the sound of war

I’m developing an idea for a show at the moment that studies the dissonance and necessity of love during wartime. A challenge that I’ve set for myself is to focus on rhythm within the work, which I’ve previously never given much thought to. With this in mind, I’m trying to create a framework of sound within which to develop the ideas of this piece. I’m crowdsourcing this research (many minds are always better than one) in response to the question ‘What music makes you think of war?’ These have been the responses so far:

1. Edgard Varèse – Ionisation (1929–1931)

2. Krzysztof Penderecki – Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima

3. Gustav Holst – The Planets – Mars, the Bringer of War

4. Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture

5. Rameau – Castor et Pollux, Tristes apprets, pales flambeaux

6. Bob Dylan – All Along the Watch Tower

7. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA

8. The Black Angels – Young Men Dead

9. The Cranberries – Zombie

10. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

11. The Clash – Rock The Casbah

12. Albinoni – Adagio in G Minor for Strings