Does anyone know know the name of this (Chopin?) piece?

October 21, 2015 12:52 PM

I was listening to Radiolab, and there is a piano phrase that I think is Chopin at 1:06, but I can't identify it. Does anyone know what it is? (And AMAZING episode by the way). Thanks!
posted by It's a Parasox to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Nope, this isn't Chopin,* but I can't say what it is instead.

* As per an excellent musical memory (if I say so myself), and the complete piano works on LP(!) played by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
posted by Namlit at 1:32 PM on October 21, 2015

Jad Abumrad was a music composition student at Oberlin, so it might be original?
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:51 PM on October 21, 2015

I'm pretty sure I recognize it, and I've never listened to RadioLab, so it's probably not original. Themefinder and MelodyHound don't turn up anything useful, though.
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:52 PM on October 21, 2015

To my ear it sort of sounds like a paraphrase from The Well-Tempered Clavier---maybe the Fugue in D minor?
posted by Bromius at 3:02 PM on October 21, 2015

Sorry not Bach either.
Anyway--this passage is in g minor, and there's a left hand accompaniment. The melody goes as far as I can hear:
f#--(=upbeat)/--g--a--b-flat--c--d--g--/--f#--g--d.... As far as I can hear, that would be, for example: eighth notes in 3/4 time. The supporting harmony in the first measure is g-minor, then it becomes difficult to hear. Maybe this helps identifying the source anyway.
posted by Namlit at 3:32 PM on October 21, 2015

Best answer: It's Tchaikovsky. June (Barcarolle) from The Seasons.
posted by in278s at 3:58 PM on October 21, 2015 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Aww, thank you everyone for taking the time, and in278s especially, for answering the question. it's just lovely.
posted by It's a Parasox at 7:04 PM on October 21, 2015

Ah, 4/4 time after all. Thanks in278s for posting this fabulous interpretation, too!
posted by Namlit at 3:49 AM on October 22, 2015