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the Talk Classical Community's Favorite and Most Highly Recommend Works

220K views 2K replies 38 participants last post by  mmsbls 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)

Here is a prioritized list of classical music (inclusively defined) recommendations put together by members of the Talk Classical discussion forum and the (now defunct) Amazon.com classical music discussion forum.

Naturally, these recommendations represent the knowledge and tastes of the people who have helped build it. We do not claim that it is the official canon of art music, or that it is anything like an objective ranking of the greatness of each work!

However, to the best of our knowledge, nothing else like this exists -- no other list of prioritized recommendations including all genres of classical music, no other list as helpful to an old veteran looking for a surprise as to a newbie just familiarizing herself with the canon.


You can also view the list as an unranked, alphabetical list (though it may not be up-to-date). You can also see some simple statistical information here.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _​

Our project is ongoing, and we'd be very happy for you to add your own voice!

You can change our list in three ways:

1. The main way is to participate in the threads with titles like, "The first tier," "The second tier," and so on. You can find them in the polls sub-forum. Usually we have several going on at a time, but in order to avoid confusion, please don't bump the threads that have timed out!

2. The second way is to add new works to the list. If you want to recommend a work that is not already on our list, just post it in this thread. You can add up to 5 new works per day. All newly added works begin on the lowest tier, but they can move up from there.

One final way that you can contribute is simply by letting me know if you see errors in the list, such as incorrect dates, misspellings, and so on. You can do that in this thread, or if you prefer you can PM me.

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People might disagree with your votes, and you might disagree with theirs, but please be patient and persistent. Your participation will make our list better. We value everyone's participation.

If you are disappointed that a work you champion is not getting more community support, feel free to advocate for it, telling us why we should support it. Advocacy for a work will always be both more welcome and more productive than advocacy against a work.

Please be polite. Obviously we have different tastes and we don't all know the same things; we do not all agree about how strongly various works should be recommended, how great or important they are, or anything else.

The point is to learn from each other and help each other, to have a good time exploring music together.

Special thanks to Trout, who has maintained this list for years and years, and did a heck of a lot of work compiling recording recommendations, and to mmsbls, who has agreed to edit the posts in our thread when needed.

And thanks to all the people who have contributed in various ways to this project over the years! I personally have learned a lot from it, and I'm sure others have as well. I hope this will be helpful to people for many years to come, and I hope we continue to refine it as we all learn more about this amazing tradition.
 
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#1,413 ·
I need to do the 119th tier part 5, the 129th tier part 6, and the 87th tier part 2. Here we go!


Our votes on the 87th tier, part 2 selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 85th tier:
Manchicourt: Missa Veni sancte spiritus [16th century]
Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata #1 in B-flat, op. 45 [1838]
Monteverdi: Selva Morale Spirituale [1640]
Morales: Missa pro defunctis [1544]
Palestrina: Missa Sicut lilium inter spinas [late 16th cent.]
Rore: Missa Praeter rerum seriem [probably 1550s]
Saariaho: Graal Théâtre [1994]
Schubert: String Quartet #12 in C minor, D. 703 "Quartettsatz" [1820]
Schütz: Geistliche Chormusik (Sacred Choral Music) [1648]
Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem [1936]

To move up 1 to the 86th tier:
Lutosławski: Musique funèbre [1958]
Machaut: Je vivroie liement [14th cent.]
Maderna: Quadrivium [1969]
Magnard: Symphony #2 in E, op. 6 [1893]
Martinů: Fantasia for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet and Piano, H. 301 [1944]
Martinů: Symphony #3, H. 299 [1944]
Messiaen: Visions de l'Amen [1943]
Mozart: Piano Concerto #16 in D, K. 451 [1784]
Mozart: Symphony #34 in C, K. 338 [1780]
Myaskovsky: Symphony #25 in D-flat, op. 69 [1946; rev. 1949]
Nielsen: Symphony #2, op. 16 "The Four Temperaments" [1902]
Pandolfi Mealli: Violin Sonatas, opp. 3 & 4 [1660]
Piazzolla: Libertango [1974]
Prokofiev: Piano Sonata #3 in A minor, op. 28 [1917]
Rachmaninoff: The Rock, symphonic poem, op. 7 [1893]
Reger: String Quartet #4 in E-flat, op. 109 [1909]
Saint-Saëns: Clarinet Sonata in E-flat, op. 167 [1921]
Schubert: Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774 [1823]
Scriabin: Piano Sonata #4 in F-sharp, op. 30 [1904]
Scriabin: Piano Sonata #6, op. 62 [1911]
Sculthorpe: Piano Concerto [1983]
Shostakovich: String Quartet #4 in D, op. 83 [1949]
Strauss, J. II: Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald (Tales from the Vienna Woods), op. 325 [1868]
Strauss, R.: Songs (4), op. 27, including "Cäcilie" and "Morgen!" [1894]
Strauss, R.: Songs (5), op. 41, including "Wiegenlied" [1899]
Tubin: Symphony #4 in A "Sinfonia Lirica" [1943; rev. 1978]
Wylkynson: Salve regina (in nine parts from the Eton Choirbook) [c. 1500]

To remain on the 87th tier:
Martinů: Symphony #2, H. 295 [1943]
Massenet: Werther [1892]
Mozart: Piano Concerto #14 in E-flat, K. 449 [1784]
Neuwirth: Lost Highway [2003]
Paganini: Violin Concerto #2 in B minor, op. 7 "La Campanella" [1826]
Pärt: Te Deum [1984]
Puccini: Il trittico [1916]
Richter: Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Recomposed [2012]
Riley: A Rainbow in Curved Air [1968]
Roman: Drottningholm Music ("Music for a Royal Wedding") [1744]
Suk: Zrání (Ripening), op. 34 [1917]
Takemitsu: A String Around Autumn [1989]
Takemitsu: In an Autumn Garden [1973, 1979]
Vaughan Williams: Job - A Masque for Dancing [1931]
Waldteufel: Les Patineurs (The Skaters' Waltz), op. 183 [1882]

To move down 1 to the 88th tier:
Richter: Sleep [2015]
Shankar: Sitar Concerto #2 "Raga-Mala (A Garland of Ragas)" [1981]
 
#1,415 ·
I didn't expect the algorithm to work with only two votes, but it did, and as a result I can announce that our votes on the 133rd tier, part 7 selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 131st tier:
Strozzi: Arie, op. 8 [by 1664]
Szymanowski: Masques, op. 34 [1915-6]
Tchaikovsky, B.: Piano Trio [1953]
Tcherepnin, A.: Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra [1953]
Telemann: Fantasias (12) for Solo Violin TWV 40:14–25 [1735]
Tippett: Piano Sonata #3 [1973]
Vermeulen: String Quartet [1960-1]
Victoria: Vadam, et circuibo civitatem [1572]
Vierne: Organ Symphony #6 in B minor, op. 59 [1930]
Vivaldi: Bassoon concerto in A minor, RV 497 [c. 1734-5]
Volkmann: String Quartet #4 in E minor, op. 35 [1857]

To move up 1 to the 132nd tier:
Stravinsky: Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant [1942]
Stravinsky: Concertino for String Quartet [1920]
Stroppa: Miniature estrose (Libro Primo) [1991-95]
Suk: About Mother, op. 28 [1907]
Søderlind: Symphony #8, op. 95 "Jean Sibelius in Memoriam" [2004-5]
Sørensen: Sterbende Gärten (violin concerto) [1992-3]
Taneyev: Choral Varié [c. 1913]
Thalberg: L'art du chant appliqué au piano, op. 70 [1853-63]
Thomas: Hamlet [1868]
Tippett: Piano Sonata #1 [1936-38]
Tippett: Symphony #3 [1972]
Tosti: Romanze su poesie di Gabriele D'Annunzio [1880-1899]
Uccellini: Ozio regio, op. 7 [1660]
Ussachevsky: Three Scenes from The Creation [1960, rev. 1973]
Ustvolskaya: Octet [1950]
Veress: Diptych for Wind Quintet [1968]
Villa-Lobos: String Quartet #15 [1954]
Vinders: O mors inevitabilis "Epithaphium Josquini" [c. 1521]
Vivaldi (et al.): Andromeda liberata, Serenata Veneziana, RV Anh. 117 [1726]
Walker: String Quartet #1 [1946]
Wallin: Das war schön! (That was Beautiful!) [2006]
Weinberg: Trumpet Concerto in B-flat, op. 94 [1967]
Wellesz: String Quartet #4, op. 28 [1920]
Williams, G.: Symphony #1, in the form of Symphonic Impressions of the Glendower Scene in "Henry IV Part 1" [1943]
Yamada: Nagauta Symphony [1934]
Ysaÿe: Poème Nocturne for violin, cello, and orchestra, op. 29 [1927]
Zarzycki: Introduction & Cracovienne in D, op. 35 [1893]
Zemlinsky: Waldgespräch [1895]
Zhu: Symphony #4 "6.4.2-1" [1990]
Zhubanova: String Quartet #1 [1952]
Zipoli: Elevazione for Cello and Oboe [bef. 1726]
Zorn: Carny [1989]

To remain on the 133rd tier:
Stucky: Symphony [2012]
Sørensen: The Weeping White Room [2002]
Thorvaldsdottir: Metacosmos [2018]
Torke: Rapture: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra [2001]
Tormis: The Bishop and the Pagan [1992]
Van der Aa: Here Trilogy, for soprano, chamber orchestra, electronics & audio-visual installation [2001-2003]
Vierk: Words Fail Me [2005]
Wallen: Mighty River [2017]
Weinberger: Schwanda the Bagpiper [1926]
Weir: Airs from Another Planet [1986]
Weir: A Night at the Chinese Opera [1987]
Widor: Cello Concerto in E minor, op. 41 [1877]
Wieniawski: Violin Concerto #1 in F-sharp minor, op. 14 [1852]
Williams, J.: Escapades [2002]
Winter: Maometto [1817]
Wirén: Symphony #3, op. 20 [1944]
Yuasa: Projection Esemplastic for White Noise [1974]
Zivkovic: On the Guarding of the Heart [2011]
Zwilich: Rituals for five Percussionists and Orchestra [2002]

To move down 1 to the 134th tier:
Theofanidis: Rainbow Body [2000]

I'll do part six and then move all the works.
 
#1,417 ·
Okay, woohoo! Guess who has tallied the votes from the 129th tier, part 6? I don't know either! But apparently our votes on the 133rd tier, part 6 selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 131st tier:
Strauss, R.: Aus Italien, op. 16 [1886]
Stanford: Irish Rhapsody #6 for violin and orchestra, op. 191 [1923]
Spohr: Double quartet #1 in D minor, op. 65 [1823]
Shchedrin: Polyphonic Notebook [1972]
Schubert: Auf dem Strom, D. 943, op. 119 [1828]
Schnittke: Violin Concerto #1 [1957, rev. 1963]
Scarlatti, D.: Keyboard Sonata in A minor, K 54 [18th century]
Saint-Saëns: Oboe Sonata in D, op. 166 [1921]
Rubbra: String Quartet #2 in E-flat, op. 73 [1951]
Rosetti (Rössler): Horn Concerto in E, C 50 [published 1797]

To move up 1 to the 132nd tier:
Strauss, R.: Taillefer, op. 52 [1903]
Strauss, R.: Sonatine #2, "Fröhliche Werkstatt" [1946]
Still: Suite for violin and piano [1943]
Stephan: Die ersten Menschen [1914]
Stenhammar: Sentimental Romances (2), op. 28 [1910]
Spohr: String sextet in C, op. 140 [1848]
Soro: Sinfonía romántica in A [1920]
Smetana: Wallenstein's Camp, op. 14 [1859]
Smetana: Sny (Dreams) [1874-5]
Shulman: Theme and Variations for viola and orchestra or piano [1940] or for viola, string orchestra and harp [1954]
Shostakovich: The Limpid Stream [1935]
Shostakovich: Prelude and Scherzo: Pieces (2) for string octet, op. 11 [1925]
Searle: Symphony #2, op. 33 [1958]
Scriabin, J.: Four Preludes [1918]
Sciarrino: Capricci (6 Caprices) for Solo Violin [1976]
Schumann, Camillo: Cello Sonata #2 in C minor, op. 99 [c. 1932]
Schubert: Der Jüngling an der Quelle, D. 300 [c. 1816-21]
Schubert: "Der König in Thule" (The King in Thule), D 367, op. 5/5 [1816]
Schoenberg: Suite, op. 29 [1924-26]
Schoenberg: Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra [1933]
Schnebel: Schubert-Phantasie [1978]
Schmitt: Introït, récit et congé for cello and orchestra, op. 113 [1952]
Schlegel: Piano Quartet in C, op. 14 [c. 1886-8]
Scharwenka, P.: Viola Sonata in G minor, op. 106 "Sonata Fantasia" [1899]
Schafer: Wild Bird [1999]
Saygun: Partita for Solo Cello, op. 31 [1954]
Sammartini, G.: Recorder Concerto in F [18th century]
Saint-Saëns: La Jeunesse D'hercule (Hercules's Youth), op. 50 [1877]
Saint-Saëns: Études (6), op. 52 [1877]
Ryelandt: Symphony #4 in E-flat minor, op. 55 "Credo" [1912-3]
Rouse: Clarinet Concerto [2000]
Rota: Trombone Concerto in C [1966]
Roslavets: Cello Sonata #2 [1922]

To remain on the 133rd tier:
Strauss, F.: Nocturno, op. 7
Štolcer-Slavenski: Religiophonia: Simfonija orijenta (Symphony of the Orient) [1934]
Spohr: Symphony #9 in B minor, op. 143 "The Seasons" [1850]
Soler: Fandango [18th century]
Škerjanc: Symphony #1 [1933]
Škerjanc: Slavnostna uvertura (Festive Overture) [1932]
Skalkottas: Piano Concerto #3 [1939]
Skalkottas: Piano Concerto #2 [1937]
Siegmeister: Piano sonata #1, "American Sonata" [1944]
Sibelius: Piano Sonata in F, op. 12 [1893]
Shaw: Narrow Sea [2017]
Sessions: Symphony #8 [1968]
Schoenberg: Phantasy, op. 47 [1949]
Schoenberg: Die Jakobsleiter (Jacob's Ladder) [1915-26]
Schoenberg: Die glückliche Hand (The Lucky Hand), op. 18 [1910-13]
Scelsi: Sauh I-IV [1973]
Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, op. 25 [1883]
Sánchez-Verdú: Paisajes del Placer y de la Culpa for large orchestra [2003]
Samazeuilh: Le Chant de la mer [1919]
Rzewski: The Road [2003]
Rouse: Iscariot [1989]
Rouse: Gorgon [1984]
Rorem: Evidence of Things Not Seen [1997]

To move down 1 to the 134th tier:
Shapey: Concerto Fantastique [1991]
 
#1,418 ·
Our votes on the 119th tier, part 5 (from this thread) selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 117th tier:
Schmitt: Psaume XLVII, op. 38 [1904]
Schumann: Märchenbilder, op. 113 [1851]
Schumann: Violin Sonata #2 in D minor, op. 121 [1851]
Schütz: Schwanengesang (Opus ultimum), SWV 482-494 [1671]
Scriabin: Dances [1906-1914]
Shchedrin: The Sealed Angel [1988]
Shostakovich: Suite for Variety Orchestra (Jazz Suite #2) [after 1956]
Sibelius: Humoresques, op. 87 & 89 [1917]
Stanford: Part-Songs (8), op. 119, including “The Blue Bird” [1910]
Stevenson: Passacaglia on DSCH [1962]
Stockhausen: Erwachen (Awakening) from Klang (Sound) [2007]
Vallet: Le Secret des Muses [1615-6]
Villa-Lobos: Symphony #6, "On the Outline of the Mountains of Brazil" [1944]
Wellesz: String Quartet #3, op. 25 [1918]
Zelenka: Requiem ZWV 48 [c. 1731]

To move up 1 to the 118th tier:
Schnittke: Symphony #6 [1992]
Schubert: Symphony #2 in B-flat, D. 125 [1815]
Schubert: Symphony #6 in C, D. 589 [1818]
Schubert: Violin Sonata (Sonatina) #3 in G minor, D. 408 [1816]
Schumann: Piano Trio #2 in F, op. 80 [1847]
Schumann: Violin Sonata #1 in A minor, op. 105 [1851]
Sciarrino: Quaderno di strada [2003]
Shapero: Symphony for Classical Orchestra [1947]
Shcherbachov: Nonet for 7 instruments, voice and dancer, op. 10 [1919]
Skalkottas: 36 Greek Dances [1936]
Sorabji: Études transcendantes (100) [1944]
Stanford: Irish Rhapsody #4 in A minor, op. 141 "The Fisherman of Loch Neagh and what he saw" [1913]
Stockhausen: Klavierstücke V-X [1955]
Sweelinck: Variations on Secular Songs [early 17th century]
Taneyev: Symphony #2 in B-flat [1877]
Tcherepnin, A.: Songs and Dances for cello and piano, op. 84 [1953]
Turina: Danzas gitanas (Gypsy Dances), opp. 55 & 84 [1930, 1934]
Ustvolskaya: Composition #1 "Dona Nobis Pacem" [1971]
Veress: Hommage à Paul Klee [1951]
Wolpe: String Quartet [1969]
Wuorinen: String Sextet [1989]
Xenakis: Naama [1984]
Zorn: Necronomicon [2004]

To remain on the 119th tier:
Schnittke: Concerto for Piano (Four Hands) and Chamber Orchestra [1988]
Schubert: Piano Sonata #4 in A minor, D. 537 [1817]
Schubert: Suleika I, D. 720 [1821]
Schumann: Nachtstücke (4), op. 23 [1839]
Scott: Symphony #3 "The Muses" [1937]
Strauss, R.: Arabella, op. 79 [1932]
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance [1879]
Takemitsu: Archipelago S. [1993]
Verdi: Ernani [1844]
Villa-Lobos: Chôros #7 for winds, violin, and cello, "Settimino" [1924]
Villa-Lobos: Rudepoema for piano [1926; orch. 1932]
Villa-Lobos: String Quartet #5 [1931]
Wagner: Rienzi [1847]
Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Concerto in D, op. 26 [1944]
Zorn: Chimeras [2003]

To move down 1 to the 120th tier:
Tavener: The Lamb [1982]
 
#1,427 ·
Our votes on the 12th tier selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 10th tier:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata #23 in F minor, op. 57 "Appassionata" [1805]

To move up 1 to the 11th tier:
Bach: Cantata #140 "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" [1731]
Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 [by 1731]
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, op. 61 [1806]
Brahms: Symphony #2 in D, op. 73 [1877]
Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 [1741]
Shostakovich: Symphony #5 in D minor, op. 47 [1937]

To remain on the 12th tier:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata #30 in E, op. 109 [1820]
Berg: Violin Concerto [1935]
Brahms: Cello Sonata #1 in E minor, op. 38 [1865]
Debussy: La Mer, L 109 [1905]

To move down 1 to the 13th tier:
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé (ballet and orchestral suites) [1912]
 
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