The saddest [instrumental] music you've ever listened to?

[Iron Woode]

Valse Triste - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Oc_J1Lu-o

not sure what's sadder: the music or the video.

 

[nanette1985]

Valse Triste - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Oc_J1Lu-o

not sure what's sadder: the music or the video.

great find! the music's sibelius, of course. the animation is Bruno Bozetto from his movie Allegro Non Troppo, which I haven't seen in 30 years or so - but I still remember it (unforgettable).

thanks.

 

[MarkXIX]

Amazing Grace on bagpipes. Nothing, nothing is more somber than that except maybe taps.

I choke up every time I hear Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. Maybe it's because my mother's maiden name is McAninch and I am half Scottish, but it just kills me.

Taps and Amazing Grace - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8GZmsucNFM&feature=fvst

 

[nanette1985]

dp

 

[Iron Woode]

BIOSHOCK has some great orchestral music and most is very sombre and mournful, such as:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mefr53H0mOs

 

[dennilfloss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBfKXHoSvDM

 

[dennilfloss]

great find! the music's sibelius, of course. the animation is Bruno Bozetto from his movie Allegro Non Troppo, which I haven't seen in 30 years or so - but I still remember it (unforgettable).

thanks.

I cried during that scene at the theater, so long ago...

 

[Maligx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZqrG1bdGtg - original dead island trailer which sounds a lot like what i've heard on lost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwtr_-4vz6g - dead island trailer in reverse

 

[MarkXIX]

BIOSHOCK has some great orchestral music and most is very sombre and mournful, such as:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mefr53H0mOs

Yeah, glad I downloaded the soundtrack for free when they offered it for a limited time. Still have it. There's some great, moody music on that soundtrack.

 

[Loop2kil]

When I read your thread title I was gonna come in a say something from Schindler's List but you beat me to it.

 

[nanette1985]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBfKXHoSvDM

you give me beethoven, I give you beethoven
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cec8lfePGbo

 

[Dankk]

Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean, by Explosions in the Sky. For years this has been the most depressing song I've ever heard, and I don't think any of your guys's suggestions can top it. It has this feeling of sadness and dread that I've never heard in any other song before. It's also a tribute to the Russian Navy soldiers who died in the Kursk submarine explosion.

Listen to it, at least the first couple minutes.

 

[Printer Bandit]

:''''''(Lost - life and death : :'''(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hre5fkdq-0&feature=related
:''

 

[nanette1985]

:''''''(Lost - life and death : :'''(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hre5fkdq-0&feature=related
:''

composer is Michael Giacchino. he's done some other nice stuff too

 

[Printer Bandit]

composer is Michael Giacchino. he's done some other nice stuff too

yeah, love it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OILYuJQd0Lk

 

[Kanalua]

Haha...in addition to everyone above, mine come from Korean Dramas:
- Winter Sonata - My Memory (Piano Instrumental)
- The Legend/TWSSG - Sujini's Theme (Piano Solo)

 

[Locut0s]

My vote would go to one of several classical music pieces that I sadly (no pun intended) can't remember the names of. For modern music some contenders would be:

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AscPOozwYA8
(Written about the death of his young son)

Grave of the Fireflies - To the Ocean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XT2oE7WBYs&feature=related

The sleeping tune - played on strings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z4E75sjBiE

 

[Locut0s]

While it will always and ever be the simple elegiac strains of Taps for me, I dare any of you to listen to this song and not be deeply, deeply moved:

Killkelly, Ireland

Thanks for this.

 

[Locut0s]

My vote would go to one of several classical music pieces that I sadly (no pun intended) can't remember the names of. For modern music some contenders would be:

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AscPOozwYA8
(Written about the death of his young son)

Grave of the Fireflies - To the Ocean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XT2oE7WBYs&feature=related

The sleeping tune - played on strings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z4E75sjBiE

From the Deer Hunter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6gpa8nUa70

 

[angminas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWNdMJ0GzA0 Karate Kid 2 - The Funeral

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1_xDytEB1Q Nadia's Theme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZP-4B7kHqA Siul a Run

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWlNhHGUfDU Theme From Love Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R0iaRcUqDI Vesti la Giubba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdEYMFMvEIo Don't Take The Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTeXkHfWYVo Wish You Were Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CsRJh0xd0A Blind Curve


And, finally...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypoUBGMxT1o

Those nine simple notes have haunted my soul for years.

 

[angminas]

As a pianist, I go for Chopin
Nocturnes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVqNvgWXlfY b minor Op 9 No 1 (Pollini, the pianist)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dT2NFNuDeg&feature=fvsr C minor Op 72 No 1 (Rubenstein)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5bGOnx-YCs C# minor Op 27 No 1 (Horowitz)

The lovely Prelude
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-0_7J-n9qQ Op 28 No 4 (Cortot)

And of course the Funeral March
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TbIBqTBM4Q Chopin Sonata Op 35 No 2 - The Funeral March (played by Rachmaninoff)

Pianist, you say! Chopin, you say! He's been my favorite composer since the first time I heard him. I think most people play him way too quickly. You should very pick this up:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Chopin-Da.../dp/B000GEFUV4

The recording quality is poor, but the interpretation is soulful. Unlike almost everyone else playing Chopin, she never sounds like she's trying to impress or hurry to the end of the song. I can barely listen to most people play Chopin anymore- it's like watching a toddler playing with an old cat.

I used to play that nocturne and prelude. I wish I hadn't quit piano for fifteen years. It's coming back slowly and painfully. Aside from the brilliant Ms. Dechenne on that CD, check out Yeol Eum Son, Valentina Igoshina, Lang Lang, and Krystian Zimermann on Youtube. They tend to play Chopin the way I think he should be played.

 

[dabuddha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwtr_-4vz6g - dead island trailer which sounds a lot like what i've heard on lost

Holy moly!

 

[Jeeebus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwtr_-4vz6g - dead island trailer which sounds a lot like what i've heard on lost

Nice. There's a lot of good scores out there for video games. Obvious choice is the Final Fantasy games.

One of my favorites:

Celes' theme from FF 3

 

[Tiamat]

One that I find more sad than even Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings:

Virgil Fox's transcription of J.S. Bach's "Komm, süßer Tod" for the Pipe Organ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xje4OYalB5Q

The lyrics of the original non-instrumental version:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komm,_s%C3%BC%C3%9Fer_Tod,_komm_selge_Ruh

When listening to a higher quality version on a reasonably good stereo and room, the ultra low frequencies (down to 23hz at roughly -6dB from reference) seem to force a strong sad uncontrolled emotional feeling in addition to the undulating voice of the solo flute and vox humana. A piece of music written for the largest operational pipe organ in the world - shows off how quiet an instrument can be and how loud it can be all within the last few measures of the piece.

 

[Onceler]

It is not an instrumental but Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel from the Watership Down soundtrack is the saddest for me. It reminds me of my mother's final struggle. And for instrumental another vote for Moonlight Sonata. Also listening to and knowing the origin of Taps is pretty sad. Also Jethro Tull Elegy for another instrumental.