Can You Reccomend Some Dark Classical Music?

Question

Something dark and intense and heavy, ya know? Preferrably instrumental. Anyone?

Answer 1

try Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on pipe organ if you want to know what it sounds like click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2eAHEBlA28

Answer 2

The Carmina Burana recommended by "pianotime" is written by Carl Orff, and there is an outstanding recording by James Levine and the Chicago Symphony on Deutsche Grammophone. I would personally second the Shostakovich 11th recommendation, and I would add to it Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste", which Stanley Kubrick found creepy enough to use excerpts in "The Shining", starring Jack Nicholson. In addition, Stravinsky's Firebird would be a good choice. I would go with the complete ballet, however, it's much better than the Suite. There are excellent recordings of the the complete Firebird by Boulez and the Chicago Symphony (you can look it up here - http://tinyurl.com/2nkltf ) and by Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony (which can be looked up here - http://tinyurl.com/2ujezr ). Tragically, the Dutoit is out of print, but you'll find several used copies available at that link (which goes to Amazon.com).

There is also some music by a Hungarian composer named György Ligeti that is used extensively in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" as well as in the the aforementioned "The Shining". Admittedly, you specified instrumental music and some of Ligeti's music in those movies is choral, but there is also some instrumental music that might suit you. Be warned, however: Ligeti's music is "atonal", meaning that it is a constant stream of dissonance and "tone clusters". People who prefer more "traditional" music with recognizable melodies and harmonies might find Ligeti a little tough to digest (which is precisely why Kubrick used it in his movies).

If you're looking for more "traditional", less dissonant music, you might also look into Tchaikovsky's "Francesca da Rimini", which gives us a musical tour of hell. There is an outstanding recording with Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic located here - http://tinyurl.com/38uyv5 .

Two other "off-the-wall" recommendations would be the soundtracks from the movies "Alien" (1979) by Jerry Goldsmith and the sequel, "Aliens" (1984?) by James Horner. Each of those are some of the most frightening and "intense" movie music you'll ever hear.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Shostakovitch's Symphony No.15

Answer 4

In January 1905 a lot of workers went to the Czar's winter palace in St. Petersburg to demonstrate. Unfortunately the Czar wasn't there at the time, and his guards shot all the demonstrator's to death. That was the beginning of the Russian Revolution.
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVITCH wrote a SYMPHONY about that episode, NO. 11 in G minor - Opus 103.
Guaranteed dark, intense and heavy - no singing!
When I hear that music, it's even more terrifying than watching a horror movie.

Answer 5

Any of Rachmaninov's Symphonies or piano concertos are very heavy and intense. Anything by Shostakovich is, too, but in a different way. Shostakovich is a little more modern and jarring. Both composers have some great pieces.

Answer 6

Alan Pettersson symphony #9

Answer 7

Tocatta in D Minor - Bach
Confutatis Maledictis- Mozart K626 i belive
ummm Camina Burana O Fortuna - Orff

Answer 8

These are Gothic.....
Beethoven -Symphony No. 5 in C Minor,II.
-Allegretto from Symphony No. 7 in a Major, Op. 92 [Excerpt].


Mozart -Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183
-Mass No. 15 for vocal soloists, chorus & orchestra in C major ('Coronation'), K. 317: Kyrie.

Answer 9

Carmina Burana....can't remember the composer though.
Also Mozart's Requiem, and the first two movements of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

Answer 10

Gaspard de la Nuit by Ravel...It's so dark that it almost terrifies me...Escpecially Scarbo, the last movement. The following link is the last movement Scarbo...