An exciting topic - at least for me!
I am in no way religious, but in every way fascinated by the image of 'Hell'. To me, the epic proportions of the mythical fall of Angels and the Hell inhabited thereafter is a wonderful creation of literary imagination, and I love coming across new explorations and representations in literature and music (being a student of English Literature at university, I have chosen to partly specialise in medieval apocalyptic literature).
Anyway, having felt another yearning to plunge into hellish portraits once more, it struck me that my music library is somewhat devoid of fire and brimstone. So, what pieces of music can you direct me towards that are (in some way) to do with hell?
Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini is most prominent on my list, as the depiction of one of the circles of Hell from Dante's Divine Comedy (and, of course, Liszt's far inferior Dante Symphony ).
As well as this, the last movement of his Manfred Symphony is (arguably) hellish. At the very least, it's demonic! Byron's own description of the related act in his drama sees Arimanes, lord of the underworld, on a fiery throne.
Of course, a Requiem can be good now and then for its Dies Irae (of course, Requiems are always good, but I mean if you're seeking hell-like fulfilment). But where else can I turn? There are certainly plenty of pieces that seem to evoke the end of life or the world, but what compositions are explicitly to do with Hell and/or Judgment?
I am in no way religious, but in every way fascinated by the image of 'Hell'. To me, the epic proportions of the mythical fall of Angels and the Hell inhabited thereafter is a wonderful creation of literary imagination, and I love coming across new explorations and representations in literature and music (being a student of English Literature at university, I have chosen to partly specialise in medieval apocalyptic literature).
Anyway, having felt another yearning to plunge into hellish portraits once more, it struck me that my music library is somewhat devoid of fire and brimstone. So, what pieces of music can you direct me towards that are (in some way) to do with hell?
Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini is most prominent on my list, as the depiction of one of the circles of Hell from Dante's Divine Comedy (and, of course, Liszt's far inferior Dante Symphony ).
As well as this, the last movement of his Manfred Symphony is (arguably) hellish. At the very least, it's demonic! Byron's own description of the related act in his drama sees Arimanes, lord of the underworld, on a fiery throne.
Of course, a Requiem can be good now and then for its Dies Irae (of course, Requiems are always good, but I mean if you're seeking hell-like fulfilment). But where else can I turn? There are certainly plenty of pieces that seem to evoke the end of life or the world, but what compositions are explicitly to do with Hell and/or Judgment?