I’ve had this tune going through my head ever since Christmas, and it’s one of those where I can’t rest until I know what it is. I think it’s from some film or other, probably in the desert somewhere, with a long caravan of camels parading in front of the camera, whilst the following, essentially processional, march plays, which goes something like this (oh, and it can be played on a D whistle). Tempo is really quite slow:
sounds like something in Major Gypsy mode on E, also called Double Harmonic Major, or Hijaz Kar in Arabic Maqams.
Scale pattern 1-3-1-2-1-3-1
E-F-G#-A-B-C-D#-E’
I think its from an orchestral piece by a russian or eastern european composer. Nineteenth or early twentieth century. Found in compilations of ‘light classical’ music. From a folk tune, a russian dance or something. If not its from a film score sounding like that, Dr Zhivago or similar, but I think not. We had it on a record when I was a kid.
Right. I know nothing about that mode. Must find out …
Meanwhile, after the bit I quoted, it sort of manoeuvres its way up a fifth and does the same again (I think), as in the bit below, which immediately follows the bit I first gave. There’s more after that, but that’s where my memory fails me … meanwhile, I don’t suppose it could be Katelby, could it (kind of suggested to me by David’s post)?
Ah, just realised that it’s not quite in that scale pattern you mentioned, Hans, because the second degree is a tone up from the tonic, not a semitone. Mind you, if it does turn out to be Katelby, that could easily be because he meant it to be in double harmonic minor but got it wrong …
No, I’m sure its someone I have heard of and although I have heard some music listed as by Kaltelby I didn’t know the name. (I edited my post). Not camels. Windswept cold wastes.
Your first line of ABC matches something in my head fairly exactly. The second line goes the right way but bits are rejected as ‘too different’.
Someone must know it … ah well, I have to get up extra early tomorrow to go and pick up two sons and take them to work - them not being able to cycle in these conditions ‘n’ all. So, it’s beddy-byes for me, and hoping that someone will actually know it and get the answer by the time I get up for my morning flute practice at about 5:30. Brrr …
Yes, the pattern is different.
Perhaps Harmonic Minor, Spanish Gipsy:
2-1-2-2-1-3-1
E-F#-G-A-B-C-D#-E’
a minor lower tetrachord and a gypsy higher tetrachord.
Still, the melody you give breaks out of it sometimes, with G#s in the first part, making it major apart from the last bar.
David. That’s definitely it. Thank you! You’re a star!
Only thing: apparently it’s by someone called Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov, whom I’ve never heard of. It’s from his first suite of Caucasian Sketches, which is indeed his Op 10.
Now, a Sardar is apparently a Persian leader, so couldn’t I have those camels back?
