mrrandomplayer
Hopeless Situation Warrior
Sorry to necro an old thread, and I don't know if you've already changed the soundtracks (I've mostly been watching TV while playing DoC recently), but I've been giving this some extra thought (since it's not like anybody's doing much these days) and here's my suggestion for a playlist for the Global era:
I really like Steb's playlist from a few pages ago and it's a really good selection if you want to go for depth of one style (like the developers' approach to the Civ4 Modern era), but I also think it's interesting to show the stylistic variety in the Modernist period (more breadth like the Romantic or Medieval era soundtracks). This selection covers most of the important composers from that time, but most of these pieces don't demand too much of the listener as to make them difficult soundtrack.
There's a mix of chamber and orchestra pieces (I get why the current soundtrack largely skews towards orchestral soundtrack besides the Medieval/Renaissance stuff but I think adding some chamber or choral stuff in the later eras could be very intimate and effective), but if you're also interested in putting in some choral music, a movement or two from Martin's Mass for Double Choir, Poulenc's Salve Regina or the relaxed movements from Figure Humaine (3, 6) could be super nice, or maybe even Schoenberg's Friede auf erden (my favorite choral piece, though it might be a little much for a soundtrack).
All of the pieces are public domain in some parts of the world, but the only issue might be the copyright status of good recordings... maybe this falls under fair use (educational use?) but also this is such a relatively small operation that it probably doesn't matter.
Also, if we want to get super specific with soundtrack eras, could certain soundtracks in the middle of eras divide up some of the current eras that have mixed soundtrack? Maybe Patronage could split up the Medieval vs Renaissance soundtrack, and something in the middle of the Renaissance era (Civil Liberties?) could split up the Baroque vs Classical soundtrack.
- Messiaen Quartet for the end of time, movements 7 + 8
- Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht
- Berg Violin Concerto, movement 1
- Ravel Pavane pour une infante defunte (I know it's overplayed but it's still so great, alternatively maybe something from Daphnis et Chloe, his String Quartet, or either piano concerto)
- Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (or maybe a movement or two from La Mer or his string quartet)
- Shostakovich Piano Quintet movement 2
- Stravinsky Concerto for piano and winds movement 2 (full piece)
- Poulenc Concerto for two pianos, movement 2
- Mahler 10, 1st movement (the big dissonant chord in the middle of the Adams Anfortas Wound is quoted from this, maybe Mahler 9 2nd movement if this is pushing it too much)
- Sibelius 7
I really like Steb's playlist from a few pages ago and it's a really good selection if you want to go for depth of one style (like the developers' approach to the Civ4 Modern era), but I also think it's interesting to show the stylistic variety in the Modernist period (more breadth like the Romantic or Medieval era soundtracks). This selection covers most of the important composers from that time, but most of these pieces don't demand too much of the listener as to make them difficult soundtrack.
There's a mix of chamber and orchestra pieces (I get why the current soundtrack largely skews towards orchestral soundtrack besides the Medieval/Renaissance stuff but I think adding some chamber or choral stuff in the later eras could be very intimate and effective), but if you're also interested in putting in some choral music, a movement or two from Martin's Mass for Double Choir, Poulenc's Salve Regina or the relaxed movements from Figure Humaine (3, 6) could be super nice, or maybe even Schoenberg's Friede auf erden (my favorite choral piece, though it might be a little much for a soundtrack).
All of the pieces are public domain in some parts of the world, but the only issue might be the copyright status of good recordings... maybe this falls under fair use (educational use?) but also this is such a relatively small operation that it probably doesn't matter.
Also, if we want to get super specific with soundtrack eras, could certain soundtracks in the middle of eras divide up some of the current eras that have mixed soundtrack? Maybe Patronage could split up the Medieval vs Renaissance soundtrack, and something in the middle of the Renaissance era (Civil Liberties?) could split up the Baroque vs Classical soundtrack.