Works that convey anxiety, fear, restlessness, etc?

I'm hoping for a list of works that specifically aimed at anxiety, or a frenzy. I imagine many film scores cover that, but I'm only really interested in 'art music' that expresses it. However, if you truly think it deserves recognition, list it. :)

Thanks

"Suicide in an Airplane" by Leo Ornstein.

Youtube it.

Or "Wild Men's Dance."

Or his poems or arabesques.

Penderecki's famous Threnody is the obvious one, and the massive repertoire that's carried his legacy.

Also Guapo - Five Suns, a five-part suite based on the juxtaposition of harsh and warm timbres.

The first pieces that come to mind are Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 (particularly the 2nd movement) and Symphony No. 5. As mentioned previously, Penderecki and Ornstein both have plenty of pieces that would fit the bill. George Flynn's Wound also portrays similar emotional qualities.

Suicide in an Airplane! That's an awesome suggestion, and the piece is kinda notationally sexy with all those splayed stems.

I'd suggest Nanking! Nanking! (originally titled something like Rape of Nanking) by Bright Sheng. It's another threnody and it serves as a reminder of the Nanking Massacre of 1937-38.

Penderecki's famous Threnody is the obvious one, and the massive repertoire that's carried his legacy.

I know that's an old post already, but since this has been necro'd anyways: I'm curious to hear as to why this is "the obvious one".

The entirety of Ekkehard Ehlers' A Life Without Fear is another great one for this -- a lot of tense moments that aren't resolved, not quite in a harmonic way. I feel the same way about the early albums of Talking Heads too... "nervous energy" is how Allmusic describes it; and defs an apt explanation.

Eh, I think the Threnody's just on the shortlist of "crazy music"

This piece can convey anxiety.

I know that's an old post already, but since this has been necro'd anyways: I'm curious to hear as to why this is "the obvious one".

I think it's because it's famous.

How long have you got? The majority of post-classical works dwell on anxiety at some point, such is the Romantic flavour. Let's see...

- Mahler Symphonies 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 9, along with the Kindertolenlieder

- Near enough every note of Rachmaninov, save perhaps certain movement of the symphonies and piano concerti. Particularly anxious are the opening of the Second, Isle of the Dead, The Bells, most of the piano preludes (especially Op5 C# Minor; Op.32 nos 2 and 10)

- Tchaikovsky 4,5,6, Manfred, Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin,

- Bartok Duke Bluebeard's Castle; Miraculous Manderin; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste; Concerto for Orchestra mvts 1 and 3; String quartets

- Every Shostakovich symphony from 4 onwards, and no.1; string quartets (especially 8), violin concerto no.1,

- Leonard Bernstein On the Waterfront score, and much of West Side Story and his symphonies (one is called 'The Age of Anxiety')

- Britten Peter Grimes, Turn of the Screw, War Requiem, Nocturne, Sinfonia da Requiem.

- Sibelius Tapiola, Symphony 1,5 mvt. 1 and Kullervo

As for a frenzy:

- Beethoven Grosse Fugue

- Shostakovich 10 mvt. 2

- Mahler 9 mvt. 3

- Sibelius The Tempest music

- Final sections of The Rite of Spring

How about Symphony #1 by Daniel Bukvich "In Memoriam Dresden". It's both beautiful in parts, and very effective at conveying anxiety or frenzy.

Link to an Mp3 (I promise it's legal)

How about Symphony #1 by Daniel Bukvich "In Memoriam Dresden". It's both beautiful in parts, and very effective at conveying anxiety or frenzy.

Link to an Mp3 (I promise it's legal)

:D Why would we care otherwise?! (jk) :P

Horror film music.