Expert: David Froom - 12/28/2008

Question
Can you identify the music in the videos in the following 2 links?
http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/rlhome/collection/fa08_hudsonvalley.asp
http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/rlhome/collection/fa08_rueroyale.asp

Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hi,

I can identify this as not being classical music.  It sounds like the first one is vaguely trying to imitate Pachelbel's famous canon.  The second one sounds like an imitation of a pop standard in a vaguely classical arrangement.  I would bet a lot of money that these were freshly composed for those ads.  The second one is more skillfully done -- so much so that I would also bet on these two being by different composers.

It is often cheaper to hire someone just to write music (played by computer -- as these both are) than it is to hire someone to find composed music well-performed that matches the intended mood, and then figure out the permissions to be able to use it.

As far as who it is that composed these ad pieces -- you'd have to go to Ralph Lauren's ad agency to get that information.  I have no idea if you would succeed, or even where to begin on such a quest.

David Froom