# Wild, chaotic orchestral pieces



## DeepR

What are some of the most impressively wild, chaotic and crazy orchestral pieces you know?

They must be for an orchestra, or at least some kind of ensemble. So, no purely electronic "noise music".

I'll start with one I just listened to: Nikolai Roslavets - Komsomoliya. 
I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. I find this very pleasant madness! Anyone know what the title means?


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## hpowders

Stravinsky, Le Sacre Du Printemps. Created a riot at its premiere.

Copland Connotations For Orchestra. Aaron trying his hand at the 12 tone technique. Pass the migraine pills.


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## ahammel

It doesn't get much more chaotic than Schnittke 1.


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## DrKilroy

You might like Lutosławski's pieces using his aleatory technique.

Best regards, Dr


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## aleazk

George Antheil - Ballet mècanique: 




Conlon Nancarrow - Study for Player Piano No. 21: 




Xenakis - Keqrops: 



 (glorious madness)

Ligeti - Etude No. 1 "Désordre": 




Elliott Carter - Caténaires: 




(ouch... for orchestra... sorry; then the Antheil and the Xenakis)


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## Aramis




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## Blake

Wildy beautiful. Posadas - _Glossopoeia_


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## Alfacharger

Ives, the "Comedy" movement from the Symphony #4.


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## Dustin

Here's one I just found out about the other day after scrolling through the "Greatest Living Composer" thread.

Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" - 




Unlike anything I've ever heard but I already love it! Such a horrific sounding piece(in a good way)


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## starthrower

Dustin said:


> Here's one I just found out about the other day after scrolling through the "Greatest Living Composer" thread.
> 
> Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima"
> 
> Unlike anything I've ever heard but I already love it! Such a horrific sounding piece(in a good way)


If you like this, don't miss Polymorphia, also by Penderecki.


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## hpowders

Hold on. Let me take a Zomig first.


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## Alfacharger

Fry, the "Niagara Symphony".


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## Dustin

starthrower said:


> If you like this, don't miss Polymorphia, also by Penderecki.


Ok thanks! I'll give it a listen


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## quack

The original chaos:

Jean-Féry Rebel - Chaos from the ballet _The Elements_ (1737) - 




Komsomoliya almost certainly refers to the Komsomol, the youth wing of the Russian communist party. It may also be a reference to Alexander Bezymensky's poem _Komsomol_ which was extremely popular at the time, although Bezymensky was simply one of several so-called Komsomol poets commemorating the movement and the revolution in general. Bezymensky also wrote the text for Shostakovich's 2nd symphony "To October". If Roslavets depicted the Komsomol so chaotically it is little wonder he fell out of favour with the authorities and public.


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## superhorn

Prokofiev's ferocious symphony no 2, which is in two movements , features dissonances so harsh as to
make the Rite of Spring sound like Mendelssohn ! It's in two movements . Despite the apparent craziness, the first movemnt is in 
straightforward sonata form, and the second is a theme and variations .
You might call it "music to foam at the mouth by ".


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## bassClef

For a really wild ride, control click on all the above youtube links and let them play together. Great stuff.


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## ahammel

bassClef said:


> For a really wild ride, control click on all the above youtube links and let them play together.


I already mentioned Schnittke.


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## maestro267

Hekla, by Jon Leifs. Apparently the loudest unamplified piece ever written. Orchestra includes 20 percussionists, organ and choir.


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## dgee

For mine Prok 3 is wilder than Prok 2






Honegger Pacific 231 is kinda wild, Ruggles gets wild,the Scherzo of Walton 1 is wild, and Ima punt up this as a great modern wild - Lindberg's Kraft


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## GGluek

Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin suite.


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## Couac Addict




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## Weston

DeepR said:


> I'll start with one I just listened to: Nikolai Roslavets - Komsomoliya.
> I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. I find this very pleasant madness! Anyone know what the title means?


I have nothing to remotely compare to this! I think what makes it so wild is that it is sort of common practice and most of us are able to follow along after a fashion. More modern works that may seem more chaotic on the surface have less impact because ALL the notes and phrases are bewildering to many of us instead of just every other phrase or so. Also the complexity here is astonishing but still within grasp. I'm amazed and would love to add this to my collection!

I'd need to listen with caution however, making sure I'm in my comfort zone.


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## spradlig

Charles Ives, _Central Park in the Dark_


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## hpowders

spradlig said:


> Charles Ives, _Central Park in the Dark_


How about parts of Three Places in New England or his Fourth Symphony?


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## Dustin

starthrower said:


> If you like this, don't miss Polymorphia, also by Penderecki.


Thanks so much for this recommendation! What an amazing work! Such a demented sound to it. I could listen to this over and over.


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## isridgewell

Christopher Rouse - Phaethon
Ibert - Divertimento (in a humorous way!)
Jon Leifs - Hekla


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## Itullian

Leifs Saga Symphony


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## GioCar

John Adams - El Dorado


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## Whistler Fred

Witold Lutoslawski was mentioned here. I'll single out his Symphony No. 2 as one wild ride. 

In a different context, there the insane mixture of musical and Beckett quotes from the 3rd movement of Luciano Berio's Sinfonia.


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## PeterFromLA

I agree about Lutoslawski's Second Symphony. I remember watchin Salonen conduct it with the LA Philharmonic. It was so dazzling, so psychedelic... fitting that the piece dates from 1968. I also think that Schnittke's First is a great choice. That piece is definitely chaotic.

There are other candidates for the OP's question, but the one that most comes to mind for me -- more for the wild side than the chaotic side -- is Amériques by Edgard Varèse. The piece was evidently inspired by Le Sacre du Printemps, and it most definitely takes you on a wild ride, as in sitting on top of a herd of elephants... charging, pounding... Great stuff.

A follow up to the Varèse is Eonta, by Xenakis. Although it is for a mere sextet of instruments -- trumpets, trombones, and piano -- it makes quite a noise. You don't really miss the winds, strings, or percussion. See: 




My favorite Xenakis piece, however, is Pithoprakta. His use of the wood block is stellar, and the strings make me think of anarchists in tuxedos:


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## atmplayspiano

Leifs' Hekla is pretty mad.


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## chalkpie

hpowders said:


> How about parts of Three Places in New England or his Fourth Symphony?


Second movement (comedy) of Ives 4th is hands-down just about the craziest stuff I have ever heard. The problem lies in the engineering to be able to get it all on tape in a manner that can display Ives genius. I never REALLY got it until I saw it performed in 2004 in Avery Fisher with David Robertson conducting. Dead center of the auditorium. Every recording of this masterpiece does not truly do it justice compared to hearing it live.


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