I was going through my huge backlog of email yesterday (barely made a
dent) when I came across this message which had slipped between the virtual
cracks, so to speak.  I've listened to a few samples, and nothing sounds
terribly familiar.  The original message was from Daniel Christlein
<[log in to unmask]>, and he has posted a version of this in a number
of forums and on his web site.  Anyone have a clue what this might be?

   Dear Mr. Lampson,

   I am turning to you in an effort to find a solution to a puzzle which
   has bothered me for months.  I had considered myself to be relatively
   knowledgeable in the field of non-mainstream composers, yet this
   experience taught me better.

   I have a tape recording of a piece of music, presumably taped from
   a radio broadcast at some time, though I have no knowledge of the
   circumstances.  Unfortunately, the piece is too long for the tape,
   and the announcements are thus missing (the beginning, however, seems
   to be on the tape).  For months, I have been trying to figure out
   who the composer might be - yet my efforts have been fruitless.

   I sought help from numerous authorities - music critics, record shop
   owners, and faculty members, students and librarians at the UofA
   Music Department - none have been able to identify the piece, and
   they have not even be able to agree on the nationality of the composer.

   Therefore, as a last resort, I have decided to tap the vast potential
   of the closest we have to a global knowledgebase and intelligence,
   the Internet - I have made .WAV files of some characteristic passages
   and put them on a homepage, and am addressing some of the greatest
   experts on the field of classical music I have been able to find on
   the Internet.

   The address is:

     http://members.xoom.com/kristolos

   I would be most grateful if you could spare a few minutes of your
   time to look up that site and listen to one or two of the samples.
   Of course, it is not a problem the weight of the world is resting
   on, yet it has been bothering me enough to take that tape with me
   across the Atlantic when I relocated to Arizona a few weeks ago -
   being a scientist, unsolved mysteries captivate me.  It is therefore
   my sincere hope that you might be able to shed some light on this
   mystery.

   Please let me assure you in advance of my deepest gratitude (and a
   postcard, should the solution be found!)

   Yours sincerely,

   Daniel Christlein

Dave
[log in to unmask]
http://www.classical.net/