I have been extremely impressed by Ensemble Mega Ne’s “Variations on the FamilyMart Theme for Woodwind Quartet and Piano” and “Contrapuntal Piece on the Yamanote Line Theme”. But if they want to go global, the FamilyMart and JR themes will not do; their target audience is far too narrow. They need a melody everyone knows. So what would be best?
Surely, above all, it has to be that Nokia tune.
This “melody” is so famous that it is unusual not to know it.
Naturally, someone must have thought that variations on it would attract views, and indeed a fugue using the Nokia theme already exists.
Ensemble Mega Ne could beat this. I would love them to try, but I also found another excellent example: Gran Vals (Grand Waltz) by the great Spanish composer active from the latter half of the 19 century into the beginning of the 20 century, Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), who wrote the famous guitar work “Recuerdos de la Alhambra.” What? You ask, “Were there Nokia mobile phones in the 19 century?” Of course not. The Nokia ringtone took its melody from this Gran Vals.
Please listen to Francisco Tárrega’s Gran Vals.
Incidentally, for anyone who says, “I don’t want to look at an old man’s face during the performance,” there is also a version played by a 16-year-old German girl, though the performance is weaker. She is certainly not highly skilled, but together with the video it feels relaxed, nostalgic, and rather pleasant.
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