Anyone know of any good somber, down-tempo music using piano, strings, or opera voice?

Question

Anyone know of any good somber, down-tempo music using piano, strings, or opera voice?

Answer 1

here's one that's off-the-wall:

the composers Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann both wrote extended song cycles for voice and piano. Schubert's most famous cycle is Die Schöne Müllerin ( a country boy falls in and out of love with the miller's daughter and takes a hike). Schumann's best cycle is Die Winterreise ( a trip during winter, which is basically I've-got-to-get-out-of-here) both are 20+ songs. there are very few happy moments in either of them, although some are at breakneck speed. There are a lot of wonderful recordings, mostly by men, since the songs were written for men.

Look out for (now dead) Fritz Wunderlich, a tenor of great sweetness and flexibility of voice for the Schubert, and Olaf Bär for the Schumann.

I'll add to Alberich's Wagner idea with the Good Friday festival music from the opera Parsifal. Actually, the whole opera is very slow paced ( takes over four hours real time).

for piano music alone, you can't do much better than the etudes of Frederic Chopin. Unless you prefer Franz Liszt.

there is so much out there to listen to. Happy hunting, and happy listening!

Answer 2

You may or may not be familiar with my nominee; in case you aren't, I can highly recommend it.



Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde".



The most famous and often heard excerpt from it, is Isolde's "Liebestod"(Love-Death). It has been used in countless movies and TV dramas.



Although it was originally written for the soprano voice and orchestra(naturally, it coming from an opera, and I hope Herr Wagner will forgive me), I think its best rendition is with the orchestra alone.



There is also a large portion of the Second Act, which is sometimes played in concert form - with, or without vocalists. It's usually simply entitled the "Love Music(or duet) from Tristan.



The lovers are situated in the castle gardens at night, in a forbidden assignation; conversing(singing) about philosophical considerations that one would only expect a Nietzsche and Shopenhauer to indulge in.



But the music is sublime, and flows from one climax into another, leaving one completely intoxicated with their love: a truly transcendental experience.



Alberich

Answer 3

Big Time. With anniversaries throughout the year, a song triggers many memories, and tears. During the 9/11 attacks I was purchasing a lotto ticket at my pharmacist. It was a beautiful day. Perfect that morning and I was so happy and feeling I was in a good place within myself, and with the world. Then the teller told me an airplane flew into a skyscraper in N.Y.C All I could think was that's not so uncommon. Because of planes flying into the Chrysler and Empire State towers in the 1930's. There was a song playing on her radio. "We're the Kids in America". An 80's pop song played when we were still innocent ( ignorant ) of the worlds mess.There is no Third World. That is a lie we tell ourselves to seperate us from them. We are ONE WORLD. We all need to breathe. Humans all suffer the same. Wow. When I got home and put the news on, I was not surprised about the first attack, but when the second plane hit the second tower, all I could think was we are in for a nuclear war with another country. I didn't think it was religious motivated, but it makes sense it was. Religion has killed more people in this world than plagues and starvation ever did. The 400 million women muted by the Christian Churches in Europe and America over 400 years ...the Women's Holocaust.

Answer 4

Half the stuff made by Modest Mouse. The other half is angry, like some sort of Bi-Polar Mouse. They sgould rethink their name.

Answer 5

For opera voice: Kiri Sings Karl by Kiri Te Kanawa

For piano: Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi

Answer 6

Piano/Organ and opera voice together, I'd give you the Albert Hay Malotte 'Lord's Prayer' for soprano or tenor and Organ (or orchestra as well). Caruso recorded it, Maria Callas did it, et.al.

Instrumentally, the Romanza (second movement) of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Concerto for Basstuba and Orchestra cannot be beat. Call to mind Arnold Jacobs' version from 1969. Abe Torchinski did a very good one also. The second movement of Dvorak's New World (ninth) Symphony with the english horn solo is superb also.

But of course, all these suggestions are personal opinions. Your best bet is to listen to a lot and judge for yourself.

Answer 7

Ralph Vaughan Williams : Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y7nJL1hpUU

Answer 8

for the piano Chopin's Nocturnes, or some of Debussy's etudes.

Answer 9

Nine Crimes by Damien Rice has a beautiful piano hook and is very somber. I highly recomend it.

Answer 10

Tristan und Isolde (AMEN ALBERICH!) - Wagner

(especially Isolde's Transfiguration, or Liebestod).



The Planets: Venus - Holst



Parts of Beethoven's 9th Symphony



The last scene of Die Walkure (The Valkyries) from The Ring Cycle - Wagner



Piano Concert No. 2, Opus 102, 2nd movement - Shostakovich



Adagio for Strings - Barber

also rescored for voices and called "Agnus Dei"



Moonlight Sonata, 1st movement - Beethoven



Appassionata Sonata, 2nd movement - Beethoven



Symphony No. 6, Mvmt II and V - Beethoven



Te Deum - Arvo Part (in fact, all of his music is fairly sombre)



Miserere - Part



Litany - Part



Spiegl im Spiegl - Part



Magnificat - Part



Parts of Requiem, Gloria, and Magnificat - John Rutter



Miserere - Allegri



In Ecclessi - Gabrieli



Cloudburst - Eric Whitacre



Little Tree - Eric Whitacre



Any music from the choirs of Cambridge University



Bits of La Traviata (depressing opera, pretty though) - Verdi



Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Rachmaninov



Claire de lune - Debussy



Fantasie Impromptu (and any of his nocturnes as well) - Chopin



Clarinet Concerto in A: Adagio - Mozart



Piano Concerto No. 23, 2nd movement - Mozart



Try looking on www.classiccat.net



-Other composers: Palestrina, Gorecki, Taverner, John Corigliano, Joe Giorgiono



This kind of music exists in a lot of middle movements from symphonies and concertos. You just have to know where to look.



Happy listening!

Answer 11

i like her answer..i agree