# Recommend some sad instrumentals. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565 "2006-02-22T01:48:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/21 "2006-02-22T13:01:22Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > … > Coltrane’s version of \*My Favorite Things \* always makes me sad, but that may be more about the loss of Coltrane than the music. > … If we want to include jazz, I can’t think of anything sadder than Mingus’s Goodbye Porkpie Hat, the one written for the then-recently-deceased legend of jazz. That sax solo is sad all the way to 11. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/22 "2006-02-22T13:19:53Z")
Classical - The march from the last movement of Vaughan Williams’ 2nd symphony is not only sad but frightening. (Pretty muuch all of his 3rd and 7th symphonies are pretty miserable, too. The second movement of No.3 with its quote of ‘The Last Post’ is particularly tear-jerking) Folk and/or rock - ‘The Snake’s Farewell to the Emerald Isle’ - Horslips, ‘Little Wing’ (yes, the Hendrix tune) - The Ric Sanders Band (Sort of folk/jazz/blues) Soundtracks - ‘Lament for the Kakapo’ from the BBCTV series ‘The Life of Birds’ ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/23 "2006-02-22T15:15:41Z")
Albinoni: _Adagio in G Minor_ Vaughan Willilams: _Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis_ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/24 "2006-02-22T15:33:43Z")
> [@Azadeh](#): > > Itzak Perlman and John Williams - the theme to Schindler’s List. Breaks my heart every time. I couldn’t agree more! Even without the context of the movie. Williams is a genius and this piece is the prime example. The flavors. The ethnicity. The cry. I’m choked up just typing this as I think of that piece. It’s definitely for violin but I have heard some passable guitar versions, too. Nothing like Itzak, but what is? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/25 "2006-02-22T15:37:52Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Barber’s _Adagio for Strings_ (theme from _Platoon_) is often played at funerals. Stately but sad. Gets me every time. Also, the soundtrack for _Brokeback Mountain_: the main theme is beautifully elegiac. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/26 "2006-02-22T16:06:44Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > I find sad music to be very cathartic whenever I’m feeling down, so I’m searching for songs to put on a couple “release” CDs. I know there was a “sad songs” thread just a little while ago, but the posted songs almost all had lyrics, and I prefer instrumentals–it universalises the experience for me. If you’re curious what makes me sad, just check out _Ashokan Farewell_ and _Last of the Mohicans_. Even though I’ve mentioned a couple of pieces that answer your question more directly, I’ve come back to mention what immediately sprang to my mind when I read the OP. There’s an album Stan Getz did with a string ensemble led by Hershy Kay and arrangements by Eddie Sauter called [Focus](http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=disc&src=art&pid=10139) which came out in the early 60’s not too long before Getz went on to Bossa Nova fame and fortune. The music isn’t really _sad_ throughout, but there are several pieces that show (at least for me) to what degree sadness can be expressed in music. The arrangements were done so as to leave a “hole” for Getz’s tenor sax to fill and he supposedly improvised his portion entirely. The link may allow you to hear a few sections to see if that fits in with what you’re hunting for. Try Track 4 “I Remember When” for the flavor I’m remembering even though the snippet is too short to catch the whole mood. ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/27 "2006-02-22T16:16:15Z")
Well, I came in here to recommend **Adagio for Strings** and **Moonlight Sonata**. But since I’m a little late to the game let me add some more. Kenny Wayne Shepherd has a song called **While We Cry** which is essentially a instrumental of Pearl Jam’s **Yellow Ledbetter**. Coincidently, it is on KWS’s CD Ledbetter Heights. Stevie Ray Vaughan has a good one called **Rivera Paradise** on his last album, ‘In Step’. He wrote it for a friend’s funeral. He also has a song called **Lenny** on his ‘Texas Flood’ album that he wrote for his wife. Not really sad, but very mellow. He also does an instrumental version of Hendrix’s **Little Wing** on ‘The Sky is Crying’ album. Again, not really sad, but soothing. I also like to listen to Joe Satriani’s **Always with Me, Always with You** when I’m in a mood like you describe. It’s on his ‘Surfing with the Alien’ CD. I know you said no lyrics, but Plant’s voice is easy to ignore in Led Zeppelin’s **The Rain Song** off their ‘Houses of the Holy’ CD (I believe). It’s mostly an instrumental anyway. Over half the song is without lyrics. It’s perfect for gazing out a rain streaked window on a gloomy day. Back to classical music, Pachelbel’s **Canon in D** is rather melancholy as well, but some people might associate it with weddings too much. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/28 "2006-02-22T16:28:38Z")
“Yes It Is” by Johnny A. This was originally a Beatles tune, but it’s positively beeautiful by Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/29 "2006-02-22T16:32:24Z")
I can’t recommend [Tabula Rasa by Arvo Part](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000262K7/qid=1140625772/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-4550289-1597760?s=classical&v=glance&n=5174) more strongly (link to listing on Amazon). This work was featured in a New Yorker article about the composer and how highly respected he is. When describing this work, they commented on how people with terminal illnesses have come to regard this work with special affection because it captures the melancholy and release of their situation. That was enough for me - I got it and have found it to be truly, subtly, complexly beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/30 "2006-02-22T16:39:39Z")
I second **Kizarvexius’** nomination of Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis I offer up the Largo in Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra in D Minor - BWV 1063. Weep on! ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/31 "2006-02-22T18:22:17Z")
The Final Peace, Jb’s blues and Suspension all by Jeff Beck ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/32 "2006-02-22T20:02:40Z")
I thought of one of my own. It’s the _Karak theme_ from the Homeworld soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/33 "2006-02-22T20:10:59Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > If you’re curious what makes me sad, just check out _Ashokan Farewell_… There’s an absolutely wonderful version of that on the \*Celtic Woman \* DVD. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/34 "2006-02-22T20:52:51Z")
> [@Omegaman](#): > > The Final Peace, Jb’s blues and Suspension all by Jeff Beck Just a slight hijack to say that Jeff Beck is the best guitarist out there… ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/35 "2006-02-23T04:28:57Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I’ll second that one. If you’re looking for a different take on that song, check out William Orbit’s version of it on his “Pieces in a Modern Style” album. I’ll go along with this. I find Usual Apsect’s [Mr. Blue](http://www.chemical-records.co.uk/sc/servlet/onlinestore?Pass=Info&Track=MOTN001&back=@Catalog%3fCategory=TR@All=True@Search=@ND=-1@Sort=NI) to be sad. It’s a dance song, but it sounds very melancholy to me. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/36 "2006-02-23T05:22:47Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > I thought of one of my own. It’s the _Karak theme_ from the Homeworld soundtrack. See aforementioned _Adagio for Strings_ by Barber. The version in _Homeworld_ is sung by a choir and is called _Agnus Dei_. While not exactly sad, Chopin’s Noctures tend to be very introspective. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/37 "2006-02-23T10:05:27Z")
Tori Amos - _Over It_ eels - _Bride of Theme From Blinking Lights_ _Last Days of My Bitter Heart_ _Blinking Lights (For You)_ _Going to Your Funeral Part II_ ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/38 "2006-02-23T10:43:29Z")
There are one or two military-band arrangements of one or another evening hymn tune with the Last Post. We did one last Nov 11th that led off with “The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended” and segued into the bugle solo (actually played by our cornet soloist on this occasion) and my eyes are stinging just as I think about it. The closing section of _The Dream of Gerontius_, “Softly and gently, dearly ransomed soul” is quite a tear-jerker too, though maybe it works best in context. I read a review of the Barbirolli recording I have, where the review said “if this doesn’t break your heart, it’s time for a transplant”. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/39 "2006-02-23T16:29:00Z")
Ah, having listened to it, I see that you’re right. Thank you. Thank you everyone! I can barely keep up with all the suggestions, so this is great :). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565/40 "2006-02-23T16:54:13Z")
A lot of what I’d recommend has already been said so I’ll just say this - personally I find a lot of ‘authentic’ Andean music to be heartbreaking. [Rumillajta](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000DD72/ref=m_art_li_1/104-2647472-2723941?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) should be easy to get hold of, try the song “Mothers and Children”, despite the upbeat tempo I find “Hermano Chay” gut wrenchingly desperate towards the end -I don’t know what it is, something to do with the key, the breathy pan pipes and voice competing with the more piercing wind instrument but there you are. (Not all of their work is instrumental but if you don’t speak the language …) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-sad-instrumentals/345565.md?page=3)