What kind of music relaxes you?

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Individual
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What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Individual »

A lot of us have our own musical preferences.

But what kind of music puts you in a relaxed mood? For me, it's not all classical music, but certain kinds. More often than not, when I turn the classical stations on, it's not the right kind of classical music; it's something that sounds too loud and excited, triumphant, or it's something that's too modern and complex. Most jazz is like this too.

Specifically this kind of music relaxes me:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_period_(music" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

From what I read, that's what "classical music" technically means, but we commonly misuse the term "classical music," to mean any type of symphonic or orchestral music over the last several centuries.

Some later stuff is great too, but that specific period of music best characterizes what I mean. Philip Glass, for instance, is "modern" but he claims to (and in my opinion) exemplifies the style from the classical period.

In addition to this...

"Chillout" and "Trip Hop", such as Bonobo



DJ Food



Groove Armada



Traditional Chinese and Japanese shakuhachi music is nice too :)



And 1950's love songs:

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Modus.Ponens
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Modus.Ponens »

I can only think of two works that put me in a relaxing mood: Philip Glass' "Aguas da Amazonia" and Stockhausen's "Stimmung".

Here's one track from "Águas da Amazónia"



There are excerpts of Stimmung on youtube, but puting it here wouldn't make justice on the masterpiece it is. It captures the exact feeling one has while dreaming but one has to listen more than ten minutes of it.
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Ytrog
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Ytrog »

That Groove Armada song was nice :)

Also very relaxing, but not really a video (still image with the music):

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Ben
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Ben »

Hi Individual

Did you mean classical music from the baroque period?
From that period, my favourite composers are vivaldi (everyone's favourite),pachelbel, bach, and handel.
I'm also a fan of English 20th C composer Vaughn Williams (Lark Ascending).

I think Philip Glass is pretty cool. I still remember going to see Koyannisqaatsi when it was first released with a couple of friends and not knowing anything about it. I was completely blown away. The sound track's on my ipod.
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Kare
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Kare »

Charles Ives:



And, even better: William Schuman:



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Rui Sousa
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Rui Sousa »

These work for me:





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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by BlackBird »

Zero 7, Thievery Corporation, Air, Fat Freddy's Drop and Groove Aramada.
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Individual
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Individual »

Ben wrote:Hi Individual

Did you mean classical music from the baroque period?
From that period, my favourite composers are vivaldi (everyone's favourite),pachelbel, bach, and handel.
I'm also a fan of English 20th C composer Vaughn Williams (Lark Ascending).

I think Philip Glass is pretty cool. I still remember going to see Koyannisqaatsi when it was first released with a couple of friends and not knowing anything about it. I was completely blown away. The sound track's on my ipod.
Baroque and Romantic.

My link worked but for some reason the forum broke it.

Wikipedia link fixed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_period_(music)
Kare wrote:Charles Ives:



And, even better: William Schuman:



Yeah, this is the kind of stuff I hear on the classical radio I'm talking about.

Skip ahead to 3 mins of that second song... Is that REALLY relaxing to you?

It makes me feel like I should be piloting an X-Wing while trying to take down the Death Star.
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andre9999
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by andre9999 »

Nick Drake always seems to work best for me because it doesn't draw my mind in to start thinking about the music. Classical makes me want to analyze it too much.
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by alan »

Hard to go wrong with J.S. Bach. Academy of ancient music does some of his works on original instruments. But just about any version of the Brandenburg is worth a listen.
Not into the bombastic Romantic style. But who doesn't love Beethoven's Pastoral?
Haydn's No.6: Pure beauty, and easy to understand.
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by alan »

Having said that, I usually listen to Jazz. If relaxing is your goal, I'd put on Bill Evans. Sunday at the Village Vanguard is a must hear.
I also dig Paul Desmond, cool-toned tenor. And along those lines, Chet Baker with Gerry Mulligan, their early work.
Jazz is my bag. Try it!
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Kare »

Individual wrote:Skip ahead to 3 mins of that second song... Is that REALLY relaxing to you?

It makes me feel like I should be piloting an X-Wing while trying to take down the Death Star.
Sometimes when I want to relax during the afternoon, I play William Schuman Symphony number 3 (this second song is the first movement from that symphony) or number 4 very loud, lie back in a good chair and just enjoy the music (my wife thinks I am crazy when I do this, and flees to another part of the house). My only problem is that I often fall asleep and only wake up again when the music ends, so yes, this is really relaxing to me.

But of course there are lots of other pieces that are relaxing, too. I could make a long list, but here is just one sample:

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christopher:::
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by christopher::: »

That's *really* nice Kare!

Have any of you listened to Albinoni's Baroque music? Some say that Bach was inspired by him...



Among Jazz musicians i really like Keith Jarrett, this encore from his Sun Bear concerts being one of his most relaxing compositions, imo...



When i'm in a folk bluesy mood the Be Good Tanyas are great....




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~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
Individual
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Individual »

christopher::: wrote:That's *really* nice Kare!

Have any of you listened to Albinoni's Baroque music? Some say that Bach was inspired by him...

Great stuff

Good classical music like this puts me in something of a trance where I feel like I am the one writing the song as it plays and I could keep the music going forever.
The best things in life aren't things.

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Individual
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Re: What kind of music relaxes you?

Post by Individual »

christopher::: wrote:That's *really* nice Kare!
I agree.
christopher::: wrote: Have any of you listened to Albinoni's Baroque music? Some say that Bach was inspired by him...

Very nice. :)
The best things in life aren't things.

The Diamond Sutra
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