Help me identify the solo violin melody/recording from Crispin Glover's "What Is It?"

April 12, 2008 3:16 PM

What composition/recording does the eerie melody played by the solo violin in the trailer to Crispin Glover's film What Is It? come from? Does anyone recognize the tune and/or recording? (YouTube link to trailer inside).

I realize it could have been composed for the film, but I was under the impression that the film's soundtrack was a mashup of various recordings.

Before clicking on the NSFW link, please be aware that the trailer contains some bizarre, disturbing, and possibly offensive imagery.

The solo violin starts around 0:52.

posted by treepour to media & arts (5 comments total)

I'm really not positive about this, but it sounds a little like Bartok. I'm pretty sure its one of the Romanian Dances.
posted by ob at 4:08 PM on April 12, 2008

You can see a performance here here (starts at 1:40 in)
posted by ob at 4:10 PM on April 12, 2008

Wow, that sounds so incredibly close -- I'll have to listen a few more times to see if that's really it, but it's hard to imagine something else sounding so much like the Bartok without actually being the Bartok. Thanks!
posted by treepour at 7:30 PM on April 12, 2008

Your welcome! I didn't check it that carefully, but I'm pretty sure that's it...
posted by ob at 8:31 PM on April 12, 2008

In particular the 3rd movement of the Dances, "Pe Loc". It's been arranged for a lot of different instrumental combinations, orchestra, solo piano, etc. (sheet music). The recording of Bartok himself performing the suite is interesting.

FWIW "Pe Loc" means something like "in place" or "on the spot" and is a kind of stomping dance.
posted by flug at 9:58 PM on April 13, 2008