Your 10 favorite 'dark' works

Started by Symphonic Addict, September 05, 2020, 05:56:21 PM

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Symphonic Addict

Previously I had heard Gubaidulina Fachwerk and Alleluja as recommended by MI (John). These works could perfectly be here in my list now. The title Alleluja is misleading. It's not a celebratory religious prayer, but quite the opposite. It's like sounds from souls from purgatory. It's really dark, and I quite enjoyed. it. Almost the same goes for Fachwerk for bayan, percussion and strings. The bayan is like an accordion, and how impressive sonorities it can provide! Another quite somber and spectral (not related to the musical -ism) piece. Thanks John for mentioning these pieces!
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on August 29, 2021, 04:44:37 PM
I'm making sure of compilating a good bunch of their recordings. I know I want to get deeper in Sibelius's soul.

This particular period of Sibelius' life was certainly filled of worry, doubt, fear and uncertainty. A little bit before writing this symphony he had survived a throat cancer operation and this gave him a new perspective for life in general and the result was his 4th. It's not an 'easy' symphony or, at least, easy in terms of his other symphonies, but I think it rewards the listener tremendously.

relm1


Symphonic Addict

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on August 30, 2021, 09:33:03 PM
Jonchaies is terrific. To me sounds like a more modern Le sacre!

This is what I thought when I first heard it, too. A thrilling piece.

André

Quote from: Brian on September 06, 2020, 10:02:38 AM
Beethoven - Symphony No. 3, Marcia funèbre
Dvorák - The Water Goblin
Górecki - Symphony No. 3
Kabelac - Mystery of Time
Liszt - Funerailles and late piano miniatures
Poulenc - Organ Concerto
Ravel - Scarbo
Schubert - Fantasie D. 940
Scriabin - Sonata No. 9
Sibelius - Symphony No. 4

Bonus excerpts from bigger works: the final nightfall of Eine Alpensinfonie and the "migraine" in Elgar 2

Edit: just remembered "Memorial to Lidice"

This could very well be my own list - except for the Scriabin sonata, which I don't know.

Add to that the complete works of Pettersson (or just his 'Mesto' for strings if it's one work per composer), Shostakovich's 8th and Mahler's 6th.

steve ridgway

I'm giving this some thought as I've accumulated a pile of works now that I don't yet know very well. A few that leap out immediately that haven't already been mentioned are -

Luigi Nono - Ricorda Cosa Ti Hanno Fatto In Auschwitz
Herbert Eimert - Epitaph Für Aikichi Kuboyama
Toru Takemitsu - Kwaidan
Giacinto Scelsi - Uaxuctum - The Legend Of The Mayan City Which They Themselves Destroyed For Religious Reasons

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on August 29, 2021, 04:49:15 PM
Previously I had heard Gubaidulina Fachwerk and Alleluja as recommended by MI (John). These works could perfectly be here in my list now. The title Alleluja is misleading. It's not a celebratory religious prayer, but quite the opposite. It's like sounds from souls from purgatory. It's really dark, and I quite enjoyed. it. Almost the same goes for Fachwerk for bayan, percussion and strings. The bayan is like an accordion, and how impressive sonorities it can provide! Another quite somber and spectral (not related to the musical -ism) piece. Thanks John for mentioning these pieces!

Somehow I missed this post. Glad to read you enjoyed both of those Gubaidulina works! 8)

Symphonic Addict

I've come to think that Bacewicz's late style features some nightmarish and dark works like the last string quartets and Piano Quintet No. 2. Granted, they could be tough nuts to crack, but ones that leave a powerful impression.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 15, 2021, 08:57:02 PM
I've come to think that Bacewicz's late style features some nightmarish and dark works like the last string quartets and Piano Quintet No. 2. Granted, they could be tough nuts to crack, but ones that leave a powerful impression.

These Polish composers really know how to conjure up these types of sound-worlds. The Russians and Germans/Austrians do a pretty good job of it, too. ;)

The new erato

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 15, 2021, 09:27:56 PM
These Polish composers really know how to conjure up these types of sound-worlds. The Russians and Germans/Austrians do a pretty good job of it, too. ;)
Could very well be a result of Poland being squeezed between Germany and Russia/Soviet.

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Quote from: The new erato on September 16, 2021, 02:44:10 AM
Could very well be a result of Poland being squeezed between Germany and Russia/Soviet.

This certainly attributed to it for sure.

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 15, 2021, 09:27:56 PM
These Polish composers really know how to conjure up these types of sound-worlds. The Russians and Germans/Austrians do a pretty good job of it, too. ;)

Indeed. Bacewicz, Lutoslawski and Penderecki are fascinating and notable instances of that. They did it effortlessly.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 16, 2021, 06:19:53 PM
Indeed. Bacewicz, Lutoslawski and Penderecki are fascinating and notable instances of that. They did it effortlessly.

Panufnik also has some darker works as does Górecki.

DaveF

Not too many vocal works so far, so here goes:

Tallis         In jejunio et fletu
Byrd         Plorans plorabit
Purcell      Funeral sentences
Bach         BWV 103, Ihr werdet Weinen und Heulen
Mozart      "Great" G minor
Nielsen      Afflictus sum
Dvořák      Othello
Janáček      String quartet no.1
Shostakovich   Cello concerto no.2 "in G major"
Schnittke      Concerto for piano and strings

It's arguable whether the Janáček is really "dark", or whether it's just filled with his usual crazy over-the-topness.  I read somewhere a very penetrating remark (said by whom I can't remember) to the effect that his music (especially his conclusions) succeeds in being dazzlingly triumphant and deeply desparing at the same time.  Dark enough for me, anyway.
"All the world is birthday cake" - George Harrison

Symphonic Addict

Penderecki is one of those composers who surely would be in many preferences. Some particular favorites in this field are the Cello Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto No. 1, String Quartet No. 2, Symphony No. 1, Threnody for the victims of Hiroshima, De Natura Sonoris I & II, etc.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on February 01, 2022, 07:10:11 PM
Penderecki is one of those composers who surely would be in many preferences. Some particular favorites in this field are the Cello Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto No. 1, String Quartet No. 2, Symphony No. 1, Threnody for the victims of Hiroshima, De Natura Sonoris I & II, etc.

Dour and grim are two adjectives that come immediately to mind when thinking about Penderecki, but, yet, it's okay for him to be this way, but not Frank Martin. ;)

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Mirror Image on February 01, 2022, 07:17:15 PM
Dour and grim are two adjectives that come immediately to mind when thinking about Penderecki, but, yet, it's okay for him to be this way, but not Frank Martin. ;)

Definitely we are listening to with different ears, John.  ;) 8)
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

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Quote from: Symphonic Addict on February 01, 2022, 07:58:04 PM
Definitely we are listening to with different ears, John.  ;) 8)

Well, I certainly didn't express it as a bad thing, though. ;) I like Penderecki quite a bit as you know. :)

Maestro267

Pettersson Symphony No. 6
Myaskovsky Symphony No. 8
Myaskovsky Symphony No. 3
Schnittke Cello Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich Symphony No. 4
Shostakovich String Quartet No. 13
Corigliano Symphony No. 1
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
Mahler Symphony No. 9
Mahler Symphony No. 10