Mood Altering Music

[Bu]

It's impossible for me to hear something by Beethoven or Tchaikovsky and not have my mood altered for the better (with the possible exception of Pyotr's Sixth, which can be devastating to hear). Prokofiev and Shostakovich are also two composers who always find a way to change my mood; each can be pensively deep and profoundly beautiful (ie, lyrical), but Prokofiev's music causes me to laugh/smile and tap my foot a little more than Shosty's (maybe Sergei's a little more rhythmicly/melodically humorous & irreverent) . I must add that Mitya's piano concerti & piano quintet would rival anything by Prokofiev insofar as being able to originate cheerful spirits.

[greg]

Generally, this has always been true to me- if I'm in a good mood, I'll listen to a heavy metal orchestral work by Xenakis, like Jonchaies or Ata. This is the most positive music I can think of- like being pumped after a workout. But there's more to it than that- ideas are amazing which highten the sensation. The glissandos make it sound nearly painfully joyful.
The most painful music to listen to has to be Tristan Und Isolde and Mahler's 6th, 9th, and 10th. The harmonic language of constant uncertainty of major or minor key and the constant struggle to actually get a resolved major chord on the downbeat is exhausting. Supposedly, the first works that seem to portray stuff like nihilism and sexual frustration...