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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.

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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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#1,438 ·
Very impressive, Highwayman!

Meanwhile,

Our votes on the 70th tier selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 68th tier:
Bach: Toccatas for Harpsichord, BWV 910-916 [1707-13]
Biber: Harmonia artificiosa-ariosa [1696]
Birtwistle: Earth Dances [1986]
Dowland: First Booke of Songes [1597]
Dvořák: String Quartet #14 in A-flat, op. 105 [1895]
Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), K. 384 [1782]
Ockeghem: Missa cuiusvis toni [by 1497]
Poulenc: Flute Sonata [1957]
Rachmaninoff: The Bells, op. 35 [1913]
Schubert: Moments Musicaux (6), D. 780 [1828]
Sibelius: Karelia Suite, op. 11 [1893]
Sibelius: Valse Triste, op. 44/1 [1904]
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin, op. 24 [1878]
Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) [1840]
Warlock: The Curlew [1922]

To move up 1 to the 69th tier:
Anonymous, French Manuscript 844: Le Chansonnier du Roi (Le Manuscrit du Roi) [13th c.]
Arnold: English Dances, opp. 27 & 33 [1951]
Arnold: Guitar Concerto, op. 67 [1959]
Bach, C. P. E.: Magnificat in D, Wq. 215 [1749]
Bach: Easter Oratorio, BWV 249 [1725]
Barber: Piano Sonata in E-flat minor, op. 26 [1949]
Beethoven: "Eroica" Variations and Fugue in E-flat, op. 35 [1802]
Boulanger, L.: Psalm 130 "Du fond de l'abîme" [1917]
Brahms: Schicksalslied, op. 54 [1871]
Britten: A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28 [1942]
Dohnányi: Symphony #2 in E, op. 40 [1944; rev. 1950s]
Dutilleux: Symphony #1 [1951]
Dvořák: Piano Trio #3 in F minor, op. 65 [1883]
Dvořák: Rusalka, op. 114 [1900]
Dvořák: Symphony #5 in F, op. 76 [1875]
Enescu: Octet for strings in C, op. 7 [1900]
Enescu: Oedipe, op. 23 [1931]
Franck: Le Chasseur Maudit (The Accursed Huntsman) [1882]
Franck: Piano Trio #1 in F-sharp minor, op. 1/1 [1839?]
Gubaidulina: Triple Concerto for violin, cello, banyan, and orchestra [2016]
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33 [1735]
Honegger: Symphony #4 "Deliciae Basiliensis" [1946]
Jongen: Symphonie Concertante, op. 81 [1926]
Lindberg: Clarinet Concerto [2002]
Martinů: Piano Trio #3 in C, H. 332 [1951]
Martinů: Symphony #5, H. 310 [1946]
Medtner: Skazki (Fairy Tales) [1904-1928]
Milhaud: Le bœuf sur le toit, op. 58 [1919]
Mussorgsky: Songs and Dances of Death [1875, 1877]
Palestrina: Stabat Mater [probably 1590-1591]
Rameau: Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts [1741]
Rautavaara: Piano Concerto #1, op. 45 [1969]
Schumann: Symphony #2 in C, op. 61 [1847]
Shostakovich: String Quartet #9 in E-flat, op. 117 [1964]
Striggio: Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno [c. 1566]
Szymanowski: Violin Concerto #1, op. 35 [1916]
Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor "The Devil's Trill" [1799]
Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge [1909]
Vivaldi: La Stravaganza, op. 4 [1713]
Webern: Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) [1905]

To remain on the 70th tier:
Bach: Harpsichord Concerto #4 in A, BWV 1055 [c. 1738]
Barber: Music for a Scene from Shelley, op. 7 [1933]
Beach: Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, op. 45 [1899]
Beethoven: Piano Sonata #3 in C, op. 2/3 [1795]
Beethoven: String Quintet in C, op. 29 [1795]
Brahms: Geistliches Lied (Sacred Song), op. 30 [1856]
Chausson: Piano Trio in G minor, op. 3 [1881]
Dutilleux: Symphony #2 "Le Double" [1959]
Glazunov: Piano Concerto #1 in F minor, op. 92 [1911]
Handel: Athalia, HWV 52 [1733]
Hummel: Piano Trio #7 in E-flat, op. 96 [c. 1822]
Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata #2 in D, op. 58 [1842-3]
Messiaen: Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum [1964]
Mozart: Piano Sonata #10 in C, K. 330 [1783]
Myaskovsky: Symphony #27 in C minor, op. 85 [1949]
Poulenc: Nocturnes [1929-1938]
Rachmaninoff: Trio Élégiaque #2 in D minor, op. 9 [1893]
Schumann: Overture, Scherzo, and Finale, op. 52 [1841]
Smetana: String Quartet #2 in D minor [1883]
Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini, op. 32 [1876]
Tchaikovsky: Symphony #3 in D, op. 29 "Polish" [1875]
Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau (The Little Mermaid) [1903]

To move down 1 to the 71st tier:
Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony #2, op. 9 "Antar" [1868, 1875, 1897]
 
#1,448 ·
Our votes on the 117th tier, part 1 selected the following works...

To move up 2 to the 115th tier:
Adams: Dr. Atomic [2005]
Albinoni: Concerti a Cinque, op. 10 [1735-6]
Andre: ... als II ... [2000-2001]
Anonymous: Codex Faenza [15th century]
Anonymous: Messe de Barcelona [13th cent.]
Bach, W. F.: Harpsichord Concerto in E-minor, F. 43 [1767]
Bauldeweyn (formerly attrib. Josquin): Missa Da pacem [c. 1509-1513]
Boulanger, L: Clairières dans le ciel [1915]
Boulanger, L.: Vieille prière bouddhique [1914-17]
Brahms: Romances from Tieck's Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone, op. 33 [1861-9]
Busnois: Gaude coelestis Domina [15th century]
Carter: String Quartet #4 [1986]
Cherubini: Marche funèbre [1820]

To move up 1 to the 116th tier:
Aho: Symphony #9 for trombone and orchestra [1994]
Albinoni: Concerti a Cinque, op. 7 [1715]
Alnar: Cello Concerto [1943]
Andreae: Symphony #1 in F [1900]
Anglebert: Pièces de Clavecin [c. 1689]
Atterberg: Symphony #7, op. 45 "Sinfonia Romantica" [1942]
Bach, Johann Christian: Keyboard Concertos, op. 13 [1777]
Bach: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225 [probably c. 1727]
Bartók: Rhapsody #2 for Violin and Orchestra, Sz. 90 [1928, rev. 1944-5]
Beethoven: Adelaide, op. 46 [1795]
Beethoven: Violin Sonata #4 in A minor, op. 23 [1800]
Berio: Chemins I for harp and orchestra [1964]; including Sequenza II for solo harp [1963]
Berlioz: Tristia, op. 18 [1852]
Bernstein: On the Waterfront (including the Symphonic Suite) [1955]
Bizet: Jeux d'enfants (Children's Games) [1871]
Bliss: Clarinet Quintet [1932]
Bortniansky: Cherubim Song #7 (Cherubic Hymn #7) [early 19th century]
Bortniansky: Sacred Concertos [1799]
Bowen: Phantasy Quintet [1932]
Bridge: Violin Sonata, H.183 [1932]
Britten: Nocturnal after John Dowland, op. 70 [1963]
Campion: Two Bookes of Ayres [1613]
Casella: Suite in C, op. 13 [1910]
Cavalli: Giasone [1649]
Chin: Mannequin [2014]
Ciconia: O rosa bella [early 15th century]
Coates, E.: London Suite [1933]
Couperin, A. L.: Pièces de Clavecin [1751]
Couperin: Versets (7) d’un motet composé de l’ordre du roy [1705]
Cowell: The Tides of Manaunaun [1917]
Creston: Symphony #3 "Three Mysteries", op. 48 [1950]
Damase: Symphony [1952]
Danzi: Wind Quintets, op. 56 [1821]

To remain on the 117th tier:
Adams: Lollapalooza [1995]
Atterberg: Piano Quintet in C, op. 31 [1928]
Auber: Les diamants de la couronne (The Crown Diamonds) [1841]
Beethoven: Rondos (2) for piano, op. 51 [c. 1796-8]
Beethoven: Violin Sonata #7 in C minor, op. 30/2 [1802]
Berio: Sequenza VI for viola [1967]
Bloch: String Quartet #3 [1952]
Brahms: Piano Sonata #2 in F-sharp minor, op. 2 [1853]
Brahms: Scherzo in E flat minor, op. 4 [1851]
Britten: String Quartet #2 in C, op. 36 [1945]
Brouwer: Guitar Concerto #3 "Elegiaco" [1986]
Casella: Violin Concerto in A minor, op. 48 [1928]
Charpentier: Actéon [1683]
Chopin: Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C for cello and piano, op. 3 [1829]
Czerny: Symphony #1 in C minor, op. 780

To move down 1 to the 118th tier:
Beethoven: Piano Trio #2 in G, op. 1/2 [1795]
Couperin: Versets (4) d’un motet composé de l’ordre du roy [1703]
 
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