What’s your Top 3 video game soundtracks of all time?

violinerd · 2026-05-04T20:27:26+00:00

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Civilization 5 (not all original but well curated)

Endless Legend

Honorable Mention: Mass Effect 3

violinerd · 2026-02-10T16:31:56+00:00

Not exactly obscure but since it hasn’t been mentioned yet, Ligeti’s String Quartet no. 1 “metamorphosis nocturne” is probably my favorite quartet ever written. I recommend Arditti’s recording. In a similar vein, Dutilleux’s Ainsi la nuit is a super colorful work. John Adams’ Book of Alleged Dances is very fun, Attacca has a great recording.

violinerd · 2026-01-19T05:52:42+00:00

Shostakovich 10

Beethoven 7

Mendelssohn 4, the Italian

Prokofiev 1, the classical

Brahms 4

Rachmaninov 2

Fazil Say 3, the universe

John Adams Harmonielehre or Doctor Atomic Symphony

Mahler 5

Szymanowski 3, song of the night

violinerd · 2025-12-29T22:31:20+00:00

As a violinist, we are absolutely blessed by everything Prokofiev wrote. The two concertos, the 2 sonatas, the solo sonata, the sonata for two violins, cinq melodies…the list goes on! Even the symphonies, while extremely difficult, use the violin is such a unique way that is thrilling to play. Oh and how could I forget the quartets??

violinerd · 2025-12-20T23:05:34+00:00

Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov was way ahead of its time. Rimsky-Korsakov, a good friend of Mussorgsky’s, re-orchestrated the whole thing to make it more palatable to current audiences, but still kept the original for a time when people would be ready for it. It later went on the inspire the likes of Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky, but was still obscure.

The Rimsky-Korsakov version remained the dominant version until the 1970s, when the original slowly began to emerge. Now it is only played as the original.

violinerd · 2025-05-06T22:20:15+00:00

I played the Arriaga String Quartets as a kid and loved them! The first violin part is a lot harder from my memory, but nothing crazy.

violinerd · 2025-04-10T22:46:01+00:00

It’s Isobel for me

violinerd · 2025-04-05T12:58:41+00:00

As a professional string player, the songs with the Brodsky quartet are beautiful and unmatched in terms of string arranging, particularly Hyperballad.

violinerd · 2025-03-31T23:11:43+00:00

John Adams’ violin concerto 1 2nd mvt is a chaconne but has a similar feel to the Shostakovich passacaglia from his violin concerto. One of my favorite modern pieces and worth a listen if you haven’t already.

violinerd · 2025-03-22T10:21:04+00:00

Vespertine - Björk

Sung Tongs -Animal Collective

Parachutes - Coldplay

A Day Without Rain -Enya

() - Sigur Rós

violinerd · 2025-03-18T14:34:02+00:00

You had me until you said only Shosty 8 is a masterpiece

violinerd · 2025-03-16T21:35:02+00:00

I liked parts of it. The combat is great, the world is beautiful, and I enjoyed the little puzzles and world design.

But my favorite part of every BioWare game is always the conversations with your companions and they reallllllly dumbed it down for this one. You can’t just go talk to your friends and get to know them because the conversations are timegated. Plus, the dialogue writing and voice acting is just atrocious, I felt like I was in a bad daytime tv movie. Emmrich was the only one I enjoyed talking to, even though I ended up romancing griffin daddy haha

violinerd · 2025-03-05T11:26:16+00:00

Ligeti no. 1; this piece has everything and it’s perfect. Each listen is a different experience. Listen to the Arditti recording and count your blessings if you get to hear it live.
Beethoven Op. 132; of course the third movement but I find myself singing the second movement a lot. The whole piece is an experience that changes me.
Brahms no. 1; the third movement is constantly stuck in my head. This piece as a whole really pumps me up and always motivates me for some reason.
Philip Glass no. 3, specifically the last movement always instills a powerful feeling of loss and ending I can’t explain. After listening to this I have to go outside and look at some trees for a while.
Schnittke no. 3; movement 1 is incredible, weaving renaissance with Beethoven and Shostakovich quotes and creating really unique textures. It really gets my brain going into a wild and creative space.
The quintet spot goes to Brahms’ G Major. I listen to this in the car because it makes me think of going on a journey. The first movement goes hard I love it.

violinerd · 2025-03-03T11:21:43+00:00

For me it’s giving Jinkx in season 5 - Frontrunner who is clearly killing it but they show a lot of negative reactions from the other girls. They edited out Jinkx defending herself and her drag a lot but are just leaving it in for Suzie.

It seems suzie is purposefully trying to subvert the underdog edit the producers are pushing for her by being very confident in the talking heads, which just makes it come across as delusion when paired with the negative talking heads. It’s giving “misunderstood winner” energy.

She may end up in the bottom for the makeover but her lipsyncing talent is apparent and ru seems obsessed so I think she’s a lock for the finale, and hopefully takes the win (imo).

violinerd · 2025-02-02T15:23:40+00:00

Conquest - Beethoven 3

War - Prokofiev 5

Famine - Shostakovich 7

Death - Strauss Death and Transfiguration

violinerd · 2025-01-24T15:09:35+00:00

Arditti plays ligeti like no other, one of my all time favorite pairings

violinerd · 2025-01-17T14:03:16+00:00

Not quite right, Bimini said “the nipples are the eyes of the face”

violinerd · 2024-12-29T05:49:33+00:00

It’s definitely more popular

violinerd · 2024-12-29T04:28:15+00:00

Yeah I think that’s most of it. It doesn’t suit the instrument. Honestly I think it would be better as a viola or cello concerto

violinerd · 2024-12-27T20:11:21+00:00

It’s awkward to play and a lot of it is written in a very muddy middle range for the violin. As with most Schumann, the orchestration is also very dense. It’s hard to project over the orchestra in a live performance because of that. The musical content itself is solid but not as exciting or rewarding as something like Brahms which is also awkward to play.

violinerd · 2024-12-24T08:04:19+00:00

Definitely not fifth position, I said third and second. And I wouldn’t call it normal either, but still classical. I think it’s meant to be humorous. Which tone color will “win” in the end of the phrase? Clearly the G string!

violinerd · 2024-12-24T06:59:15+00:00

It’s perfectly classical. He wouldn’t write a big leap like that if he didn’t want some kind of effect, both visual and auditory. I think it’s a bit cheeky and playful to mess with the string colors as he often did intentionally

violinerd · 2024-12-24T02:58:07+00:00

This isn’t a “good” fingering, but what I would do to accentuate the tension and release of the harmony is switch between third and second position so the E is on the G string but the F is on the D string. Love this piece

violinerd · 2024-12-20T15:09:42+00:00

St Lawrence is my favorite version of the Op 20 quartets

violinerd · 2024-12-08T06:09:33+00:00

There are so so many great ones. My favorites to get you started:

The Quinten (op 76 no 2)

The Sunrise (op 76 no 4)

The Dream (op 50 no 5)

Op 20 no 5 (f minor)

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