A few months ago, I decided to create a round-up review based on songs that belong in the classical genre. Whilst it’s often considered to be an unpopular genre nowadays, there are still lots of underground artists producing classical music. I decided to revive the article with a new list of artists from the genre, all of which are worth your time.
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by Shere Fraser
Shere Fraser – Hope & Peace
Starting this list off is Shere Fraser’s Hope & Peace, which sounds beautiful from the start. A steady piano melody provides the main instrumentation, with a pretty woodwind melody acting almost like a vocal line here. It’s quite a slow song, but this gives the music a relaxing feel, drawing the listener into Shere’s beautiful world as the music progresses. This is the perfect song for chilling out to, having a lovely overall ambience. The song was co-composed with Vincent Boot.
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Radagast The Brown – Another Plane Beyond Empiricism
Another Plane Beyond Empiricism is the title track of Radagast The Brown’s new self-titled EP, also being my favourite piece from the EP. Radagast The Brown’s music is very dreamy, having a slow, ambient quality. There’s so much going on in this song that you’ll have to listen to it more than once, with the keyboard effects giving the music a textural feel. It sounds quite cinematic at times, creating evocative thoughts in the mind. It’s more experimental than some of the other songs on this list, but it’s no less worthy of your time!
Radagast The Brown – The More They Tell Me About You, The Less I Believe Them
I loved Radagast The Brown’s music so much that I knew I had to share another track – this time it’s the title track to another EP, titled The More They Tell Me About You, The Less I Believe Them. It’s another long song, but it’s well worth listening to in it’s entirety. A slow piano melody opens things up as some computerised synths play in the background, alongside some orchestral elements. The piece swells towards the end in an outstanding way.
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Evelyn Bates – I Used To Have Dreams
I Used To Have Dreams is what you might call a more traditional sounding classical piece, although there are still some modern elements, especially in terms of the way the piano is played, characterising the entire song. Interlocking piano melodies weave in and out of each other in a flowing way, increasing the tension of the piece as it continues, with a trickling piano solo appearing towards the end. Evelyn Bates’ track is one of my favourite songs on this entire list!
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Dave Mohan – Arioso In Red
The piano that opens up Arioso In Red has a playful quality, matched in turn by the strings. This track is a little different to the others, as it features a lovely set of female vocals, which have an almost operatic style to them. Dave Mohan’s addition has a musical theatre vibe, especially with the way in which the vocals work with the music. However, the music itself has a classical vibe to it, so it still fits definitively on this list.
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Claire Bigley – Becoming
Becoming is the title track to classical musician Claire Bigley’s EP Emergence, released at the start of this year. The music has quite an ominous feel, featuring a dark, droning bass in the background, which is hard to make out at first. A piano melody skips along in the forefront of the track, drawing you into Claire’s world on this eerie piece. It’s great to hear something a little different, and Becoming certainly sounds unique to me!
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Raynald Grenier – 1st Movement: In Nomine Patris
1st Movement: In Nomine Patris is, as the title suggests, the first movement in a series of interlocking pieces, from his symphony, Symphony No. 1 in D Minor. Raynald Grenier has truly created something of wonder here, with the piece exploding in a huge range of sounds as the music opens. This movement features a full orchestra, winding its way through the music with a number of different sections that following the opening motif. It’s achingly beautiful throughout.
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Abisso – Malik
Malik is the 8th track on Abisso’s phenomenal new album, Son Of Abyss, released earlier in May of this year. It’s another song with an eerie vibe, featuring old timey vinyl sounds in the background, as the discordant piano lines appear every so often. The piano cuts out every so often, leaving just the dark backing sounds, before reappearing once again. This duo have managed to successfully create a mood which is both dark and beautiful, which is certainly something to be lauded.
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Vishal Naidu – Into Realms Of Silence
Into Realms Of Silence changes the mood suitably from the previous couple of songs, having more of a relaxed and chilled-out vibe. This track is quite distinctive, as the main melody is performed on a classical guitar, with other little motifs arriving every so often, overlapping occasionally. A simple yet stunning string section is added to complement the instrumentation at times, but Vishal Naidu’s talents truly shine through on the guitars.
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A Tree On A Hill – Purple Hydrangea
Purple Hydrangea also features some guitars, although they aren’t the main focus of A Tree On A Hill’s wonderous new track. A harp plays in the background, as a beautiful string section backs the piece, alongside some slight percussion. The music benefits greatly from having a delightful textural quality, which really helps to bring the listener into this dreamy and ethereal sounding world.
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Bernadett – Palladio
Last, but certainly not least, is Bernadett’s Palladio, which combines traditional classical music with a more mainstream rock/pop vibe. The drums sound huge and make the track sound like something that could belong in the rock genre, with the strings and her fascinating violin playing bringing it back to the classical scene. Bernadett is incredibly skilled at playing the violin, and her performance is a beauty to behold on this epic number.
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Spotify – Classical Favourites