Riddle #5

[xvimbi]

How to play:
 
1. Only pieces for piano solo, or pieces where the piano plays an important part (e.g. Piano concertos, piano trios, etc.)
 
2. Only mainstream repertory (no obscure composers, or pieces like Scarlatti sonatas whose number is 555 unless it is a well known sonata amongst the 555)
 
3. Only one question per player (A player can only ask another question after being answered)
 
4. Only questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no"
 
5. A player can at any moment in the game ask one and only one cryptic statement from the riddler by asking: “Can I please have a cryptic statement?”. The riddler can choose if his/her statement will concern the composer (if it has not been explicitly and correctly mentioned by name yet) or the piece.
 
3. Penalties:
 
a. Any player can ask as many questions as s/he wants, however if the player makes a guess about the composer's name, the name of the piece, or the opus number, after three “nos” s/he is out of the game (e.g. “is the piece Papillons”, “is the piece by Schumann” and “is the piece Moonlight sonata by Beethoven”, if wrong and asked by the same player would lead to him/her being excluded from the game. However if the player had asked: “is the name of the piece insect related”, “is the piece by someone who studied law in Leipzig” and “is the piece by a deaf composer whose title was chosen by his editor”, that is all right). So, as long as the name of the piece or of the composer is not mentioned in the question, no penalty results.
 
b. If the riddler gives the wrong answer to a guesser's question and therefore utterly confuses and misleads the guesser, the riddler will have to miss a round, that is, s/he must win two games before s/he is allowed to be the riddler again (and eat the erasers of their pencils...)



Since these rules are a bit more stringent, I'll start with something that should be fairly easy.

Here is the "opening statement" about the piece to be guessed:

"Every pianist knows the piece (should, anyway...), but it is hardly ever recorded."

Finally, I'll be away from my computer for the next 4 hours, so don't expect immediate answers.

[liszmaninopin]

is this piece over 30 minutes long?

[Antnee]

Is it ever played in concert either?

[bernhard]

Is it in A minor?

[ahmedito]

Is the title a diminutive?

As in sonatina, scherzino, fughetta, etc.

[xvimbi]

Q1: is this piece over 30 minutes long?
A: depends on how fast you play it... No

Q2: Is it ever played in concert either?
A: Most likely not

Q3: Is it in A minor?
A: No

Q4: Is the title a diminutive?
A: No

So far: 0/4

[liszmaninopin]

is it a twentieth century work?

[Antnee]

Is it a piece easily played by amatuers or "dabblers"...?

[xvimbi]

Q1: is this piece over 30 minutes long?
A: depends on how fast you play it... No
 
Q2: Is it ever played in concert either?
A: Most likely not
 
Q3: Is it in A minor?
A: No
 
Q4: Is the title a diminutive?
A: No
 
Q5: Is it a twentieth century work?
A: No

Q6: Is it a piece easily played by amatuers or "dabblers"...?
A: That of course depends, but compared to pieces that one usually hears at concerts, I would say YES.

[liszmaninopin]

is this work from the classical period?

[Tash]

is it a theme and variations?

[xvimbi]

Q7: Is this work from the classical period?
A: No

Q8: Is it a theme and variations?
A: No

[liszmaninopin]

is it from the romantic period?

[xvimbi]

Q7: Is this work from the classical period?
A: No
 
Q8: Is it a theme and variations?
A: No

Q9: Is it from the romantic period?
A: Yes

(2/9)

[liszmaninopin]

Was the composer born in Hungary?

[xvimbi]

Q10: Was the composer born in Hungary?
A: No

(2/10)

[liszmaninopin]

did he (the composer) die in his 30s?

[xvimbi]

Q11: Did he (the composer) die in his 30s?
A: No

I'll b going to bed now. See you tomorrow.

[liszmaninopin]

was this composer german?

[ayahav]

I want a cryptic hint please.

[bernhard]

I'll b going to bed now. See you tomorrow.

Sleep?

How can you sleep with all the excitement of a piano forum riddle?

Is the piece an exercise (or set of exercises)?

[xvimbi]

Q12: Was this composer german?
A: No

Q13: Is the piece an exercise (or set of exercises)?
A: No

(2/13)

Cryptc hint for Ayahav: The work is mostly based on motifs that were not the composer's own ideas

Sleep?

How can you sleep with all the excitement of a piano forum riddle?

I was so excited that I couldn't sleep in fact.  

[ayahav]

Was the composer Russian?

[xvimbi]

Q14: Was the composer Russian?
A: yes

(3/14)

[liszmaninopin]

Is this work made up of many smaller pieces?

[xvimbi]

Q15: Is this work made up of many smaller pieces?
A: Yes

(4/15)

[liszmaninopin]

is the first piece in the series in the key of A major?

[ayahav]

Is the composer infamous for having committed suicide following rumours that he was a homosexual?

[xvimbi]

Q16: is the first piece in the series in the key of A major?
A: No

Q17: Is the composer infamous for having committed suicide following rumours that he was a homosexual?
A: Yes

(5/17)

[liszmaninopin]

are there more than 20 pieces in this set?

[bernhard]

Is the piece Tchaikovsky's Children's Album, op. 39?

[liszmaninopin]

You stole my guess! lol

[xvimbi]

Is the piece Tchaikovsky's Children's Album, op. 39?

Hooray, we have a winner!

I think the trick is to ask questions that are obscure enough to leave as many players as possible in the dark, so as to maintain an edge, such as "Was the composer born in a country that has 2.45 thousand square miles of lakes?". Of course, that requires the riddler to know his/her stuff, or to be able to look it up.

Ayahav asked all the right questions. It would be most fair, if one person would be allowed to keep asking until a "no" answer comes back. That is however not possible in this version of the game.

Bernhard, it's your turn to start a new thread.

[ayahav]

I can't believe it! I step out of the house for 10 minutes and you take my guess.

[liszmaninopin]

I think I need to stop asking so frequently...

[bernhard]

You stole my guess! lol

You must be faster guys! I am just trigger happy he he.

Anyway, it has been recorded by Mikhail Pletnev (BMG), Rimma Bobritskaya (Le Chante du monde), Livia Rev (excerpts - Hyperion), Carol Rosenberger (Delos), Ruggiero Ricci (excerpts), Idil Biret (Naxos) amongst others.

Ok, here is for starters:

This piece is the result of the purest love.

[xvimbi]

Anyway, it has been recorded by Mikhail Pletnev (BMG), Rimma Bobritskaya (Le Chante du monde), Livia Rev (excerpts - Hyperion), Carol Rosenberger (Delos), Ruggiero Ricci (excerpts), Idil Biret (Naxos) amongst others.

I believe in today's world of recording mania, a number below ten justifies the word "rarely".

In any case, is it a solo-piano piece?

[liszmaninopin]

does this piece have 4 movements?  (as soon as I read your hint, Bernhard, one piece jumped instantly to mind)

[bernhard]

I believe in today's world of recording mania, a number below ten justifies the word "rarely".

In any case, is it a solo-piano piece?

I agree with you. I just happen to have  a lot of CDs.

Yes, it is a piano-solo piece

(1/1)

[ayahav]

Is the work a romantic work in the sense that it was written during the romantic era?

[bernhard]

does this piece have 4 movements?  (as soon as I read your hint, Bernhard, one piece jumped instantly to mind)

I guess you could say that this piece has "movements", but the number is not 4

(1/2)

[bernhard]

Is the work a romantic work in the sense that it was written during the romantic era?

No. It is not a romantic work (at least I would not classify it as such either in terms of its historical period or in terms of style).  

(1/3)

[xvimbi]

Is it from the classical period?

[Antnee]

Or baroque...?

[bernhard]

Is it from the classical period?

No, not classical...

(1/4)

[bernhard]

Or baroque...?

...and not baroque

(1/5)

[xvimbi]

Is the composer still alive?

[bernhard]

Is the composer still alive?

No.

(1/6)

[xvimbi]

Well, then, two choices... Is the piece from the Modern era?

[bernhard]

Well, then, two choices... Is the piece from the Modern era?

Yes, I would say so.

(2/7)