Name that tune

January 12, 2006 1:55 AM

What is the famous piece of demonic-sounding choral and orchestral music that goes ?
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome to Media & Arts (15 answers total)

I don't actually know the answer but you could try entering the Parson's Code [ *DDDDDUUDDUUUDDDUU ] into Musipedia. I did and the the first few results were:

Sibelius, Jean: symphony No. 3 in C, 3rd movement, 1st theme

Bach, Johann Sebastian: Toccata (and fugue) in Dmi, organ BWV565

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: cassation No. 1 in G K63, 4th movement menuetto
posted by Glum at 2:12 AM on January 12, 2006

I'm guessing it's Carl Orff - O Fortuna
posted by borkencode at 2:31 AM on January 12, 2006

Response by poster: No, certainly none of those, and it's not Carmina Burana, although it's a very similar sort of vibe.

(Musipedia is down for me. MSN search suggests that I might want "muslimedia".)
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 2:33 AM on January 12, 2006

Response by poster: I can't find anything on Musipedia. I doubt this tune came to me in a dream. If so, I'd better start writing my oratorio.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 2:41 AM on January 12, 2006

Best answer: It's the beginning of the Dies Irae (listen here) from Verdi's Requiem. NB Not demonic, Dies Irae = Days of Wrath
posted by boudicca at 3:14 AM on January 12, 2006

Response by poster: Indeed it is, thank you.

I guess wrath isn't a deadly sin if God is doing it.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 3:25 AM on January 12, 2006

Response by poster: Here it is as the good Lord intended.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 3:33 AM on January 12, 2006

Huh. Is it wrong of me that the first thing I thought when I listened to the cliip was, "Cool! Battle Royale!"?
posted by Lokheed at 4:12 AM on January 12, 2006

That's a fine kick-start to a day.
posted by horseblind at 6:23 AM on January 12, 2006

I thought "Dies Irae" was a musical term applying to a type of constantly descending melody.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:58 AM on January 12, 2006

The Dies Irae is the sequence (a movement that follows the Gospel Tract) in the Requiem Mass. It has been set hundreds of times by many composers, and often the melody is similar to the original plainchant. The text is a Medieval poem about the day of judgment.

The original plainchant, in the Aoelian mode, is quoted throughout classical music as a death motif, most notably in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Rachmaninoff's Paganini Variations and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. The descending opening probably explain's StickyCarpet's association with any descending melody.
posted by PadrePuffin at 10:00 AM on January 12, 2006

Lokheed,
Me TOO!!
posted by matkline at 10:53 AM on January 12, 2006

Has anyone actually *heard* a demon?????
posted by jockc at 12:21 PM on January 12, 2006

Padre Puffin: Where in the Rite of Spring does Stravinsky quote the Dies Irae plainchant? I'm not saying it's not there, but I've never noticed it, and would certainly not include it on a list of pieces that quote the plainchant (the other two pieces on your list seem obvious examples, but the Rite doesn't...)
posted by ob at 4:11 PM on January 12, 2006

yeh totally battle royale :)
posted by xospecialk at 8:39 PM on January 12, 2006