2017 (This) Tournament is a Crime Music Discussion

[Eddie]

Insofar as a guiding philosophy towards the music that I wrote for (This) Tournament is Crime, I primarily focused on using fun, accessible clues rather than imposing my rightly-guided vision towards some grandiose manifesto.

In terms of difficulty, at the Michigan site, this resulted in 100% tossup conversion (not withstanding the tragically dead G major tossup in the finals) and the fifth-highest power rate (25% (though not statistically significant as μ = 22%, σ = 7.09% (though I'm only looking at a table of power rates and don't know if it's anywhere close to a normal distribution (though the sample size is so small that I have no idea if these numbers would be meaningful anyways)))). Surprisingly, bonus conversion sat at a comfortable 53% (μ = 56%, σ = 5.44%). I don't consider an artificially deflated tossup conversion rate (by means of difficult answer lines) to be a particularly meaningful or desireable goal, so I think that folks who felt that (This) Tournament is a Crime's music was easier than the target "nationals-minus" difficulty were primarily swayed by the generous powers, which I will make an effort to fix this week.

I am curious to hear what people thought of some of my more ambitious questions: the tossup on cello in Beethoven and the bonus parts on Berg and timpani in Sibelius attempted to follow in the practice of producing tightly-themed questions highlighting a single composer's distinctive style or usage of a specific instrument. The tossup clue on Andre Rieu, the bonus on violin encore pieces, and the bonus parts on Richter and Piano Concerto No. 1 by Frederic Chopin were my attempts to reward folks who, despite lacking academic, theoretical, or professional knowledge of music, do not live under a rock in the context of classical music in the twenty-first century.

I am very interested in hearing how the folks who played (This) Tournament is a Crime felt about the music in these and other regards. Please kindly flame away.

[Cody]

I am curious to hear what people thought of some of my more ambitious questions: the tossup on cello in Beethoven {...} attempted to follow in the practice of producing tightly-themed questions highlighting a single composer's distinctive style or usage of a specific instrument.

I didn't play TTIAC, but this is a great idea for a question. Would you mind posting it?

[Eddie]

I am curious to hear what people thought of some of my more ambitious questions: the tossup on cello in Beethoven {...} attempted to follow in the practice of producing tightly-themed questions highlighting a single composer's distinctive style or usage of a specific instrument.

I didn't play TTIAC, but this is a great idea for a question. Would you mind posting it?

16. Beethoven wrote a sonata for this instrument that begins with the ascending half notes “A, E,” and then a dotted half note F-sharp. A duet for this instrument and violas opens the second movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. A divisi solo part for two of these instruments is found in the second movement of the Pastoral Symphony. Beethoven’s wrote a Sonata No. 3 in A major for this instrument, which introduces the opening theme of the (*) Eroica Symphony. It is the higher-pitched of the two instruments that play recitative-like passages near the start of the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. This instrument, the piano, and the violin are the soloists in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. It is the lowest-pitched instrument in Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge, his Archduke Trio, and all of his string quartets. For 10 points, name this string instrument for which Beethoven often wrote the same parts as its lower-pitched relative, the double bass.

ANSWER: cello [or violoncello]

[vinteuil]

Of course the music at this tournament was excellently executed, with a number of fresh clues (like the Op. 69 leadin above)—Eddie did a great job!

I think I only heard 1.5 erratum-worthy things—the opening of the Chopin preludes tossup claims that the first prelude uses/requires hand crossings, which sort of defeats the entire technical point of the piece; and the symphonies tossup, IIRC didn't sufficiently make it clear that Sammartini was mostly writing symphonies in a new context (not as opera overtures).

[Eddie]

Of course the music at this tournament was excellently executed, with a number of fresh clues (like the Op. 69 leadin above)—Eddie did a great job!

I think I only heard 1.5 erratum-worthy things—the opening of the Chopin preludes tossup claims that the first prelude uses/requires hand crossings, which sort of defeats the entire technical point of the piece; and the symphonies tossup, IIRC didn't sufficiently make it clear that Sammartini was mostly writing symphonies in a new context (not as opera overtures).

The Chopin TU was an oversight on my part - I was fixing up the lead-in from the previous mirror and, having never played the Op. 28/1 myself, took a cursory look at the score and figured that it looked like hand-crossing.

The earliest pieces in this genre were written by composers from Milan, such as No. 32 in F major by Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Four of these pieces, the first in D major, comprise the Wq. 183 of C.P.E. Bach. Mozart wrote a D major piece in this genre whose Allegro con spirito first movement begins with a long unison D, then a long unison D two octaves above. This genre took its name from the Italian term for an (*) operatic overture with a fast - slow - fast form. One of these pieces by Mozart was arranged from an earlier serenade he wrote for the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner. These orchestral pieces were standardized to have four movements, the last being a fast finale often in rondo form. An F-sharp minor piece in this genre ends with musicians gradually leaving the stage until only two remain. For 10 points, name this genre of music for large orchestra, whose “father,” Joseph Haydn, wrote examples such as Farewell and Surprise.
ANSWER: symphony [or sinfonia]

Here's the symphony tossup in full. John Lawrence and Jason Thompson were both able to buzz on the Sammartini lead-in - what did you find lacking about it?

[vinteuil]

The earliest pieces in this genre were written by composers from Milan, such as No. 32 in F major by Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Four of these pieces, the first in D major, comprise the Wq. 183 of C.P.E. Bach. Mozart wrote a D major piece in this genre whose Allegro con spirito first movement begins with a long unison D, then a long unison D two octaves above. This genre took its name from the Italian term for an (*) operatic overture with a fast - slow - fast form. One of these pieces by Mozart was arranged from an earlier serenade he wrote for the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner. These orchestral pieces were standardized to have four movements, the last being a fast finale often in rondo form. An F-sharp minor piece in this genre ends with musicians gradually leaving the stage until only two remain. For 10 points, name this genre of music for large orchestra, whose “father,” Joseph Haydn, wrote examples such as Farewell and Surprise.
ANSWER: symphony [or sinfonia]

Here's the symphony tossup in full. John Lawrence and Jason Thompson were both able to buzz on the Sammartini lead-in - what did you find lacking about it?

I buzzed on it too. What I mean is that it doesn't make it clear that Sammartini wasn't writing the first symphonies, just the first symphonies that weren't also opera overtures (which had quite a bit of autonomy and were reused all the time, making them basically just symphonies). It's more of a historiography complaint than anything else—not a big deal, and I doubt it affected gameplay (thus the .5).

[Eddie]

The earliest pieces in this genre were written by composers from Milan, such as No. 32 in F major by Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Four of these pieces, the first in D major, comprise the Wq. 183 of C.P.E. Bach. Mozart wrote a D major piece in this genre whose Allegro con spirito first movement begins with a long unison D, then a long unison D two octaves above. This genre took its name from the Italian term for an (*) operatic overture with a fast - slow - fast form. One of these pieces by Mozart was arranged from an earlier serenade he wrote for the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner. These orchestral pieces were standardized to have four movements, the last being a fast finale often in rondo form. An F-sharp minor piece in this genre ends with musicians gradually leaving the stage until only two remain. For 10 points, name this genre of music for large orchestra, whose “father,” Joseph Haydn, wrote examples such as Farewell and Surprise.
ANSWER: symphony [or sinfonia]

Here's the symphony tossup in full. John Lawrence and Jason Thompson were both able to buzz on the Sammartini lead-in - what did you find lacking about it?

I buzzed on it too. What I mean is that it doesn't make it clear that Sammartini wasn't writing the first symphonies, just the first symphonies that weren't also opera overtures (which had quite a bit of autonomy and were reused all the time, making them basically just symphonies). It's more of a historiography complaint than anything else—not a big deal, and I doubt it affected gameplay (thus the .5).

Okay, I think I misunderstood you the first time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying that it would be more accurate to say something like "the earliest standalone pieces" instead?

[vinteuil]

The earliest pieces in this genre were written by composers from Milan, such as No. 32 in F major by Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Four of these pieces, the first in D major, comprise the Wq. 183 of C.P.E. Bach. Mozart wrote a D major piece in this genre whose Allegro con spirito first movement begins with a long unison D, then a long unison D two octaves above. This genre took its name from the Italian term for an (*) operatic overture with a fast - slow - fast form. One of these pieces by Mozart was arranged from an earlier serenade he wrote for the ennoblement of Sigmund Haffner. These orchestral pieces were standardized to have four movements, the last being a fast finale often in rondo form. An F-sharp minor piece in this genre ends with musicians gradually leaving the stage until only two remain. For 10 points, name this genre of music for large orchestra, whose “father,” Joseph Haydn, wrote examples such as Farewell and Surprise.
ANSWER: symphony [or sinfonia]

Here's the symphony tossup in full. John Lawrence and Jason Thompson were both able to buzz on the Sammartini lead-in - what did you find lacking about it?

I buzzed on it too. What I mean is that it doesn't make it clear that Sammartini wasn't writing the first symphonies, just the first symphonies that weren't also opera overtures (which had quite a bit of autonomy and were reused all the time, making them basically just symphonies). It's more of a historiography complaint than anything else—not a big deal, and I doubt it affected gameplay (thus the .5).

Okay, I think I misunderstood you the first time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying that it would be more accurate to say something like "the earliest standalone pieces" instead?

Sure, or "an early "school" of composers in this genre included..." if you want to be coy about its origins?