Musical Orgasm?

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-10-09 10:52pm

Is it me or is that climatic build-up in the Death of Isolde from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde very reminiscent of an orgasm?

Also, is it only me, or does anyone ever get fully immersed in the music when that part comes (no pun intended)? It is very rare for me to get totally engaged into the music at a single point consistently, but whenever I listen to this track while doing other things on the computer I have to just stop whatever I'm doing or thinking and surrender myself totally to the music. And I'm also a total and complete sucker for wanting, craving that musical climax.

When I hear the build-up, I keep preparing myself mentally and physically to hear that climax. I'll start to get goosebumps all over my body, and then I fall into that temporary lull before it starts up again. Frustrated, I'm left craving for more. In the second build-up, I start shivering again and when I finally hear the climax, I just sit there in awe.

This is the only piece of music that has ever had this sort of effect on me. Sure, there is that last powerful series of chords of Bach's Tocata and Fugue which make it one of the most kick-ass endings ever. There is Liszt's brilliant Norma Rhapsody, where I marvel at the complexity of the music while at the same time am put into a somber emotional state by the themes of Bellini. But by far there is nothing else I have ever heard that has overpowered me in this fashion. Wagner's ability to dominate my emotions in this way is remarkable.

Anyone else have similar feelings about this or other music?

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2005-10-09 11:06pm

Every time I hear the Isle of Wight live version of "Red House" by Jimi Hendrix, I get the chills every time I hear the 2nd guitar solo, and I when he hits the high notes I get all teared up and after that I have this wonderful feeling of relief. I really don't know what it is, but it is amazing blues that just goes straight to my heart.

edit: my GF's moans when she orgasmed last night were rather musical as well.

Bertie Wooster · Post by **Bertie Wooster** » 2005-10-09 11:07pm

Come to think of it, that climactic build-up in "Death of Isolde" being similar to an orgasm is probably not unintentional on Wagner's part. I think the first time I heard that piece, it gave me shivers. Same with Gotterdammerung by Wagner.

Saurencaerthai · Post by **Saurencaerthai** » 2005-10-10 12:43am

All the time.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2005-10-10 01:04am

Sometimes I do. And crescendos are a very powerful way of inducing that. I mostly listen to piano music, and I get that feeling in some pieces by Chopin. There's an etude of his that, near the end, has big, powerful, sweeping chords and scales, and they're in contrary motion, which sort of doubles the effect. And Chopin is the master of the musical hairpin turn, so he brings the two hands closer together without much warning, and that's just... wow.

I need to get this Wagner track that you're talking about!

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-10-10 01:41am

So far I've found this. It's a streamed broadcast of a performance, but the version I have is instrumental only; there is no opera singer. Maybe it's just me, but I think the soprano only adds clutter to the music.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2005-10-10 08:43am

I'll say it once, I'll say it a thousand times, Barber's Adagio.

Post by **Surlethe** » 2005-10-10 10:41am

SyntaxVorlon wrote:I'll say it once, I'll say it a thousand times, Barber's Adagio.

When it's not played by a high school string ensemble. Damn, we sucked.

As to the topic: yes, I have often noted the similarity between a sexual climax and a musical climax. The second movement of the Eroica Symphony (Beethoven) comes to mind; so does the Violin Concerto in E (Bach).

kheegster · Post by **kheegster** » 2005-10-10 12:46pm

That's what keeps me going back to classical music... if you explore deep enough, all the great composers are capable of just playing with your emotions, introducing moments of sublime magic.

My favourite example of this is Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto. The first time I listened to it, I was just doing something else, but the music just caught me and wouldn't let go. At the climax of the piece near the end of the 3rd movement, I get a 'musical orgasm'.

If you're interested in this subject, a good book to check out is Music and the Mind by Anthony Storr.

Post by **Zaia** » 2005-10-10 07:08pm

Saurencaerthai wrote:All the time.

Same here, except with 'Bolero' it's more obvious to me than with most others.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2005-10-10 08:51pm

Zaia wrote:Same here, except with 'Bolero' it's more obvious to me than with most others.

A wise man once shared this tip with me. Have sex to Boléro. The length is just about right for a decent session, and if you time it right you climax when it climaxes.

ntstlkr · Post by **ntstlkr** » 2005-10-12 04:48am

Same for 1812. That score was just made for fireworks and rockets. Probably why it's so popular for the 4th of July celebrations. The guns going off signaling the beginning of the climax (no pun intended either).
Pretty moving piece.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2005-10-12 07:19am

Ooooh, it happens a lot, the main one of the moment is from When Humanity Is Cancer by Anaal Nathrakh. Godless, when the fast bit returns to the main riff, and then there's the bridgy bit of the bass sans guitar, then the guy screams again... it's so good. You just listen to it and feel like a fucking evil god.

Same thing with Puritania by Dimmu, and a similar thing with Hall of the mountain king, one of the greatest songs of all time. And oh man, Spiritual Holocaust by Hate eternal, the start of that song is just sexual. Castrum Doloris by Marduk is their finest song, in my opinion. Ramses, Bringer of War, the Nile take on Holst's song, oh man, again, it jsut makes you feel like God.

WyrdNyrd · Post by **WyrdNyrd** » 2005-10-12 08:20am

You scare me.

ntstlkr · Post by **ntstlkr** » 2005-10-12 10:15am

Rye wrote:Ooooh, it happens a lot, the main one of the moment is from When Humanity Is Cancer by Anaal Nathrakh. Godless, when the fast bit returns to the main riff, and then there's the bridgy bit of the bass sans guitar, then the guy screams again... it's so good. You just listen to it and feel like a fucking evil god.

Same thing with Puritania by Dimmu, and a similar thing with Hall of the mountain king, one of the greatest songs of all time. And oh man, Spiritual Holocaust by Hate eternal, the start of that song is just sexual. Castrum Doloris by Marduk is their finest song, in my opinion. Ramses, Bringer of War, the Nile take on Holst's song, oh man, again, it jsut makes you feel like God.

LOL, for an "old school rock" feel like that just listen to the Doors. The End is great for building up an almost palpable murderous evil grinning feel,

Classically, Mars Bringer of War is powerful, as is Jupiter too, from Holst. I have an affinity for Neptune, the Mystic however.

Although not "classical", and mildly rememniscient of Holst's Mars, Zimmerman's battle theme for Gladiator uses the same kind of musical structure to bring about the same feeling of build up to crescendo.

Back to Wagner, the part used for Excaliber is perfect. Goterdamerung(?) I think mentioned previously.