Which (Popular) Classical Work has the Greatest Dynamic Range?

[ezodisy]

I guess it's HVK's Tchiakovsky 6th, then. Unless you think Bernstein or Mravinsky's might have a greater dynamic range?

In terms of recorded performances Kondrashin's live recording from Japan has the widest dynamic range. Kondrashin was famous for bringing out the most extreme dynamics and that particular Japanese tour makes for spectacular listening with the hall's acoustics (or lack thereof?).

Shostakovich 4 was the first thing that came to mind for me but I would probably choose Tchaikovsky 6 on reflection too. Unfortunately haven't heard Eine Alpensinfonie in concert yet, I'm sure it's quite the experience...

[lukeottevanger]

Of course The Gothic has some of the loudest things imaginable (with that number of people playing and singing, it would, wouldn't it?), but also moments of the most intense quietness, such as the bass clarinet links between 2nd and 3rd movement.... For the same reason, the Berlioz Requiem is a good bet too - its quiet music is as extreme in its own way as all those drums and brass bands are.

[M forever]

In live concerts, the loudest (and most dynamic) musical events I have heard were the Alpensinfonie and Zarathustra with Karajan and, not surprisingly, given the large forces, Mahler 8 with Abbado. That's not just a function of the number of performers, though, also of the density of the musical textures, and the performers, the way they play. In general, the loudest orchestra I have heard was the BP under Karajan, Abbado toned that down a little bit, or made it more slender and less massive, compact, but they also could play incredibly soft, like at the beginning of Eine Alpensinfonie which was extremely soft but you could still hear all the notes of the cluster clearly; HvK had rehearsed that very carefully and spent a lot of time balancing all the voices which resulted in an effect I have never again heard, it sounded as if the Philharmonie was covered in knee deep fog. I also remember that one very quiet variation which sounds like fragments of organ music coming from very far in Brahms' Haydn Variationen (don't remember which number it is), and that was played by the full string section with a lot of sound, but so quiet that it was as if it was a string quartet. But a string quartet with a very big sound, just from very far away.

But loudness or the impression thereof is no necessarily a function of "loud", forced, aggressive playing. It is more a function of quality and richness of sound. A lot of orchestras don't have that though in the highest degree, so many can play quite loud, but few really "loud".

I also remember specifically how enormous the sound of the Orchestre National de France was when they played Daphnis et Chloé one time in Berlin - the sound was very unforced, very lucid, very unaggressive, very refined, but it was so rich and well balanced, it literally filled the room. When the big outburst of sound came after the long flute solo, I had the feeling one could float to the other side of the room on that sound.

On disc, it's obviously a different story. Anything can be recorded with the full useable dynamic range of the medium, even a solo flute.

[scarpia]

I asked because I need a CD to use to burn-in my new interconnects for my CD player and I have been told to use a good orchestral recording with a wide dynamic range to accomplish this. 

Since this is a pure placebo effect which has no basis in physical reality, you can use whatever CD gives you a warm feeling inside.  In fact, I suggest you infuse the CD with essence of lemon grass before playing it and the cables will have a lovely, fresh, breezy quality. 

[M forever]

I missed the part you quoted. That is pretty hilarious, and also, of course, complete nonsense from a technical point of view. The voltages and currents going through the cables and connectors aren't enough to "burn in" anything on a home system.

[greg]

I completely agree with Shostakovich's 4th and the Alpine Symphony being here...
but for dynamic range, you can't forget Mahler's 3rd! I can't think of anything else with a greater dynamic range.....

[George]

I completely agree with Shostakovich's 4th and the Alpine Symphony being here...
but for dynamic range, you can't forget Mahler's 3rd! I can't think of anything else with a greater dynamic range.....

Thanks Greg! I'm going with the Alpine Symphony for the purposes of this thread. Much thanks for all the useful suggestions! 

[Ten thumbs]

I'm not sure if Scriabin's first piano sonata qualifies as 'popular'. It only indicates loudness up to fff ending sfff, which is probably about as loud as the piano will play. On the other hand the mid section of the finale is marked 'quasi niente'; it doesn't matter how many p's a composer writes, one can't get quieter than that!

[jochanaan]

I'm not sure if Scriabin's first piano sonata qualifies as 'popular'. It only indicates loudness up to fff ending sfff, which is probably about as loud as the piano will play. On the other hand the mid section of the finale is marked 'quasi niente'; it doesn't matter how many p's a composer writes, one can't get quieter than that!

Well, if you're talking written dynamic ranges, there's no end of extreme markings in music written around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century; you'd think that was an extreme time or something! Varèse's Octandre goes from ppp to sffff in short order; Tchaikovsky's markings are similarly extreme, as previously discussed, as are Holst's for The Planets.  Even Rachmaninoff's famous/notorious Prelude in C# minor goes from ppp to fff, with (as I recall; I haven't seen the printed music for a while) a sffff or two during the climax.

[George]

Thanks guys! I have received more than enough suggestions to achieve my goal. Therefore, I am locking this thread (for the second time.)