Philip K. Dick Writing Music on Spotify

By Jason Boog 

The great science fiction writer Philip K. Dick loved classical music, especially the work of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Author Andrew May wrote a great article exploring Dick’s favorite classical music, and I turned it into a free Spotify playlist along with some more musical research. Follow the links below to listen to the free playlist. Here’s more from May:

For an icon of popular culture, Philip K. Dick had a decidedly uncool knowledge of classical music. In an article written several years ago I mentioned his interest in Wagner’s opera Parsifal, and the numerous references to it in VALIS. But classical music features in one way or another in many of Dick’s works. Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is mentioned in the introduction to A Maze of Death as the source employed for some of the material in the book. Mozart’s Magic Flute is described, in considerable detail, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the hard-boiled cop Rick Deckard is an opera buff, naturally). In Ubik, a helicopter plays Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (one of the most sublime musical works of the nineteenth century) as background muzak. In The Game-Players of Titan, a teenaged kid forks out 125 dollars for a vintage recording of a Puccini aria.

Philip K. Dick Writing Music

London Philharmonic Orchestra – Mass in D major, Op. 123, “Missa Solemnis”: Kyrie
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Mass in D major, Op. 123, “Missa Solemnis”: Gloria
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Mass in D major, Op. 123, “Missa Solemnis”: Credo
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Mass in D major, Op. 123, “Missa Solemnis”: Sanctus
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Mass in D major, Op. 123, “Missa Solemnis”: Agnus Dei
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Queen Of The Night: Aria (Magic Flute)
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620: Overture
Peter Edelmann – Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620: Act 2: Pa-pa-pa-papagena
Griller String Quartet – String Quintet No. 4 in G Minor, K. 516: i. Allegro
Griller String Quartet – String Quintet No. 4 in G Minor, K. 516: ii. Menuetto. Trio: Allegretto
Griller String Quartet – String Quintet No. 4 in G Minor, K. 516: iii. Adagio ma non troppo
Griller String Quartet – String Quintet No. 4 in G Minor, K. 516: iv. Adagio. Allegro
Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra of London – Fidelio Overture, Op. 72
Beethoven – Fidelio – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 – 2nd movement
Beethoven – Fidelio – O welche Lust (Prisoners’ Chorus)
Beethoven – Fidelio – Overture
Beethoven – Fidelio – Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarro’s Aria)
Beethoven – Fidelio – O welche Lust (Prisoners’ Chorus)
Beethoven – Fidelio – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 – 2nd movement
Beethoven – Fidelio – Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarro’s Aria)
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: I. Fughetta in C Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: II. Prelude in D Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: III. Fugue in D Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: IV. Prelude in E Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: V. Fugue in E Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: VI. Prelude in A Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: VII. Fugue in A Minor
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: VIII. Prelude in F Major
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: IX. Fugue in F Major
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: X. Prelude in G Major
Julia Cload – Preludes and Fugues: XI. Fugue in G Major
Marek Janowski – Parsifal: Act I: Prelude
Richard Wagner – Parsifal, WWV 111: Overture
Richard Wagner – Parsifal, Act I: Verwandlungsmusik
Marek Janowski – Parsifal: Act I: Seht dort, die wilde Reiterin (Squires, Knights, Kundry, Gurnemanz)
Marek Janowski – Parsifal: Act I: Recht so! Habt Dank! Ein wenig Rast (Amfortas) – Gawan! Herr! Gawan weilte nicht (Amfortas, Second Knight, Gurnemanz)
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 2 : i. Allegro maestoso
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 2 : ii. Andante moderato
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 2 : iii. In ruhig fliessender Bewegung
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 2 : iv. Urlicht: Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 2 : v. Im Tempo des Scherzo
John Dowland – Flow my Tears (Lachrimae)