Whimsical melodies...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Heyas, trying to broaden my musical library and looking for a type of music that is my favorite but seems to be pretty hard to find.

As my sister once described my music, 'It's beautiful, but it totally creeps me out.'

Songs that are sort of pretty but eerie. Whimsical or fey if you will.

Some examples...

The Gravel Road (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUwv6ttUsnQ) and The Vote (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tGGTzBqUQ) - The Village soundtrack
Death is the Road to Awe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFJXWTcCDxE) - The Fountain soundtrack
Across the Universe of Time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do1bVpxRJ1w) amd Dark Waltz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5VnBTnI3s4) by Hayley Westenra
Lacrymosa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZkZRB8a_E) - Evanescence
Lullaby (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96ju7754pXU) - Pan's Labyrinth Soundtrack
Surreal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD-xYbZbfeA) - Ryan Stewart
Cockeye's Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZjC1Ly8KDM) - Gheorghe Zamfir


A good chunk of celtic music also seems to fit this, but I can't seem to find any examples to link to.

[Semidi]

Uhm, best I can think of is some of Debussy's stuff. He was an impressionist from France. I was only able to find this, helps because it's my favorite thing by him. Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1jfzBNaBcY

[13_CBS]

Perhaps "Echoes" by Yuki Kajiura? I can't find a sample of it online, I'm afraid, but it's a neat solo piano piece with some eerie, but fey-like, sound effects added in.

If you'd really like, I can send you the actual mp3, but I don't think that's legal...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Perhaps "Echoes" by Yuki Kajiura? I can't find a sample of it online, I'm afraid, but it's a neat solo piano piece with some eerie, but fey-like, sound effects added in.
That is rather nice, so I'll forgive you that its an anime show theme :smallwink:

[RTGoodman]

If you lived in the US back in the early or mid '90s, you'll probably remember the Pure Moods CD that they used to advertise all over TV. I remember it having a lot of stuff like that, such "Tubular Bells," "The X-Files Theme," and stuff by Enya, I think.

Also, some of the stuff from the "Halo" soundtracks is almost whimsical and ethereal. Of course, the rest is very industrial, so it's sort of hit-or-miss with that, I guess.

[rubakhin]

Bah, I hate L'apres-midi d'une faune. Probably just because I loathe most of the ballet and I'm still pissed that it's the only thing of Nijinsky's choreography that survived. Debussy, yes, but anything but that.

I'll recommend some more later, but for now:

Vladimir Horowitz, the legendary performance of Traumerei in Moscow 1986 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7ncjhSqtk)

«This concert occurred at a time of international tension. The United States Air Force had bombed Libya, provoking an angry outcry from the Soviet Union, and the world’s television screens had been full of warlike images for a week. Now, suddenly on those same screens, appeared the tender image of a great American pianists playing Schumann’s “Traumerei” for a Russian audience. The emotion of Horowitz’s choice of encores was lost on nobody in the hall. And thousands of miles away, in New York, the television essayist and syndicated columnist Andrew Rooney also felt the emotional power of the moment. In his column for the next day, he wrote:

«During the latter part of the concert, watching this 82-year-old genius play, I found mist forming in my eyes for some mysterious reason I could not explain. I was not sad. I was exultant. It had something to do with my pride, at that very moment, in being part of the same civilisation that this great and endearing man playing the piano was part of.

Almost at the same time instant I felt the suggestion of tears in my eyes, the television camera left Horowitz’s fingers on the keyboard and dissolved to the face of a Soviet citizen in the audience. His eyes were closed, his head tilted slightly backward so that his face was up… and one lone teardrop ran down his cheek...

It was the same teardrop running down mine». »

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Oh yeah, the X-files theme and Enya music are also amongst my favorites. Tubular Bells is ok, though a little too techno.


I'll recommend some more later, but for now:
Though a nice bit of music and a heartwarming story behind it... isn't that just your standard classical piano?

[Phae Nymna]

I would suggest one of my favourite oddities: La Mechanique du Coeur by the French rock band Dionysus.

[The Demented One]

If you can endure the atonal madness that is expression, I'd suggest Schonberg's Pierrot Lunaire.

[13_CBS]

That is rather nice, so I'll forgive you that its an anime show theme :smallwink:

Bah! The source is irrelevant, as long as the music is good. Surely as a musical connoisseur you would know that :smalltongue:

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I would suggest one of my favourite oddities: La Mechanique du Coeur by the French rock band Dionysus.
What. The. Hades?

Ok, for the record, I'm not looking for sheerly weird songs...

[rubakhin]

Though a nice bit of music and a heartwarming story behind it... isn't that just your standard classical piano?

Yes. What's your point?

(It's suprisingly difficult to interpret, though. Horowitz was the master.)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Yes. What's your point?

(It's suprisingly difficult to interpret, though. Horowitz was the master.)
Wasn't sure how it related to the topic so was curious is all. Just wanting to share though I can perfectly understand :smallwink:

What exactly was it he was 'interpreting'?

[thorgrim29]

Well, a lot of pink floyd falls in there, like Astronomy Domine, shine on you crazy diamond, the great gig in the sky, hey you....

[13_CBS]

What exactly was it he was 'interpreting'?

"Classical" (in the general, layman's sense) musicians MUST decide how to interpret the music which they play, much in the same way an actor interprets his lines or the reader of a novel interprets the text.

An actor must decide where to add inflections, where to raise his voice, where to lower it, where to walk around waving his arms, where to stand still, where to cry, how to cry, to what extent to cry...sure, he's got clues in the part to guide him, but how he understands those clues depends on his understanding of his lines.

A musician must decide where to crescendo, where to decrescendo, where to add that tiny microsecond of a pause to determine the ending of one phrase and the beginning of the next, where to manipulate the rhythm within the time allotted, how to do so, to what extent...sure, he's got clues in the music to tell him where to go (such as that Forte symbol printed under that line, or the abbreviated rallentando placed elsewhere), but how he udnerstands those clues depends on his understanding of the music.

When a music becomes "difficult to interpret", I think Rubahkin is referring to the difficulty of shaping that music the way you wish it while still making it sound nice. As the musician, you DO have every right to do with the music what you will, but each piece tends to have a set of interpretations that "work". You wouldn't play a Mozart piece the way you would a Bach, for example. I'm not a pianist, but if I understand Rubahkin, he's saying that the piano piece in his youtube link can be difficult to play lyrically. Perhaps the notes are arranged so that a crescendo must be done perfectly for it to sound right, I don't know. But that's what a musician means when he says that a piece is "difficult to interpret". What are the clues? What do those clues mean? Can those clues even be found?

[JabberwockySupafly]

That is rather nice, so I'll forgive you that its an anime show theme.

I'm a bit surprised by this comment Vorpal. A lot of great "whimsical" music can be found in anime, and even video games. Some of the greatest composers of the past 50 years have been spinning their craft in Japan and the world is only beginning to realise this.

Akira Yamaoka, who did the Silent Hill games is a good example of whimsical. A lot of the tracks in the original can be beautiful, and then suddenly turn dark to fit the mood.

Almost anything by the aforementioned Yuki Kajiura can be deemed whimsical,almost. A few tracks are a bit more on the melancholy side due to her work in .hack//SIGN.

Another good composer for the whimsical would be my favourite composer, Yasunori Mitsuda. He did the music for Xenosaga 1, Chrono Cross, and some of the Chrono Trigger music as well. Check out an album called KiRite. Absolutely stunning, and has some of the most whimsical tracks I can think of. Touching, melodic, and thoroughly eerie at times.

Some of the music from the TV Series of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (Dead Guys With Bombs,although a bit more on the goofy side, and the music from Hush, especially) has got the right vibe you're looking for, and a few Angel songs as well, especially the full version of the title theme, Sanctuary by Darling Violetta.

Just a few suggestions. Also, stuff by Nightwish (Creek Mary's Blood is a darn near perfect fit to the description of beautiful but creepy), Lacuna Coil, and A Perfect Circle (The Nurse Who Loved Me, Three Libras,and Orestes) could be right up your alley as well.

[Amotis]

Vladimir Horowitz, the legendary performance of Traumerei in Moscow 1986 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7ncjhSqtk)

Rubakhin, you get more beautiful by the moment. Not only is it one of my all time favorite movements of anything it's the favorite rendition of it. "Horowitz in Moscow" is one of those things that just happen to appear at the right time, in the right place, yet in all it's fated length it remains timeless.

I...yeah...it's otherworldly.

[rubakhin]

Wasn't sure how it related to the topic so was curious is all. Just wanting to share though I can perfectly understand :smallwink:

What exactly was it he was 'interpreting'?

Well, I figured that the original poster might like it. No less unrelated than Debussy.

"To interpret" is the musician's term - possibly a term only in Russia, but I don't think so - "to play", in essence. Better that we have examples for this rather than a definition. So. Compare:

The Moonlight Sonata, as interpreted by Wilhelm Kempff (http://youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk)

Andrea Lucchesini (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZbwJarFL1c8)

Now, you see that Kempff's interpretation is more delicate, more sensitive - it trembles, almost - while Lucchesini's interpretation is sort of ponderous, tormented - I want to say heavier, in a way.

I mean, it sounds kind of pretentious, all these adjectives. :smallannoyed: But that's interpretation.

ETA: More useful perhaps if the post did not swallow the URL to the Kempff.

[Kneenibble]

Many might disagree but I think Satie is beautiful. The Gnossiennes, Gymnopedies, and Ogives all have this simple, ambient beauty, and I love to play them and wallow in them.

His work is along the lines of what you seek, though - pretty, eery, and whimsical.

PS, Rubahkin, may I please be your slave some more...

[Amotis]

Many might disagree but I think Satie is beautiful. The Gnossiennes, Gymnopedies, and Ogives all have this simple, ambient beauty, and I love to play them and wallow in them.

Another great musician/composer!

*gets all fanboy-y*

Ehehehehe!

Oh, and if we're talking about giants of 20th century pianists (Russian too!), then I think Sviatoslav Richter is one of the few individuals who can be mentioned in the same vein as Horowitz. One of my favorite recording sessions of his is his rendition of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Which is a monster of a piece itself, but his interpretation...just amazing. There are even things, musical things, that he does in his own space that I disagree with but still find them fitting and elevating and nod to the why and how he did that, even though I personally don't agree with it. That's when you know he's a damn good musician.

Fitting, me thinks.


If you can endure the atonal madness that is expression, I'd suggest Schonberg's Pierrot Lunaire.

Hehe, this thread is just filled with composers I adore.

While I love that piece, I think one more akin to the topic (and a lot more accessible) is Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht, which originally started as a string quartet and grew to a full orchestra version. Both are excellent and have totally different feels to them while keeping in the nature of the piece.

But it is one of my favorite pieces of all time. From any composer, any period, just...anything. I'll even go far to name it as one of my favorite pieces of music ever.

Here's the string quartet version (http://youtube.com/watch?v=dP2Pr9Mu8D4)

There wasn't a youtube link that had a satisfactory orchestral arrangement but I think that's a good purchase for anyone. :smallwink:

And yes, by definition it is an atonal piece because it lacks a tonal key center for most parts of the piece. Fooled ya, didn't it? :smallamused:

[Icewalker]

Yes! Nobody beat me to it (I think!)! Seems kind of similar to what you are talking about.

Donnie Darko: Mad World (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR91Rj1ZN1M).

"...The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had..."

[13_CBS]

Another great musician/composer!

*gets all fanboy-y*

Ehehehehe!

I'm a musician too! (Sorta!)

*Waits eagerly for attention* :smallbiggrin:

[Amotis]

I was talking about Satie though. :P

But that's okay! You can be one of Satie's students. Thirtie!

[13_CBS]

...oh, I thought you were speaking to Kneenibble...

Ah well.

Back on topic: although it's not quite what Tribble might be looking for, the famous Adagio for Strings is quite good (though I find this rendition a bit too slow) (http://youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g).

[Amotis]

I guess impressionist (Debussy was the first post, Satie shortly followed :smalltongue: ) fit the whimsical melodies line pretty well, I guess (must be all that whole tone jive).

I'll add one of my other favorite (sometimes) impressionist composer.

Ravel's String Quartet in F Minor played by The Hagen Quartet (http://youtube.com/watch?v=5xvwPMuCZEU)

And some Benjamin Britten, which fits too, I think. Though whimsical has a ethereal submeaning to it, to me at least, and I think this piece is just more...melodic and full then that. But fitting nonetheless.

Benjamin Britten "Lachrymae" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=z83elRRo_J0)

[bosssmiley]

Has anyone mentioned Yes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_(band)) yet? :smallconfused:

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"Classical" (in the general, layman's sense) musicians MUST decide how to interpret the music which they play, much in the same way an actor interprets his lines or the reader of a novel interprets the text.
Oh, yeah, just not heard it phrased that way before.


I'm a bit surprised by this comment Vorpal. A lot of great "whimsical" music can be found in anime, and even video games. Some of the greatest composers of the past 50 years have been spinning their craft in Japan and the world is only beginning to realise this.
I poke fun at anime any chance I get. Don't mind me :smallamused:


The Moonlight Sonata, as interpreted by Wilhelm Kempff
The Moonlight Sonata of any rendition has been one of my favorites since I was little. Absolutely beautiful.


"...The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had..."
Kinda like that'un.

[Jorkens]

A few other classical thoughts (with slightly random videos):
Vaughan Williams (eg the Tallis Fantasia - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c3XvNZ3ns4&feature=related)
Arvo Part (eg Fratres http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX7MNMSNUQE)
More Ravel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqncTkPMA_E

In a more pop vein, you might like Tunng for weird folkiness with slight electronic glitches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trMUKZxf2zE&feature=related

[Whoracle]

You might try some Theatre of Tragedy...
For example their "Aegis"-Album.

Examples:
Venus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oP2v05JqXU)
Cassandra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnOywytYP7A)

Actually, after hearing some ToT, you might stick to ONLY the Ageis-Album...

Haggard - Per Aspera Ad Astra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ2Y9_MwiE8) could also fit your taste somewhat.

[Stycotl]

pretty much anything by danny elfman

[Icewalker]

Oooh, I remembered some more, by Unkle...

A very amazing song: Lonely Soul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__r0gwxzeVE)
Bloodstain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r70WsINga0)
Rabbit in your Headlights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0q39ixrR6U)

All quite eerie. Lonely Soul is my favorite, although after 4 minutes it's just more of the same and a little less connected than the first half.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Haggard - Per Aspera Ad Astra could also fit your taste somewhat.
Man, take out that throaty crap and that would be absolutely beautiful. Seriously, why's he even in there? Completely ruins an otherwise fantastic sounding song :smallconfused:

[Whoracle]

comes with the T-Shirt :D

Seriously, give the "Eppur Si Mouve"-Album a try. Sure, he'll keep on "singing", but somehow it fits at least partially.

[Obrysii]

I'm sure I'm going to be scoffed for this, but if you enjoy sad, Japanese-flavored music, Naruto has some pretty good music. Setting sun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYpxMVnDfAA) is a good one to play after a death or something dramatic. Grief and Sorrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XloPzAn4SQ) is good, too. As is Sadness and Sorrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BowHlfchM4&feature=related). For a dramatic 'power up' or whatever, Need to be Strong (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhUa9ZQZShw) or A Crisis After Another (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0AfMt8D-38) work wonderfully as well.

[Smeik]

The older stuff of Apocalyptica might be your taste, especially things formt he Inquisition (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8imVKXWd8U) Symphony (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7kfbs3Pkzg) album (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeJpwyhfQQI)

Also, some stuff by Garmarna might be your taste: "Straffad Moder och Dotter" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7Q9ReR4T8&feature=related) (though it is only half as creepy if you don't know what the text is about) and "Vänner och Frände" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufnnr_q1yfE)

[Narmoth]

I think you'll enjoy the group Secret Garden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrMQhs1hoTA)

[SilentNight]

You might try Vince Guarldi's other work.(although the Peanuts songs are pretty good.) Help, I don't know how to link.:smalleek:

[valadil]

Blackmore's Night has a lot of stuff that's pretty close to this, but a little more rockin'. Try Fires and Midnight.
Loreena McKennit seems close too. Try The Highwayman and Mummer's Dance.
Pretty much the entire Dead Can Dance catalog.
Portishead's Mysterons should work too.

[Whoracle]

Found another one.

You might give Qntal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beXgEiGWUB0) a try. Especially the first Album, aptly titled "Qntal - I".

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I think you'll enjoy the group Secret Garden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrMQhs1hoTA)
That is exactly what I'm looking for! The group is fantastic. Many thanks!


The older stuff of Apocalyptica might be your taste, especially things formt he Inquisition Symphony album

Also, some stuff by Garmarna might be your taste: "Straffad Moder och Dotter" (though it is only half as creepy if you don't know what the text is about) and "Vänner och Frände"
Bizarre... :smallwink:


Blackmore's Night has a lot of stuff that's pretty close to this, but a little more rockin'. Try Fires and Midnight.
Thats pretty cool, though those are some odd lyrics...


Loreena McKennit seems close too. Try The Highwayman and Mummer's Dance.
Yup, got a good deal of Loreena's stuff :smallbiggrin:


You might give Qntal a try. Especially the first Album, aptly titled "Qntal - I".
Don't care much for that specific song you linked to, but some others by that group aren't bad.

[Obrysii]

A good chunk of celtic music also seems to fit this, but I can't seem to find any examples to link to.

Nightwish has a few songs that might fit the bill.

The Islander (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhV-SlJ-KMM) is good - reminds of Jethro Tull for some reason, though I can't explain the connection.

The Last of the Wilds (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLZ9FF-AzsQ), an instrumental, has an 'overland flight' feel to it - at least to me.

Finally, The Poet and the Pendulum (part 1) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B3n0MUgO4s) and The Poet and the Pendulum (part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBFz1rdnspY) is an epic song (split due to its length). Too bad the youtube quality is so low.

[ronnyfire]

do you by any chance like any of the music from diablo 2?

seems as tho you may.