or a piece that sounds a bit like Ravel which is fine also.

Hamelin is fond of playing amusing encores. For example:

(you have to listen to the end of the second example to hear the joke)