# Battle Music



## JesseHolmz (Jan 11, 2009)

can anyone recommend some pieces similar to the score from Conan the Barbarian / Conan The Destroyer? the composer was basil paledouris(sp) for at least 1 of the scores if not both but i've heard it so much that i need something new. any help is greatly appreciated.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Canon by Pachelbel. As the title implies, it's about cannons used in battle.


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## MEDIEVAL MIAMI (May 10, 2009)

Nocturne by Debussy


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli. Also check out Le Nozze di Figaro.


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## JesseHolmz (Jan 11, 2009)

i think i should've been more clear. i'm looking for music that oculd be used in a battle scene in a movie, not necessarily just about a battle. dance of hte hours in particular is about as far from that as i can imagine.

i'm looking for something that would make you picture someones face getting smashed with a sword. thanks for the help so far none the less.


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## MEDIEVAL MIAMI (May 10, 2009)

I get you now, well anything that has to do with Viking romanticism will do it. Some of Wagner's compositions might fit your description.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

JesseHolmz said:


> i'm looking for something that would make you picture someones face getting smashed with a sword. thanks for the help so far none the less.


Like I said, Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli.

Now that I think about it, Pavane by Gabrial Faure defitinely conjures images of dimembered limbs scattered across a medieval battle field. Like the Battle of Culloden or something like that.

(Those blood-thirsty Scots!)


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## JesseHolmz (Jan 11, 2009)

dance of the hours is a pretty uplifting piece from what i recall, not sure that i would picture death while listening to it


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

JesseHolmz said:


> dance of the hours is a pretty uplifting piece from what i recall, not sure that i would picture death while listening to it


I feel nothing but slow, painful death when I listen to it. I think you need to re-discover this work.


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## JesseHolmz (Jan 11, 2009)

Tapkaara said:


> Like I said, Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli.
> 
> Now that I think about it, Pavane by Gabrial Faure defitinely conjures images of dimembered limbs scattered across a medieval battle field. Like the Battle of Culloden or something like that.
> 
> (Those blood-thirsty Scots!)


i'm not saying i dislike it, it's just not what i'm looking for. i'm looking for pieces that are fast paced


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## Nicola (Nov 25, 2007)

JesseHolmz said:


> i'm not saying i dislike it, it's just not what i'm looking for. i'm looking for pieces that are fast paced


You want some shockingly blood-curdling stuff? I know just what you are looking for. Nothing better than *Massenet's Meditation from Thais*. It conjures up the most horrendous scenes of battlefield brutality right from the opening bars. You can imagine the clash of hard steel against bone, heads rolling all over the place, corpses galore. And what's more it's seriously fast and furious, especially if you get the Nigel Kennedy version.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Nicola said:


> You want some shockingly blood-curdling stuff? I know just what you are looking for. Nothing better than *Massenet's Meditation from Thais*. It conjures up the most horrendous scenes of battlefield brutality right from the opening bars. You can imagine the clash of hard steel against bone, heads rolling all over the place, corpses galore. And what's more it's seriously fast and furious, especially if you get the Nigel Kennedy version.


Massenet is an orchestral megalomaniac (as were most of the French composers from his time.) In fact, the Paris opera house was known at the "abbattoir" during the mid to late 19th century because it would stage the paganistic, horrific orchestral rants and raves of that city's best brutish composers.

Once you get into Massenet, try Lakme by Delibes, another orgy-fest of violence and sexual perversity in the French "abattoir" style.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

You guys crack me up


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## Metalheadwholovesclasical (Mar 15, 2008)

JesseHolmz said:


> can anyone recommend some pieces similar to the score from Conan the Barbarian / Conan The Destroyer? the composer was basil paledouris(sp) for at least 1 of the scores if not both but i've heard it so much that i need something new. any help is greatly appreciated.


The ultimate choice (though it is obvious) Is "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner. That is some battle music for you.


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## Nicola (Nov 25, 2007)

Tapkaara said:


> Massenet is an orchestral megalomaniac (as were most of the French composers from his time.) In fact, the Paris opera house was known at the "abbattoir" during the mid to late 19th century because it would stage the paganistic, horrific orchestral rants and raves of that city's best brutish composers.
> 
> Once you get into Massenet, try Lakme by Delibes, another orgy-fest of violence and sexual perversity in the French "abattoir" style.


Wow, I didn't know about that regarding "Lakme". It sounds really beastly and grotesque.

From the way you describe it, I heard something like it once from a Handel drama called _Acis & Galatea_. It was an aria called "Oh the Pleasure of the Pains" (could have been "Plains", but no matter). This was all about some Greek mythological warrior nutter with a long pole who had this thing about poking out peoples' eyeballs with it, hence the name. This piece might be worth a try if "Lakme" has been censored already.


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## Metalheadwholovesclasical (Mar 15, 2008)

JesseHolmz said:


> dance of the hours is a pretty uplifting piece from what i recall, not sure that i would picture death while listening to it


The ending of the piece is pretty battle like. The piece as a whole though is not very violent. The ending part is incredibly epic.


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## LvB (Nov 21, 2008)

Nobody seems interested in answering your question, so here are a few of the suggestions which ought to have been made by now:

1) Holst, _The Planets_, 'Mars' (As brutal a depiction of war as ever was scored, and this without any direct experience of war on Holst's part).
2) The battle sequence from Richard Strauss's _Ein Heldenleben_ (This properly should be heard live, as no stereo system can hope to convey the impact of this section, but a good recording turned up loud should still suffice....)
3) Stravinsky, _The Rite of Spring_ (yes, it's about spring; yes, it's a ballet; no, it's not calm or cheerful. In fact,the titular rite is a sacrifice, and not of a goat....)
4) Varese, _Arcana_ (an exploration of sheerly massive orchestral sound)
5) Prokofiev, _Seven, They Are Seven_ (a cantata on pagan themes, short but very powerful; you might also try his _Scythian Suite_ and the first movement of his second symphony.)

Give these a try; if you like them, they should suggest ways to look further.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

No one seems interested in answering this question is because it has been asked and answered so many times before.

How many times do we need to suggest Carmina Burana, The Rite of Spring and Mars, The Bringer of War to these people? They should search the forum and they will see catalogues of suggestions along these lines.


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## JoeGreen (Nov 17, 2008)

Oh, you guys no wonder why we seem not to get to many returning new members.

Well anyways the least famous part fo 1812 Overture, that's like the first 90% of the piece is basically a depiction of a battle.

You might wan't to try some 20th century composers. John William's score for *Revenge of the Sith* has some great "battle" themed music.

Shostakovich's "War" Symphonies fast movemnt are awesome depictions of battle, those would be 6, 7, and 8.


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