Recommend me some 'trippy' classical music..

Cafe Society
1

Not as in psychedelic, but as in “having a time signature or rhythm that keeps the listener off-balance; that defies the simple tapping toe”. Now, there are a lot of modern, ‘atonal’ pieces that have no real sense of flow or rhythm, but I’m hoping for something with a melodic line, albeit an irregular one. Maybe something with a few extra beats thrown in here and there to surprise the audience. Something like Brubeck’s Take Five, but not jazz. A ‘normal’ time signature is fine, as long as things still feel kind of skippy or trippy. Maybe there are overlapping melodic lines that are sort of out-of-phase. Hopefully you get the idea. It would be a plus if there was an audio sample online somewhere.

This question was inspired by a orchestral piece that I overheard on the radio a few days ago, in which I could not for the life of me figure out the time signature or predict when the downbeat would come. And yet there was a catchy melody that you could hum afterwards.

2

It sounds like you’re talking about minimalism, both in what you want, and what you heard. Names to look for include Steve Reich (Different Trains for example), Philip Glass, and John Adams (Tromba Lontana). Also, from a different background, Arvo Part (Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten.)

3

I appreciate those recommendations, especially the Arvo Part piece. They are deserving of more listening on their own merits, but they aren’t quite what I’m looking for. I’m groping for terms here, but think more ‘Mozart and/or Copland walk down the stairs and miss a couple of steps on the way down’ rather than ‘tone-poemy and mood-evoking’.

4

Quite apart from that sounding like it was one hell of a party, is this Stravinsky piece anywhere along the right lines?

5

We’re getting closer… Got anything, uh, cheerful? Not dissonant? Maybe I should just be asking for melodic, consonant music with an unusual time signature like 5/x, 7/x, 11/x, etc. I apologize again for the vagueness of the question.

6

OK, another possible suspect: Prokofiev, 1st symphony. (Defining ‘cheerful’ and ‘not dissonant’ is kind of tricky!)

7

“Mars The Bringer Of War” from The Planets is in 5/4 and pretty melodic.

8

Maybe Petrushka by Stravinsky?

9

“Terpsimetrics” by Donald White. As I recall it had an alternating time signature but 1) my high school band performed it about 30 years ago and 2) good luck finding a recording of it.

In a more modern vein, The Who did “Guitar and Pen” on “Who Are You,” c. 1978.

10

The Russian Dance is super close to the sort of thing I had in mind. Particularly at the :15-:16 mark there’s a bit of a fillip that catches you offguard (this may just be a performer error, but it’s just the effect that I like). There’s another great performance here with particularly good moments at the 1:23 and the 2:03 marks. Thanks for this!

11

Even though they would be classified as “jazz”, I bet you’d like these by Pat Metheny:

“The Heat Of The Day”
excerpt here.

“The First Circle” and “Tell it All”
here.

(It’s amazing to be in a crowd of thousands who can clap along to “First Circle”!)

12

The second movement of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique symphony (Symphony #6) sounds like a lilting waltz, but is in 5/4 time.

13

I suspect there may be some Charles Ives stuff that’s just what you’re looking for.

14

I was initially going to suggest Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) because of it’s rhythmic ferocity and complexity but it’s also noteworthy for it’s dissonances. Petrushka’s a bit more tuneful. Generally, though, the early 20th century is rich with composers experimenting with harmony and rhythm but not so much that it’s unintelligible (IMO, of course). Ravel’s Ma Mere L’Oye (Mother Goose Suite) might also be worth a listen.

15

Good call here, and not just that movement, most of the suite has interesting time signatures and rhythmical structures. Uranus is a definite contender, as is Mercury. (And it’s amazing how much more complex the rhythms become when you have several movements playing in different tabs at the same time! :smiley: )

16

So, brossa , if I’m getting you right, you want rhythmic complexity in a context of slightly extended classical harmony. So, going through the mental rolodex -

Bartok - check out the ‘Concerto for Orchestra’, the ‘3rd Piano Concerto’. (From your responses, I’m guessing you’d find the String Quartets or the ‘Music for Strings, Percussion & Celeste’ kinda harsh.)

No one has mentioned Bernstein yet, and I think there’s lots for you there… ‘On the Waterfront’, ‘On the Town’, ‘Slaughter on 10th Ave’, the ‘Divertimento for Orchestra’

John Cage ‘Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano’ Yes, I know Cage’s later works are as weird as they want to be - this set is early and cool, using the piano as a semi-melodic percussion instrument.

Harry Partch - Harry Partch : Barstow, In It's Many Flavors is a site I just found while checking the exact title. The wacky tuning system is at the core of his aesthetic. Drives some people nuts, others love it. I’m in the latter category, but I understand the viewpoint of those in the first. Rhythmically, it’s fabulous.

You might be interested in some of the Spanish and Brazilian composers of the 20th century - Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albeniz, Heitor Villa-Lobos. My tastes and recommendations are rather guitar centred, but de Falla’s ‘El Amor Brujo’ or the ‘Sombrero de Tres Picos’ are a good start. Villa-Lobos’ collection of ‘Choros’ are great fun.

Leo Brouwer (Cuban) has many interesting compositions (Avoid ‘Canticum’ - I adore this piece, but the opening (flail the snot out of one of the harshest chords ever heard over and over on the guitar for six seconds, be silent for six seconds, then do it again for ten seconds - I’m not allowed to practice that one with anyone else in the house because it gives the kids nightmares). Maybe try ‘The Black Decameron’ for a start.

Another thought - I don’t know where you are, but you might want to check nearby ballet or dance companies, because it sounds like you’re verging on the kind of stuff that interests lots of contemporary choreographers. Not too discordant, but with lots of rhythmic interest.

Anyway, that’s a start. Happy listening…

17

Beethoven’s Eight Symphony was written largely as a series of musical “jokes,” and it has several unexpected moments in it.

18

Try Tanz from Carmina Burana. Most people know nothing beyond O Fortuna, but this sounds like what you are looking for. Very strange time signatures that change unexpectedly on you.

19

Pulcinella, also by Stravinsky. Baroque music chopped up and spliced in ways that aren’t always perfectly smooth. (Check out the last sections for the most rhythmical parts.)

In a different vein, although maybe a bit too “modern” for what you’re looking for: Messiaen’s Turangalîla Symphony. The finale has some really nice syncopation going on but I couldn’t find a sample. Check out this movement, though:

Depending on how widely you want to define “classical”, how about some Piazzolla?

20

I don’t think thats actually true, Granted there are some parts of that symphony in which you feel a little un sure of footing, But not more so than the typical Beethoven mindfuck that goes on once you see his music with a score