I was watching Interview With The Vampire, and I noticed (seemingly for the first time) the tune that Lestat plays on the piano shortly before and after the swamp. After much painful searching, I discovered it was a snippet of Haydn's 49th Piano Sonata in E Flat, Movement 2. I downloaded it and continued to love it. You may very well not have a clue what I'm talking about, but those of you who do, could you please tell me of similar music...I'm really at a loss to describe it...

The same style of thing occurs in Beethoven's 9th, which most of you will know, but the part I mean is by far the darkest part of the Symphony. If you want a more recent example (but only slightly), Alice Cooper's Dead Babies has the same kind of thing happening about at 4:30 from the start.

I've probably confused you, but I don't doubt someone out there has some sort of idea about that which I speak.

<font color="cyan">I like the classical music they choose to play at the start of the World Cup and Euro Championships in England.

And also Greensleaves and the other famous ones....</font>

I'm looking for a particuar type...dark, probably minor...I dunno what else to say...

Oh yeah, Orchestral classical music is great from time to time. I especially loved the Total Annihilation Sound Track...

So what are you asking, really?

Are you asking for the names of classical pieces that sound a certain way?
I might be able to help if you describe what exactly you are looking for...
Music written in a minor key (since you talk about "dark")? Music like that of Haydn and Beethoven?
Or I could just give you a list of classical pieces I like, but I'd probably bore you to death ;)

Exactly what I want to know. :D My favourites are pieces by Liszt, Beethoven, and Chopin. Some are in minor, others in major. What you can do is to purchase a collection by a composer and listen it through. I bet you will find several pieces you enjoy. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Oh and Mel, please list some pieces. I´d like to know and Mojo could probably find some use for it as well. Besides, maybe I can find myself another composer to listen to. [img]smile.gif[/img]

-The second movement of Tchaikovski's "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" has a sort of dark feel to it.

-The middle section of three of the "Four Seasons" concertos by Vivaldi would work as well (all except "Winter")

-Sections of Edvarg Grieg's incidental music to the play Peer Gynt, especially "Solvieg's Song" and "The Death of Ase"

Perhaps I'm thinking more sad than dark, but it's the best I can do.

[ 01-20-2003, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: Judas Maccabeus ]

Bach also wrote a number of "dark" pieces in minor keys. Toccada en Fugue in d minor is quite popular. The score to The Phantom of the Opera is mostly written in d minor (Andrew Lloyd Webber) if you want to try something recent. The opera Carmena Buorana (SP?) has a wonderful mix of styles and it's opening opus is very dark and very powerful. If you are not sure of what you like or are looking for, try getting the Instrumental versions of soundtracks to movies you like. They will usually post the composer and name of a piece. Oh, John Williams is great as well. He has done the movie score to most of the movie blockbusters of the last 30 yrs (Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurasic Park, ET, ect, ect ...).

Ooh, lots of good taste here, I like a lot of those that have been mentioned!

Personally I like very dramatic classical music, especially choral pieces, some of them are quite 'dark'.

My favourites include:
Carmina Burana (O! Fortuna is the best bit IMO).
Mozart's Requiem (If you like choral then this is pretty dark and atmospheric).
Beethoven's 9th.
Greig's 'Peer Gynt'.

I'm bound to think of some more later, if I do I'll come back and add them.

Mojo: Check out the soundtrack to "The Hunger." Great stuff there, some classical, some really cool modern moody sounds. Strauss has a piano bit that is track 1 (I forget the name) that is one of my absolute favorites.

I'm always looking for this cool music to run Ravenloft games. ;) Some favorites:
Hunger soundtrack
Interview w/ Vampire Soundtrack
Strauss
Stoker's Dracula soundtrack
Bach - 4 piano concertos is good and Toccada of course
some Mozart
actually, Dead Can Dance, believe it or not

I know - very ecclectice. Oh well.....