|
Post by andrewwerdna on Apr 3, 2018 21:40:05 GMT -5
I rarely see these albums discussed, even though I think they're highly relevant to dungeon synth, some might even consider them to be dungeon synth, but I think if anything is neoclassical then Thou Shalt Suffer - Somnium definitely is.
Grabesmond - Mordenheim is one I've long considered to be neoclassical rather than dungeon synth, but there are certainly moments when it comes close.
Also I think I'd say that Glenn Danzig's Black Aria is neoclassical as well.
It seems like neoclassical in general is kind of dead. I hardly ever hear about it anymore, but it's not exactly something I seek out.
What do you guys think differentiates neoclassical from dungeon synth? Of course neoclassical often uses acoustic instruments rather than synths, but also I think maybe the main thing that differentiates the two is less repetition... but considering all the ornate soundtrack style DS these days I wonder if that classification really makes sense? In the case of Somnium it's just like immediately obvious when you hear it that it's a different sort of thing, but it's a lot harder to say for something like Mordenheim.
|
|
|
Post by nahadoth on Apr 3, 2018 22:51:12 GMT -5
Wow, haven't thought about Thou Shalt Suffer in quite awhile. As I was getting into black metal I was really fixated on the Opus A Satana version from the Anthems reissue, as well as Xytras' Passage, the neoclassical arrangements of that Samael album, and this one was impossible to find on any p2p file sharing services back when it came out, so it became almost mythical for me personally. I loved the orchestration in Prometheus, and I was one of the few people who actually liked Peccatum, so I felt certain that I would love TST. I didn't at first, because there was so much modern harmony in the composition that I didn't have a reference for when I first heard it, even though the level of craft was apparent.
For me I think not only acoustic sounds are a signifier, but also the attempt to replicate classical orchestration, whether it's symphonic or chamber music. TST did that better than most, judging by the orchestration and arrangements alone. Chaucerian Myth at his busiest toes that line - the first record by A Letter For Carmilla toes that line in a completely different way. But even the most big epic soundtracky projects sound more like they're using song form rather than a more complex classical structure, and that I think is the most obvious tell to a listener, regardless of musical background.
|
|
|
Post by Almenning on Apr 4, 2018 9:50:51 GMT -5
Never listened to Somnium before... Ihsahn is a brilliant musician but he seems to go a bit overboard on this one. Not my favourite kind of music but I used to listen to Elend a lot. Arcana is considered Neoclassical right? Their Dark Age of Reason is very Dungeon.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2018 6:39:09 GMT -5
Semper Eadem was a french neoclassical project. Not VERY famous, but I particularly like it.
|
|
|
Post by wyverngarden on Jul 14, 2018 21:55:51 GMT -5
I rarely see these albums discussed, even though I think they're highly relevant to dungeon synth, some might even consider them to be dungeon synth, but I think if anything is neoclassical then Thou Shalt Suffer - Somnium definitely is. Grabesmond - Mordenheim is one I've long considered to be neoclassical rather than dungeon synth, but there are certainly moments when it comes close. Also I think I'd say that Glenn Danzig's Black Aria is neoclassical as well. It seems like neoclassical in general is kind of dead. I hardly ever hear about it anymore, but it's not exactly something I seek out. What do you guys think differentiates neoclassical from dungeon synth? Of course neoclassical often uses acoustic instruments rather than synths, but also I think maybe the main thing that differentiates the two is less repetition... but considering all the ornate soundtrack style DS these days I wonder if that classification really makes sense? In the case of Somnium it's just like immediately obvious when you hear it that it's a different sort of thing, but it's a lot harder to say for something like Mordenheim. Wow, these are nice. They do cross over with DS a bit. I kind of lost track of the genre. There was kind of an obvious emergence with affordable sampler technology in the mid 80's, and the will to do something new once postpunk, industrial etc. had established itself, but before dance music had really taken hold. In the late 80's the major classics were Dead Can Dance -- Within the Realm (I think most people know this), In The Nursery -- Stormhorse and SPK -- Zamia Lehmanni. The latter is probably considered dark ambient today but in 1986 nobody knew how to classify it, so it was called neoclassical. Still a beautiful album though. Honestly these three for me are still equally classics, despite the greater and well deserved popularity of DCD today. Here are the latter two: Early 90's Les Joyaux de la Princesse is also amazing. it's yet another take on neoclassical -- ghost orchestras echoing through the fog of history... not followed up on by anyone -- still a genre to itself waiting to happen. this from 1995: Anyway the difference is obviously the themes (and it shows in the music as well), these artists are mainly concerned with history, from ancient to 20th century, there is also a decadent feel... I'd say it puts me in a very different place than DS. I think for the most part neoclassical got absorbed into martial industrial.
|
|
|
Post by Summerless on Oct 2, 2018 8:33:38 GMT -5
Not DS, Not Neofolk, but something very cool and moving.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2018 11:16:31 GMT -5
Well, maybe someone here may be interested in this old project of mine, FIN DE SIÈCLE :
The first three albums are « pure » neoclassical. The rest is more ambient / post-rock / whatever.
|
|
Ropp
Merchant
Posts: 73
|
Post by Ropp on Mar 12, 2019 8:45:31 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by andrewwerdna on Oct 21, 2023 12:32:40 GMT -5
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_naLJBT2sDYyJ8S3CBfBqFZZO-6jIbFWnAI'm just now discovering this band sToa. Neoclassical in the vein of Arcana, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, and Dargaard. This album, Porta Vlll, is from 1994. How have I never heard this before? It's so good. I haven't listened to the other albums yet, but I'm feeling like I want to start diving deep into this genre generally. I bet there's a bunch of hidden gems like this. Or maybe this is not so hidden and I'm just late to the party? Anyways, I'd love to hear recommendations for more neoclassical music, especially old stuff.
|
|
|
Post by andrewwerdna on Oct 22, 2023 23:05:32 GMT -5
Everyone has heard this one I'm sure, but since it hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet, Arcana - Dark Age of Reason. For me it is the touchstone neoclassical album. Look up neoclassical in the music genre dictionary and this should be what comes up. When I'm weighing whether an album is neoclassical, I ask myself how similar/different is it to Dark Age of Reason? Dead Can Dance were more important to the the development of the genre, but they were also a lot of other things. Arcana distilled it down to just the pure neoclassical sound imo, at least with this album. As to how important or influential this album was, I have no idea, this is just how I feel about it with my very limited understanding of the genre.
|
|