Help ID this classical music on Radiolab's "Loops" episode
October 10, 2011 12:59 PM   Subscribe

What's the classical piece in the background of the Radiolab "Loops" episode's segment on Gödel?

In the most recent Radiolab episode, the segment on Gödel's incompleteness theorem features a classical violin concerto (I think) that is interrupted by the noise of an explosion. I recognize it but I can't for the life of me remember what it is. You can hear it at 44:06 in the podcast version (as well as elsewhere in the segment).

I know I'm going to give myself a big dope slap when I find out, but I'll still thank you for helping me out!
posted by brianogilvie to Media & Arts (4 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Here's my dorky self admitting that I don't know what it is exactly. However, a quick triple-meter time is often indicative of a scherzo in symphony/concerto form, usually the third movement of a work. Or it could be the last movement, building toward a climax. (Though perhaps not an explosion, per se.) A playful third or fourth movement in a major key sometimes occurs in a work that is predominantly minor, such as the structure of Beethoven's Fifth.

Dork dork dork. Hope this helps (which it probably won't).
posted by Madamina at 1:07 PM on October 10, 2011


Response by poster: I forgot to add that a couple minutes later in the segment, the violin solo comes in.
posted by brianogilvie at 1:37 PM on October 10, 2011


Best answer: It's Symphonie Espagnole by Édouard Lalo -- one of the great violin showpieces. You can see the score here.
posted by KRS at 2:20 PM on October 10, 2011 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks, KRS! I should have thought of that.
posted by brianogilvie at 2:31 PM on October 10, 2011


« Older How to deal with sudden changes in the weather?   |   Upgrade Downgrade: Laptop Edition Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.