# Music to calm you down?



## Tedd

Hello, all. Seeing as this is my first post, I suppose I should introduce myself a little. I'm in my twenties, male, Australian and loves me a little classical music. But I'm no afficionado. I know about Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Renaissance, but I don't know how to tell them apart. I know about Mozart, Bach, Rossini, Respighi, Bartok, Debussy, Liszt and others. I could probably tell who composed a piece of music, but I'd more likely get it wrong. I'm also not hung up about (or even aware of) different arrangers or performers. I just like what I hear.

Now, lately I've been getting way too wound up about things, and getting needlessly frustrated. I'd like to create a playlist of preferably a few hours that contains various calming music.

Here's what I have so far:
1. Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (1st movement?)
2. Debussy - Clare de Lune (The famous part)
3. Mozart - Lacrimosa
aaaand that's it.

I would be greatly grateful* if you kind folks would suggest soft, calming, slow music that you like. As you can see, I do like me some piano sonatas, but I would welcome anything at all. Don't worry about sources for this music. I like a good hunt.  _Edit_: Oh, and I do like long pieces too.

Thank you,
Tedd

* I admire anyone who adds a little alliteration. (Assonance can go jump!)


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## Weston

Gabriel Faure -_ Pavane, op. 50:_





Gabriel Faure -_ Sicilienne Op78_ (in almost identical vein as above)





My favorite contemplative or calming piece, and perhaps my favorite classical piece of all time, Vaughan-Williams'_ Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis: _





A lot of folks on this forum get riled up at the suggestion of classical music being calming, but you sound as if you are looking for specific calming pieces, and so are aware that a lot of it is not calming at all.

Good hunting.

EDIT:
Here's one more to fulfill your piano sonata likes. Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique" Movement No. 2:




Only this movement might be considered calming. Much of the rest of the work is decidedly nerve racking.


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## yelturni

Hello.
I think that you can check also the Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 of Frederic Chopin in this antologic version of Rachmaninoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=kj3CHx3TDzw&feature=related


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## Eric L

Any Nocturne of Chopin, there isn't one I don't like. You could look for the collection by Rubinstein. Debussy also has a lot of calming compositions. You already have Clair de Lune - you could look for the whole Suite Bergamasque.
Rêverie is just heaven to me, as well as the orchestral works like Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Nocturnes... There's a lot I'd consider calming, even when there's some faster/harder parts in it.


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## Argus

Satie - _Gymnopedies_

Schumann - _Kinderszenen_

RVW - _Lark Ascending_

La Monte Young - _Well Tuned Piano_

Cage - _Dreams_ and _In a Landscape_

Ravel - _Jeux d'eau_

Brahms - _Sonatas Op 120_

It's quite hard to think of whole pieces that are calming, as multi-movement/section works tend to have contrasting moods.

For non-classical try some Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze or Popol Vuh.


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