Audio and Visual Reactions to Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D minor

[NY Iago]

Hi guys,

I've registered two different reactions when listening to Bach's Toccata and Fugue alone vis a vis listening to it with a visual representation, shown in this youtube video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o&feature=fvst[/youtube]

I felt a greater sense of awe bordering on terror of the cathartic sort when viewing the latter, which was noticeably absent when I listened to it alone. In addition, the effect occurs pretty quickly, just after the second phrase. Maybe some of you might get a similar experience. Are there any theoretical constructs to explain this phenomena?

[anaklio]

In dance music culture, we call these moments "epic" and they make you feel like your "floating". Trance tracks are specifically designed to incorporate such moments. Usually they are rated as being more positive than you described. They are mediated by the opiate system (e.g., endorphins, enkephalins).

[NY Iago]

"epic" in a similar sense to epical and lyrical poetry? Trance tracks sounds interesting, do you have some examples I could listen to? Maybe a link on youtube? I understand that Bach's music is Baroque and supposedly very 'cold' and 'rational', so the seemingly grandiose impression of the piece surprised me when I learnt it was classified under the same label.

[seekinghga]

Some terms that you may or may not find interesting to research:
- binaural beats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats)
- brainwave entrainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwave_synchronization)
- Hemi-Sync™ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemi-Sync)

[edit]
Keep in mind that these things are still considered theoretical.

[NY Iago]

Oh, thanks! Looks interesting!

[SWM]

that was amazing. i have never really been bothered with classical music but watching that was something very different. inspiring.

any more pieces of music like this?

[anaklio]

One time I spent an entire night listening to the "100 greatest classical hits ever". All I did is sit at my computer, but honestly it's one of the highlights of my life. Music is such a wonderful thing it gives me hope that we're getting somewhere :-)

[NY Iago]

To SWM:
Yea, you're in luck, there sure are! Its by this youtube user named "smalin", who I believe creates them using his Music Animation Machine. I think the visual accompaniments are only nice when the piece is lively, otherwise it'll just be one long, flat bar draggin across the screen.

To anakilo:
Which pieces were those? Could recommend some to me?

To seekinghga:
I went to check out the binaural beats page. Do they mean that a beat is synthesized in the mind even though the two frequencies are distinct? Didn't really understand what they meant... :S

[seekinghga]

To seekinghga:
I went to check out the binaural beats page. Do they mean that a beat is synthesized in the mind even though the two frequencies are distinct? Didn't really understand what they meant... :S

Yeah, that's the gist of it.  The binaural beat isn't really created though, it is the aural equivalent to the optical illusion.  Here is a good page dealing with the subject:

http://www.web-us.com/thescience.htm

[edit]
I noticed that they give a lot of names but do not name what papers these people wrote this stuff in, so be wary and research beyond this basic outline.