# Psychedelic Classical Pieces?



## neoshredder

What sort of pieces of classical music you think has a psychedelic feel to it? Be specific if you can. For example, Pathetique mvt 2 from Beethoven.


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## clavichorder

Anything from Scriabin's middle or later period.


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## Manxfeeder

Let's see, Wiki defines a psychedelic experience as "characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly ordinary fetters."

That makes me think of Neptune from Holst's The Planets. The instruments lose their identities as they join together. There are no real melodies, just colors.


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## clavichorder

^^^^^
That's not one that one would necessarily think of right away, but its very psychedelic indeed!


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## HarpsichordConcerto

neoshredder said:


> What sort of pieces of classical music you think has a psychedelic feel to it? Be specific if you can. For example, Pathetique mvt 2 from Beethoven.


This one makes you psychotic.


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## Polednice

neoshredder said:


> What sort of pieces of classical music you think has a psychedelic feel to it? Be specific if you can. For example, Pathetique mvt 2 from Beethoven.


That's a strange one to call psychedelic. What definition are you working by?


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## tdc

The first thing that came to mind for me was Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Going by the definition Manxfeeder provided I think a LOT of classical music could fall into this category, especially much 20th century and later stuff. Szymanowski, Ravel, Debussy, Bartok etc might all be good starting points to explore.


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## neoshredder

Polednice said:


> That's a strange one to call psychedelic. What definition are you working by?


Whatever your interpretation of psychedelic is. Reminds me of the Classical version of the late 60's pop/rock music and some of the 70's space music. Even if unintentional, still brings you to that state of mind. Trippy, dreamy, and etc. And yeah I definitely think of Debussy when I think of this style.


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## kv466

I'll second the Debussy.


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## EarthBoundRules

Berlioz' _Symphonie Fantastique_, for obvious reasons.


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## Conor71

Bruckner's Symphonies are quite Psychadelic I think


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## neoshredder

The imagery of the video makes it more psychedelic.


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## Dodecaplex

You're gonna love this, I'm sure:

KAIKHOSRUUUUUUU!


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## norman bates

sorabji, definitely. A piece like Gulistan with those endless intoxicating harmonies has much in common with the acid rock.






also this Moonflight by Otto Luening. It's difficult not to think to the space rock listening to it 





and


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## Manxfeeder

kv466 said:


> I'll second the Debussy.


Wow, that's like hearing Debussy under the influence of something nonmusical.


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## neoshredder

Manxfeeder said:


> Wow, that's like hearing Debussy under the influence of something nonmusical.


No appreciation for synthesizers?


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## pjang23

Scriabin's Vers la Flamme is like a hallucinogenic episode.


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## SuperTonic

The Tarantella movement from Corigliano's First Symphony. The entire symphony is dedicated to people the composer knew who died of AIDS. This movement depicts a man who suffered from AIDS related dementia before he died.


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## Manxfeeder

neoshredder said:


> No appreciation for synthesizers?


Personally, I think Debussy sounds fine as he is.


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## Huilunsoittaja

Everything is pretty psychedelic here, strings to woodwinds to the wordless choir.


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## neoshredder




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## Lenfer

Perhaps?


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## violadude

The middle section of this movement from Britten's 3rd string quartet is very surreal.


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## matsoljare

Charles Ives:





Early Edgar Varese:





Percy Grainger:





And most of all, Stravinsky:


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## skalpel

I can't quite grasp how the Pathetique can be considered as psychedelic, but each to their own of course. I'm glad to see the Scriabin posts are flying in - the guy's music was even _literally_ psychedelic to him! Aside from him, I can't say I'd consider any classical music to have any sort of psychedelic qualities.


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## JAKE WYB

*Martinu* particularly* 6th symphony or the 4th piano concerto* - his nebulous orchestration and shifting sense of focus is to me as psychadelic as anything else i can think of - even his more neo baroque sort of works tend to sound like an old piece heard through a severe moment of intoxication


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## NightHawk

God, I love Handel! and, haha, btw 



HarpsichordConcerto said:


> This one makes you psychotic.


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## pluhagr

I can see Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony being psychedelic





Terry Riley's In C





Philip Glass' early music tended to sound psychedelic


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## Guest

The fourth and fifth movements of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique surely qualify - and very much by design (if not origin).


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## kv466

I don't know,...do what you do, listen to it and then tell me.


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## hocket

I thought the dubious characters on YouTube were pretty spot on when they dubbed Dr John Bull's music 'psychedelic baroque':






I'd have thought this would qualify too:


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## kv466




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## The Deacon

clavichorder said:


> Anything from Scriabin's middle or later period.


Yes indeed! Scriabin was SO far ahead of his times.


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## elgar's ghost

Certain passages of Glière's _Ilya Muromets_ symphony spring to mind, especially the shimmering music which accompanies the presence of the three maidens and their treasure in the _Solovei the Brigand_ movement.


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