# Your Favourite EPIC Classical Piece



## Daniel James (Jan 20, 2018)

Hey Guys,

By this point I think I have a solid grasp on sound design and hybrid stuff and am wanting to work on my orchestrational chops. If you know me, you know I like the epic side of music....by that meaning big, aggressive, the overpowering etc. I don't want to draw from anything recent or movie score as I get the feeling there are enough people pulling from JW and HZ by this point. I want something fresh, and not being exposed to much classical in my life (due to a very unmusical upbringing) I am like a blank slate for you all to imprint some magic on me.

The one that I have enjoyed being inspired by recently is: 



I would love to hear your favourites! Make it big!

-DJ


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## mac (Jan 20, 2018)




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## Kony (Jan 20, 2018)




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## Michael Antrum (Jan 20, 2018)

Elgar - Pomp & Circumstance March no 4 in G. 

Get your Union Jack Out.....


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## BenG (Jan 20, 2018)

Rossini - Pines of Rome
Carl Orff - O Fortuna
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture
Ravel - Daphne and Chloe
Stravinsky - Rite of Spring/Firebird
Adams - Short Ride in a Fast Machine

These are just a few off the top of my head but there are a ton of other great pieces!


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## Jediwario1 (Jan 20, 2018)

This ending is one of my favorites. It starts very softly but it builds up to a fantastic climax.

I get chills at 4:07 when the choir at the bottom stand up. And at 5:10 when it finally resolves to the root chord.

(Also annoyingly the video is out of sync)


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## IdealSequenceG (Jan 20, 2018)




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## Rodney Money (Jan 20, 2018)

I'll see what others recommend first before I share mine.


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## Paul T McGraw (Jan 20, 2018)

I like just about all of the works mentioned. I would add the end of the Mahler 1st Symphony. It starts softly and builds all the way to the end. It is less than five minutes so be patient (it's worth it).


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## MaxOctane (Jan 20, 2018)

Here's one most people have never heard of, and it's *amazing*. From Aram Khachaturian's _Spartacus Ballet_. The Adagio from that ballet is pretty well known, having appeared in several movies (including the half-naked forest romp in the opening to _Caligula_), and ballet also features in _The Hudsucker Proxy_. But the piece below, pure action and movement. An amazing build-up too. Highly recommended!!


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## calebfaith (Jan 20, 2018)

It's not as epic as some of the tracks here but the premise itself is and it has plenty of interesting textures/'epic' moments.

"The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely."

I really enjoy the 2nd and 3rd movements - I've cued the link to start on the 2nd Movement.


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## bbunker (Jan 20, 2018)

Hard to beat the dark, pounding, Nordic conclusion of the Sibelius Violin Concerto (although the whole thing is fantastic, too. I dare you not to feel all of the feels in the second movement.)



The ending of Hanson's Sixth is pretty spectacular. (Stick with it until the Allegro that comes in at about 2 minutes in)



Or...nuns and guillotines. When the heads start rolling is pretty darn epic.


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## Greg (Jan 20, 2018)

Mozart's Requiem


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## BenG (Jan 20, 2018)

Completely forgot about these classics...!

Mozart - Reuqiem (Dies Irae)


Shostakovich - 10th Symphony (2nd Movement)


Dvorak - 9th Symphony (4th Movement)


Stravinsky - Rite of Spring (Link Added)


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## Geoff Grace (Jan 20, 2018)

Here's a gem of Igor Stravinsky conducting the final three scenes of his _Firebird_:



My personal favorite is his _Le Sacre du printemps_. (Both already mentioned above by *BenG*.)



I also agree that Gustav Holst's _The Planets_ is filled with epic goodness. Here's "Mars," for example:



And of course, who can forget the overused but powerful "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's _Carmina Burana_?



Best,

Geoff


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## joed (Jan 20, 2018)

Beethoven-Symphony No. 9
Mussorgsky- pictures at an Exhibition
Stravinsky- Petrushka
Most of the others i would recommend have already been mentioned.


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## Kony (Jan 21, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> Make it big!


Not sure if it can get any bigger than 105mm cannons in 1812 Overture


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## Lassi Tani (Jan 21, 2018)

R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben


Sibelius, Symphony no. 5, Finale


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## TGV (Jan 21, 2018)

I don't know if it's epic, but I find it exhilarating: Poulenc's concert for organ, timpani and strings. The first 3 minutes are a bit slow.

Also Bruckner's symphonies, in particular 8. Another style register would be Ravel's Une barque sûr l'Ocean (probably missing an accent somewhere). And now we're talking maritime: Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer, although the Valkyrie Ride is better known.


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 21, 2018)

Oh - don't forget the William Tell Overture by Rossini. 

As finale's go that's pretty huge.


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## fiestared (Jan 21, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> By this point I think I have a solid grasp on sound design and hybrid stuff and am wanting to work on my orchestrational chops. If you know me, you know I like the epic side of music....by that meaning big, aggressive, the overpowering etc. I don't want to draw from anything recent or movie score as I get the feeling there are enough people pulling from JW and HZ by this point. I want something fresh, and not being exposed to much classical in my life (due to a very unmusical upbringing) I am like a blank slate for you all to imprint some magic on me.
> 
> ...



What about the "Bolero of Ravel"


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## DavidY (Jan 21, 2018)

BenG said:


> Adams - Short Ride in a Fast Machine


I'm going to join you in mentioning John Adams: 
John Adams - Harmonium

And in particular the long build-up into 'Wild Nights'


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## Agondonter (Jan 21, 2018)

Gerard Grisey - Partiels: (the first 5 minutes or so) Very difficult to compose in this style though. Spectral music requires analyses of spectrograms and very good knowledge of advanced instrumental techniques to achieve the necessary frequencies. The result however is a truly unique soundscape.


Ralph Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis: One of the most impressive pieces for string orchestra. Epic in the spiritual and transcendent sense.


Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring: Studying this piece is a must!


Galina Ustvolskaya - Piano Sonata no. 6: Her music is not everyone's cup of tea, but the brutal textures she creates in her music can also be effectively used in epic music, but not of course so excessively as in her music.



Einojuhani Rautavaara - Piano Concerto no. 1: The first movement of his Piano Concerto no. 1 has some very epic moments especially the beginning and the ending.


Olivier Messiaen - Apparition de l'Eglise eternelle: Another extremely significant composer.

https://youtu.be/Ws1kv05C1XE

Sergei Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet (Dance of the Knights)

https://youtu.be/Z_hOR50u7ek
Arvo Part - Tabula Rasa, II

https://youtu.be/uW0StzgQG38

Bedrich Smetana - Moldau

https://youtu.be/3G4NKzmfC-Q
Erasmus Widmann - Musikalischer Tugendspiegel: Studying Renaissance music can also be helpful because of modality. You can easily create epic sounding melodies by using modes instead of traditional tonality. Let's not forget that a big source of inspiration of this era's music were the kings and queens and their battles.

https://youtu.be/HNvdlc-PpGw
Pierre Attaignant - Quand je bois du vin clairet: One of the most famous melodies of the era in the Dorian mode.

https://youtu.be/68bfFtg92ek

Llibra Vermell - Stella Splendens: The medieval era also has some wonderful musical examples. Stella Splendens is one of them. Most of the music from that era was church music. Here is an example of secular music.

https://youtu.be/2lw8nH6dQIo

Antonio Vivaldi - Violin Concerto Summer, 3rd Movement: Everything Vivaldi wrote is a jewel. Here is the third of one of his violin concertos:

https://youtu.be/wjwwEg7-tuw
Georg Friedrich Händel - Arrival of the Queen Sheba: And one more example from the baroque era:

https://youtu.be/C66XCqWkhmw

There are so many pieces. These are just a few that I could think of right now. Beethoven's 5th Symphony would also fit here, some of Berlioz's music too. Bartok, Ravel, Debussy and so many others too...

Cheers,
Alex


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## bryla (Jan 21, 2018)




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## re-peat (Jan 21, 2018)

Strange that no one has suggested the "Via Appia" from *Respighi*'s "Pini di Roma" yet. Daniel, if you're impatient, start to listen from approx. 3 minutes into the piece. But _do_ listen.
Another good one is *Liszt*'s symphonic poem "Mazeppa". Epic brass theme. (Appears for the first time approx. 1 minute into the piece and gets bigger with every repeat). The utterly boring "Les Préludes" (same composer) also has its share of epic eruptions. And equally big on the epic brass front, but much better music, is *Cesar Franck*'s "Les Djins".
And for pounding Emerson-Lake-And-Palmerness, few pieces beat *Prokofiev*'s "The Evil God and Dance Of The Evil Monster" from his "Scythian Suite".
Also Prokofiev: 'Montagues & Capulets' from "Romeo and Juliet". Not really epic, but certainly big.

The most epic of all, of course, is Beethoven. But epic in a sense that, I have a feeling, you're not inquiring about.

- - - -

EDIT: Bryla just posted Respighi.
_


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## Guy Bacos (Jan 21, 2018)

The word "Epic", because of how this genre has been commercialized and abused in recent times, bothers me, but I'll go along with it.

I prefer not to single out pieces, all great works by the great composers are all epic, even Mozart, Bach or Handel.

But one thing is for sure, you can't talk about "epic" in the modern sense without bringing up *Richard Strauss*, the first 20th cent. composer/conductor to successfully bring the orchestra to epic dimension, and in my opinion, the greatest epic orchestrator ever. Without him, JW's orchestration would not be the same along with many other big name Hollywood composers. We know the huge impact S_prach Zarathustra _had in film music, just to name one.


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## novaburst (Jan 21, 2018)

Love this, take a moment to catch you but you will get it.


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## JJP (Jan 21, 2018)

Some great suggestions here. Harmonium, Pines of Rome, and O Fortuna from Carmina Burana which were listed above immediately sprung to my mind as well.

One more by John Adams is Harmonielehre. I first heard this live in the early 90s when it was still a relatively new work and before we talked about "epic music." It was a revelation because it sounded huge and expansive and was unlike anything I'd heard before. Years later it became much of the inspiration for the Matrix soundtrack.


I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. It's full of "epic" moments like this 30 seconds of brass fanfare from the first movement:


There's also the opening of the Finale. Wow!


You can also find some good examples in the wind band repertoire such as Jack Stamp's Gavorkna Fanfare. It's simple, but effective. This isn't the best recording, but it gives you an idea:
http://kjos.vo.llnwd.net/o28/mp3/Gavorkna Fanfare - JB16.mp3

You can also look at a sample of the score https://kjos.com/index.php/gavorkna-fanfare-score.html (here).

Plenty of other ideas, but I have work to do; so I'll step aside and let others continue with their suggestions.


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## Robo Rivard (Jan 21, 2018)




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## conan (Jan 21, 2018)

One of the great masterpieces of the 20th (or any other) century.

*Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila*


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## AlexandreSafi (Jan 21, 2018)

Hello Daniel!

Thank you for this thread, first of all! 

Since I like to think that this journey you're asking for is actually a very personal one, let me give you this document which will help you find your own answers, I hope, way beyond what you wish for...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m5j3o960ya2kefu/Talk Classical [Forum’s Complete List of Recommended Classical Music].pdf?dl=0

Also a piece of advice I like to tell myself, about the theme of maturity, even if your aim is "orchestration chops", as you said... Don't let the overall "sound" influence your perception of the music too much, because while that "sound" definitely points to "orchestration" and to those pieces rightly mentioned before, it can also really be about the composition, the musical language, if not more, which is why the more exploration you do through this journey, the more you might actually be drawn to smaller music, more vulnerable work, and find that, several times, some pieces within chamber music, or even piano music can also incredibly epic, in all the definitions you can think of, because of that musical language and performance first. That's why Liszt could translate so intelligently well "Beethoven's 9 Symphonies" to the piano, or that Busoni could take "Bach's Chaconne" solo violin to a whole new incredible level of performance and polyphony at the piano, or Ravel and Stravinsky translate their "firstly piano-conceived" work to the final famous orchestral pieces we all know. So, really the more you absorb, the more you become interested in more individual instruments and the players that make the whole, the notes they're playing, and of course, you start noticing all those smaller pieces for the enormous emotional and intellectual wisdom they have, and ultimately all those things will better help you master and refine the sound you're after... Seek through this study for composition and orchestration to mutually reinforce eath other, not necessarily one to dictate the other. Knowledge is really what will drive your imagination to limitlessly connect things in the most unexpected of ways!

But really, study the Germans!
(...and the Englishmen: Elgar, Holst, Britten, Vaughan W., Byrd, Purcell and Tallis in your case especially! )
Also, I know you said no film scores, but give the "Lord of the Rings Trilogy", and the "Matrix Trilogy" a try!

Good luck Daniel, and thank you for sharing your story!
That was very humble of you! 
-A.-


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## Leon Portelance (Jan 21, 2018)

My favorite symphony.


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## Leon Portelance (Jan 21, 2018)




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## bryla (Jan 21, 2018)

Consider yourselves blown away


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## novaburst (Jan 22, 2018)

I think this is epic while actually watching the show, it is a fun piece but I think fun pieces can be epic too.


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## Agondonter (Jan 22, 2018)

Some more suggestions:



This piece by Stravinsky (Les Noces) has some really nice textures that could fit in an epic theme. This version is the rawest, most "vulgar" I have found.



Another excellent piece by Grisey. Again some very interesting textures, full of contrasts. Aim for contrasts in your pieces!


https://youtu.be/zO02H-R6IWo?t=6m45s
Another percussion piece, this one is by Varese. Probably his most famous composition. It's important to study such pieces so that you can create interesting lines for the percussion section which very often plays a central role in "epic" compositions.



I guess you should not constrict yourself strictly on pieces that sound epic. Acquaint yourself with a broader variety of compositions and composers and adopt those things that you think would work well in the style you want to compose in. I think this the best advice I could give...

Cheers,
Alex


https://youtu.be/wClwaBuFOJA


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## Ashermusic (Jan 22, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> The one that I have enjoyed being inspired by recently is:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I sang in the Boston Conservatory chorus in the late '60's and we did that piece with the BoCo orchestra. It is perfect for what you describe.

I do think that Wagner is probably the spiritual father of Epic music. Most of his work should keep you entertained and engaged. Kudos for you for wanting to grow and not take the easy way out.


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## storyteller (Jan 22, 2018)

Agondonter said:


> Olivier Messiaen - Apparition de l'Eglise eternelle: Another extremely significant composer.



Having never heard this piece before (I know... I know... first time for everything though, right?), I realized my face was scrunched up like  and  and  while watching the music scroll by. But somewhow it all worked. My ears were like . My brain was like, “No way that chord about to be played will work.”  But then it did. I know my sight-reading is not the fastest, but it makes me wonder if anyone here has tried to sight-read it and play this in real-time?! Goodness!


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## AdamAlake (Jan 22, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> not being exposed to much classical in my life (due to a very unmusical upbringing)



Ÿour parents prevented you from listening to the music of your choosing?


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## Agondonter (Jan 22, 2018)

storyteller said:


> Having never heard this piece before (I know... I know... first time for everything though, right?), I realized my face was scrunched up like  and  and  while watching the music scroll by. But somewhow it all worked. My ears were like . My brain was like, “No way that chord about to be played will work.”  But then it did. I know my sight-reading is not the fastest, but it makes me wonder if anyone here has tried to sight-read it and play this in real-time?! Goodness!



I have. There are a couple of tricky places, but for a concerto it is relatively doable and the piano clusters are really really fun to play (maybe not so much for the instrument itself though)! 

Cheers,
Alex


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## Zhao Shen (Jan 22, 2018)




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## Jerry Growl (Jan 22, 2018)

Great posts by everyone. Couldn't help but add a few more. Bruckner 6th Symphony & Sibelius 7th, Saint-Saens 3rd, Rachmaninov... there should be no end to the the list.

Maybe I'd rather share some childhood epic symphonic memories:

Smetana (The Moldau)


Wagner Tannhaüser (Pilgrim's Choir)


Franz von Suppé (Charge of the Light Brigade) (epic lol)


Samuel Barber: Adagio/Agnus Dei (Choir version)


Händel - Zadok the Priest


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## BenG (Jan 22, 2018)

conan said:


> One of the great masterpieces of the 20th (or any other) century.
> 
> *Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila*



Fantastic piece and I'm a huge Messiaen fan. I actually analyzed this work in school and it was incredible take a look at his work up close. Also love his 'Quartet for the End of Time'.


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## Living Fossil (Jan 22, 2018)

Great thread!

One favorite (of one of my favorite composers) is Bruckners 9th symphony.
the whole symphony is great, however, here's the Scherzo with its raw power:


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## Daniel James (Jan 22, 2018)

AdamAlake said:


> Ÿour parents prevented you from listening to the music of your choosing?



It's hard to choose to listen to things you don't know exist mate. Also I was a kid before the internet....and living on a remote farm in the north of England, there wasn't much classical just laying around to stumble upon.

-DJ


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## Daniel James (Jan 22, 2018)

Thanks for these videos guys! LOVING it. I am pulling together such an awesome video playlist now!

PLEASE keep them coming 

-DJ


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## patrick76 (Jan 22, 2018)

Mysterious and at times quite heavy -


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## Mornats (Jan 22, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> I am pulling together such an awesome video playlist now!



Would you mind sharing the playlist once you've made it? It would be really cool to wallow in the epicness you've unleashed here.

p.s. fellow northern Englander here (Northumberland)


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## The Darris (Jan 22, 2018)

There are quite a few but one of my favorites is the Finale of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.


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## Agondonter (Jan 22, 2018)

Here is one more before calling it a night - Bloch's Concerto Grosso (the 1st movement mostly). Notice how the piano can also be used as a percussion instrument very effectively. In a previous piece I posted (Ionisation by Varese) this is more apparent.


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## oks2024 (Jan 22, 2018)

That's a great thread .
I don't know much about classical music, so it's a good way to discover more.

I don't think I saw it posted, so I'll add In The Hall Of The Mountain King by Edvard Grieg:


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## NoamL (Jan 22, 2018)

A lot of classic pieces mentioned, but surprisingly, some of the most epic are not yet on your list!

Wagner - Siegfried's Funeral March



Bach - Herr Unser Herrscher, from the St John Passion



Saint-Saens - Organ Symphony (Finale)



Stravinsky - Infernal Danse from The Firebird


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## NoamL (Jan 22, 2018)

Stravinsky - Finale from The Firebird which I think was already mentioned, but Gergiev is the best interpreter of this piece ever!



MORE STRAVINSKY!


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## Giscard Rasquin (Jan 23, 2018)

Great thread! Now try to find the time to listen to them all


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## dhbp (Jan 23, 2018)

Mahler 1, first movement, Abbado.


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## etienne Mialet (Jan 23, 2018)




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## Shubus (Jan 23, 2018)

calebfaith said:


> It's not as epic as some of the tracks here but the premise itself is and it has plenty of interesting textures/'epic' moments.
> 
> "The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely."
> 
> I really enjoy the 2nd and 3rd movements - I've cued the link to start on the 2nd Movement.



I must wholeheartedly agree. Scheherazde has stood the test of time and is one of the most brilliant orchestral conceptions ever written. The many beautiful solos flawlessly intermingled with the ensemble writing is what great orchestration is all about.


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## Sears Poncho (Jan 23, 2018)

This may challenge the definition of "Epic" but I'd say it's the most epic thing I've ever played.


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## calebfaith (Jan 23, 2018)

Shubus said:


> I must wholeheartedly agree. Scheherazde has stood the test of time and is one of the most brilliant orchestral conceptions ever written. The many beautiful solos flawlessly intermingled with the ensemble writing is what great orchestration is all about.


 
I couldn't have said it better myself


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## bobethomas (Jan 24, 2018)




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## Grim_Universe (Jan 24, 2018)

No doubts, my absolutely favourite piece is:


It is epic, dark, inspiring and so melancholic.. I love it. Rach is my personal hero. Every time I hear the 13:40+ theme I just lose my mind.

This thing is really great too:



And Wood Nymph.. It is not very "epic", but beautiful as hell.


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## Daniel James (Jan 24, 2018)

Some of these are blowing me away. Keep em coming!!!

-DJ


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## Robo Rivard (Jan 24, 2018)

This thing is really great too:



Haha, the famous battle on ice!... That sequence was such a striking source of inspiration for so many artists afterwards. The homages are countless, the latest being in the last season of Game of Thrones.

I even did my own version, about twelve years ago, with just an old Pentium 4 and the first release of HALion... 
The part on the frozen lake starts at around 8:30, when queen Svaldina leads the army of giants into a trap, on the lake, knowing that the ice isn't thick enough to hold the weight of the colossus. When the ice brakes, the "camera" sonically follows the army of distressed giants under the cold water. Only the king comes back to the surface, and the queen fights with him until he dies. Makes me want to listen to Metallica's "trapped under ice" now...


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## Sears Poncho (Jan 24, 2018)




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## Brendon Williams (Jan 25, 2018)

Another vote for Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky score. Totally epic, in the way I think Daniel has in mind.


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## Henu (Jan 25, 2018)

calebfaith said:


>




I haven't been able listen to this anymore without thinking the Protoss theme from Starcraft. :D

 (original version)
 (real orchestra, adaptation)


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## calebfaith (Jan 25, 2018)

Henu said:


> I haven't been able listen to this anymore without thinking the Protoss theme from Starcraft. :D
> 
> (original version)
> (real orchestra, adaptation)




Haha that's great I never knew and I was playing Starcraft before I could play a musical instrument


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## Mike Fox (Jan 25, 2018)

These two string pieces aren't epic in the traditional sense, but they are epic when it comes arranging and thinking outside of the box. Apply the same kind of concept to a full sized orchestra, and you would have some serious epicness going on! It's kinda funny, because these pieces kinda remind me of the Quintet stuff in Ark 3.


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## Agondonter (Jan 25, 2018)

Ravel's Piano Concerto in G minor has an explosive 3rd movement. The other two movements are also really beautiful!


https://youtu.be/5b4-rXhKpMM
His Piano Concerto for the Left Hand has also some epic moments. Enjoy the video! 



Cheers,
Alex


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## Ben E (Jan 25, 2018)

Watch Dudamel conduct these EPIC high school teenagers doing Shostakovich Symphony 10, 2nd movement.


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## aaronnt1 (Jan 26, 2018)

Tchaikovsky- Marche Slave, especially the last cople of minutes.


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## mhender54 (Jan 27, 2018)

From my experiences as a performer, Mussorgsky, Great Gate of Kiev, Ravel orchestration. Bass drums at the end especially.


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## paularthur (Jan 29, 2018)

not sure if anyone posted this -
*Arnold Bax - Symphony No. 1*
Always feels like a film score to me...
-


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## MPortmann (Jan 29, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> By this point I think I have a solid grasp on sound design and hybrid stuff and am wanting to work on my orchestrational chops. If you know me, you know I like the epic side of music....by that meaning big, aggressive, the overpowering etc. I don't want to draw from anything recent or movie score as I get the feeling there are enough people pulling from JW and HZ by this point. I want something fresh, and not being exposed to much classical in my life (due to a very unmusical upbringing) I am like a blank slate for you all to imprint some magic on me.
> 
> ...




So many great ones here already. Not sure I saw this posted yet:

Toccata and fugue in D Minor arr Leopold Stokowski


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## -Janne- (Jan 30, 2018)

Here's another Sibelius piece. Epic!


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## Puzzlefactory (Jan 30, 2018)

Don’t really know many “classical” pieces so I guess mine would be the obvious “The Planets”.


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## TGV (Jan 30, 2018)

MPortmann said:


> Toccata and fugue in D Minor arr Leopold Stokowski


I up you one: BWV 572, "St. Anne", orchestrated by Schönberg:


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## Guy Bacos (Jan 30, 2018)

I'm not going to use the word "epic", but this is such an uplifting piece! Never get tired of listening to it.


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## Jon K (Feb 22, 2018)

Im sure everyone knows the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto but I always end up listening to it at least once a month or so, I can't think of a more perfect piece. One of the few pieces that easily gives me chills multiple times throughout the whole piece, just brilliant.

The melody lines are just so incredible to me and stand out way more than any of the other big concertos. Especially @3:15 and at @7:17 , man the phrasing and melody is just perfect. The way the melody progresses up at 3:40 its the most gorgeous thing ever. The second movement is beautiful, you can hear a lot of john williams influence in this movement, the beginning of it almost sounds like they are gonna start playing the Force theme.


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## aaronnt1 (Feb 23, 2018)

Jon K said:


> Im sure everyone knows the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto but I always end up listening to it at least once a month or so, I can't think of a more perfect piece.
> 
> The melody lines are just so incredible to me and stand out way more than any of the other big concertos. Especially @3:15 and at @7:17 , man the phrasing and melody is just perfect.




Agreed, one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. The best performance I've heard is the David Oistrakh one with the Philadeplphia Orchestra, he really nailed the melodies and feel throughout.


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## Anders Wall (Feb 23, 2018)

Best,
/Anders


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## Darren Durann (Feb 23, 2018)

You can't get more epic than Der Ring des Nibelungen duuuuude. Impossible. Get the Solti-conducted Decca recording, the highlight of which is Gotterdammerung, best performance of that piece ever. It's also the piece of art Tolkien stole from most btw (hence his adamant denials...anybody who's into Wagner knows better).

One can only get so epic and not have a firm handle on Wagner. If you like Verdi, Othello is a decent alternative.

Actually, if you're more into bloody chunks, check out the Solit-conducted Tannhauser prelude, which is the heaviest metal ever (yes, overall even more epic and heavy than the Valkyrie's ride).


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## Jon K (Feb 23, 2018)

aaronnt1 said:


> Agreed, one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. The best performance I've heard is the David Oistrakh one with the Philadeplphia Orchestra, he really nailed the melodies and feel throughout.


It's just so engaging all the way through.

Also I highly recommend Rick Beatos YouTube channel he has over 400 videos explaining different music theory concepts. I have never seen anyone explain it as thoroughly as him.


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## Jeremy Gillam (Feb 23, 2018)




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## Guffy (Feb 23, 2018)

I know "epic" is subjective..
Excuse me if this isn't what you're looking for 



Warning: This one will make you despise your mockups


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## paularthur (Jun 13, 2018)

Can this thread be resurrected from the abyss...


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## etienne Mialet (Jun 13, 2018)




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## Tice (Jun 13, 2018)

Patience is rewarded in this one... 
(I should warn you, don't look at the screen for this one. They use this bad stroboscopic effect at the end)


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## etienne Mialet (Jun 13, 2018)

and here at 5.43 for exemple but everything is beautiful


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## paularthur (Jun 13, 2018)

Tice said:


> Patience is rewarded in this one...
> (I should warn you, don't look at the screen for this one. They use this bad stroboscopic effect at the end)




Classic! No worries, someone blocked it out with notification boxes!


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## paularthur (Jun 13, 2018)

etienne Mialet said:


> and here at 5.43 for exemple but everything is beautiful



Some very good guidance for emotional works in that second piece!


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