# Sorrowful, soulful sounds



## tundrawolf (Aug 5, 2009)

Hello,

I have been looking for music that is verry sorrowful,or 'soulful' I guess you could the only way to express what I mean is to list some songs I feel meet the requirement:

Mozarts "Moonlight Sonata" A favorite

Mozarts "Requiem Lacrimosa", A beautiful song

Beethovens "Opus 131" in Sharp Minor

I hope that I am communicating clearly.


I appreciate any and all suggestions.



Thank you!


David


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

tundrawolf said:


> Mozarts "Moonlight Sonata" A favorite


Before you get roasted - I think you meant Beethoven for this. I like that piece a lot too.

Try _Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis_ by Ralph Vaughn-Williams. It has many of the qualities you list.

Also another Beethoven work, the 2nd movement of the _Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique."_ I think that's the one with the beautiful melancholy melody. The 1st movement is a bit angry though.


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2009)

Why don't you try:
Henryk Gorecki: Symphony 3 "Sorrowful Songs"
I do not like it but it may be what you are looking for


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

Rachmaninoff piano concerto no. 2: first movement: moderato; Piano sonata no. 1; Symphony no. 2: third movement: adagio

Mahler: Symphony no. 5: fourth movement: adagietto

Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 6

Now that I think about it, this is a rather 'stupid' request - every piece I can think of is 'soulful'! Still - I think all of these should be to your likeing.


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## nickgray (Sep 28, 2008)

Schubert - Winterreise, Goethe Lieder and hundreds more
Grieg - pretty much anything. Try Solveig's song (from Peer Gynt) transcribed to piano.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Arvo Part's Kanon Pokajanen

Anything by Chesnokov, but especially his second requiem.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

Just a few off the top of my head:

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe - Part 3 - Lever du jour (the famous "sunrise" scene)
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 - 3rd Movement - Romanza
Poulenc: Concerto for Two Pianos - 2nd Movement - Larghetto
Bax: In Memoriam (a beautiful, hardly discussed chamber work)
Finzi: Romance for String Orchestra
Delius: The Walk to the Paradise Garden
Barber: Canzonetta for Oboe and Strings
Faure: Requiem
Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht (for string orchestra)


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Just about anything by Ives may well be something alternative to look into.

Sibelius is a little more mainstream, though. His symphonies and tone poems are pretty much all very soulful, a good few also being sorrowful in some way.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

World Violist said:


> Just about anything by Ives may well be something alternative to look into.


What's particularly sorrowful or soulful about Ives' music if I may ask?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I'd like to add (most?) Cello Concertos - that instrument has a soulful quality. Good examples are by Franz Josef Haydn, Dvorak, Myaskovsky & Elgar. For something a little more experimental, try the Lutoslawski, Prokofiev or Shostakovich concertos.

I's also like to mention Renaissance church music - it definitely has a soulful quality. Try Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina, Lassus, to mention a few...


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Mirror Image said:


> What's particularly sorrowful or soulful about Ives' music if I may ask?


It's the haunting, existential quality I was getting at more than sorrowful/soulful. Partly why I called it "alternative" as well.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 20, 2009)

World Violist said:


> It's the haunting, existential quality I was getting at more than sorrowful/soulful. Partly why I called it "alternative" as well.


I don't really think Ives music is all that haunting, but maybe that's me? I find much of it quite joyous and yet it's completely insane at the same time.


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## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

To me, sorrowful  can be soul stirringly beautiful, and my vote is for Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Concerto for Violins in A Minor' Andante.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

Max Reger's Clarinet Quintet.


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## tundrawolf (Aug 5, 2009)

What a stupid mistake, I am sorry. SO far some of you have got what I mean. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Trallis is the best I have heard so far. Thank you very much. Please keep them coming.

I play guitar, and I have a way of making the chords come together to sort of soothe sorrow that is within myself. These songs I play are similar to the songs I have listed. It is what I mean. If a composer was feeling down, what sort of song would he compose?


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## andruini (Apr 14, 2009)

I can't believe no one's mentioned Barber's Adagio for Strings.. That's what I think of first when I hear sorrowful.
And also Arvo Pärt's Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten would be a good option..
And there's that John Dowland song that always makes me feel down "In Darkness Let Me Dwell".


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## Ben (Aug 7, 2009)

If you're looking for character pieces, why not seek out some film scores? I think some of John Williams' music for Stone's "Born on the fourth of July" vaguely echoes Vaughan Williams' Fantasia, and would sound great on guitar:


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## Rachmaninov (Sep 11, 2007)

I think Tchaikovsky's Sérénade mélancolique is quite sorrowful. It is definitely sombre and sad, the melody of the violin part feels like a man weeping lugubriously and expressively.


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## UniverseInfinite (May 16, 2009)

andruini said:


> I can't believe no one's mentioned Barber's Adagio for Strings.. That's what I think of first when I hear sorrowful.
> And also Arvo Pärt's Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten would be a good option..
> And there's that John Dowland song that always makes me feel down "In Darkness Let Me Dwell".


Hey, dear friend, andruini, yes, you are right! UI likes it, too! UI has it... 
It's unique in its unspoken way...


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## tundrawolf (Aug 5, 2009)

I forgot to add William Barbers Adagio for Strings, my first love!

I remember the ending song for "Jacob's Ladder" that was very haunting. Also a certain piano song in the movie "Wolf's Rain" meets this criteria.


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## SenorTearduct (Jul 29, 2009)

Exodus from the film Defiance... Man was that a piece... I was absolutly devestated when Slumdog Millionair won the Oscar over this work of brillance.


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## Bach (Jun 2, 2008)

tundrawolf said:


> I forgot to add William Barbers Adagio for Strings, my first love!
> 
> I remember the ending song for "Jacob's Ladder" that was very haunting. Also a certain piano song in the movie "Wolf's Rain" meets this criteria.


Samuel Barber.


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