# bleak dark evil music?



## rollei (Apr 7, 2007)

hello, I'm an artist who needs some music to accompany some rather moody dark work, been looking at some of schostacovich but doesn't quite fit the bill, maybe something eastern european of the last 50 years possibly, any suggestions, cheers


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## Frasier (Mar 10, 2007)

Hard to suggest - if Shostakovitch's Symphony 10 didn't fit the bill...perhaps the last movement was too joyous? Try Vaughan Williams' 6th Symphony, the 3rd and 4th movements might work. 

Or did you want something non orchestral?

In a non-classical vein, Current 93's "Live at Bar Maldoror" is pretty evil-sounding and nightmarish to my ears. It's electroacoustic, however.


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## The Mad Hatter (Feb 20, 2007)

I could be shot for saying this, but you could try some Webern. Very open, untampered with-sounding music, that can certainly be perceived as bleak.


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## Manuel (Feb 1, 2007)

Is what you are preparing directed to musicians of any kind? I ask this because if your audience is going to be formed by classical music lovers, they may find different meanings to your performance/work according to the music you choose. If it's just for general public (without such a huge classical music insight) they may just think of the music as ambientation.

Also, can you tell us the duration of the work?

I suggest:
Eduard Tubin: Requiem for fallen soldiers
Gorecki: Symphony Nº 3
Pettersson: 7th symphony (if I'm not wrong, this is long, sad and depressing, just need to check my Pettersson symphs cd set)
Rautavaara: 6th symphony (perhaps?)
Schubert: from one of his piano trios (Op99 or 100), the slow movement (used in Barry Lyndon). I will give you exact info later.
And lots of Toru Takemitsu... (try to sample cds from the web, P2P, torrents and others from this guy).


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## Keemun (Mar 2, 2007)

Here are a couple of works that come to mind:

Rachmaninov - The Isle of the Dead

Liszt - Totentanz (Paraphrase On The Dies Irae)


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## Manuel (Feb 1, 2007)

> Rachmaninov - The Isle of the Dead


I feel like I'm in a light boat in the ocean, wandering...


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## Mark Harwood (Mar 5, 2007)

Want bleak? Malcolm Arnold's 9th Symphony.


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## Azathoth (Feb 28, 2007)

Schnittke's Cello Concerto.

I'd give a number but the back of the CD case says just that, "Cello Concerto."


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## dsunlin (Feb 19, 2008)

Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor for the organ, works for me. Might as well add the C minor passacaglia while you're at it.


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## shsherm (Jan 24, 2008)

I would include "Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima" by Penderecki. I never visited Hiroshima but did tour Nagasaki when I served in the US navy in 1967. How much more sad than the death of 100,000 people at one time can happen? "War is Hell" William Tecumseh Sherman.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

shostakovitch slow movements, and some prokofiev, do have that sound at times.
you have been given some good suggestions!
try mahler: sym 2 mvt 1.

dj


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

Bleak dark evil music? May I suggest Schoenbergs Piano Concerto, the thrid mvt. It is given the title "A grave situation was created"


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

O Fortuna kinda dark to me more of an edge of your seat dark like some of mussorgsky's work


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## shsherm (Jan 24, 2008)

Back to the silver screen or these days the home entertainment system. The music Bernard Hermann wrote for "Psycho" is certainly in the running as is the sound track to "Jaws" by John Williams. These are as spooky as any music. The theremin often can acheive a spooky sound if used properly.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

We've been here before (even though this is an old thread).

Saint-Saens' _Danse Macabre_


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## rich23434565 (Mar 7, 2008)

How about Sibelius's very bleak 6th symphony?


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

I never viewed that one as particularly bleak. Try the 4th.


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## DeadlyKomplexx (Nov 16, 2007)

Clint Mansell-The Fountain.On top of being a masterpiece,it's super dark/depressing/epic.


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## rich23434565 (Mar 7, 2008)

Rondo said:


> I never viewed that one as particularly bleak. Try the 4th.


Hah, you're right. I got my Sibelius in a twist  The 4th is bleak, the 6th is often serene with an undercurrent of melancholy.


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## Metalheadwholovesclasical (Mar 15, 2008)

When it comes to bleak, you may want to check out:

Tchaikovsky- 5th Symphony
Arvo Part: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten

When it comes to evil, check out:

Johann Sebastian Bach-Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor (Symphonic preferably, rather than the Organ)
Penderecki Krysztof-Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima
Modest Mussorgsky-Night On Bald Mountain


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## missmaestro (Mar 13, 2008)

Mozart's Requiem Mass in D 
particulary the movements

Introitus

Dies Irae

Rex Tremende Majestaties

Kyrie

and best of all Lacrimosa


I also have a passion for dark, dreary, evil, dismal, sad, depressing, gloomy, morbid, forlorn, heartbreaking, troubled, sorrowful, and ominous classical music....and all music in general for that matter.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I think Sibelius may fit the bill... Pohjola's Daughter and stuff like that are really dark, this sort of Finnish chill that just makes the whole piece absolutely haunting. (May not be in the last 50 years, but it _is_ 20th century...


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## KenazFilan (Mar 5, 2008)

shsherm said:


> I would include "Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima" by Penderecki. I never visited Hiroshima but did tour Nagasaki when I served in the US navy in 1967. How much more sad than the death of 100,000 people at one time can happen? "War is Hell" William Tecumseh Sherman.


You could also include Penderecki's "St. Luke Passion" and his second cello concerto.

- k


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## Rhinotop (Jul 8, 2016)

I suggest:

Mussorgsky: Night on the bare mountain
Tchaikovsky: The Voyevode, Francesca da Rimini
Suk: Asrael Symphony
Liszt: Three Odes funebres


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I second Gorecki's 3rd. I get depressed even when I think of playing it. Makes Joy Division's 'Closer' sound like 'Shiny Happy People'. Suk's Asrael Symphony is a similarly grim work.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Rhinotop said:


> I suggest:
> 
> Mussorgsky: Night on the bare mountain
> Tchaikovsky: The Voyevode, Francesca da Rimini
> ...


I do hope your suggestions are seen, poster have bot been seen for a while .


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Pugg said:


> I do hope your suggestions are seen, poster have bot been seen for a while .


Another long dormant thread being brought back to life.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

To the excellent suggestions already posted, I could add:

Shostakovich - Chamber symphony for string orchestra (or string quartet no. 8, which is the same thing). About as bleak and anguished as anything he ever composed.

Third movement of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. Always makes me think of a descent into dark blue water with sharks around. 
And speaking of Bartok, much of Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is wonderfully dark and creepy.

Second movement of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances - some or other clever commentator described it as a 'haunted ballroom,' which is very apt.


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