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<br><div><div>On Dec 18, 2009, at 4:35 PM, Julia Proleiko wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; ">The opening theme of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Memory</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>from<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Cats</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>resembles the opening theme in the flute solo of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>California Dreaming</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" title="The Mamas & The Papas" href="/wiki/The_Mamas_%26_The_Papas">The Mamas & The Papas</a>. It has also been compared to Ravel's<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a title="Bolero" href="/wiki/Bolero">Bolero</a>.</span></blockquote><br></div><div>I am not a big ALW fan myself, nor does he need any champions, but this example is not striking. Such similarities are rife in tonal music. They're probably mostly unintentional, and even if intentional, short enough to be of dubious significance in terms of artistic integrity. </div><div><br></div><div>Besides (IMHO), the opening melody of "Memory," the "California Dreaming" flute solo, and the "Bolero" theme, are all really awful tunes! Composers should get points, not demerits, if they can make something of them. (I have a hunch Ravel would agree.)</div><div><br></div><div>David</div><div><br></div><br><div><div>David Feurzeig</div><div>University of Vermont</div><div>Music Department</div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 19px; ">392 South Prospect St</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 19px; ">Burlington, VT 05405-0144</div></div><div><a href="mailto:dfeurzei@uvm.edu">dfeurzei@uvm.edu</a></div></div></body></html>