# Music to hear before sleeping or just for relaxing



## Jonwin (Nov 30, 2013)

Hi everyone, on long days I take a few minutes to lay down and listen to one of three compositions: 1. Edvard Grieg's "lyric pieces" played by Emil Gilels (DG). 2. Faure's Nocturnes played by Germaine Thyssens-Valentin (Testament). 3. Mendellsohn's "songs without words" played by Walter Gieseking (EMI).

I was wondering if you have any recommendations for music pieces that you hear for relaxing and calming down during the day or at night before you go to sleep.

Thanks!
Jon


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## worov (Oct 12, 2012)




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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Jonwin said:


> Hi everyone, on long days I take a few minutes to lay down and listen to one of three compositions: 1. Edvard Grieg's "lyric pieces" played by Emil Gilels (DG). 2. Faure's Nocturnes played by Germaine Thyssens-Valentin (Testament). 3. Mendellsohn's "songs without words" played by Walter Gieseking (EMI).
> 
> I was wondering if you have any recommendations for music pieces that you hear for relaxing and calming down during the day or at night before you go to sleep.
> 
> ...


Listen to the adagio of Haydn's Piano Sonata No. 60:






I think this is one of his most relaxing adagios and one of the best.

Also, the Adagio cantabile from the Emperor Quartet, Op. 76 No. 3 in C Major:






This is also the melody of the German national anthem.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Try these:

Francis Poulenc ~ _Nocturnes_ (solo piano)









John Adams: 
_Common Tones in Simple Time_ (orchestra)




Violin Concerto; 2nd movement, _Chaconne: Body Through Which The Dream Flows_





Sergei Prokofiev ~ Violin Concerto No.1; I - Andantino





Jonathan Harvey ~ _Tranquil Abiding_ (orchestra)





Morton Feldman ~ _Piano and String Quartet_


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Few nights ago, I listened to the slow movement of Schumann's 2nd symphony right before I fell asleep (it happened to be on the radio at that time). Was very soothing.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

I instantly think about Debussy when it comes to sleep or relaxing.


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## Benny (Feb 4, 2013)

Ravel, Piano Concerto, 2nd mvt:




Brahms, Intermezzo op. 117 and other late opuses (116-119)




Debussy, Reverie




Chopin, Nocturnes




Respighi, Notturno




Debussy, Pas sur le neige




Debussy, Clair de Lune




Sibelius, Valse Triste




Mozart, Lacrimosa (from the Requiem)




Mozart, Piano Concerto no. 23, 2nd mvt:




Saint Saens, The Swan




Saint Saens, Duo (from Psalm 18)




Caccini, Ave Maria




Marcello, Oboe concerto, mvt. 2 




And Bach's beautiful piano arrangment for it









Take these for a good start 
Benny


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Benny said:


> Ravel, Piano Concerto, 2nd mvt:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh man, Mozart's Lacrimosa as relaxing? It's a great piece of music, but I would certainly not class it under relaxing. Then again, I respect subjectivity, so it's all good .


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## Benny (Feb 4, 2013)

Haydnbearstheclock, 
Don't get me wrong. Most of the above are, in my opinon, shaking. However, they are silent and thoughtful, so in their "external appearance" they may qualify as relaxing.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Satie, 3 Gymnopedies. The melodies don't develop and the piece doesn't drive to a direction, so you can nod off at any time.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

LordBlackudder said:


>


It is just astonishing how many posts from final fantasy have been squeezed in to some classical music slot or another, so long-term a continued habit, and even after more than many gentle prompts it is not classical.

I can only conclude that for some, there is no recognizing this is not classical music, regardless of how much classical music they have listened to with which they could compare the essential qualities to distinguish the difference.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

PetrB said:


> It is just astonishing how many posts from final fantasy have been squeezed in to some classical music slot or another, so long-term a continued habit, and even after more than many gentle prompts it is not classical.
> 
> I can only conclude that for some, there is no recognizing this is not classical music, regardless of how much classical music they have listened to with which they could compare the essential qualities to distinguish the difference.


There may be another explanation :lol:. My advice in such situations is not to show any annoyance whatsoever.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Blancrocher said:


> There may be another explanation :lol:. My advice in such situations is not to show any annoyance whatsoever.


Annoyed, yeah, but such a tiny titch compared to how _disappointed_ and _saddened by_.

Such a strong streak of sentiment for the sound track of some vid game you played when you were a kid means that everything which came later, including your discoveries of Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. _is less_: a life being all downhill from the age of say, seven or eight, well that is seriously sad.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

John Cage - 4'33" 

All seriousness: I'd go with soft piano music.
Mahler Symphony 5 Mov. 4 (arranged for piano)
Scriabin Sonata 3 Mov. 3
Satie's 3 Gymnopedies
Chopin Nocturnes (BEWARE, there's a good handful of them that are not soft nor sweet)
Beethoven Sonata 14 Mov. 1 (Moonlight, also cliche as hell)
Alkan Barcarolle from Troisieme Recueil de Chants
Liszt Ballade Ukraine
Bach Aria from Goldberg Variations (yet another cliche)
Ravel Pavane for a Dead Princess

Now a few works for more instruments:
Medtner Violin Sonata No. 1 Mov. 1 (though you be the judge on how relaxing it is)
Ravel Piano Concerto in G, mov. 2
Mahler Symphony 5 mov. 4 orchestral original
Beethoven Piano Concerto 5 Mov. 2
Barber Adagio for Strings (isn't always quiet)
Part Spiegel im Spiegel 

That's more than enough. Happy Sleeping!


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## stevederekson (Jan 5, 2014)

Imagine sleeping to Mozart's Lacrimosa chorus.

It's as if the world were ending.


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

It's perhaps a bit different to what you're looking for, but I find a lot early music particularly relaxing, e.g. Hildegard von Bingen, Thomas Tallis or perhaps even some Palestrina.


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## clara s (Jan 6, 2014)

stevederekson said:


> Imagine sleeping to Mozart's Lacrimosa chorus.
> 
> It's as if the world were ending.


if the world were ending with Mozart's Lacrimosa , then it would be the eternal relaxing


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Winterreisender said:


> It's perhaps a bit different to what you're looking for, but I find a lot early music particularly relaxing, e.g. Hildegard von Bingen, Thomas Tallis or perhaps even some Palestrina.


I often play early music in my office when I'm working (or supposed to) and people often say things like that when they disturb me .... but for me, such music is full of energy, life and excitement - the very opposite of 'relaxing' as many people mean it

good job we're all different


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Same with me. My brother finds classical music "relaxing" instead of "stimulating" and it drives me up a wall every time he uses the "R" word!


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

I'm thinking some Debussy piano works played by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

This set is a jewel:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Works-Piano-C-Debussy/dp/B00925T9LK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389652871&sr=8-1&keywords=debussy+bavouzet


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> I often play early music in my office when I'm working (or supposed to) and people often say things like that when they disturb me .... but for me, such music is full of energy, life and excitement - the very opposite of 'relaxing' as many people mean it
> 
> good job we're all different


Ok, well I realise many people use the word "relaxing" as code for "boring." That's of course not what I had in mind! I definitely think that the listener has to work hard to appreciate early music because the melodies can be quite difficult to follow and in this respect it can be a very stimulating activity.

I like to think that early music is suitably broad that some pieces can fill the listener with life and energy (e.g. Tallis' _Spem In Alium_) whilst other can convey peace and tranquillity (e.g. the more intimate anthems by the same composer). I would mostly put Hildegard into the latter category, although her _Ordo Virtutum_ has some pretty startling moments, e.g. the crazy devil voice.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

I do apologise, Winterreisender, I didn't take it as you were meaning 'boring' at all - I should have made it clearer in my reply to you that I was referring to those with little interest in music.

You are right that it is sometimes equated with a calm and peaceful, 'other-worldly' escape from the pressures and noise of modern living and many people are genuinely puzzled when I say that I find it exciting and vibrant ..... just as I can find some 'exciting' music dreadfully dull and boring - but that is possibly a theme for another thread.


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> I do apologise, Winterreisender, I didn't take it as you were meaning 'boring' at all - I should have made it clearer in my reply to you that I was referring to those with little interest in music.
> 
> You are right that it is sometimes equated with a calm and peaceful, 'other-worldly' escape from the pressures and noise of modern living and many people are genuinely puzzled when I say that I find it exciting and vibrant ..... just as I can find some 'exciting' music dreadfully dull and boring - but that is possibly a theme for another thread.


No problem, I wasn't taking offense! I simply share your frustration at early music being often demoted to wallpaper music. I personally find early music very exciting. I think of Machaut as a good example, whose harmonies can sound very unsettling to my Palestrina-accustomed ears.


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

The final song (Keats' ode to sleep) in Britten's Serenade.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The quartet "From The Gutter", Act 2, Britten's Peter Grimes.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

hpowders said:


> Same with me. My brother finds classical music "relaxing" instead of "stimulating" and it drives me up a wall every time he uses the "R" word!


You look at popular music now and it's the same, many hype up music they see as 'beautiful' and 'sweet' even if it's totally empty and lacking real stimulation, they just want an atmosphere that sounds nice that they can wallow in. Obviously that's their choice, but I like music more as an interactive experience than one where I just let it seep over me.


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## revdrdave (Jan 8, 2014)

Vaughan Williams' Fifth Symphony, but _only_ in the Barbirolli/Philharmonia performance. Every other performance I've ever heard takes the first and last movements--the real hearts of the piece--too fast.


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## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

Vaughan Williams Symphony No.3 and Glazunov Symphony No.4, like most of their beautiful stuff you eventually get tired of the theme and you go to sleep.


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