[bluesaint]

 

[FalconP]

Tell us your preferences -- classical, jazz, new-age/light music, or piano transcriptions of pop tunes? Or perhaps tell us about the recordings that you love?

 

[bluesaint]

Prefer modern type. Non classical.

Have you ever heard the ending song of "The incredible Hulk?" Not the new movie, but the old original one.

 

[blessingx]

Has mostly classical, but if you're into soundtracks, you may want to give "The Man Who Wasn't There" a shot. Not a fan of the movie, but walked straight to a record store afterward to pick up a copy.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Definitely track down Art of Noise's "Close (To The Edit)" (I think that's the one, it might be one of the versions of "Beatbox" or "Moments in Love (beaten)"). The piano is only at the end, and it's instrumental, so don't know how "sad" it can be, but it's some of the loveliest synthesized/sampled/whatevered piano tone I've ever heard.

Bauhaus, "Crowds"

I'm sure there are lots more.

 

[chillysalsa]

You may like Ryuichi Sakamoto BTTB. Just piano. Very melancholic tunes (with funny titles).

 

[FalconP]

I've been searching my mind for quite a while, yet I can't come up with a "sad" solo piano album by a modern composer: the new-age crowd is filled with lovey-dovey laddies with handsome faces, but none of them cares to write something that even suggests a melancholic mood.

You may however look at the album Remembrance by George Winston -- the album was written to raise funds for vicitms in the 9-11 tragedy. I haven't listened to it though, having been generally disappointed by Winston ever since the album Forest.

The masters of new-age poignancy, however, usually lace a bit of electronics in their piano works. If you need to get drunk on sadness then by all means get the collection Abridged by Tim Story. Story's style is unique -- he is not a tear-jerker, not even "sentimental"; but there is something strange about his music that cannot be put down in words: the best I can say is that the music makes you feel sorry about yourself.

His album Untitled is even more piano-orientated (and more emotionally potent IMO), but may be hard to get.

If you're indeed looking for a dose of artful sentimentalism, then perhaps Voices by Roger Eno, or North of Niagara by Mychael Danna and Tim Clement.

On the modern classical side, I think Philip Glass is (sometimes) capable of deep pathos. The Metamophosis set on his album Solo Piano contains the most poignant moments by Glass. His recent soundtrack to the film The Hours is pretty much in the same vein (but with orchestral accompaniments) -- I don't however find it interesting precisely because there is nothing new (you may listen to pieces from the soundtrack at www.nonesuch.com)
Quote:

Originally posted by chillysalsa You may like Ryuichi Sakamoto BTTB. Just piano. Very melancholic tunes (with funny titles).

I don't think this album is that sad; on the contrary I find it rather amusing -- there are a lot of tongue-in-cheek references to famous composers: a tongue-in-cheek Satie (Lorenz and Watson), a tongue-in-cheek Debussy (Sonatine), a tongue-in-cheek Beethoven (Choral #1 and 2), even a tongue-in-cheek John Cage (Prelude). The piece Aqua must be Sakamoto's parody (or was it a tribute?) to the proliferation of Japanese new-age pianism. An interesting album definitely

 

[MaxHeifetz]

Modern eh?

How about...

Final Fantasy X - Piano Collection

To Zanarkand and Suteki da Ne are very melancholy songs.

 

[bluesaint]

Thanks for all the replies so far guys

I'll research all of the ones mentioned! Thanks a bunch.




Yeah, I think FFX main theme melody is a good one.

 

[radrd]

I don't know if it is a "piano song," but Blue's Traveler's "Pretty Angry (For J. Sheehan)" is a good/sad song off of Bridge that is piano-based.

 

[marios_mar]

If you want a moody sad piano solo about an hour long then the Koeln Concert is for you. It is an absolute masterpiece. If you already have it or know it go and buy it immediately.


Keith Jarrett - The Koeln Concert.

 

[KR...]

For Classical :

Beethoven - Adagio Sostenuto from "Moonlight Sonata"

For Metal :

Funeral - In the Fields of Pestilent Grief from the album of the same name.

 

[bong]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dusty Chalk Bauhaus, "Crowds"

lovely track, but its more of an F.A. than a sad song.

one of the top of my head, Suede's (or The London Suede if you're in the U.S.) "The Next Life" is a melodramatic, bitterly sad piano song, with one of the best falsetto performance from a rock/pop song.