Recommendations..

[Alasdair]

Hi everyone.  I recently went through my Classical playlist, and realized there are a few songs that really get me in the mood.  I was wondering if you could recommend any songs like: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Mozart's Pachabel's Cannon etc.  The tempto those are at really do it for me!

[shirley mclaren]

"Gimnopodie" - that is what is sounds like - don't know how to spell it unfortunately, even though I have it myself - by Erik Satie"

BB

Oaktree

[scopulus]

I adore Don giovanni from Mozart.
It is a dark song, but still, I feel like this rightnow is my best song to listen to.

Warmest regards

[pobble]

"Gimnopodie" - that is what is sounds like - don't know how to spell it unfortunately, even though I have it myself - by Erik Satie"

BB

Oaktree

Gymnopedie, I believe.  Satie wrote several of them: at least 3, I think.  The one they used to use on a TV advert was no. 1 I believe.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnop%C3%A9die  for example.

[pobble]

Mozart's Pachabel's Cannon etc.

Sorry to be pedantic, but Pachlebel was the composer of the famous Canon.  On a more positive note, I'd like to be able to recommend some more to you, but to be honest the field of classical music is very large, and it is very difficult to extrapolate your taste from the two examples.  I would guess that what they have in common is a regular but peaceful rhythm and pleasant but simple melody.  I agree that Satie's gymnopedies or gnossiemes might be something you'd like.  You might consider something like the Bach Double Violin Concerto in D minor.  Or going in a slightly different direction, perhaps "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis", by Vaughan Williams.  Or maybe "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber?

[Kernos]

I have an iTunes playlist called Adagios which I often listen to when working or reading or need to be relaxed. Some are works, many slow movements of symphonies, concertos or chamber music. I even have separate Adagio playlists by composer.

A good way to start is to go to Amazon and search for Adagios in the Album name in the Classical music search. There are lots of collections - Violin Adagios, Piano Adagios, Mozart Adagios... And many volumes of each.

Try these search results which I got by searching for [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fsearch%2F%3Fsearch-alias%3Dclassical%26field-keywords%3D%26field-title%3DPiano%2BAdagios%26field-composer%3D%26field-performer%3D%26field-conductor%3D%26field-orchestra%3D%26field-label%3D%26field-catalog%5Fcode%3D%26field-binding%3D%26chooser-sort%3Drank%2521%252Bsalesrank%26mysubmitbutton1.x%3D0%26mysubmitbutton1.y%3D0&tag=obod&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325]Violin Adagios
[/url]

These wont be the best or great recordings of each work as is typical for collections, but is the cheapest way to get a lot of mood music.

Later, I will list some of my favorites.

:treble"

[Kernos]

Here is a list of Beethoven "Adagios" - slow movements - I have on my play list:

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, 2. Largo
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat, 2. Adagio
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, 2. Largo
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, 2. Andante con moto
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat, 2. Adagio un poco mosso - 3. Rondo (Allegro)
Beethoven: Vioin Concerto II. Larghetto
Beethoven: Violin Concerto 2. Larghetto
Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, Op. 102, II Andante
Sonata No. 1 in F, Op.2/1, ii Adagio
Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22, II. Adagio con molto expressione
Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, op. 26, I. Andante con Variazioni
Sonata No. 13 in E-moll major, op.27, no.1: III. Adagio con espressione
Sonata No. 14 in C flat minor, "Moonlight", op.27, no.2: I. Adagio sostenuto
Sonata No. 15 in D major, "Pastoral", op.28: II. Andante
Sonata No. 17 in D minor “Tempest” Op. 31 no. 2, II. Adagio
Sonata No. 19 in G Major, op. 49 no. 1, I. Andante
Sonata No. 21 in C Major, "Waldstein", op.53, II. Introduzione: Adagio Molto
Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, "Appassionata", op.57, II. Andante Con Moto
Sonata No. 25 in G Major, op. 79, II. Andante
Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, op. 81a, II. Andante espressive: "L'Absence"
Sonata No. 29, Op.106 in B flat Major, "Hammerklavier" III. Adagio sostenuto
Sonata No. 3 in C, Op.2/3, ii Adagio
Sonata No. 31 Op. 110 in A-flat Major, I. Moderato Cantabile, Molto Espressivo
Sonata No. 31 Op. 110 in A-flat Major, III. Adagio Ma Non Troppo; Arioso Dolente; Fuga; Allegro, Ma Non Troppo; L'Istesso Tempo Di Arioso; L'Inversione Della Fuga
Sonata No. 32 Op. 111 in C Minor, II. Arietta; Adagio Molto Semplice E Cantabile
Sonata No. 8, Op.13 in C Minor, "Pathetique" II. Adagio cantabile
String Quartet 12, Op 127  II Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile - Andante con moto - Adagio molto espressivo
String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95, "Serioso": IV. Larghetto espressivo - Allegretto agitato
String Quartet No. 13 in B Flat Major, Op. 130: III. Andante con moto ma non troppo - Poco scherzando
String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo
String Quartet Op.59 #1 in F: 3. Allegro molto e meso
String Quartet Opus 131 IV Andante Mo Non Troppo E Molto Cantabile - Piu Mosso - Andante Moderato E Lus
Symphony 4th / Second Movement
Symphony 5th / Second Movement
Symphony 7 (ii) Allegretto
Symphony No 6 2 Andante Molto Mosso
Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 (ii)
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36 (ii)
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" 2. Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assai
Symphony No. 9, III. Adagio molto e cantibile--Andante moderato
Triple Concerto for violin, cello & piano in C, Op. 56, II Largo
Violin Sonata Kreutzer Andante con variazioni
Violin Sonta Spring: Adagio molto espressivo

[witch of oz]

Hi Alisdair
Try these for size
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - all the movements are lovely
Vaughan Williams - Lark Ascending - really uplifting music - especially in the Spring

two bits of music that do it for me - enjoy!

[Mey]

Rachmaninov: The Rach 3, an ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!!!

[Twig]

There is a beautiful CD I listen to that is in the same vein as those I think you are interested in, Alasdair. It's called "Songs Without Words," and it's Schubert vocal duets without the voice. Instead, it's just piano and cello. You might want to pick and choose; a few of them might be too "boisterous" for your purposes.

Also, the second movement of any of Mozart's piano concertos are beautiful.

[Kernos]

Rachmaninov: The Rach 3, an ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!!!

Agreed and just a bit difficult to play too ;-) It is one of those rare pieces of music that reflects you rather than forces you...

For a newcomer, though, I think the Rach 2 is more approachable. Also his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is wonderfully listenable and you will recognize the wonderfuly romantic variation 18. A fascinating exercise is to try to figure out how each variation was derived from the theme (which is in the violins where it belongs).

[Wolfdance]

Some of my favorites:

Grand Canyon Suite, Ferde Grofe
Carmina Burana, Carl Orff
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #1 (I also second the recommendation of Rhapsody on Themes of Paganini)
Capriccio Espagnol, Rimsky Korsakov
Nights in the Mountains, Zoltan Kodaly

and for you symphonic band lovers...

Armenian Dances Part I & II, Alfred Reed

I only recently knew about Erik Satie.  Looks like I need to check everyone's recommendations out!

Lorill