Usually, I listen to a lot of metal oriented music, but I don't really find it that fitting as a mood buffer for my games.
So I tried finding some instrumental music fitting for different scenes, but as it turns out, it's not something that I'm good at.
So if anyone out there has any great suggestions, I'd be thankful to hear them!
I'm especially interested in tracks that would fit the following situations.
Mystery.
Grandoise sights.
Dragon encounter.
Arriving in hell/similarly sinister place.
Everything is chaos!
Mental torment.
One on one combat.
Battles.
Torture.
Relief.
They've brought a cavetroll! (Even though I do own all the music from the lord of the mings already)
Any help is greatly appreciated and reimbursed in the payment of happy thoughts and long distance Reiki.
Go to YouTube.
Search for "Two Steps from Hell". Choose any song (but especially Protectors of the Earth, Magic of Love, and Heart of Courage)
Listen.
Profit.
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If you want to go the symphonic route, many tunes by Erich Korngold, Bernard Hermann, and Jerry Goldsmith are quite good for atmosphere.
Sea Hawk by Korngold
Captain Blood by Korngold
Prelude and Rooftop from Vertigo by Hermann
Cape Fear Theme by Hermann
The Search from Planet of the Apes (1968) by Goldsmith
Vejur Flyover from Star Trek:The Motion Picture by Goldsmith
This will get you started. All three of these composers did a lot of truly great atmospheric music and have a large presence and following on YouTube.
Here are some atmospheric suggestions for you. You can probably find a number of recordings/performances of all of these on youtube. I'll post more if I think of them.
Mystery: Debussy comes to mind. Try the beginning of "Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien" or "Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune," or perhaps "Sirenes" (vocal). There's at least one track also on the Excalibur soundtrack that would suit your needs. Perhaps also check out the 3rd movement of Beethoven's c minor symphony. For a creepy piece check out Ligeti's "Musica Ricercata II."
Grand sights: The prelude to Wagner's "Das Rheingold." Flip through Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" (check out the overture) or "Water Music," Bach's orchestral suites.
Hell: "Dies Irae." Most people know the version in the opening credits of "The Shining," but it appears in a number of other pieces. Try the 5th movement of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique (Dreams of a Witches' Sabbath).
Chaos: "Rite of Spring" could probably fit a few of your categories here, including this one and mental anguish and torture. I recommend listening to the whole thing.
One-on-one battle: Vocal, but "Heda, heda hedo!" from Wagner's "Rheingold" is a classic call to arms. The famous "Ride of the Valkyries" is great for battles as well. I think the prelude to "Walkure" would fit at least one of your categories also. You can probably find a bunch more Wagner selections that are well-suited to fantasy gaming (Siegfried's Funeral March, for one).
Zinskaro; on Nosferatu 1977
Izlel e Delio Haidutin
It's a Bulgarian folk song about some dude who goes to be a rebel mountain fighter against the Ottomans occupying their country back in the day.
Bulgarian Idol is cooler than American Idol, man.
Great suggestions, thank you everyone!
