# Dissonant but generally upbeat classical music?



## Clairvoyance Enough (Jul 25, 2014)

To start, I am being very, very loose in my definition of upbeat. A request for dissonance alone might imply storm and stress, Bartok quartets, Ligeti, and etc (and I am in love with all of that too), stuff that is overtly dark in its mood, and I just mean dissonant but not that, even if the word upbeat or happy wouldnt perfectly apply either.

As a barometer, Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, and many other moments in his late quartets, would count as "happy" for me, though of course they sound harsh and are too complex in feeling to be nailed down with a single adjective. 

It was actually Thelonious Monk who inspired me to ask this question, if that helps as well. I suspect a lot of Stravinsky would fit this criteria too. So what are your picks?


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Weber. Tippett's Piano Concerto. Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony, Second and Third Piano Concerti. Large orchestra version of Schoenberg's first Chamber Symphony (Op. 9B).


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

The third movement of William Schuman's 8th Symphony always puts a smile on my face. It seems so playful at times.






Alex North's score for Dragonslayer has a delicious track called "Forest Romp". Very high spirits for a little over a minute.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

The Grosse Fuge is not exactly "upbeat": it is more like a darkness-to-light symphony.

1. Intro
2. Driving, dark fugue
3. An interval of calm
4. Pre-mature victory dance--
5. Which is interrupted by more darkness
6. The music sounds "tired" then...
7. Victory dance, false recap teaser, triumphant coda


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

*[ 1:44 ]*





*[ 18:07 , 18:41 ]*


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 14


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Babbitt’s music is generally light and upbeat


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)




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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I find Beat Furrer's piano concerto a rather jolly piece.


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

There are many examples. A particularly good one is Schoenberg's Suite for Piano, Op. 25.

But I think Martinů wins this competition. Donatoni might come close.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Clairvoyance Enough said:


> To start, I am being very, very loose in my definition of upbeat. A request for dissonance alone might imply storm and stress, Bartok quartets, Ligeti, and etc (and I am in love with all of that too), stuff that is overtly dark in its mood, and I just mean dissonant but not that, even if the word upbeat or happy wouldnt perfectly apply either.
> 
> As a barometer, Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, and many other moments in his late quartets, would count as "happy" for me, though of course they sound harsh and are too complex in feeling to be nailed down with a single adjective.
> 
> It was actually Thelonious Monk who inspired me to ask this question, if that helps as well. I suspect a lot of Stravinsky would fit this criteria too. So what are your picks?


I think the composer you should explore is Franco Donatoni, especially his music from the 70s and 80s. Try this






Or this






(I've not listened to these clips so can't vouch for the sound quality.)


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

And at the other end of the spectrum I think you should explore Italian medieval music, for example Lorenzo da Firenze


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

Dissonant but generally upbeat classical music?

As I remember, the following are pretty "chill" and fairly listenable:

*Schoenberg*: _Serenade_, have it on a recording by the Marlboro Festival Orchestra
*Boulez*: _Le Marteau sans maître_ have it on a Sony box set of "20th Century Masterpieces"
*Cage*: _Works for Prepared Piano_ have on a CD by Yuji Takehashi 
*Takemitsu*: _Chamber Music _ have it on a NAXOS recordings, performers escape my memory
*Dallapiccola*: _Works for Piano, and works for Violin and Piano_ another NAXOS recordings, can't remember the forces involved


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