MIDI music files

All of the following MIDI files have been entered by myself, most of them using the software “Cakewalk apprentice”. I believe none of them has a copyright pending (classical music pieces are, of course, too old for that, and the ones I composed myself I put in the public domain).

All these files use Roland's General Sound patches; but generally it makes no difference if they are played with General Midi patches (they are more standard — the mail difference is that “orchestra” becomes “orchestra hit” which is not quite right). My music card is Creative AWE32, and these files will probably sound best with it, but they will certainly sound OK with the Gravis Ultrasound or similar cards. If you have a non-AWE SoundBlaster card, I would advise using timidity (and a fast computer) to play the files through the DSP: using the FM synthesizer chip, no matter how smart your patches can be (and even if you have an OPL-3) will just not sound right. In fact, it will sound awful.

These files are “General MIDI”, that is, they use the full 16 channels, with the 10th channel for drums. So if you use Creative's play utility (on MS-DOS), remember to set the environment variables correctly for that.

Classical music

Arch-famous

If you haven't heard these already you must have been spending your life on a desert island somewhere - or perhaps do you live on Mars.

The Pachelbel Canon (6′46″, 36.3k) — Here is Yet Another Version of this very famous piece of music, the D-dur kanon by Johann Pachelbel. This is a rather romantic version of it, that would probably not have pleased Pachelbel himself; but then I never managed to find a true baroque score of this piece.
The Wedding March (2′01″, 6.6k) — This is the Hochzeitsmarsch taken from Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's music for Shakespeare's Midsummer-Night's Dream (Musik zu Shakespeare's Sommernachtstraum), two-hand piano version, played here on the organ.
Pomp and Circumstance (1′23″, 4.3k) — This is Edward Elgar's first Pomp and Circumstance military march, also known as Land of Hope and Glory, or sometimes just as “that english theme”. This is a rather edited version of it where I have the winds play the theme first and the strings afterward (that sounds better on most music systems).
An Elise (3′46″, 7.5k) — This is Ludwig van Beethoven's An Elise piano piece. I followed very faithfully the original score here.
Turkish March (3′02″, 15.9k) — This is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Rondo alla Turca (from one of his piano sonate). This also follows very closely the original score, but with a few midi goodies (such as changing the kind of piano when the theme changes).
Greensleeves to a Ground (6′12″, 59.8k) — The famous variations on the popular song Greensleeves played as a canon on many different instruments, and with an ostinato. Note that this is not Ralph Vaughan William's (also very famous) Fantasy on Greensleeves.
Prelude in C major (1′37″, 3.7k) — Johann Sebastian Bach's arch-famous prelude in C major, first of book 1 of the Wohltemperiertes Klavier (Well-Tempered Clavier). Follows the exactly the original score, and played on the piano.
Rule Britannia! (1′25″, 8.5k) — Another famous “english theme”, the english (as opposed to british) national anthem, in fact, I believe. The composer is Thomas Augustine Arne (1710–1778), and it is taken from his ballet Alfred. I transcribed a score which is probably quite “authentic” whatever that means. Anyway, this is rather different from Origin's Ultima version of this music.

Less famous

Dead March (4′04″, 12.0k) — Marcia Funebre sulla Morte d'un Eroe, from one of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonate. This is quite well-known, but probably not nearly as much as Frédéric Chopin's similar piece.
(Beginning of) Tannhäuser's Overture (2′17″, 13.6k) — This is a very faithful transcription of the first few bars of the overture of Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser opera, with a pretty complete symphonic orchestra playing (so your music system had better be up to it!). Unfortunately, I got fed up of entering this score pretty soon so it ends rather abruptly. But what is there is really worth listening to.
Notturno (0′46″, 1.5k) — For those who know only the Wedding March (see above) of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Sommernachtstraum, I suggest listening to this thoroughly beautiful notturno. Just close your eyes, think about the moon, and relax. Unfortunately, this midi file is also incomplete (but it does not end too abruptly). This is the two-hand piano transcription.
Two-Part Invention n.14 (1′16″, 4.0k) — Johann Sebastian Bach's Two-Part Invention number 14, follows exactly the original score, and played on the harpsichord.
Two-Part Invention n.4 (1′00″, 3.3k) — Johann Sebastian Bach's Two-Part Invention number 4, follows exactly the original score, and played on the harpsichord.
Two-Part Invention n.6 (0′42″, 2.1k) — Johann Sebastian Bach's Two-Part Invention number 6, follows exactly the original score, and played on the piano.
Prelude in D major (1′18″, 4.6k) — Johann Sebastian Bach's prelude in D major, from book 1 of the Wohltemperiertes Klavier (Well-Tempered Clavier). Follows the exactly the original score, and played on the organ. This is the sort of piece which makes me agree with Colette's nickname for Bach: divine machine à coudre (divine sewing machine).
Ariel's song (1′22″, 5.2k) — This song accompanies Shakespeare's Tempest (“Ariel: Full fathom five thy father lies”, act I, scene 2). I found it in the Oxford edition of the play.
Signor Abbate (1′17″, 2.5k) — This is canon by Ludwig van Beethoven (uncertain); it's supposed to be a song but I play it on the clarinet, violin and cello here.
Les Baricades Mystérieuses (2′29″, 5.7k) — This is one of the many harpsichord pieces by François Couperin. It is called Les Baricades Mystérieuses. Normally I don't really like baroque musique, but I make a special exception for Bach, Händel and Couperin.
La Castelmore (3′55″, 15.1k) — This is another harpsichord piece, this one by Claude-Béninge Balbastre.
Suite (2′27″, 5.9k) — This is the Allemande (I think) from Johann Sebastian Bach's French Suite number 2.
Dance (1′05″, 4.2k) — This is the dance of the Elves of Mendelssohn's Sommernachtstraum. Unfinished.
Pomp and Circumstance n.4 (1′16″, 7.1k) — In case you didn't know, there's more to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance marches than number one, above. Here is number 4, in the same style, but much less famous.
Berceuse (1′02″, 3.5k) — By Johannes Brahms.
Tanzsatz zu Vier Stimmen (1′58″, 6.8k) — I think this is by Telemann, but I'm not certain. Very baroque at any rate.
Remplis ce verre vide (1′20″, 6.6k) — A popular renaissance french wine song.
Quand je bois du vin clairet (0′32″, 3.2k) — Another popular renaissance french wine song.

Music I composed...

...so you should expect it to be barely listenable, and very repetitive...

Poem to Nature (2′09″, 6.6k) — This piece is composed in the pentatonic mode (because it's much easier to compose something that doesn't sound too bad in that mode when one is, like I am, totally ignorant of music).
Variation on a Canon by Johann Pachelbel (2′08″, 17.9k) — This is a very free adaptation of the Pachelbel Canon (see above for a version that is closer to the original), in a much more modern style.
A Simple Piece (1′50″, 9.4k) — This is a simple canon-like piece that hopefully doesn't sound too awful.
Gil-Galad's Tune (0′31″, 2.0k) — This is the way I imagine the music of the song “Gil-Galad was an Elven King” in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Music I would like identified

I don't know what these are, they were themes I kept hearing in my head, and which I couldn't identify. I don't think I composed them because I'm uncapable of writing anything that nice. However, I did orchestrate them and that is why we have these beautiful themes with a ridiculous orchestration (or none at all).

Anyhow, if somebody can tell me what these are, he will earn my eternal gratitude.

Majestic Theme (1′21″, 4.7k) — I really like this one. It sounds like the music one would play when a king enters the room.
Unknown Tune (1′12″, 3.6k) — I have no idea what this one is. Somehow it sounds like a kind of counterpoint to the previous one.

David Madore

Last modified: $Date: 2002/12/10 14:42:43 $