Beethoven, Chopin and co: any experts here?

Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven (first movement).

How about non-classical music?

Sigur Ros - Untitled from the () album is great.

La Monte Young The well-tuned Piano is also great. Many might not find it "emotional" but is the one of the greatest piano works.

Olafur Arnalds 3055 is great

Chopin's Sonata No. 2 has the well-known funeral march in it. Also the Chopin nocturnes are all very melancholy and all good listening.

Beethoven's Sonata 32 in C Minor 2nd movement is sublime and might be a good piece to bring her some peace. Give it a listen anyway if you're enjoying classical.

aruna said:

I couldn't listen to the first ans last as they are not allowed on Youtube in Germany. As for the middle one: I do like it but how old is it? It would have to be music that was well known early 1910 -- and also, I think this woman, being Austrian, would stick to classical.

Click to expand...

So this is for "period" appropriate works. I would guess that you're naming these (which is legal) in the writing.

I was confused on why you needed the music. Many people will listen to certain music to take in the mood, to describe the music played and so on.


Why isn't available in germany? That's odd.


It's too early for Holst's The Planets, that sucks. That's my favorite classical work.


I could name a dozen composers from that time period, but let's stick to this:

Piano Sonatas

Tchaikovsky, the Seasons

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody


In all honestly, in the past musical instruments were meant to bring people together. You can use this as her sorrow, but it's been far too over played in the moving picture shows.

Most classical music is on a lighter side.

Well, if she is knowledgeable about arts, at around 1910 Erik Satie was at the peak of his fame and influence, and he had started to influence the new musicians of Paris, like Jean Cocteau.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLFVGwGQcB0 - Les Gnossienne no. 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbT9DeULzU4 - Valse triste

It depends on your character, of course. Paris, being the artistic center of the world at the time, would influence a lot of other capitals like Vienna and London. An artistic person would know of Satie. Of course, since he was a contemporary with her, care has to be taken to choose pieces from before 1910. Well, you know that.

Chopin, Les Sylphides. My mother loved it and my brother played it for her often. To me it is sad and poignant.

Beethoven, Fur Elise. (sorry about the missing umlaut).

Depending on the religion of your characters, another possibility is A Mighty Fortress is Our God which to me has the pathos of the Reformation and Germany wrapped up in it.

And, the German and Austrian national anthems - both the same tune (Deutschland uber Alles; Franz dem Kaiser (don't know the actual name)). Puma

This deceptively simple Chopin prelude gets to me every time I hear/play it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIOWPKHrb6c

and the e minor is good too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-4Bv5Ng0w

(I think he wrote that one in Majorca when the TB was pretty bad. Makes me think of a sad, tired, rainy day.)

My favorite Beethoven sonata (and also the hardest thing I ever learned to play through) is the Pathetique, and I think the first movement would work (though there's a sort of hopefulness under the sadness for awhile, and then an energy that's close to anger) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79gzdskOGu4

You might also look through Rachmaninov's work, concertos, preludes. He was almost hyper-romantic, so the emotions can be very overstated in his work.

a more obscure romantic era composer I like a lot was Samuel-Coleridge Taylor (not to be confused with), probably obscure because he was black, for I find his music terrific. Like try this duet for violin and piano: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKj_hAvTddY

Also, someone I'm fond of is Frederic Nietzsche, who wasn't great but was interesting (and yes, same guy). youtube, nietzsche piano will get you a selection. Here's one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eVyQUzvy5c

Art songs perhaps? Tchaikovsky's None But the Lonely Heart. Or some Schubert.

Beethoven. Sonata in F minor - (appassionata)

You might also check out the Dryden Ensemble. They play Baroque period music, Beethoven, Bach, etc. I'm pretty sure they have a website (they're in New Jersey). You might be able to ask them questions.

How good is she? Can she handle Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa0Z6g1XJkU
Wait for the part at about 1:10.

Or, religious again, but what about Ave Maria?

aruna said:

I have some stuff in the back of my head but I can never remember the composer or the name of the music.

Click to expand...

Hum a few bars.

Things don't get moodier than this. (probably won't help the story, but it is a brilliant tone setter)

My favorite mood piano piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTGoqle4m34