Classical music inspired by storms. Photo: Mathias Krumbholz
Thunder, lightning and rain are innately musical forces of nature, which is why there are so many pieces of classical music inspired by storms. But which are the most effective and innovative? Here is our pick of five.
1. Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony) – ‘Gewitter und Sturm’ (Thunder and Storm)
First up on our list of classical music inspired by storms is this massive orchestral work from 1915 , which depicts a day’s journey in the Alps, culminating in a powerful storm. Strauss uses the full force of the orchestra, including strings, percussion, organ, and even a thunder machine to vividly portray nature’s tumult.
2. Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst
This 1991 choral work, based on a poem by Octavio Paz, was inspired by Eric Whitacre’s personal experience of witnessing an actual desert cloudburst, which he described as “breathtaking.” One of its distinctive features is the use of finger snapping by the singers to simulate the sound of rain, which Whitacre adapted from an old campfire game. It also incorporates other unconventional elements like thunder sheets, which were originally made from large pieces of tin taken from the side of a school.
3. Ferde Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite – ‘Cloudburst’ movement
Another piece of classical music inspired by storms: this 1931 American composition depicts a sudden, intense storm in the Grand Canyon. It begins in the spirit of calm, featuring a cowboy song played by strings and English horn. This peaceful scene is then interrupted by the sudden onset of a thunderstorm. Grofé uses the piano to represent raindrops, thunder sheet and wind machine for storm sounds and percussion for lightning strikes. As a whole it showcases Grofé’s ability to create vivid musical landscapes, drawing from his personal experiences of visiting the Grand Canyon.
4. Mason Bates: Liquid Interface
Bates describes his 2007 work Liquid Interface as a “water symphony for the 21st century,” drawing comparisons to Debussy’s La Mer and Wagner’s ‘Siegfried’s Rhine Journey’. In the movement, ‘Crescent City,’ he depicts the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, engulfing the orchestra in an ‘electronic hurricane’ of processed storm sounds. There’s also a nod to the musical heritage of New Orleans with a style reminiscent of Dixieland swing and big band music.
5. Benjamin Britten: ‘Four Sea Interludes’ from Peter Grimes
Concluding our list of classical music inspired by storms is this interlude from Benjamin Britten’s 1945 opera Peter Grimes, the ‘Storm’ is a dramatic piece, evoking the turmoil of both a physical storm and the psychological state of the main character, Peter Grimes. Britten uses xylophones and other percussion instruments in innovative ways to create the effect of driving rain and crashing waves, with surging chords and driving rhythms to convey a sense of chaos. It’s very powerful.