# Looking for subtle, mellow, quiet works



## Zauberberg (Feb 21, 2012)

Being an illiterate in classical music has it's problems, but I guess I can ask to the folks of TC; can I count on you?

So let's see if language is not too much of a problem for me, hopefully I can get my point across: the title says "Looking for subtle, mellow, quiet works", but that could mean one million of things right?

I'm looking for something that puts me in a non-gravity state of mind, maybe the most "ambient" side of classical. Don't tell me Erik Satie yet, since I'm more interested on orchestras and symphonies, and I want to know of something knew. I don't want too much of a virtuoso performance neither. I'm thinking of less notes, comunicating themselves almost seamlessly, like dancers, long notes and things like that, with low intensity, slow tempo, maybe (or maybe not) with some abstract touch.

I talked about GAS in the non-classical subforum, he's an electronic artist who makes ambient/techno (depending on whether the track has beats or not) using classical music samples (mostly Wagner & Schönberg) which are manipulated beyond recognition. Of course, this is electronic and modern music with heavy repetition, but saving distances, I wonder if there are, maybe, some classical similar to the shape of his sound (check a small excerpt or this), a kind of sound floating in air, made with classical instruments.

Maybe something made in the 20th century fits the criteria, but the only thing I know are some exponents of american minimalism (reich, glass, adams, riley, young) and it's not what I'm looking for. Or maybe a kind of "extreme" adagietto... I cannot help anymore.

Throw your recommendations and intuitions to me.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

*Debussy* -_ Nuages (Clouds)_, first movement of _Nocturnes for Orchestra_, also his famous _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun_

*Ravel* - _Adagio Assai_, second movement, of_ Piano Concerto in G_ (if piano with orchestra is ok, but it's very gentle)

*Holst* - _Neptune, the mystic_, seventh movement, of _The Planets _(this includes wordless female choir, very unearthly)

A lot of *Hovhaness* - eg. _Symphony No. 53, Op. 377, 'Star Dawn' for wind band_, also try his _Cello Concerto, Concerto for Two Pianos, Guitar Concertos_

*Messiaen* - _Quartet for the End of Time (Quatour pour le fin du temps)_ has two movements that may be relevant to your needs, these are slow and meditative:
- Fifth movement - _Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus "Praise to the eternity of Jesus", _for cello and piano.
- Eighth movement - _Louange à l'Immortalité de Jésus "Praise to the immortality of Jesus",_ for violin and piano.

I hope these are of help, all are fully on youtube (but the additional Hovhaness works I listed may only be there in part, but you'll have to look maybe harder than I did)...


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Try Somei Satoh


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

^^I would say Wagner's _Siegfried Idyll_, but not the_ Dutchman_. But the OP seems more interested in 20th century music in any case.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

The thing is, everyone after Wagner is Wagner.

Have I fulfilled my cloying fanboyism quota today yet?


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Zauberberg said:


> Being an illiterate in classical music has it's problems, but I guess I can ask to the folks of TC; can I count on you?
> 
> So let's see if language is not too much of a problem for me, hopefully I can get my point across: the title says "Looking for subtle, mellow, quiet works", but that could mean one million of things right?
> 
> I'm looking for something that puts me in a non-gravity state of mind, maybe the most "ambient" side of classical. Don't tell me Erik Satie yet, since I'm more interested on orchestras and symphonies, and I want to know of something knew. I don't want too much of a virtuoso performance neither. I'm thinking of less notes, comunicating themselves almost seamlessly, like dancers, long notes and things like that, with low intensity, slow tempo, maybe (or maybe not) with some abstract touch.


Le Jardin Suspendu of Jehan Alain is a piece that is what you have in mind (though is for organ and not for orchestra)





I was thinking also of Scelsi because you've talked of ambient and few notes, but his stuff certainly is not something that i can describe as low intensity music.
Koechlin instead is a composer you would check out, something like "Le docteur fabricius" or "Les heures persianes" (for orchestra) for example.





and of course there's a lot of minimalism. The first piece i've thought of though not the most famous one is Bunita Marcus's "Adam and Eve", because i suppose is really something in the vein of what you're looking for.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Outside of Classical Music, Tangerine Dream and many other Ambient artists/bands are great at this. 
Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea, Stratosfear, Phaedra, Rubycon, and many others. I assume that is the type of sound you are looking for in Classical Music. Claude Debussy is probably the closest I've gotten to the floating sound for Classical Music. Check out Debussy for Daydreaming. It's on Amazon. La Mer might be a great choice to look up as well. Better yet get the whole Orchestral Works from Debussy.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Never mind and apologies, it was a jape at another member, now re-adressed with quote so the direction is clear.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

That was uncalled for. The OP wanted a certain vibe. I had to explain the type of sound I was interested in so we can be on the same wavelength on what music to look for in classical music. And neither Debussy or Tangerine Dream are my heros. They just come to mind when you want to chill. And there is a box set as welll called "Ultimate Classical Chill Out". Though most of it isn't modern. But an enjoyable set as well.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

neoshredder said:


> That was uncalled for. The OP wanted a certain vibe. I had to explain the type of sound I was interested in so we can be on the same wavelength on what music to look for in classical music. And neighter Debussy or Tangerine Dream are my heros. They just come to mind when you want to chill.


I think he was talking about Couchie.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

My bad if that is the case. I did get criticized for mentioning Tangerine Dream too many times in a thread. But yeah that would make sense about Wagner.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Ed Add --for future reference, there are no ''classical instruments." Instruments are neutral, and play whatever is. The music played on them, i.e. Style, not instruments, define genre. -- End Ed Add.

Morton Feldman ~ piano and string quartet (NB ~ not minimalism by any stretch of the definition) The piece runs without pause for about an hour and twenty minutes. [A few here just said this might be what angels play for themselves.] link is full-length 





Simeon ten Holt ~ semi-minimalist, four pianos, a continuum of slowly shifting harmony, this performance runs about one hour, forty minutes.




and this one close to three hours





A work in progress, which the composer plans to orchestrate, is something I look forward to hearing. Here are the first seven minutes.
Markus Reuter ~ Todmoren 513, movement 1





Henry Brant ~ on the nature of things. This fits your description only in the nature of its effect, seemingly 'aimless' and 'arbitrary' it is successful because it is neither, just sounds like it. (Good trick if you can pull it off.) Would love to hear it played by instruments out of doors, with breezes taking it to or from your hearing, present, less present. Remarkably 'pleasant' music.









Composer mentioned, not sure if this piece is
Satoh ~ birds in warped time





Ives' Unanswered question immediately addressed the 'timeless' quality, though brief, if you do not know it you might think much more time has passed than its actual playing length, such is the power of music to mess with our perception of lineal time.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Couchie said:


> The thing is, everyone after Wagner is Wagner.
> 
> Have I fulfilled my cloying fanboyism quota today yet?


If your goal is to be as obnoxiously egocentric as your hero, you're getting close. 
Just a few more posts


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

Here are quite a few:

1. Schubert - String Quintet in C, "Adagio"

2. Schubert - Piano Sonata no. 21 in B Flat - 1st and 2nd movement

3. Schubert - Nacht und Traume

4. Schubert - Notturno for Piano Trio

5. Schubert - Piano Sonata no. 18 - 1st movement


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

PetrB said:


> If your goal is to be as obnoxiously egocentric as your hero, you're getting close.
> Just a few more posts


You're pretty new here, I passed that threshold MONTHS ago!


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## Zauberberg (Feb 21, 2012)

Thanks for the recommendations so far! I really liked that Adagio Assai from Ravel. I found very interesting also Holst's neptune, Wagner's Siegfried and some Schubert.



> Ed Add --for future reference, there are no ''classical instruments." Instruments are neutral, and play whatever is. The music played on them, i.e. Style, not instruments, define genre. -- End Ed Add.


Yeah, I know... I said that just because I wanted to discover more things in the classical spectrum, since I know very well the electronic side of this kind of music (someone mentioned Tangerine Dream). For the record, I'm not just looking for "chill out" a la "classical", just a certain type of sound, more "textured" than usual. Seems like some Adagios & Adagiettos fit the criteria, but I'm not well instructed in this  so the only thing I can do is ask & learn.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

For this kind of kinder, gentler music, you need to hear the music of the French composer Gabriel Faure,
(1845-1924). His is just about the most mellow, laid-back stuff you could want, but it's not at all soporific . 
H wrote a variety of works for chamber ensembles, such as strings with piano etc, beautiful art songs based on French poetry , and a Requiem mass which is very gentle and avoids the terrifying Does Irae section of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead , among other things .There are also lots of beautiful short pieces for piano .
Try the incidental music he wrote for the Maurice Maeterlicnk play Pelleas& Melisande, also made into an opera by Debussy . The name is pronouced Faw-RAY. There is an accent on the second syllable, but I don't know how to put this on the computer .


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I don't know exactly, but perhaps 

Allegri: Miserere 
Brahms' violin sonata #1, piano quartet #4
Fauré's string quintets
Gorecki: Symphony #3 
Ligeti's Lux Aeterna 

Also, I realize this is not what you're asking for, but it's... anyway, I want to mention Agaetis Byrjun. At the very least, it's mellow and textured.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

That should read "Dies Irae". For some reason, I frequently put down an o when I mean to write i and vice versa by accident.


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## Zauberberg (Feb 21, 2012)

Oh, I remember, I discovered Faure watching a Werner Herzog movie some years ago, but I have forgotten about him. At that time I wasn't too much into classical, but I thought that was really nice. Unfortunately, never explored more about him and fell into the oblivion. So thanks for remind me of him.


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## Praeludium (Oct 9, 2011)

Amazing piece of music ! And it's for guitar.

Almost anything by Takemitsu.

For instance :






(he also wrote many guitar pieces. there's a great version of Toward the Sea for flute and guitar on youtube.)


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

thank you praeludium, i didn't know that piece of Henze and i really like it


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## xuantu (Jul 23, 2009)

Too bad if you don't like piano solos, because Federico Mompou wrote just this type of music. For Stephen Hough, this is the music "of evaporation, as if the printed page has faded..."




He (Mompou) is, however, influenced by Satie. I am not sure how closely they should sound like each other, for I am yet to hear a note of Satie.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

Subtle, mellow, quiet works...my favorite kind! Those are the same qualities I look for in much of the music I listen to. I'll post a few of my favorites that come to mind, I hope they fit your criteria well enough and that you enjoy them. A lot of them are pretty well-known so I'm sure you've heard some of them already. And I have to say it's hard to top Ravel's concerto, it's one of the best examples I can think of lol.

Gabriel Faure: Pavane (with or without vocals); Elegy (this one's a bit intense towards the end though)
Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony 5; End section of movement 4 from his 9th symphony; Symphony 3 Movement 6 (a bit animated in parts but overall I think you might like it)
Beethoven: String Quartet 16 Movement 3; String Quartet 13 Movement 5; Piano concerto 5 Movement 2; Cello Sonata #5 Movement 2
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto 2 Movement 2
Handel: Largo (orchestral version unless you prefer vocals)
Albinoni: Adagio
Dvorak: Largo from Symphony 9
Mendelssohn: Symphony 5 Movement 3
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings

Also if you're interested, there is a user on youtube who goes by the name "AndanteLargo" who composes some very relaxing pieces for classical guitar. Here's a link to one of his compositions if you're interested:


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)




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