Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Fauré's Sicilienne: Still a mystery to me

One of the pleasures of being on holiday is finding that your visit coincides with an event you did not know was taking place. I have fond memories of seeing Runrig play in Portree when staying on Skye with Disgruntled Radical and son.

Similarly, I have found that my current stay in Shropshire falls during the Church Stretton Arts Festival, and this morning I attended a free concert in the town's parish church.

It was given by the cellist Ruth Henley and pianist Richard Silk. The meat of the concert was Mendelssohn's first cello sonata and there were shorter pieces by Fauré and Saint-Saëns.

I am glad there were, because the opening work was Fauré's Sicilienne. I have long known this piece without knowing what it was called.

 However, there is still a mystery attached to it for me. I am sure that it was used as the theme music for a detective series many years ago - probably one set in the Victorian era. However, no amount of searching will tell me what the series was.

Fauré's Sicilienne is often played on the flute, and I have a feeling that the version used for the television series was. But here is Julian Lloyd Webber playing the piece. If he jogs your memory, please put me out of my misery...

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9 comments:

  1. Anonymous25 July, 2012 23:09

    Poirot

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  2. Jonathan Calder25 July, 2012 23:19

    Which version of Poirot? This music is not used in the David Suchet programmes.

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  3. Anonymous26 July, 2012 19:16

    Ooh, you're quite right! My apologies. No idea then :(

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  4. Mrs_MG10 March, 2017 14:58

    I am also quite sure it was the theme for a tv mystery / murder series, but cannot place it. It was something similar to a Jonathan Creek type of show (but of course, not actually JC as it used Dance Macabre, I believe). But a "comedic" murder mystery, nonetheless. If anyone ever figures this out, I would be most grateful! Every time I hear it on ClassicFM (and they play it a lot!) I wonder anew.

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  5. Jonathan Calder10 March, 2017 17:07

    I'm glad it's not just me. We'll find it one day.

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  6. Unknown14 July, 2017 18:28

    I've been trying to rack my brain for a long time as to which TV series too - hence finding this blog article! I was pretty sure it was something I used to watch as a child, so during the 70s. I feel like it was possibly one of the themes used for 'The Secret Garden' series - but I cannot find the right version via YouTube currently....in fact it's taken me almost this long to realise it was a piece by Faure (the theme tune was the flute version I believe). Hope this jogs someone's memory.

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  7. spthorn08 February, 2019 02:57

    I just heard Faure's suite that contains the Sicilienne as the 3rd movement, and immediately began humming along with the melody. I too have vague recollections of a bbc tv series of aome kind. I don't think I can let this go without finding out which one.

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  8. Anonymous10 August, 2019 21:39

    Sicilenne was used in Sherlock Holmes, Brett series

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  9. Jonathan Calder11 August, 2019 19:12

    I am afraid it is not that simple, Anonymous.

    If you watch the opening titles on YouTube you will find that the series used a different tune for its them.

    I do have a theory though and will blog about it soon.

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