# Most Stormy, Violent, Powerful, Furious Music



## robertzhang123

In your opinion, what are examples of music, preferably orchestral, that can be described as stormy, violent, powerful, furious, etc.? I personally think of some of the first movement of Mahler Symphony 5, Beethoven's symphony 9, first movement. But what about you?

Okay, how about this? What is the most romantic, gentle, warming, lush, piece of music you know?

What about this one? What is the saddest piece that you've heard? One so lamenting, heart-breaking, and ice-cold, that makes you cry when you listen to it?

A last one. What work of music is the most calm, relaxing, soothing, something pastoral maybe?


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## YsayeOp.27#6

More homework?


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## Ciel_Rouge

Seems homework-ish to me but I will answer that:

violent: Beethoven's Coriolan ouverture
romantic: Neptune from The Planets Suite by Holst
sad: Largo from Vivaldi Violin Concerto RV 273
soothing: Allegretto from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7

Homework or not, it still is a kind of an interesting idea. We did have threads like that already, but putting up a list of 4 different pieces in a single thread can be fun.


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## Tapkaara

Homework indeed! And how many of these threads do we need?

It's "depressive."


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## Herzeleide

Eine Kleine Nachmusik - Mozart.

Epic, violently aggressive stuff. Not for the faint-hearted.


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## Rondo

I'm beginning to think there should be a sub-forum for recommendations. There sure have been a lot of them, and for about every possible mood you can think of (though trends do favor the loud and angry).


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## Herzeleide

robertzhang123 said:


> What about this one? What is the saddest piece that you've heard? One so lamenting, heart-breaking, and ice-cold, that makes you cry when you listen to it?


Papa Haydn's minuets.


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## Herzeleide

Rondo said:


> There sure have been a lot of them, and for about every possible mood you can think of (though trends do favor the loud and angry).


What is it with these vulgar philistines coming to this forum?


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## Tapkaara

I've got nothing against those who like loud and angry music. I love it, myself. But they file into this forum one by one to ask about this, meanwhile they should first do a search to see the myriad recommendations that have been given on this very subject time and time again. 

Rite of Spring, Carmina Burana...blah blah blah blah...


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## Ciel_Rouge

This time someone asked for a set of 4 VARIED pieces and this is why I thought it is interesting. But I totally agree that we have lots of "recommendation threads" already.


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## JTech82

One thing to notice about threads like these: the poster never comes back and says thank you or gives any kind of response at all. We tell them our opinions and that's it, they're gone like the wind.

Oh and I'm not going to do somebody's homework assignment for them, because the reality is they lack the know-how, the means, and the ability to do it themselves. That's something I can't help them with.


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## marinermark

Jtech82 - interesting comment. I noticed that the last 3 similar requests have come from new members with few other posts. I've responded to some, but maybe you're correct in that there's a "Music Appreciation" term paper coming due soon.


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## JTech82

marinermark said:


> Jtech82 - interesting comment. I noticed that the last 3 similar requests have come from new members with few other posts. I've responded to some, but maybe you're correct in that there's a "Music Appreciation" term paper coming due soon.


Yeah, you will see A LOT of these kinds of posts around here and every one of them is just a joy to look at (sarcasm).

No offense to anyone here, but if you had to take "Music Appreciation" class, then you don't appreciate music.


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## YsayeOp.27#6

JTech82 said:


> No offense to anyone here, but if you had to take "Music Appreciation" class, then you don't appreciate music.


The wit!..............


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## TheBestBoy

talkclassical.com drama


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## Rogerx

TheBestBoy said:


> talkclassical.com drama


Nice entrance, tell us why?


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## Antiquarian

When the OP asked for the most stormy violent powerful music, _La Mer_ by Debussy came instantly to mind.


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## KenOC

Antiquarian said:


> When the OP asked for the most stormy violent powerful music, _La Mer_ by Debussy came instantly to mind.


"The audience seemed rather disappointed: they expected the ocean, something big, something colossal, but they were served instead with some agitated water in a saucer." -- Louis Schneider on La Mer by Claude Debussy


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## Antiquarian

KenOC said:


> "The audience seemed rather disappointed: they expected the ocean, something big, something colossal, but they were served instead with some agitated water in a saucer." -- Louis Schneider on La Mer by Claude Debussy


I like this, and I have to say I agree. But the mental imagery, subjective as it is, and the association couldn't be helped. As for actually violent, Khachaturian's _Sabre Dance_ is probably more appropriate.


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## aleazk

Bach toccata (dorian).

Beethoven. Second movement from Op.109 and First from Op.111. I guess the grosse fugue too.

Brahms second piano concerto, 2nd mov. His 3rd violin sonata, 4th mov. too.

The opening piano cadenza in Ravel's concerto for the left hand. Also, Gaspard de la nuit, 3rd. Scarbo.

Bartók string quartet no.4, 5th mov. Ginastera, danzas argentinas, no.3.

Boulez's Second Piano Sonata.

Ligeti l'escalier du diable. Ligeti violin concerto 5th mov. Also Desordre.

Xenakis keqrops.


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## Jacck

first movement of Prokofiev's 2nd symphony. It is not only quite violent, but one of the most fascinating pieces of music ever. (the slow movement is great too)


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## Pat Fairlea

I guess it's obvious, but a good rendition of the Storm Interlude from Britten's _Peter Grimes_ can be really dramatic.


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## superhorn

The storm section of the Alpine symphony by Richard Strauss . This makes other musical storms seem like light rain by comparison !


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## maestro267

Finale of Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite.

Also, I know it was nine years ago, but the opening replies to this thread aren't exactly welcoming, are they? I'd be put right off if that was how I was welcomed to a forum.


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## Larkenfield

Raging and storming:






Winter snowstorm:






Restless winds blowing furiously in a graveyard:


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## Larkenfield

Furious storms on Bald Mountain:






The laborious tedious job of shoveling snow off the highway after a furious winter storm and then getting mad about it:


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## derin684

Shostakovich Symphony 10, Movement 2.

Also, forgot to mention, Bruckner 8.


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## Bluecrab

aleazk said:


> Bartók string quartet no.4, 5th mov


Yes, together with the first movement. Remember that, in the arch structure that Bartok used for this quartet, the first and fifth movements mirror each other. The first movement is pure turmoil, but in a really exhilarating way. The rhythmic force is remarkable. IMO one of the best movements in any 20th-century string quartet.


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## BachIsBest

What about Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Might be better classified as brooding but it can definitely be seen as dark and stormy at times.


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## DeepR

Lugansky rendition of Rachmaninoff's Moment Musical Op. 16 No. 4 never fails to excite.


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## Brucknerphile

Stormy: the first movement of John Adams' "Harmonielehre"
Also stormy: the storm section of Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite

Violent: the first movement of Prokofiev's 2nd symphony
Also violent: the short instrumental interlude right after Marie's murder in Alban Berg's opera "Wozzeck"

Powerful: The Great Gate of Kiev from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
Also powerful: the last few minutes of Stravinsk's "Firebird"
Also also powerful: the last movement of Sibelius' 5th symphony
Also also also powerful: the last movement of Howard Hanson's 2nd symphony, the so-called "Romantic"
Also also also also powerful: the first movement of William Walton's 1st symphony

All of these are Powerful Blast Fests!!


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## leonsm

The middle section of the 1st movement from Shostakovich's Symphony no. 8. It's metal.


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## Tchaikov6

Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Movement 2.


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## Biffo

Stormy - Mahler - second movement of Symphony No 5 'Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz'

There are plenty of operatic storms - Britten 'Peter Grimes' , often heard as the Four Sea Interludes; Berlioz - 'Royal Hunt and Storm' from 'Les Troyens'; Wagner - Introduction to 'Die Walküre'. There are storms in Verdi's 'Otello' and 'Rigoletto', also Weber's 'Oberon' and 'Der Freischütz' , Lots of others I am sure.


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## Simon Moon

I agree with those that mentioned Britten's "Four Sea Interludes".

Can't get too much stormier.


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