Please can you recommend Dark Classical music?

Question

I have just started to get into classical music and seem to prefer the more sinister and dark sounding tracks and was wondering if anyone can recommend anything of that type... (think horror movie soundtrack style, quite haunting) Just names of songs and composers etc...

Answer 1

'In the Hall of the Mountain King' from Peer Gynt
Anything by Saint-Saens or Mussorgsky
A few of Beethoven's later pieces are dark
The classic scene from the movie Excalibur with the knights riding through the cherry blossoms has music from 'Carmina Burana'
'Toccata and Fugue in D minor'
Stores like Hot Topic and Spenser Gifts often sell mood music CDs with the sort of music you're looking for.

Answer 2

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I won't consider Fur Elise ominous, but if the interpretation is done correctly, then it also can become dark and ominous. Others that can take the stand: Tchaikovsky's Dumka and Allegro con grazia from 6th Symphony. Dumka is supposed to be a 'rustic Russian Scene', but I can only hear oppressed anger and mad passion in it. While the second movement from the infamous 6th Symphony has a sweet melody, the whole structure is also fainty ominous because it sounds almost like a dance - a waltz to be exact, but you can't dance to it. Beethoven has a lot of dark and ominous melodies. One of them (my personal fave) is the Kreutzer Sonata, or Violin Sonata No 9. The first movement is spectacular in its unabashed display of anger and darkness. And don't forget his Moonlight sonata. Played with the correct weight leant to it, it would chill if listened alone in a room at night. Another is the Sixth Symphony, 'Pastoral'. Sure, it's all sunny and happy, but the third movement entitled Thunderstorm speaks for itself. And also a certain cello sonata - Cello Sonata No 3 - for which the second movement - a scherzo, of all style - is also slightly menacing. There is no need to speak about Mahler's dark views on the world. He always managed to gather it all in his symphonies. Some can be gleaned from his Fifth Symphony. The first movement is named Trauermarsch - Funeral March. The second plunges you deeper into the abyss. While the fourth is a sort of a limbo - being the famous gentle adagietto - the fifth is a sudden outburst of joy, perhaps joy after delivered from uncertainty to a definite destination. Still the overall weather for this work is overcast, with the shining silver lining being the final movement. Bela Bartok is an interesting study for music. Though I confess I don't find his works to be of my cup of tea, Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin is definitely ominous. If you want to further plunge yourself in the abyss of sadness and despair, then just listen to Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, the first movement. The same motive repeated throughout the symphony merely adds to the dark feel, like it's inescapable. The last one is probably offbeat, but still fulfills your category as being s dark, ghostly, faint, but ominous. It's Bach's Chaccone from Partita No 2. Listen and try to relax.

Answer 3

Check out the song cycle "Pierre Lunaire" by Arnold Schoenburg. It uses a singing/speech technique meant to creep you out. It is an example of German Expressionism (think about Munch's painting "The Cry").

Some of the tracks in Mussorsgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" are extremely dark and dramatic. Go for the symphonic version (orchestrated by M. Ravel who was the master of black textures).

Then there's always the uplifting "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" by Penderecki. Turn off the lights and crank this up. Sounds like horror music!

Answer 4

You might give Chopin and Lizst a try. Both of their compositions were more prominent for the piano, especially Chopin, but they did write some good orchestral and chamber music as well. Try either of Chopin's piano Concertos, and lizst's Dante Symphony. Rachmaninov also wrote many minor key works, mostly for piano, and try Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Most are familiar with Ravel's orchestrated version, but Mussorgsky originally wrote it for Piano, so if you can get your hands on a piano recording of that you'll probably love movements like "Two Old Jews" and "The Gnome." Anyways, hope you find what you're looking for. (In case you don't know, most of the pieces you'll be looking for will probably be minor key works).

Answer 5

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RE:
Please can you recommend Dark Classical music?
I have just started to get into classical music and seem to prefer the more sinister and dark sounding tracks and was wondering if anyone can recommend anything of that type... (think horror movie soundtrack style, quite haunting) Just names of songs and composers etc...

Answer 6

I would suggest the music of Dimitri Shostakovich, a 20th century Russian composer. Most of his music is very dark. A good introduction to his style might be his String Quartet No. 8 (I reccomend the recording by the Emerson String Quartet). His Symphony No. 5 is one of his most well-known works, but you have to be patient enough to listen through a lot of slow sections. I personally love his Cello Concerto No. 1. If you are new to classical music it may take a few listens to start understanding his music, but if your patient I'm sure you'll love it....I do. :)

Answer 7

The 'Dies Irae' from Verdi's Requiem is pretty harsh. It was on the opening titles to the incredibly violent and nasty Japanese movie Battle Royale. In fact, any requiem mass is probably worth checking out, particularly Faure's and Mozart's. The 'Carmina Burana' from Carl Orff's 'Orpheus In The Underworld' is very dark and dramatic (theme from The Omen). And there's a modern-ish Estonian composer called Arvo Part that you might like, his Passio is very eerie and haunting. Good hunting!

Answer 8

i recommend music by Danny Elfman. music from such films as Edward Scissorhands, BeatleJuice, MIB, Nightmare Before Christmas all have dark themes. some of my favorites are "Ballet Desuburbia" and "The Ice Dance"

Answer 9

Saint Sans is pretty close to what you want. However if you want to go OTT then I can recommend Apocalyptica who are four Finnish classically trained cellists who do Metallica covers. Worth a look.

Answer 10

Paganini-24 caprices
Richard Wagner-Die Walküre (The Valkyries), can be a bit dark, well percussive dark.