Dave Lampson wrote:

>This is where I could use a little help.  I'm looking for some music
>that would be appropriate for the background of the menu.  The menu
>loop is limited to 30 seconds.  Right now I'm using Glazunov's "Solemn
>Procession" Op. 91.  This starts off well, but then gets a bit bombastic.
>Because of time limits, whatever piece of music I use has to get into
>it fairly quickly.
>
>Anyone have any ideas for a more appropriate work to use?

If anyone knows more of the literature of music, it would probably be
Dave Lampson, hence I would not know what I could offer...other than
to relay the difficulties I had when I would do needle drops, and some
composing for informational films.  One of the problems can be that one
knows too much music.  While the mention of the Glazunov is a good
indication of the mood you are seeking...my thoughts generally tend
towards the obscure...and then...I am reminded of a project I worked on
here at the University...a friend of mine was producing a film for our
rare book library...my job was to choose music.  The man producing the
film was both a great movie maker and an excellent teacher and highly
informed about classical music.  When he expressed interest in using the
adagietto from Mahler's Fifth for a particular sequence, I mentioned the
film Death in Venice and how I thought the use of the Mahler had become
as much of a cliche as the use of the Barber Adagio for strings.  I
suggested everything from Hovhaness, to Rosner, to Hanson, to...well
those were the fairly well known composers.  He ended up with his Mahler.

And much to Alex North's disappointment, Kubrick ended up with Ligeti,
Strauss, et al.

Karl