Ethereal sounds

[doctorcilantro]

In light of the interesting Passion of Joan of Arc post, what are some titles that are simply mind-boggling in terms of sonic beauty. I am thinking about more esoteric sounds rather than the classical musical genres (although its hard to avoid things like In A Silent way etc.); instrumental stuff with maybe chanting or chorus. For example: the Tibetan Monks of Loseling Monestary & the Melansian Choir Sings Chants of The Thin Red Line come to mind. Just some weird, ecletic stuff that can take your system and your mind for a ride. I saw some cliched titles in a store the other day that were called Life Moments or something...almost background music, funny but got me thinking; maybe I have been working too hard? Guess I am just in the mood to add some really strange, ethereal SOUNDS to my collection. You know who I REALLY like is Ali Farka Toure.

[sputnik]

In reading your post, the first piece of music that came to my mind was "Gabriel's Oboe" from the film soundtrack of "The Mission". It's effect in the movie is inspiring and tragic at the same time.

[Kriton]

Doc,

I don't know what trips your trigger, when you say "ethereal" but I have a couple of suggestions for ethereal music for you...from several different genres..

I have made these suggestions before in response to some other queries, but have had no responses, so I will make them to you and give you links to check them out.

First is a guy called Eric Whitacre, a choral composer, young guy, music is modern and new, and completely mesmerizing...it is some incredible stuff, here is a link to one of his albums, and a listening link for one of the tunes...his stuff is not necessarily "sacred" music, but is ethereal..

http://www.arsisaudio.com/cd147.html

I really do not beleive that this is representative of his best works on that album, either. If you can appreciate how hard it is to get that kind of sound, and the balance of voices, you will more deeply appreciate the soaring line... If you download this and listen to it on your computer speakers, imagine for a moment what it will sound like on your Klipsch...really amazing aural work-out.

The next for etheral is Arvo Part, born in 1935, so not a spring chicken, in Estonia and I think his music reflects that..has a much broader range, but his choral sacred works are superb, the only link that I could find with MP3's has a good little cross section but none of these can compare with his 1989 Magnificat, look for it, it is pretty amazing...calm and reflective.

http://www.opuscds.com/cd/35636

Both of these composers are modern in the sense the music is rife with dissonances, but the resolutions of those wrangling chords is enlightening and well ethereal.

Now, if you want just weird, or powerful, I can suggest some others...the Imperatrix Mundi from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff played at very loud volumes, is the most recognizable movie (Excalibur) and commercial music, but is still just an awesome piece...the whole Carmina Burana is strange weird and powerful stuff, the story behind the music (bawdy poems discovered beginning of the twentieth century buried in the floor of an ancient monastery in the high European mountains in half a dozen languages, put to music by a mediocre musician who didn't do anything (arguably) of note before Carmina Burana or after, who himself claimed that his pen was "guided by an unseen force" - and that this work has become so well known (at least parts of it), and I think last time I read, it is the most performed work of its kind in the world)...AND the weird music, you have got a wonderful listen. Others here have suggested the Ormandy recording, and I concur, of the 10 or so that I have, it is the best. Get a hold of a good red wine, look up the "burning swan" and crank it...if it doesn't bring hair up on your neck, you are dead.

Lastly for some sad and wonderful music, there was a sound track to a French movie called (forgive my French spelling): Tou Les Matins Du Monde, that starred Gerard Depardieu and his son Guillaume, I beleive. It was a movie about the life of baroque court cellist Marin Marais, and his teacher St. Colombe, about which little is actually known. The soundtrack is mostly all very old cello music played on period instruments, and is simple and haunting; if you can get a hold of the sound track you will enjoy it; look for clips on Amazon. Just heard a bit of it on the classical station this morning, so it is still around.

I have some really ethereal opera moments too if you want them, but try these and let me know what you think.

K

[D-MAN]

Interestingly, Carl Orff's piece "Carmina Burana" was written in the 1930's in Germany, and you know what was going on then and there...

Now it sort of makes musical sense, doesn't it?

DM

[sputnik]

On a side note:

Kriton,

Sounds like you really know your Carl Orff (10 recordings of Carmina Burana). I've really liked the short simple pieces from "Musica Poetica" ever since first hearing them in the film "Badlands". Over the years I've searched but could never locate "Musica Poetica". I'd pretty forgotten about it until you mentioned Carl Orff above. I just searched and I found what looks like a "definitive" collection of recordings of "Musica Poetica" on Amazon. I'm going to order it. Do you know anything about the background of this work?