The 50 Darkest Pieces of Classical Music

~ Release by Various Artists (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Tracklist

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▼ CD 1
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Totentanz
piano:
Michael Ponti (pianist)
orchestra:
Berlin Symphony Orchestra (known as Symphonisches Orchester Berlin since 1967, renamed Berliner Symphoniker in 1990)
conductor:
Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach
recording of:
Totentanz, S. 126/2 (for piano and orchestra, published version)
composer:
Franz Liszt (Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor)
dedicated to:
Hans von Bülow
premiered by:
Hans von Bülow (on 1865-04-15)
premiered at:
[concert] (1865-04-15)
is based on:
Dies Irae (plainchant)
revision of:
Totentanz, S. 126/1 (early unpublished version)
Franz Liszt15:12
2The Nutcracker - Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy
orchestra:
Klassische Philharmonie Bonn
conductor:
Heribert Beissel (conductor)
recording of:
Щелкунчик, op. 71: Действие II, Картина III, no. 14c. Па-де-де: Вариация II: Танец Феи Драже (Variation II: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy)
composer:
Пётр Ильич Чайковский (Russian romantic composer)
part of:
Щелкунчик, op. 71: Действие II (The Nutcracker, op. 71: Act 2)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky2:14
3Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - In the Hall of the Mountain King
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Peer Gynt Suite no. 1, op. 46: IV. I Dovregubbens hall
composer:
Edvard Grieg (composer) (in 1875)
revised by:
Edvard Grieg (composer) (in 1888)
version of:
Peer Gynt, op. 23: 2. akt: I Dovregubbens hall
part of:
Peer Gynt Suite no. 1, op. 46
Edvard Grieg2:43
4Danse Macabre
orchestra:
Kungliga Filharmonikerna (Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra)
conductor:
James DePreist (conductor)
recording of:
Danse macabre, op. 40 (original for orchestra)
composer:
Camille Saint‐Saëns (composer) (in 1874)
part of:
Works of Camille Saint-Saëns by opus number (number: op. 40)
is based on:
Danse macabre (song for voice and piano)
quotes music from:
Dies Irae (plainchant)
Camille Saint‐Saëns7:48
5String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor - Allegro Molto
strings:
Moyzes Quartet
recording of:
String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110: II. Allegro molto
composer:
Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович (composer) (from 1960-07-12 until 1960-07-14)
part of:
String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110
Dmitri Shostakovich3:00
6The Planets- Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
orchestra:
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
conductor:
Walter Süsskind (conductor)
recording of:
The Planets, op. 32: V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
composer:
Gustav Holst (composer) (from 1914 until 1916)
orchestration of:
The Planets, op. 32: V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age (for two pianos)
part of:
The Planets, op. 32 (Suite for Large Orchestra)
Gustav Holst9:22
7Dies Irae
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart1:39
8Moonlight Sonata - Adagio sostenuto
piano:
Finghin Collins (pianist)
recording of:
Sonata for Piano no. 14 in C-sharp minor, op. 27 no. 2 “Moonlight”: I. Adagio sostenuto
composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer) (in 1801)
part of:
Sonata for Piano no. 14 in C-sharp minor, op. 27 no. 2 “Moonlight”
Ludwig van Beethoven5:36
9Romeo and Juliet Suite - Montagues and Capulets
orchestra:
Minnesota Orchestra
conductor:
Stanisław Skrowaczewski (conductor)
recording of:
Romeo and Juliet: Suite no. 2, op. 64ter: I. Montagues and Capulets
composer:
Сергей Сергеевич Прокофьев (Russian composer)
part of:
Romeo and Juliet: Suite no. 2, op. 64ter
Sergei Prokofiev5:22
10Pictures at an Exhibition - Gnomus
Modest Mussorgsky3:01
11Gnossienne No. 1
recording of:
Gnossienne no. 1
composer:
Erik Satie (French composer) (in 1890)
part of:
Trois Gnossiennes
Erik Satie3:16
12Symphony No. 40 in G Minor - Allegro Molto
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Symphony no. 40 in G minor, K. 550 “Great”: I. Allegro molto (2nd version)
composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (classical composer) (from 1788 until 1788-07-25)
part of:
Symphony no. 40 in G minor, K. 550 “Great” (2nd version)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart7:02
13The Four Seasons, Summer - Presto
violin:
Pavel Popov (violinist)
orchestra:
Philharmonica Symphony Orchestra and St. Petersburg Radio and TV Orchestra (St Petersburg Radio & TV Orchestra)
conductor:
Станислав Горковенко and Igor Ivanenko
recording of:
Concerto in G minor, op. 8 no. 2, RV 315 “L’estate”: III. Presto
composer:
Antonio Vivaldi (Italian baroque composer and violinist) (in 1723)
part of:
Concerto in G minor, op. 8 no. 2, RV 315 “L’estate”
Antonio Vivaldi3:02
14Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Fate - Allegro con brio
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67: I. Allegro con brio
composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer) (from 1804 until 1808)
part of:
Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67
Ludwig van Beethoven7:28
▼ CD 2
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Carmina Burana - O Fortuna
choir vocals:
The London Chorus (until Oct 2000, was known as the London Choral Society) and London Philharmonic Choir
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Carmina Burana: Fortuna imperatrix mundi: I. O Fortuna
composer:
Carl Orff (composer) (in 1936)
publisher:
B. Schott’s Söhne (publisher; do not use as label)
version of:
O Fortuna (Poem, CB 17)
part of:
Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi
Carl Orff2:48
2Music For Strings - Percussion and Celesta - Adagio
recording of:
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Sz. 106, BB 114: III. Adagio
composer:
Béla Bartók (composer) (in 1936)
part of:
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Sz. 106, BB 114
Béla Bartók7:04
3The Planets - Mars, the Bringer of War
orchestra:
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
conductor:
Walter Süsskind (conductor)
recording of:
The Planets, op. 32: I. Mars, the Bringer of War
composer:
Gustav Holst (composer) (from 1914 until 1916)
orchestration of:
The Planets, op. 32: I. Mars, the Bringer of War (for two pianos)
part of:
The Planets, op. 32 (Suite for Large Orchestra)
Gustav Holst7:14
4Suite Gothique Toccata
organ:
Hans Fagius (organist)
recording of:
Suite Gothique, op. 25: IV. Toccata
composer:
Léon Boëllmann (composer) (in 1895)
part of:
Suite Gothique, op. 25
Léon Boëllmann3:58
5Egmont Overture
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Egmont, op. 84: Ouvertüre. Sostenuto, ma non troppo – Allegro
premiered in:
Wien, Austria (on 1810-06-15)
composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer) (from 1809-10 until 1810-06)
part of:
Egmont, op. 84
Ludwig van Beethoven7:57
6Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Minor, Funeral March
piano:
Mitsuko Uchida (pianist)
recording of:
Sonata for Piano no. 2 in B-flat minor, op. 35: III. Marche funèbre. Lento
composer:
Fryderyk Chopin (composer) (in 1839)
part of:
Sonata for Piano no. 2 in B-flat minor, op. 35 “Funeral March”
Frédéric Chopin7:31
7Messa da Requiem - Dies Iria - Tuba Minum
choir vocals:
The London Chorus (until Oct 2000, was known as the London Choral Society) and London Philharmonic Choir
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Messa da requiem: IIb. Dies irae: Tuba mirum (basso, coro)
composer:
Giuseppe Verdi (Italian opera composer) (in 1874)
part of:
Messa da requiem: II. Dies irae (quartetto solista, coro) (full sequenza)
Giuseppe Verdi3:54
8Organ concerto No. 10 in D Minor - Adagio
organ:
Harald Feller
orchestra:
Capella Istropolitana
conductor:
Paul Kantschieder (conductor)
recording of:
Organ Concerto in D minor, op. 7 no. 4, HWV 309: I. Adagio
composer:
George Frideric Handel (German‐British baroque composer)
part of:
Organ Concerto in D minor, op. 7 no. 4, HWV 309
George Frideric Handel6:32
9Cello Sonata in D Minor - II. Allegro
cello:
Markus Stocker
piano:
Victor Yampolsky (pianist)
recording of:
Cello Sonata in D minor, op. 40: II. Allegro
composer:
Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович (composer) (in 1934)
part of:
Cello Sonata in D minor, op. 40
Dmitri Shostakovich3:06
10A Night On The Bare Mountain
Modest Mussorgsky11:25
11Masonic Funeral Music in C Minor
orchestra:
SWR Symphony Orchestra
conductor:
Ernest Bour (conductor)
recording of:
Maurerische Trauermusik für Orchester c-Moll, K. 479a/477
composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (classical composer) (in 1785)
part of:
Köchelverzeichnis (original numbering) (number: 477) and Köchelverzeichnis (sixth edition, 1964, K⁶) (number: 479a)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart5:55
12Stabat Mater dolorosa
sound engineer:
Marian Czarnecki (engineer)
producer:
Jakub Burzyński
editor:
Michał Muzyka (engineer)
cello:
Tomasz Frycz (cellist) (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
chamber organ:
Barbara Świderska (organist) (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
double bass:
Grzegorz Zimak (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
harpsichord:
Piotr Wilczyński (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
percussion:
Robert Siwak (percussionist) (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
theorbo:
Anton Birula (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
viola:
Michał Druś (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
violin:
Grzegorz Lalek (violinist) (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14) and Maria Papuzinska-Uss (violinist) (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
alto vocals:
Jakub Burzyński (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
orchestra:
La Tempesta (Polish early music ensemble) (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
conductor:
Jakub Burzyński (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
recorded at:
Evangelical-Reformed Church in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
recording of:
Stabat Mater, RV 621: I. Largo "Stabat mater dolorosa" (from 2004-01-11 until 2004-01-14)
composer:
Antonio Vivaldi (Italian baroque composer and violinist)
part of:
Stabat Mater, RV 621
Antonio Vivaldi2:17
13Coriolan Overture
orchestra:
Babelsberg Symphony Orchestra
conductor:
Günter Ludwig (pianist)
recording of:
Ouvertüre Coriolan, op. 62
composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer) (in 1807)
dedicated to:
Heinrich Joseph von Collin
premiered at:
Palais Lobkowitz in Wien, Austria (in 1807-03)
part of:
Works of Ludwig van Beethoven by opus number (number: op. 62)
Ludwig van Beethoven7:36
▼ CD 3
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Ride of the Valkyries
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Excerpt from Die Walküre, WWV 86B: Akt III, Scene I, Walkürenritt
composer:
Richard Wagner (composer) (from 1854 until 1856)
publisher:
Schott Music International (publisher; do not use as label)
part of:
Die Walküre, WWV 86B: Akt III, Scene I "Hojotoho! Hojotoho!"
Richard Wagner5:11
2Largo
Antonio Vivaldi3:55
3Fortunae plango vulnera
orchestra:
Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic Orchestra
conductor:
Ilya Stupel (conductor)
recording of:
Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix mundi: II. Fortuna plango vulnera
composer:
Carl Orff (composer) (in 1936)
publisher:
B. Schott’s Söhne (publisher; do not use as label)
version of:
Fortune plango vulnera (Poem, CB 16)
part of:
Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi
Carl Orff2:42
4Adagio in G minor, 'Albinoni's Adagio'
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Adagio for Strings and Organ in G minor
composer:
Remo Giazotto
previously attributed to:
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (Italian Baroque composer)
publisher:
Ricordi London (Casa Ricordi sublabel for Classical music)
Remo Giazotto8:37
5Aquarium
orchestra:
Vienna Pro Musica Orchestra
conductor:
Ferdinand Roth
recording of:
Le Carnaval des animaux : VII. Aquarium
composer:
Camille Saint‐Saëns (composer) (in 1886-02)
part of:
Le Carnaval des animaux (Grande fantaisie zoologique, R 125)
Camille Saint‐Saëns2:27
6Nuages Gris (Grey Clouds)
Franz Liszt3:22
7The March to the Scaffold
orchestra:
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra (RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra)
conductor:
Anton Nanut (conductor)
recording of:
Symphonie fantastique, op. 14: IV. Marche au supplice
composer:
Hector Berlioz (composer) (in 1830)
part of:
Symphonie fantastique, op. 14 : Épisode de la vie d’un artiste … en cinq parties
Hector Berlioz4:46
8The Swan of Tuonela
cor anglais:
Per‐Olof Gillblad
orchestra:
Stockholm Sinfonietta
conductor:
Jan‐Olav Wedin (conductor)
recording of:
Lemminkäis-sarja (Neljä legendaa), op. 22: II. Tuonelan joutsen (The Swan of Tuonela)
composer:
Jean Sibelius (Finnish composer) (in 1895)
part of:
Lemminkäis-sarja (Neljä legendaa), op. 22
Jean Sibelius8:09
9L'adoration de la Terre (Adoration of the Earth)
orchestra:
Minnesota Orchestra
conductor:
Stanisław Skrowaczewski (conductor)
recording of:
Le Sacre du printemps: I. L’Adoration de la terre
composer:
Igor Stravinsky (Russian composer) (from 1911 until 1913)
part of:
Le Sacre du printemps
Igor Stravinsky15:11
10Lacrimosa dies illa
choir vocals:
London Philharmonic Choir
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Requiem in D minor, K. 626: III. Sequenz: f. Lacrimosa dies illa (Süßmayr Edition; choir)
orchestrator:
Franz Xaver Süßmayr
additional composer:
Joseph Leopold Eybler and Franz Xaver Süßmayr (from 1791 until 1792)
composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (classical composer) (in 1791)
part of:
Requiem in D minor, K. 626: III. Sequenz (Süßmayr Edition)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart2:49
11Marcia funebre
recording of:
Symphony no. 3 in E-flat major, op. 55 “Eroica”: II. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai
composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer) (from 1803 until 1804)
part of:
Symphony no. 3 in E-flat major, op. 55 “Eroica”
Ludwig van Beethoven15:16
12Prelude in C sharp minor 'The Bells of Moscow'
piano:
Tomislav Baynov (Bulgarian pianist)
recording of:
Morceaux de fantaisie, op. 3: No. 2. Prélude in C‐sharp minor (The Bells of Moscow)
composer:
Сергей Рахманинов (Russian composer)
part of:
Morceaux de fantaisie, op. 3
Sergei Rachmaninov4:14
▼ CD 4
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Adagio for Strings
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Adagio for Strings
orchestrator:
Samuel Barber (American orchestral, choral, opera & piano composer) (in 1938)
composer:
Samuel Barber (American orchestral, choral, opera & piano composer) (in 1936)
premiered by:
NBC Symphony Orchestra (on 1938-11-05) and Arturo Toscanini (conductor) (on 1938-11-05)
premiered at:
[radio broadcast] (1938-11-05)
publisher:
G. Schirmer Inc.
arrangement of:
String Quartet, op. 11: II. Molto adagio
Samuel Barber8:22
2Oboe Concerto in D Minor Adagio
oboe:
Emanuel Abbühl (oboist)
orchestra:
Strings of Zürich
conductor:
Howard Griffiths (conductor)
recording of:
Concerto per oboe, archi e continuo in re minore: II. Adagio
composer:
Alessandro Marcello
part of:
Concerto per oboe, archi e continuo in re minore, S D935
Alessandro Marcello3:54
3Symphony No. 10 in E Minor Allegro
producer:
Mike George (classical producer at BBC)
orchestra:
BBC National Orchestra of Wales (in 1997-11)
conductor:
Mark Wigglesworth (conductor) (in 1997-11)
recorded at:
Brangwyn Hall in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom (in 1997-11)
recording of:
Symphony no. 10 in E minor, op. 93: II. Allegro (in 1997-11)
composer:
Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович (composer) (from 1946 until 1953)
publisher:
Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers, Ltd
part of:
Symphony no. 10 in E minor, op. 93
Dmitri Shostakovich4:14
4Swan Lake Suite Scene (Lake in the Moonlight)
orchestra:
London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO)
conductor:
David Parry (conductor)
recording of:
Swan Lake, Ballet Suite, op. 20: Scene
composer:
Пётр Ильич Чайковский (Russian romantic composer)
recording of:
The Swan Lake (suite from the ballet), op. 20a: I. Scène
composer:
Пётр Ильич Чайковский (Russian romantic composer) (in 1876)
part of:
The Swan Lake (suite from the ballet), op. 20a (Version B - 8 movements)
part of:
The Swan Lake (suite from the ballet), op. 20a (Version A - 6 movements)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky3:01
5Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
organ:
Klemens Schnorr (organist)
pipe organ:
Klemens Schnorr (organist) (in 1988)
recorded at:
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München in München, Bayern, Germany (in 1988)
recording of:
Toccata und Fuge d-Moll, BWV 565 (in 1988)
composer:
Johann Sebastian Bach (German Baroque period composer & musician)
part of:
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (number: BWV 565)
Johann Sebastian Bach8:54
6Symphony No. 7 in A Major Allegretto
Ludwig van Beethoven9:03
7Fratres
percussion:
Juho Vartiainen (in 1996-10)
orchestra:
Tapiola Sinfonietta (in 1996-10)
conductor:
Jean‐Jacques Kantorow (violinist and conductor) (in 1996-10)
recording of:
Fratres (for string orchestra and percussion, 1991) (in 1996-10)
composer:
Arvo Pärt (in 1977)
arranger:
Arvo Pärt (in 1991)
dedicated to:
Eduard Tubin (composer)
arrangement of:
Fratres (parent work - if in doubt, use this one)
Arvo Pärt9:49
8Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Tragic Allegro
orchestra:
Munich Symphony Orchestra (an Alfred Scholz pseudonym, not the former Symphonie-Orchester Graunke)
conductor:
Hans Swarowsky (conductor)
recording of:
Symphony no. 4 in C minor, D. 417 "Tragic": IV. Allegro
composer:
Franz Schubert (composer) (in 1816-04)
part of:
Symphony no. 4 in C minor, D. 417 "Tragic"
Franz Schubert10:23
9Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor Sarabande
producer and balance engineer:
Hans Kipfer
editor:
Rita Hermeyer and Martin Nagorni
cello:
Torleif Thedéen (cellist) (in 1996-12)
recorded at:
Länna Kyrka in Norrtälje municipality, Stockholms län, Sweden (in 1996-12)
recording of:
Suite für Violoncello solo no. 5 c-Moll, BWV 1011: IV. Sarabande (in 1996-12)
composer:
Johann Sebastian Bach (German Baroque period composer & musician)
part of:
Suite für Violoncello solo no. 5 c-Moll, BWV 1011
Johann Sebastian Bach3:54
10Moonlight Sonata Presto agitato
piano:
Dubravka Tomšič (pianist) (in 1986-04)
performer:
Dubravka Tomšič (pianist)
recording of:
Sonata for Piano no. 14 in C-sharp minor, op. 27 no. 2 “Moonlight”: III. Presto agitato (in 1986-04)
composer:
Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer) (in 1801)
part of:
Sonata for Piano no. 14 in C-sharp minor, op. 27 no. 2 “Moonlight”
Ludwig van Beethoven7:08
11The Planets Neptune, the Mystic
orchestra:
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
conductor:
Walter Süsskind (conductor)
recording of:
The Planets, op. 32: VII. Neptune, the Mystic
composer:
Gustav Holst (composer) (from 1914 until 1916)
orchestration of:
The Planets, op. 32: VII. Neptune, the Mystic (for two pianos)
part of:
The Planets, op. 32 (Suite for Large Orchestra)
Gustav Holst7:36