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Can you rcommend some dramatic classical music?

post #1 of 37
12/13/01 at 7:12pm
Thread Starter 
I like to listen to music while I study and my favorite music is generally distracting. Maybe I'm weird, but I just can't get anything done when I listen to White Zombie . Anyway, I would like some more classical music to listen to.

So far I am listening to the sound tracks from all three Star Wars SE movies, and a lot of the tracks are really great. The dramatic parts with lots of stuff going on are my favorites. Therefore, I would like more stuff like that.

I know nothing about classical music, but I know I don't want wussy stuff. I like lots of loud action.

Can you recommend some good classical CDs for me to check out?

Thanks.

BTW--I would like music only, no singing, especially no opera
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post #2 of 37
12/13/01 at 8:26pm
Well, I won't reccomend CDs but ratehr specific pieces.

Gustav Holst - The Planets - Excellent piece, with sounds raning from majestc and relaxed to agressive and huge. Uranus is my favorite out of the bunch.

Aaron Copland - Rodeo - More modern classical, more whimsical and silly then big and powerful. You know the song that is played on the "Beef, its whats for dinner" commercials? It is from Rodeo.

Wagner - Ride of the Valkaries


Beethoven's 5th
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post #3 of 37
12/13/01 at 8:36pm
Given your description of what you like, you may want to stick with movie scores/soundtracks -- there are tons of them that sound like that. Try the Gladiator soundtrack
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post #4 of 37
12/13/01 at 9:06pm
Shostakovitch symphony #8.
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post #5 of 37
12/13/01 at 10:16pm
Yeah, Shostakovich's 8th symphony might be a good suggestion, although you might just end up killing yourself after such a bleak peice. me? i love it.

Also, i would highly reccomend
Bruckner's 9th Symphony very powerful, pounding, heavy on the percussion, etc. the 8th is another great symphony, complete too, unlike the 9th (he died before finishing it). look at www.musicweb.uk.net for reccomendations.

Mahler might be good, especially his 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th (which is rather brutal) and the last movement of the 1st (one of the most bombastic peices of music i've heard). also Verdi's Requiem is fun, dramatic, powerful and quite apocolyptic at times.

And if you want straight up dramatic (some would say melodramatic) try out Puccini's Turandot. athough it might be too "wimpy" for you. who knows.
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post #6 of 37
12/13/01 at 10:40pm
Thread Starter 
So where would I go to buy and hopefully hear samples of your recommendations? Is there any good website?

Thank so far, I really appreciate your help.

BTW, when I said "wussy" I wasn't intentionally putting down slow/soft music, I'm just looking for more exciting pieces. Wussy was probably the wrong word choice.
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post #7 of 37
12/13/01 at 10:50pm
Princess Mononoke soundtrack!
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post #8 of 37
12/13/01 at 11:07pm
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 The final part rocks harder than most Metal songs!

Also try getting this CD


It's made for people like you (likes metal, don't know much about classical) and it's cheap!

I don't have it, but the track listing looks good.

1. The Valkyrie The Ride Of The Valkyries
2. Gayaneh Sabre Dance
3. Symphonie Fantastique IV March To The Scaffold (Conclusion)
4. Pictures At An Exhibition The Hut On Fowls' Legs
5. Pictures At An Exhibition The Great Gate At Kiev
6. 1812 Overture (Conclusion)
7. Symphony No. 6 'Pathetique' III. Allegro Molto Vivace
8. Espana
9. Prince Igor Polovtsian Dance
10. The Damnation of Faust Hungarian March
11. The Planets Mars, The Bringer Of War (Conclusion)
12. Romeo And Juliet Montagues And Capulets
13. Lohengrin Prelude To Act III
14. The Firebird Infernal Dance
15. Symphony No. 1 In D 'Titan' IV Sturmisch Bewegt (Conclusion)
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post #9 of 37
12/13/01 at 11:19pm
Jude recommended the Film Scores by Bernard Herrmann conducted by Salonen on SACD (Sony). It has some very powerful and dramatic moments ... awesome on cans.
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post #10 of 37
12/14/01 at 2:12am
Well, the quality will suck, but check out Audiogalaxy and get some mp3s, they have everything on there if you search correctly.
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post #11 of 37
12/14/01 at 2:17am
Classical MP3s is hi-fi blasphemy!

Just buy the bloody Cds, unless you are getting audiophile recordings, most classical CDs can be had on the cheap.
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post #12 of 37
12/14/01 at 2:55am
Quote:
Originally posted by KR...
Classical MP3s is hi-fi blasphemy!

Just buy the bloody Cds, unless you are getting audiophile recordings, most classical CDs can be had on the cheap.
I think he just meant for previewing purposes, before he went and bought the CD.
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post #13 of 37
12/14/01 at 3:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by Xander


I think he just meant for previewing purposes, before he went and bought the CD.
Exactly.

I'm not exactly sure what qualifies as "audiophile quality", but I don't want to short-change my ears. Since I just got a set of Etymotic 4Ps, I want a good quality recording.

Heavy Classix looks like something I will definitely pick up. Any opinions on Heavy Classix II?
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post #14 of 37
12/14/01 at 8:48am
Rimsky-Korsakov: Cappriccio Espanol, Scheherazade (both these from any number of good sources); a collection of overtures for his operas on Chandos conducted by Neemi Jarvi has lots of churning, exciting passages and a very realisitic recording.

Brahms: Hungarian Dances (many good versions)

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances (especially Ashkenazy's on Decca).

These are in addition to, not instead of, all the other suggestions which are very good ones.

Amazon has a lot of samples and reviews. Prices tend to be better at www.mymusic.com but information is sparse. Reviews are available gramphone.com. Click on the section called "Gramofile."

A big welcome to the world(s) of classics, radrd!
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post #15 of 37
12/14/01 at 4:28pm
I would suggest Shostakovich - Chamber Symphony by the BT Scottish Ensemble. This is an incredible and dynamic CD.
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