10 Albums For Depressed People

6. Frédéric Chopin’s Preludes and Nocturnes (Early to mid 1800’s)

I don’t believe ‘albums’ necessarily came out back in the Romantic period, but Chopin’s preludes and Nocturnes are excellent fare for the depressed person. A French-Polish virtuoso pianist, Chopin weaves what feels to me like highly experimental melodies around tempos that pace themselves, speed up, then slow down to create the impression of tension, drama and sadness. I hesitate to discuss Chopin further, as I know next to nothing about ‘classical’ piano and music from that time period. Still, suffice to say – Chopin’s rolling, sometimes halting, always elegant and melancholy piano pieces sort of make you float in a certain sad warmth, tinged with bitterness, depression and despair. The prelude featured here – colloquially known as the “Raindrop Prelude” (Prelude No. 15) – is one of Chopin’s most recognizable pieces, and also one of his most emo and melancholy pieces, reminiscent of a sort of juvenile despair, anger, and sadness.

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