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Ask the Chosen: Finally!


Guest Asmodean

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Dear Asmodean,

  I really know nothing about music, so I was wondering, do you know of any good music I could listen to?  

 I look forward to your reply.

 From your biggest fan, Jelly.

First and foremost, I wish to sincerely thank you for asking a serious question that a person with my expertise and knowledge can actually answer!  Let the others squabble over the superfluous, and I'll answer the questions that matter.

The idea of "good music" is a personal decision, though most people will never make this decision themselves, instead opting to base their musical preferences on the choices of their peers.  This, unfortunately, blinds them to the wider world of music.  Granted, that requires one to believe that some of what these people listen to is actually music.  I find it rather distressing, for instance, that many people seem to think that rhythmic rhyming is music.

As well as being a personal decision, "good music" will also depend upon the mood of the listener.  Your ancient Greeks theorized that certain modes of music are best listened to while in certain moods, and it was even frowned upon to let children listen to certain modes of music, as it was feared that it would cause them to be violent or unruly.  However, I guess I could give you a list of recommended titles and musicians.  Be prepared, though, as I am, first and foremost, a musician, and I cannot stand being limited to any particular genre.  Ergo, this list will not be short.

To begin with, I recommend listening to any and all Gregorian chant masses that you can find.  Amazing in their simplicity, the Gregorian chants are a marvelous example of just how amazing and moving a simple monophonic melody can be.  As a matter of fact, the Gregorian chant is still used today, although it's rarely called that.  For instance, a wordless form of chant is used in this "video game" thing that you've created in this Age.  I believe that you call the games "Halo" or something like that.  Makes no sense to me, but nonetheless...  As well, this rap thing has a loose tie to Gregorian chant, though I generally disregard it as not even being music.  An interesting group that I've come across is one called The Gregorians.  They sing popular songs of this Age in Gregorian chant.

Moving along past the dabbling by this whole "church" thing into polyphonic music, we'll start "dropping some names," as you say.  A man by the name of William Byrd rediscovered the idea of the musical anthem with his piece Sing joyfully unto the Lord.  It's sacred music, to be sure, but amazing in its own right.  I also recommend Tomas Luis de Victoria's O magnum mysterium, a motet for the Christmas season (a time of year that is complete balderdash, if you ask me).

Moving into opera, I highly recommend Monteverdi's L'Orfeo
, considered to be the first true opera.  It's based upon a Greek myth about another master musician, a man named Orpheus.  Of course, I could not dream of venturing into this realm without mentioning many other operas: Gounod's Faust, Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Marriage of Figaro, and The Barber of Seville.  Diverting from opera for a brief moment, I strongly recommend Mozart's Requiem, as well.  It's based on the Gregorian requiem mass, and contains amazing renditions of many of the movements from said mass.  Of the same type is Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.  Simply amazing.  There's no other way to describe it.  Coming closer to the "modern" period of vocal music, I, unfortunately, cannot recommend too many names here, as there is far too much good music to be found in the past.  However, I can honestly recommend such bands as Manhattan Transfer, Pink Floyd, Judy Garland, and Trocadero.

As hard as it may be for some of you to believe what I am about to say, I will also recommend some of what you call "metal" music, as there is a a surprising amount of musicality to be found in some of these bands, such as Guns'n'Roses, Metallica, Steve Vai, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Kamelot, Blind Guardian, and (loathe as I am to say it) Dragonforce.  An interesting genre that's developing is that of symphonic metal, where the two genres of symphony and metal collide.  It shouldn't work, but it does in a wonderful way.  One of the most amazing examples of this is from the soundtrack of the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the piece "One-Winged Angel."  If you like the genre, I recommend the band Nightwish, a Finnish band that doesn't as much dabble with symphony as it does live with it.

However, the greatest example of vocal music that I have come across is George Frederick Handel's Messiah.  I don't quite get the story, but the music is...  Great Lord, the music is to die for!

As for instrumental music...  Let us start with the undisputed master of the Baroque era: Johann Sebastian Bach.  The man's impeccable skill is to be applauded and admired, and as cliche as this recommendation is, you cannot go wrong with his Toccata and Fugue in d minor
.  It was, is, and ever shall be the definition of organ music.  Vivaldi's Four Seasons are a definite "must-hear", as well.  Any of Chopin's piano concertos are worth several listens.  Camille Saint-Saens, a French composer, wrote many whimsical pieces of music that are a pleasure to hear.  I highly recommend his Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre.  Of Tchaikovsky,  there are several titles with which one should be familiar.  The Blue Danube, 1812 Overture, and The Nutcracker are all staples of this Age's music.  Gustav Holst wrote a seven-movement suite called The Planets, with each known planet aside from this one receiving a movement.  The most famous of these, of course, is Mars: the Bringer of War.  From what I understand, several music students were excited to discover that Pluto had been downgraded from planetary status, as it made this suite complete.  Beethoven's symphonies are all worth listening to, especially his Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth.

Nowadays, the best instrumental music is often found in movies; your premier composers for such are John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore.  However, there are some groups that write amazing music for simple performances.  Or, in some cases, rewrite music for simple performances.  The two greatest examples of this are the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller.

In the end, I can only recommend these groups and this music to you.  You'll have to decide yourself what you will listen to.  However, consider the Greeks basic philosophy: music in major keys leads to positivity, and music in minor keys leads to melancholy.  I recommend minor keys, and if you find yourself becoming overly-depressed, feel free to contact me again, and I will personally escort you to the nearest Shadow recruitment facility, where we will happily help to improve your mood.

-Asmodean

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