[West726]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif No one has mentioned Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique? The fourth movement is a musical representation of an execution, dreamt of by a man heavily sedated by opium. When we covered this in my colledge music history course, even the kids who were generally bored to tears sat up and listened.

Just bought a version of this yesterday -- Cincinnati, SACD, binaural -- based on (I think) Uncle Erik's recommendation.

 

[DeusEx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by West726 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cincinnati, SACD, binaural

Always wondered what binaural meant....wikipedia is quite confusing at times...something to do with headphones only?

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Always wondered what binaural meant....wikipedia is quite confusing at times...something to do with headphones only?

Binaural recordings are indeed intended for headphones only; they do not reproduce properly through loudspeakers.

Binaural recordings are made with a technology that much more closely simulates the spatial imaging of natural hearing, when compared to conventional recordings.

The recordings are made with microphones placed on either side of a physical model of a human head. The mics are placed in the "ears" of the model. Because the mics are separated by the physical mass of the "head" on which they are mounted, the results simulate very closely the placement of actual human ears, which of course are separated and isolated from one another by an actual human head.

There are many good examples of binaural recordings floating around here at Head-fi. Probably the most dramatic is a skit, involving music and conversation, that simulates a visit to a barber shop. Sounds are vividly placed in space, with pinpoint locational accuracy.

 

[DeusEx]

Very interesting....can't believe I never really caught on. When you say they don't reproduce properly through speakers, do you mean they sound wrong spatially?

Any links? I'm very interested in hearing what it sounds like. How is it different than regular stereo?

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very interesting....can't believe I never really caught on. When you say they don't reproduce properly through speakers, do you mean they sound wrong spatially?

Exactly, and the tonal balance can sound wierd also.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any links? I'm very interested in hearing what it sounds like. How is it different than regular stereo?

I'm trying to find a good link to the Virtual Haircut; I'll post it as soon as I track it down.

 

[DrBenway]

This post lists a slew of musical and non-musical binaural recordings.

This link is from that post; it's a direct download link to the Virtual Haircut file. Try some of the others in the thread; some of this stuff is truly mind-blowing.

Notes:

1) The OP of this thread describes all of the links included as free and legal. I have no reason to doubt that, but I have not tested every link in the thread.

2) I did test the direct download link to the Virtual Haircut (about five minutes ago) and it downloaded and played without incident.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Zaubertuba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by larki /img/forum/go_quote.gif I second that, Prokofiev is amazing! The Argerich/Dutoit CD you mentioned is one of my favorites as well. The darkest of the piano concertos is certainly the second one. In it Prokofiev deals with the suicide of a friend. Just check out the long cadenza in the first movement, and then the reentry of the orchestra...incredible. My favorite performances of the second concerto on CD are the one by Horacio Gutierrez with Jervi, and the Ashkenazy one with Previn and the LSO.

Ooooo--I'm going to have to check that out.

Quote:

Slightly OT: Although not particularly dark, I have to mention Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra, which is a piece that I think is usually underrated. If you are getting into Prokofiev, have a look at this piece! Of course one can't go wrong with Rostropovich's recording of it, but I really like the recent CD by Han-Na Chang with Pappano and the LSO, which happens to have an amazing sound quality as well. Other dark music I enjoy very much are Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony, Berlioz' Sinfonie Fantastique (big parts of it are not very dark or heavy, but the last two movements do rock hard!), Liszt's Faust Symphony (the Mephisto Movement is pretty dark), Bernstein's Second Symphony, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. As already mentioned, there are lots of dark pieces in chamber music as well, and they can also be heavy...for example Prokofiev's late piano sonatas, Liszt's piano sonata, some of Bartok's string quartets, some of Shostakovich's String quartets, Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (dark!).

More great suggestions--some of which I've heard but aren't in my library yet. This thread could get expensive.

 

[DeusEx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrBenway /img/forum/go_quote.gif This post lists a slew of musical and non-musical binaural recordings. This link is from that post; it's a direct download link to the Virtual Haircut file. Try some of the others in the thread; some of this stuff is truly mind-blowing. Notes: 1) The OP of this thread describes all of the links included as free and legal. I have no reason to doubt that, but I have not tested every link in the thread. 2) I did test the direct download link to the Virtual Haircut (about five minutes ago) and it downloaded and played without incident. Let me know what you think.

Virtual Haircut was amazing....

So how much music is binaural these days? (scrambling to find all of them...)

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Virtual Haircut was amazing.... So how much music is binaural these days? (scrambling to find all of them...)

It's never really been a mainstream technology; definitely check out the other links in that thread -- there are lots of them, and some of the classical recordings are as mind boggling as the haircut.


P.S. This is pretty off-topic (my fault; apologies to the OP.) If you want to respond, please PM me.

 

[Josesos]

I send you a Youtube web location for Beethoven Heavy Guitar our version of Mooligth Sonata. 
 
 
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2_ANWfQ-Jc&feature=plcp

 

[complin]

If you are looking for intensity in an emotional way then it has to be Schubert's String Quintet in C major.  The Adagio is probably the most beautiful piece of music ever written
I prefer the version with the great Mstislav Rostropovich and the Emerson String Quartet
 
There is a good performance on youtube but its not Rosrtapovich!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmeOkfhkqa4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbOKlBFVHNM&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoM46I4PBVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngcjXOU2Rt0
 
If its heavy, dark and intense you are looking for then Stravinsky's Rite OF Spring Valery Gergiev kirov orchestra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUk8T-M6IdE
 
If your taste is modern then Goretsky Symphony of sorrowful songs
 
or for excitement and intensity John Adams A short ride in a fast machine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi4A9bPDvTc or Shaker Loops or the Wound dresser
 
For Really Heavy but romantic try Anton Bruckner's 4th Symphony

 

 

[kolyas]

What a wonderful thread. So many appropriate recommendations. I think between you all you have listed almost  all of my favourite classical music. I have every one of the items mentioned. I don't like to think of the music as 'Dark'. The music mentioned sometimes has a very dark theme but not always. The music is very intense though and very emotional . I listen to this type of music when I want to be MOVED rather than entertained.
 
It is also good to be entertained. Classical music of this variety would need a different thread though.

 

[mitchflorida]

THIS WILL FRIGHTEN YOU TO DEATH.
 
 
YOU WANT SCARY, THIS IS SCARY CLASSICAL MASTERPIECES
 
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Ages-Scary-Classical-Masters/dp/B006ZM4CWO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356041826&sr=1-1&keywords=dark+ages+scary

 

[chrisjackson]

This more like the reproduction of picture Rach responded to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbtmskCRUY

 

[DiePewPew]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDvkyGBBn2E This is as good as it gets