# Spookiest looking classical composer of romantic era to modern era?



## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

Ok i dont want to know who a satanist, but in your eye who look like a full blown satanist, or classical composer head in the occult or whitcraft, wicca composer.., but i aknowledgge wicca not completly satanic , a friend of mine said there is a branch that is, but not all the tree like this you understand.

Any musicians were pal whit John Dee and Edward Kelly, basically suspicious but not proven so far??
Im totally serrieous?

Any composer were part of Thelema, the thelemic church hmm? just wondering?
Im curieous that all?

I wanna know , thee boy whant to know ockay, tell him?

You seen The ninght gate whit Johnny Depp, who wold fit the personnality of Boris Balkans fictional character?

This is not a naive question if ask tediously? see? :tiphat:


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## cimirro (Sep 6, 2016)

I never made any research about musicians on Thelema (an interesting research can be done) nor I know about any composer in contact with Dee.

Anyway, I recommend you to research on Nikolai Obukhov (1892-1954)
He created new instruments (Croix sonore Ether and Crystal) and he was very involved with Mysticism, specially I recommnd you to check about his work "The Book of Life".

Also Scriabin was interested in mysticism, and Sorabji too.

All the best
Artur


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Roslavets and Tavener. Got my eye on them... or their graves, I guess.


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## cimirro (Sep 6, 2016)

Portamento said:


> Roslavets and Tavener. Got my eye on them... or their graves, I guess.


Interesting!
with Tavener listed, I would add then Messiaen.

Anyway Roslavets i didn't know about his relation with mysticism. The only mystic fact to me was the relation to Scriabin composition style (specially the mystic chord), I would appreciate if you give me more information about it, please

All the best
Artur


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

cimirro said:


> Anyway Roslavets i didn't know about his relation with mysticism. The only mystic fact to me was the relation to Scriabin composition style (specially the mystic chord), I would appreciate if you give me more information about it, please


Well, as you said, Roslavets was deeply influenced by Scriabin's mystic chord. He described his own personal compositional style as a "new system of sound organisation", heavily based on synthetic chords and twelve-tone serialism. I though that _that_, coupled with his background and suppression, was enough to garner him a mention on this thread.

I also just realized I had misread the title - "Spookiest _looking_" not "spookiest sounding". I suppose Taverner still fits the bill.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Portamento said:


> I also just realized I had misread the title - "Spookiest _looking_" not "spookiest sounding".


I can't quite work out what the OP wants, because his thread title asks one thing and then his post goes off on another tangent. 

I have always thought Bartok looked rather spooky, with those intense eyes. But as far as I know he was an atheist, and thus presumably not too spooky in practice.

I have never given the question of composers' religious beliefs much thought. It doesn't seem to matter much. Given that classical music has been mostly a western thing, I would presume most were Christians, with some agnostics and atheists sprinkled in between.

I suppose nowadays one might find more variety in religious beliefs among classical composers. Actually an interesting question, which I am reluctant to explore lest it descends into a religious debate here.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Here is an interesting piece on some pretty weird and scary stuff on some composers. Now I know why Schoenberg misspelled Aaron. Gesualdo had a particularly dark life story.

http://listverse.com/2013/12/27/10-classical-composers-with-secret-crazy-sides/


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## cimirro (Sep 6, 2016)

Portamento said:


> I also just realized I had misread the title - "Spookiest _looking_" not "spookiest sounding".


Hum, I think I also misread that... sorry.

All the best
Artur Cimirro


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

The deathbed portrait of Mussorgsky can frighten small children.


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## Marsilius (Jun 13, 2015)

Paganini looked pretty spooky - but then he deliberately cultivated, for publicity purposes, the image of being in league with the Devil.


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## deprofundis (Apr 25, 2014)

Great classical composer choice *Nikolai Obukhov*, 
*cimirro*, i purchased some and it ,is quite , moddy intriguing and mystical, thanks buddy

:tiphat:


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Funny thing, I have always found something slightly disconcerting about Arnold Bax.









He just looks too ... ordinary. There must be something going on behind those eyes.


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