Classical Music

[The Z]

Does anyone know of any good classical songs that can psyche someone up (eg. Carmina Burana, Gladiator Soundtrack, Baldur's Gate music)

[ruined letters]

Um, Tons of Stuff by Handel can get you pumped.
Bach has tons of stuff, namely Tocatta in D minor.
Beethoven, 5th etc.
Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker etc.
Mendelssohn, has marches and stuff
Rachmaninoff, has a lot really fast crazy stuff.
Gershwin, more modern, has jazzy music.
Lanz, has a lot of fast intense music, my favorite being Dancing on the Berlin Wall
Sorry if i'm just way too generic on these, I'd go with the Beethoven or Lanz.
May I ask what this is for?

[C Elegans]

Psych someone up?

Lygety.
Schnittke.
Schoenberg.
Stockhausen.
Stravinsky's symphonies.

Very atonal, modernistic stuff, some of which border the limit of what may be defined as music. As far from the classisists as you can get, but still symphonic.

[The Z]

I kinda got tired of listening to lots of metal and hard rock, so I'm going for a diversion. Carmina Burana is one of my favourite songs so I was just looking to find others like it.

BTW - Thanks for the songs, I'll have to check them out.

[ruined letters]

That's actually what's happened to me. I'm really into punk etc. but for the past few weeks I've been almost exclusivly listening to classical music. For me the first stop in the road to classical music appreciation was the most amazing site on the internet on the web. Soyouwanna.com. oh yes.
el link: http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/...classical.html

[The Z]

Wow that's a lot of info, thanks again

[Chanak]

@The Z:

You sound like me, when I tire of listening to old Iron Maiden and Metallica. The Gladiator soundtrack is very nice to plug into - however, the big screen tracks are not what you are wanting. Instead, look for a CD by the composer that is comprised of versions of the tracks he composed prior to the orchestra working them over. It is more powerful and raw, and the rendition of the Gladiator Waltz on that CD will make you want to join the Roman Legions and charge barbarians in Germania, locking shields with your fellow legionnaires as flaming oil and arrows streak overhead.

Thcaikovsky composed some very powerful pieces in his time. I often like to listen to his stuff - to me, there is a somewhat militant undertone to some of his compositions. Mozart can also be quite peppy at times. Scarlatti also has some high-energy pieces for the harpsichord that are worth listening to. Have fun!

[Xandax]

Grieg with Peer Gynt Suite.
Beethovens 9th Symphony (4th Movement)

2 of my absolut favorites.

[fable]

Can you explain what you want when you write of "psyching someone up?" Are you looking for something that really gets the adrenalin pumping? Or something that shocks you? Or something that's got really great melodies?

[Morlock]

As Fable, I'm also not sure what you mean.
Though I am starting to get into Prokofiev, who has a lot of great stuff, and so far all I've heard are really wonderful dark themes by him. If you want to test him out, try 'Montagues and Capulets' from Romeo and Juliet, or 'A night on the Bare mountain' (It's in Fantasia).

On a side note (mostly to Fable):
I want to try out Stravinsky, but I can't seem ot find any pieces I really like. Could you recommend any pieces you like of his? I usualy go for very thematic material, something that really strikes from the start.

[C Elegans]

Night on the bare mountain was written by Mussorgsky IIRC

Prokofiew is a nice composer, the ballet music to Romeo & Juliet is nice, but don't forget to check out his symphonies. He has also made some rather unconventional stuff.

Rite of spring is the "beginner's choice" for Stravinsky, my personal favorite is Symphony in C, though. Symphony in three movements is also very nice, it has a striking intro

If you like ballet music, which is often more thematic and easy to listen to, you could try Firebird and Petrouchka (sp?). If you like opera, try Oedipus Rex, it's an interesting work.

[fable]

Originally posted by Morlock
On a side note (mostly to Fable):
I want to try out Stravinsky, but I can't seem ot find any pieces I really like. Could you recommend any pieces you like of his? I usualy go for very thematic material, something that really strikes from the start.

Try The Firebird. It's more thematic, less fragmented than Rite of Spring (though the ending of RoS is wonderful). Also good are Petrushka, and Pulcinella. All four works are orchestral ballets. Stick to Stravinsky's first period--avoid stuff like the Dumbarton Oaks Concerto and Apollon Musagete, which are incredibly repetitive. Hope that helps.

[The Z]

Not so psyche up as in Adrenaline pumping, but something that moves you in a way that you want to just get up and do what you've gotta do. Something inspiring, preferably a touch of darkness too.

EDIT - Great stuff people...I may just give up the hard rock

[ruined letters]

Ah, Beethoven's 9th, movement 4. After watching Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange this has taken on new meaning for me. Same with Singing in the Rain. The sound track to that movie is pretty much classical but very very creepy and can really get your blood going. I strongly suggest it. You may think I'm a total loser for this, but Peter and the Wolf may just be my favorite by Prokofiev. The version without the narration is much better, I feel that the narration takes away from it. Rite of Spring is really amazing, although, well, there are some parts that you almost can't even call music, it's just noise, it really depends what kind of mood you're in when you listen to it.

[Beldin]

R. Wagner: "Walkürenritt" (-> "Apocalypse Now" ...the helicopter attack).

R.Wagner: "The flying Dutchman" (esp. the "Seemannschor" = "Sailors Choir" ??)

R.Strauss: "Also sprach Zarathustra" (Theme from "2001 - Space Odyssey")

M.Ravel: "Bolero" (...remember the flick with Bo Derek ?)

P. Tchaikovsky: "Overture 1810"

No worries,

Beldin