Composition Quiz

[Peter]

Ok thank you for your responses!
Most of you recognized the intermezzo from Bizet's Carmen. Somewhere I read that Carmen is the most performed opera. But I don't really love this opera - besides this beautiful intermezzo and also another intermezzo.

The piano piece is Tschaikowski as recognized from Bonn1827 - the "Dumka" op. 59. For me it is by far the best piece Tschaikowski wrote for solo piano. How I love these slavic harmonies in the slow beginning part!!

The 3rd piece is not really a "classical" piece but is from a movie soundtrack from Mark Knopfler (who is the greatest guitarist ever!!). But if I listen to this piece I find it indeed very classical. It could be also a wonderful intermezzo.
Isn't this just an awesome beauty, especially when the violins come in??
Mark Knopfler is one of my favourite contempory composer. The piece is from a whole album of film music ("Screenplaying") - one piece more beautiful than the other!!

Well done I think to Bonn1827 who was pretty spot on. The Tchaikovsky piece is certainly a rarity and I suppose one reason must be its tremendous difficulties combined with Tchaikovsky's reputation as not really being a composer for the piano - most of us only know 'The Seasons'. It just shows that pianists ought to delve a little deeper and present us with less of the same standard repertoire.

I shall close this thread now as its reached our 5 page limit, but please feel free Gerd to open another as it's proving a very popular quiz!