The Saddest, Most Tragic Piece Of Music You Have Ever Heard? Preferably Including Some Bass

[Lorenzo]

Am going for the third movement of César Franck's violin sonata. It just gets me. Best if you know the rest of the sonata, but never mind if you don't.

No bass in the original composition, but we could do something about that, I think. A fretless e-bass strolling around this composition could sound good. Tell me if interested. The chords are a bit complicated but manageable I think. Here you go (tape recording includes traffic outside and clicks from the cassette recorder on my father's knee)

 

[RIP]

This......I just wanted to cry when I heard this

 

[DiMarco]

Aaaaargh RIP, Aaaaaäaaaargh!

Saddest? I can't think of any right now but my goto band for sad stuff must be Radiohead.

 

[Gnermo]

 

[RIP]

Aaaaargh RIP, Aaaaaäaaaargh!

Saddest? I can't think of any right now but my goto band for sad stuff must be Radiohead.

I think I miss interpreted @Lorenzo topic

When I seen the title "The Saddest, Most Tragic Piece Of Music You Have Ever Heard?" I instantly thought of the video I posted.

Then I listened to the song he posted and I was like.....oop's, I think I missed the point

 

[kimgee]

I have 2 candidates for the saddest music title. The first, Across the Universe, is not necessarily a sad song. It was originally a tune by The Beatles, I believe, but this version, with Fiona Apple singing with flutes accompanying, has a very despondent, but still quite lovely, flavor. The second tune, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, originally by Charlie Rich and performed here by Charley Pride, is just downright depressing.

 

[kimgee]

I think I miss interpreted @Lorenzo topic

When I seen the title "The Saddest, Most Tragic Piece Of Music You Have Ever Heard?" I instantly thought of the video I posted.

Then I listened to the song he posted and I was like.....oop's, I think I missed the point

I don't know man, that video clip you posted sure made me want to cry...........

 

[jester]

This came to mind.

 

[Lorenzo]

oop's, I think I missed the point

That was a delightful misunderstanding, thank you RIP for a moment of side-splitting hilarity that I didn't expect to find on this thread! Wish I could double-like it

 

[Lorenzo]

Saddest? I can't think of any right now but my goto band for sad stuff must be Radiohead.[/QUOTE]

DiMarco, totally with you on Radiohead, that OK Computer album has some wonderfully bleak passages.

 

[Lorenzo]

I do like this forum. The breadth of contributors can give rise to so much constructive stuff but also to huge spontaneous laughter as with RIP above.

I propose to close this thread about world-record sadness on a high note, namely the fact that my suggestion for the saddest thing in the world (third movement of the Franck violin-piano sonata) actually has a happy ending cos there is a fourth movement. Yay!

Here is my poor rendition of the fourth movement from that same day in 1988. If you don't know this music and like it even a tiny bit, then I urge you to discover better exponents (Kyung Wha Chung's recording is pretty good). Great ruminative composition, I think. The composer César Franck is a true Belgian hero, or should be.

I know posts about classical violin-piano music are off piste on a bass forum, but I came to the bass from the violin and still enjoy both, so I hope at least a few here will like this stuff

 

[kimgee]

Personally, I can't imagine a world without the sound of violins. They are used in all types of music, and let's be realistic, are more essential to the world of music than our beloved bass instrument. Of course, that is strictly my personal opinion. You play very nicely Lorenzo. I only wish I could play the violin, but I barely have enough time to practice on a fretted bass guitar. I am fond of all types of violin music, but I am particularly fond of Jenny Scheinman. She has done a good bit of solo work, as well as being the violinist on many of Bill Frisell's albums. Her album, Mischief & Mayhem, is my absolute favorite.

 

[Lorenzo]

Personally, I can't imagine a world without the sound of violins. They are used in all types of music, and let's be realistic, are more essential to the world of music than our beloved bass instrument. Of course, that is strictly my personal opinion. You play very nicely Lorenzo. I only wish I could play the violin, but I barely have enough time to practice on a fretted bass guitar. I am fond of all types of violin music, but I am particularly fond of Jenny Scheinman. She has done a good bit of solo work, as well as being the violinist on many of Bill Frisell's albums. Her album, Mischief & Mayhem, is my absolute favorite.

Thanks Kimgee, am glad to have discovered Jenny S thanks to you. Different styles are always welcome and I love Bill Frisell's work

 

[Hardy]

What shall make that song sad? The instrument? The notes? The lyrics?

„When emotion dies“ by Saint Vitus is an excellent example for the sadness of doom metal.
„One“ by Metallica may not sound sad, but the story is. Watch with vid and realize that it is based on a true story. Most desperate.
„Cats in the cradle“ by Ugly Kid Joe (or is it a cover version?) contains a warning to us all. We have an own song about that topic, that is our saddest tune, „Time is running“. I guess our singer had not „Cats in the cradle“ in mind, but me in sight when he wrote the lyrics. Happily I listened to him, my wife and my family and avoided to get drowned.

05 - Time Is Running.wav

 

[Hector]

It's not the song so much, but what happened to Jeff Buckley...

 

[PaulS]

What shall make that song sad? The instrument? The notes? The lyrics?

„When emotion dies“ by Saint Vitus is an excellent example for the sadness of doom metal.
„One“ by Metallica may not sound sad, but the story is. Watch with vid and realize that it is based on a true story. Most desperate.
„Cats in the cradle“ by Ugly Kid Joe (or is it a cover version?) contains a warning to us all. We have an own song about that topic, that is our saddest tune, „Time is running“. I guess our singer had not „Cats in the cradle“ in mind, but me in sight when he wrote the lyrics. Happily I listened to him, my wife and my family and avoided to get drowned.

05 - Time Is Running.wav

Cat's in the cradle is originally by Harry Chapin

 

[PaulS]

Beyond the Grey Sky by 311 is damn sad. It's about Nick's friend committing suicide and his feelings of helplessness. Pretty tough listen sometimes

 

[RIP]

 

[ectoflanger]

Although I could list some weapons-grade stuff, I would hate for a Warwick bro to tell me "Dude, why did you tell me about it-- you ruined my life! Because invariably people would check them out to see.
However, I could list one that deserves honorable mention-- Al Stewart's The Year of the Cat

There's a latent melancholy to this song in it's melody and theme, which for me touches on epochs of our lives that are outside of time and space, when and where we never want to leave, but must do, and can never go back even if we could, because it would be a gilded cage in disguise as our destinies pass us by. Or something like that!