Alphabet associations - I

[rubbernecker]

btw the Hindepants story reminds me of an incident during my postgraduate days, which, funnily enough, had a Hindemith connection and involved undergarments. It would be far too indelicate of me to repeat in this medium; the person in question - who had played under H in an American orchestra - might still be alive...

You can't possibly dangle that in front of us and then snatch it away, Taps. I'm sure you can obscure the details sufficiently to make it 'safe'.

Out with it, we command you. (Or PM me, at least...)

[mercia]

I didn't mean to put you to a lot of work, Angle

Glad you've got an F question

I'm to bed

[Nick Armstrong]

You can't possibly dangle that in front of us and then snatch it away, Taps. I'm sure you can obscure the details sufficiently to make it 'safe'.

Out with it, we command you. (Or PM me, at least...)

SECONDED!!! Tell all, Tapiola! Well, as much as poss! Or cc me in the PM!

[Angle]

What F is common to certain specific but unspecified symphonic works by the following, but which remain out of the ordinary:

Tchaikovsky
Mahler
Berlioz
Beethoven
Saint-Saëns

Give full details


This should be quite a quick one, so someone or other had better be ready with a G

[Tapiola]

mercia, my head is spinning slightly.

I have checked and double checked and I find I made onbe error. Here's what I see as the correct pairs:


Great Gate of Kiev E flat major
Scriabin Etude D sharp minor
(but how can this be ?) (I keep wanting the Mussorgsky to be in E flat minor but it isn't)

Ondine C sharp major
Chopin Raindrop D flat major

Mahler 10 F sharp major
Schubert 3rd Impromptu G flat major

Would you mind clarifying this, Tapiola?

I'll have a go at F but it will be straightforward, I hope. It might take half an hour.

Hmmm. I have done a bit of searching and find both F sharp major and minor for the Mahler. Mahler can be a problem in terms of key for the reason of his use of progressive tonality (i.e. finishing a work in a key different to the initial one. The 10th ends in the major, but is this just a simple case of Tierce de Picardie? To my ears the piece opens clearly in the minor, so, nominally at least, I would say F sharp minor.

The Mussorgsky is clearly major (E flat), though the question was supposed to hinge on the enharmonic equivalents rather than modalities of major or minor. I can see how the confusion has arisen and I apologise for it being less than clearcut.

As for the Hindepants story...

Well, it's really not that salacious at all. During my postgraduate research on H, I visited an aged German woman living locally whom I had heard had played under H in a US orchestra. Her husband was a German expat who taught string quartet to young students. She apparently knew H quite well and dealt abruptly with my arrogant know-it-all questioning of the man and his motivations. She had very kindly left me a copy of one of H's theory books for me to make notes from during my visit. I had however already studied this work in depth. She didn't seem too pleased when I airly announced that I knew this tome. Anyway, the interview could have gone a lot better but it improved as I inched towards the door.

We were standing next to the stairwell and chatting amiably about general musical matters when a wet pair of stockings fell from the top of the banister (where they were drying) and brushed the side of my head on the way down to the floor. The poor woman was utterly mortified. I thought little of it, but she tried her best to terminate the conversation whlst wringing these garments tightly in her hands. I did not take the hint and continued to chat away with her until her face became stony and I realised that I should leave.

Perhaps a generational thing, but she was most upset by this small incident.

We never met again.

[Tapiola]

What F is common to certain specific but unspecified symphonic works by the following, but which remain out of the ordinary:

Tchaikovsky
Mahler
Berlioz
Beethoven
Saint-Saëns

Give full details


This should be quite a quick one, so someone or other had better be ready with a G

is this to do with funeral, funereal, funebre?

[Angle]

If there is a funerasl connection it isn't the one I had in mind, mercia. Much simpler than that.

[Angle]

Sorry, Tapiola. That last message should have been addressed to you.

I like the story about the wet stockings. Hell hath no fury ....., perhaps.



I wish there was a typing checker here somewhere.

[mercia]

specific but unspecified

that's rather enigmatic
I'm not quite sure what it means

[Nick Armstrong]

that's rather enigmatic
I'm not quite sure what it means

I agree mercia. Maybe it's meant to be cryptic rather than enigmatic, but I can't make head nor tail of what that phrase is getting at...

[Nick Armstrong]

I wish there was a typing checker here somewhere.

The 'Edit Post' button is a godsend, for those typos that jump out after you've posted your reply...

[amateur51]

Is the F 'finished'?

I'm new round here

[Nick Armstrong]

Is the F 'finished'?

I'm new round here

No it's not finished! I for one am stumped. Can you have your wicked way with it?

(Just this moment been enjoyed some leaden Celtic wit on the subject of the automobile!!! )

[Tapiola]

Is the F 'finished'?

I'm new round here

Welcome amateur!

You could be onto something here. Could the answer be "Finished [but by others]" I can think of Beethoven 10, Tchaikovsky 7, Mahler 10... As for SS and Berlioz...

[Nick Armstrong]

No it's not finished!

I'm a dummy, apologies am51! It's early, I'd just got up, my head was full of the Scottish car industry, mea culpa!! I thought you were asking if F had been completed I didn't follow that it was a suggestion

But weren't they rather Unfinished pieces? Or maybe it's that they were Finished by someone else? Hmmm

Problem is, Angle never arises before noon, lucky fellow, so we will have to wait...