Please Help Identify This 'Excerpt'

[rojo]

It`s in 3/4, (possibly 6/8) and it goes like this, starting on the 2nd beat-

AB BC# C#D DE F#---

The spaces indicate rests. The f# at the end is held a long time, then it descends in pairs of repeated notes chromatically. It`s sung loudly by a choir (accomp. by orchestra); might be from an opera. I keep hearing it on an advertisement, and it`s bugging me that I don`t know what it is. Upon closer scrutiny, it appears to be just an unfinished A Major scale! Could also be an F# natural minor scale starting on the third note. Which makes more sense, because I think the piece is in a minor key. Yup. F# minor? Now I`m wondering if I`ve got the right key... Pretty sure. Anyway, none of this tells me what piece it`s from...

Or-

lasi sido# do#ré rémi fa#---

Any help appreciated!

[Krummhorn]

Oh geez ... now you got me humming that tune in my brain. I know the piece - it's on the tip of my tongue ... aaarrrrggghhhhhh ... now I'll go to sleep mulling that tune over and over trying to figure what it is - it's quite familiar, just can't put the title or composer with it just now.

[Contratrombone64]

something from Prince Igor ... "sounds" like the opening to Polovtsian (how do you spell that) dances ...

[Krummhorn]

Prince Igor ... yes, that's it ... Wow, Contratrombone64 - you've jogged my memory ... Thank You - Isn't it great to have such informed people on this forum Three Cheers for Contratrombone64

Polovetsian Dances by Borodin ... here's a video (sans the chorus) ... the 'dance' tune Rojo mentions starts at about 3:12 into the video:

+ YouTube Video

Ozawa conducting the Berliner Phil, no less

[rojo]

Indeed, well done Contratrombone64! Phew, what a relief; it was still bugging me (not remembering what it was) even today...

I actually remembered it in the correct pitch, but I shouldn`t do theoretical analysis late at night; I was way off. If I`d gone to the note after the held f#, I may have noticed the g being natural; it`s actually in D Major. Doh...

Thanks a lot Contratrombone64, and thanks Kh for the video; so many great themes in that piece.