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Discussion starter · #201 · (Edited)
#83
Symphony No. 36 in C major (aka The "Linz Symphony"), K. 425
WA Mozart
1783


Written in four days by Mozart during a stopover in the Austrian town of Linz on his and his wife Contanza's way back home to Vienna from Salzburg in late 1783 (although not premiered until 1784).

"On Tuesday, November 4th, I an giving a concert in the theatre here and, as I have not a single symphony with me, I am writing a new one at breakneck speed, which must be finished by that time."

When you hear this piece you would never guess that it was written in that kind of haste. It takes its time - with a leisurely and laid back opening, unusual for Mozart. Mozart was always looking for every work he produced to have some sort of novelty, a "hook" if you will, and in this symphony he came up with a new idea of scoring brass and percussion in the slow movement.

I. Adagio, Allegro Spiritoso
II. Andante
III. Menuetto
IV. Finale (Presto)


The Adagio introduction to the first movement had become popular with symphonies of Haydn, but Mozart interprets this convention freely, cramming in three contrasts of emotion in a short amount of time. The dotted rhythms and the presence of the timpani at the opening might signal a French-style overture, a noble sound, but the triple meter doesn't fit the type and the bass line wanders through some chromatic harmonies. This music often sounds more like an improvised fantasia, a style by then decades out of date. The violins finally enter with a lyric melody over a pulsing background in the low strings. He follows this up with some darkly shaded solos from the oboe and bassoon, while the urgency of the throbbing accompaniment increases, as if something fateful is about to occur. And . . . it doesn't; The brisk, straightforward march that follows is a surprise, despite the fact that it should have been predictable. The introduction must always yield to an Allegro, but the character was not what we were led to expect. Mozart continues by playing with the standard sonata form as well. The march persists through the transition to what ought to be a singing second theme, as we keep waiting for the lyrical turn that never arrives. Instead, we receive a gavotte that, with its forte punctuation from the oboes and violins (oboes in the eighteenth century definitely being instruments for the outdoors), matches the energy level of the march. The gavotte, a dance from Brittany, popularized in French courts of the seventeenth century, involves crossing feet, hopping, and jumping-far from the graceful cantabile of most second themes. In this movement, Mozart mixes the esoteric fantasia with more recent trends, like the slow introduction, and overturns the standard sonata form with an unexpected gavotte.

And this is one of the reasons I love Mozart: Even though he knows how a symphony should be written, he's a real smart *** in the way he can captivate and surprise his audience.

The oddities continue in the Andante con moto second movement The orchestration for full wind band (oboes, horns, and trumpets) in addition to the strings makes for an unusually heavy Andante, with unexpected fatalistic interjections from horns and timpani. The mood is dark, although there are fleeting major key passages interspersed, like rays of light through shadows.

The Minuetto (or Minuet) is courtly, and the trio contrasts with a certain rustic feel.

The brilliant Presto finale, in direct contrast with to the first three movements, has contrapuntal passages.

Here's the great Carlos Kleiber conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. The orchestra size is far greater than the original version scored for only 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings, yet Kleiber does a great job keeping the intimate moments tender while making the more exciting passages evolve into something quite epic.

I particularly enjoyed this particular comment to this video:

"Kleiber is asking every orchestra member to feel the inner rhythm of every phrase. Look at him at the opening of the finale. There is no "time beating" here. He demands that all members feel the inner strength and elasticity of the sublime music. If you look carefully, you can almost see which ones "get it"--and there is joy in their eyes. Kleiber invites them to all share his vision. The fact that this was, in all probability, impossible was his great cross to bear. But we are fortunate to hear what, to me, is the closest thing to musical perfection ever to come out of an orchestra. Simply a joy._" (maxreger100).

After his entrance, Kleiber begins the piece 1:00 into the video.

Mozart Symphony No 36 in C major KV 425 "Linz"


 
Discussion starter · #202 ·
#84
Requiem
Gyogy Ligeti
1965


The Requiem by the Hungarian composer Gyorgy Ligeti is a large-scale choral and orchestral composition, composed between 1963 and 1965.

The work lasts for just under half an hour, and is in four movements:

Introitus, a gradual unbroken plane of sound moving from "mourning into the promise of eternal light";
Kyrie, a complex polyphonic movement reaching a fortissimo climax;
Dies Irae, which uses vocal and orchestral extremes in theatrical gestures; and
the closing Lacrimosa, for soloists and orchestra only, which returns to the subdued atmosphere of the opening.

- Wikipedia

Ligeti's Requiem achieved almost instant fame (for a modern classical work) from its use by Stanley Kubrick in his 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, although the soundtrack only uses the climax of the Kyrie section.

Ligeti was born in Transylvania to a Hungarian and Jewish family, and was sent to a forced labor camp in 1944. Ligeti's teenaged brother perished in the Mauthausen concentration camp and both of his parents were sent to Auschwitz. Only he and his mother survived.

Some in depth details, from author Byron Adams: "One dimension of my music bears the imprint of a long time spent in the shadow of death."

For some firsthand indepth analysis of the work, here's a link to a blog article by David Gary, a bass in the Seattle Symphony Chorale, which performed the Requiem several years ago: https://www.secondinversion.org/2017...getis-requiem/

Reviewer Tom Service wrote in 2012 ". . . listen to the Kyrie of the Requiem for one of the darkest visions of musical terror ever imagined . . . "

The first video below is for those that would prefer some training wheels to help with their first listen to some Ligeti. Honest, it's not for the faint of heart. If you're constitutionally hardier, you are free to skip ahead to the full live version at the bottom.

In fact, while I can appreciate what it is, I do not claim to fully understand music of this sort. Hence the generous helping of quotes from others to give an inkling as to its influence.

So, if you're up for it, here's some excerpts from the Kyrie and Dies Irae, with stills from 2001: A Space Odyssey, recorded by the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Sinfonie-Orchester des Hessischen Rundfunks Frankfurt under the direction of Michael Gielen.

Gy. Ligeti -- Requiem



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However, if you're a bit more brave than the average adventurer, here's the whole thing.

Make note of the oversized score . . . there's some 20-part polyphony in some of it . . . and that's what it takes to have it printed out.

Here's your disclaimer: Once you've heard this, you may have the urge to pick up a bone and use it as a weapon. No seriously, there's quite a bit of heaven AND hell, hope and desperation, love and fear in this work.

And don't ask me to open the pod bay doors. I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

But, please, feel free to comment on this rather recent work.

 
Discussion starter · #203 ·
#85
Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 ("Enigma Variations")
Edward Elgar
1899


The Enigma Variations is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme.

In a programme note for a performance in 1911 Elgar wrote:

"This work, commenced in a spirit of humour & continued in deep seriousness, contains sketches of the composer's friends. It may be understood that these personages comment or reflect on the original theme & each one attempts a solution of the Enigma, for so the theme is called. The sketches are not 'portraits' but each variation contains a distinct idea founded on some particular personality or perhaps on some incident known only to two people. This is the basis of the composition, but the work may be listened to as a 'piece of music' apart from any extraneous consideration."

The theme is followed by 14 variations. The variations spring from the theme's melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements, and the extended fourteenth variation forms a grand finale.

The word "Enigma", serving as a title for the theme of the Variations, was added to the score at a late stage, after the manuscript had been delivered to the publisher. Despite a series of "hints" provided by Elgar, the precise nature of the implied puzzle remains unknown.

Elgar's first public pronouncement on the Enigma appeared in Charles A. Barry's programme note for the first performance of the Variations:

"The Enigma I will not explain - its "dark saying" must be left unguessed, and I warn you that the connexion between the Variations and the Theme is often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set another and larger theme "goes", but is not played . . . . So the principal Theme never appears, even as in some late dramas - eg Maeterlinck's L'Intruse and Les sept Princesses - the chief character is never on the stage."

Theme (Enigma: Andante)
Variation I (L'istesso tempo) "C.A.E."
Variation II (Allegro) "H.D.S-P."
Variation III (Allegretto) "R.B.T."
Variation IV (Allegro di molto) "W.M.B."
Variation V (Moderato) "R.P.A."
Variation VI (Andantino) "Ysobel"
Variation VII (Presto) "Troyte"
Variation VIII (Allegretto) "W.N."
Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod"
Variation X (Intermezzo: Allegretto) "Dorabella"
Variation XI (Allegro di molto) "G.R.S."
Variation XII (Andante) "B.G.N."
Variation XIII (Romanza: Moderato) " * * * "
Variation XIV (Finale: Allegro) "E.D.U."


Gennady Rozhdestvensky conducts the Royal Philharmonic at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Rozhdestvensky conducts Elgar's "Enigma Variations"




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The 11th track, The Globalist, of English alternative rock band Muse's 2015 album Drones contains music based on Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod".

Muse - The Globalist [Lyrics]


 
Discussion starter · #204 · (Edited)
#86
Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima
Krzysztof Penderecki
1960


Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima is a musical composition for 52 string instruments, and dedicated to the residents of Hiroshima killed and injured by the first-ever wartime usage of an atomic weapon on August 6, 1945.

It's around 8 minutes and 37 seconds long (it's original title was 8'37", likely a nod to John Cage).

As you've probably already guessed, the sonoristic manipulation and counterpoint probably intentionally makes the listener "uneasy by choosing to refer to an event too terrible for string orchestral screams" (reviewer Paul Griffiths).

Threnody is a deeply personal work, disturbing in its evocations of human misery and terror. Though it is dedicated to the victims of the Hiroshima atomic bomb drop, Penderecki drew on his own experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland in composing this work. He noted that Nazi war crimes, especially "the great Apocalypse" of Auschwitz, have been in his "subconscious mind since the war." As a result, this work, like much of Penderecki's music, is emotionally powerful and in large part autobiographical, but at the same time expresses a universal mourning for the victims of war.

The result is a work of considerable expressive force, a musical representation of human suffering that, despite its considerable technical difficulties, strikes home with surprising sincerity. Each string section, as it ebbs and swells, engages in a kind of dialogue with other sections, and the effect of many instruments playing glissandi at once simulates, rather distressingly, the sound of human voices wailing in a swirling, hellish polyphonic wash.

It is a vivid evocation of the horrors of war, and also a good example of Penderecki's so-called "sensualist," Neo-Romantic style.

Excerpts from Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima are used in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of The Shining.

On a side note, it's on Rolling Stone's List of 25 Songs That Are Truly Terrifying, alongside The End by The Doors, and Be Careful With That Axe, Eugene by Pink Floyd.

If you're a music geek like me, you might enjoy this 15 page Extended Analysis https://www.scribd.com/document/411...-to-the-Victims-of-Hiroshima-Tony-Bannach-pdf

You might also enjoy the program notes provided by the San Francisco Symphony, attributed to James M. Keller: https://www.sfsymphony.org/Data/Eve...derecki-Threnody-for-the-Victims-of-Hiroshima

The work, even today, is quite a bit to listen to, so I provide you with a choice of listening/watching experiences.

First, a live version by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted in 2015 by Krzysztof Urbański.

The second video is an animated score version, which allows you to follow along in a visual sort of way. This version is played by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Penderecki: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima - Urbański, FRSO



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Penderecki - Threnody (Animated Score)


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On 12 October 1964, Penderecki wrote:

"Let the Threnody express my firm belief that the sacrifice of Hiroshima will never be forgotten and lost."

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Penderecki died March 29 2020 after a lengthy illness. Although he officially did not die from COVID-19, his caregiver had tested positive.
 
Discussion starter · #205 ·
#87
Messe de Nostre Dame (Mass of Our Lady)
Guillaume de Machaut
~1365


This polyphonic masterpiece of medieval music is the earliest complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass attributable to a single composer.

It's in 5 movements: the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, followed by the dismissal Ite, missa est.

I. Kyrie: 0:00
II. Gloria: 8:38
III. Credo: 13:22
IV. Sanctus et Benedictus: 19:56
V. Agnus Dei: 24:52


Guillaume de Machaut - La Messe de Nostre Dame

 
Discussion starter · #206 ·
#88
Viderunt omnes
PĂ©rotin
1198


OK, into the Way Back machine, Sherman; today we're going to the late 12th Century to listen to some traditional Gregorian chant.

This work is based on an ancient gradual (a chant or hymn in the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church) of the same title.

The chant was subsequently expanded upon by composers of the Notre Dame school who developed it as type of early polyphony known as organum. Thought to be written for Christmas, the polyphonic settings would have retained the same liturgical purpose as the original gradual, while being musically enhanced for the festivities. The cantus firmus, or tenor, "holds" the original chant, while the other parts develop complex melismas on the vowels. The various settings of Viderunt Omnes provide context for specific trends in medieval music.

The Latin text describes God's oversight of the Earth, an especially symbolic message given the musical unity that the composition came to represent.

Viderunt omnes fines terræ
salutare Dei nostri.
Jubilate Deo, omnis terra.

Notum fecit Dominus salutare suum;
ante conspectum gentium
revelavit justitiam suam.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Rejoice in the Lord, all lands.

The Lord has made known his salvation;
in the sight of the heathen
he has revealed his righteousness.


PĂ©rotin's four-part version of Viderunt, one of the few existing examples of organum quadruplum, may have been written for the Feast of the Circumcision in 1198.

The melismas in particular are especially diminuted (a form of embellishment or melodic variation in which a long note or a series of long notes is divided into shorter, usually melodic, values), rendering the text virtually incomprehensible. While only solo sections are polyphonic, the organum remains clear when juxtaposed with the traditional, monophonic choir chant.

In simple terms this means that it takes over two minutes to finish singing the first word (Viderunt), and another minute for the second (Omnes), and so on.

The first syllable starts with the group of soloists establishing the mode and constant intervals (initial pitch, the octave, then the fifth) and is developed further from there.

Here's The Hilliard Ensemble

PEROTIN Viderunt Omnes

 
Discussion starter · #207 · (Edited)
#89
Missa Papae Marcelli (Pope Marcellus Mass)
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
~1562


One the most beautiful Masses of all times, and Palestrina's best-known one. The mass was composed in honor of Pope Marcellus II, who reigned for only three weeks in 1555.

It consists, like most Renaissance masses, of a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus/Benedictus, and a two-part Agnus Dei.

It is primarily a six-voice mass, but voice combinations are varied throughout the piece; Palestrina scores Agnus II for seven voices, and the use of the full forces is reserved for specific climactic portions in the text.

[00:01] Kyrie
[04:44] Gloria
[11:00] Credo
[20:54] Sanctus et Benedictus
[28:33] Agnus Dei 1 et 2


Palestrina, Missa Papae Marcelli. The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips



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The title track of English alternative rock band Muse's 2015 album Drones sets the music of the Benedictus movement of the Missa Papae Marcelli to alternative lyrics that tie into the concept album's theme of being "killed by human drones".

Killed by drones
My mother, killed by drones
My sister and brother killed by drones
Our lives between your
Fingers and your hands
Can you feel anything?
Are you dead inside?
Now you can kill
From the safety of your home
With drones
Amen


Drones

 
Discussion starter · #208 ·
#90
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BMW 565
JS Bach
1708?


Oh, you've heard this one. I'm sure of it. It's one of the most famous works in organ repertoire. Well, you've heard the opening, at least, but maybe you never sat down and listened to the whole thing start to finish.

Here's organist Hans-Andre Stamm on the Trost-Organ of the Stadtkirche in Waltershausen, Germany.

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J.S. Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565



Incidentally, Bach did not score this specifically for organ; it could have been for any keyboard instrument.

So, a rather remarkable thing about the music of Bach is that it seems to translate to practically any instrument, or can be orchestrated or arranged ad infinitum.

But I do enjoy the orchestral version used in Fantasia

Here's Stowkowski's arrangement for orchestra from the Disney film FANTASIA.
I do like how the animators ran with the the free form idea for the fugue. Just images, shapes, colors.



FantasĂ­a: Tocata y Fuga (Johann Sebastian Bach)


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J.S. Bach produced so much amazing music, much of it for the church.

Almost hard to say if there would have been a "Bach" if there hadn't been a church. Or vice versa.
 
Discussion starter · #209 · (Edited)
Almost hard to say if there would have been a "Bach" if there hadn't been a church. Or vice versa.
Yes - an 'alternate history' what-if.

Hard to say. "The Church", which usually refers to the Catholic Church, supported some musicians, while suppressing others. Without the church the whole composer/musician dynamic would have been considerably different.

But Bach was NOT Catholic; he was a devout Lutheran, not surprising as he was born in Germany in 1685.

And overall Bach wasn't exactly supported by either church . . . In 1703, he landed his first job as a musician at the court of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar. There he was a jack-of-all-trades, serving as a violinist and at times, filling in for the official organist.

Bach had a growing reputation as a great performer, and it was his great technical skill that landed him the position of organist at the New Church in Arnstadt. He was responsible for providing music for religious services and special events as well as giving music instruction.

In 1707, Bach was glad to leave Arnstadt for an organist position at the Church of St. Blaise in MĂĽhlhausen.

After a year in MĂĽhlhausen, Bach won the post of organist at the court of the Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar.

In 1717, Bach accepted a position with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen. But Duke Wilhelm Ernst had no interest in letting Bach go and even imprisoned him for several weeks when he tried to leave. In early December, Bach was released and allowed to go to Köthen.

After auditioning for a new position in Leipzig, Bach signed a contract to become the new organist/teacher/composer at St. Thomas Church. He was required to teach at the Thomas School as a part of his position as well.

Bach was born in 1685 in Germany, as was Handel, which brings me right to . . .

#91
Water Music
George Frideric Handel

1717

The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements (often published as three suites) in response to King George I's request for a concert on the River Thames.

The Water Music opens with a French overture and includes minuets, bourrées and hornpipes. It is divided into three suites:

Suite in F major (HWV 348)
Overture (Largo - Allegro)
Adagio e staccato
Allegro - Andante - Allegro da capo Aria
Minuet
Air
Minuet
Bourrée
Hornpipe
Andante
Allegro
Hornpipe


Suite in D major (HWV 349)
Overture (Allegro)
Alla Hornpipe
Minuet
Lentement
Bourrée


Suite in G major (HWV 350)
Sarabande
Rigaudon
Allegro
Minuet
Gigue


The Water Music is scored for a relatively large orchestra, making it suitable for outdoor performance.

Check the antique instruments they're using for these performances.

Water Music Suite No. 1

Handel - Water Music Suite No. 1 (Proms 2012)




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Water Music Suite No. 2 in D Major

Handel - Water Music Suite No. 2 (Proms 2012)




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Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major

Handel - Water Music Suite No. 3 (Proms 2012)


 
Discussion starter · #210 ·
#93
Symphony No. 104 "London"
Franz Joseph Haydn
1795


The Symphony No. 104 in D major (H. 1/104) is Haydn's LAST symphony. The work is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, two horns in D and G, two trumpets in D, timpani and strings.

I. Adagio - Allegro
II. Andante
III. Menuetto and Trio: Allegro
IV. Finale: Spiritoso


Haydn: Symphony nÂş 104 "London" - Dima Slobodeniouk - Sinfonica de Galicia

 
Discussion starter · #211 · (Edited)
#95
Overture from The Magic Flute
Mozart
1791


The Overture to The Magic Flute is one of the supreme orchestral works of the 18th century. Rich, masterful, constructively concise, and melodically inventive, it balances the seemingly polar opposites of the opera, both the profound and comedic, with ease and conviction.

The slow introduction opens with the triple chords associated with the solemn ceremonies of the priests, the Overture's only thematic borrowing from the opera. The Allegro is built on a tune of opera buffa jocularity treated, most remarkably, as a fugue. I love how it effortlessly comes seemingly from nowhere. The complementary theme, initiated by the flute, is characterized by some fluid ascending chromatic scales. The balance of the Overture follows traditional sonata form, with the triple chords of the priests reiterated to mark the beginning of the development section.

You'll often hear about Classical Music's "war horses", and this is probably one of them. For those familiar with this short work, it's fascinating to revisit it with fresh ears.

Here's Sir Neville Marriner, conducting the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (I think).

Mozart The Magic Flute Overture Neville Marriner



:angel:

And as long as we're there . . . Here's a wonderful rendition of the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute, performed by Diana Damrau for The Royal Opera

The Magic Flute - Queen of the Night aria (Mozart; Diana Damrau, The Royal Opera)

 
Periphery wanted me to post this somewhere to additionally mention (for the love of teaching and spreading music) a differently generated list for those who are "fairly new to Classical but feel that they have somewhat more of an advanced 'ear'," um, "those who think they're past beginners' music." This is just a teeny blip amongst pianozach's thread which you can move elsewhere if you'd like.

This equation comes from [piece mentions Ă· favoritism] yielding the works that are considered some of the most advanced but also the most approachable and agreed upon, taken from periphery's Stat Charts of TalkClassical's favorite works. In order:

  1. Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) [1913]
  2. Mahler: Symphony #2 "Resurrection" [1894]
  3. Beethoven: Symphony #9 in D minor, op. 125 "Choral" [1824]
  4. Beethoven: Symphony #6 "Pastoral" in F, op. 68 [1808]
  5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 [1844]
  6. Dvořák: Symphony #9 in E minor, op. 95 "From the New World" [1893]
  7. Fauré: Requiem in D minor, op. 48 [1890]
  8. Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 [1749]
  9. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [1859]
  10. Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro [1594]
  11. Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob.XXI/2 [1798]
  12. Mozart: Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 [1791]
  13. Mahler: Symphony #9 [1909]
  14. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #29 in B-flat, op. 106 "Hammerklavier" [1818]
  15. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #32 in C minor, op. 111 [1822]
  16. Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), BWV 846-893 [1722, 1742]
  17. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G, op. 58 [1806/7]
  18. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 [1786]
  19. Schubert: Symphony #8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished" [1822]
  20. Beethoven: Symphony #5 in C minor, op. 67 [1808]
  21. Bruckner: Symphony #8 in C minor, WAB 108 [1890]
  22. Schubert: Winterreise, D. 911 [1827]
  23. Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) [1948]
  24. Brahms: Symphony #4 in E minor, op. 98 [1885]
  25. Chopin: Nocturnes [1827-46]
  26. Beethoven: Symphony #3 in E-flat, op. 55 "Eroica" [1803]
  27. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [1874]
  28. Schubert: Piano Sonata #21 in B-flat, D. 960 [1828]
  29. Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat, op. 83 [1881]
  30. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, op. 35 [1888]
  31. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 [1741]
  32. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" [1824]
  33. Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum [15th cent.]
  34. Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde [1909]
  35. Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012 [1720]
  36. Mozart: Don Giovanni [1787]
  37. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34 [1864]
  38. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 in E-flat, op. 73 "Emperor" [1809]
  39. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)
  40. Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) [1894]
  41. Bach: Matthäus-Passion ("St. Matthew Passion"), BWV 244 [1746]
  42. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C, D. 760 [1822]
  43. Shostakovich: Cello Concerto #1 in E-flat, op. 107 [1959]
  44. Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, op. 20 [1825]
  45. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956 [1828]
  46. Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor, K. 466 [1785]
  47. Beethoven: Symphony #7 in A, op. 92 [1812]
  48. Bruckner: Symphony #9 in D minor [1896]
  49. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #21 in C, op. 53 "Waldstein" [1804]
  50. Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178 [1854]
 
Discussion starter · #213 ·
Periphery wanted me to post this somewhere to additionally mention (for the love of teaching and spreading music) a differently generated list for those who are "fairly new to Classical but feel that they have somewhat more of an advanced 'ear'," um, "those who think they're past beginners' music." This is just a teeny blip amongst pianozach's thread which you can move elsewhere if you'd like.

This equation comes from [piece mentions Ă· favoritism] yielding the works that are considered some of the most advanced but also the most approachable and agreed upon, taken from periphery's Stat Charts of TalkClassical's favorite works. In order:

  1. Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) [1913]
  2. Mahler: Symphony #2 "Resurrection" [1894]
  3. Beethoven: Symphony #9 in D minor, op. 125 "Choral" [1824]
  4. Beethoven: Symphony #6 "Pastoral" in F, op. 68 [1808]
  5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 [1844]
  6. Dvořák: Symphony #9 in E minor, op. 95 "From the New World" [1893]
  7. Fauré: Requiem in D minor, op. 48 [1890]
  8. Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 [1749]
  9. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [1859]
  10. Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro [1594]
  11. Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob.XXI/2 [1798]
  12. Mozart: Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 [1791]
  13. Mahler: Symphony #9 [1909]
  14. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #29 in B-flat, op. 106 "Hammerklavier" [1818]
  15. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #32 in C minor, op. 111 [1822]
  16. Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), BWV 846-893 [1722, 1742]
  17. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G, op. 58 [1806/7]
  18. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 [1786]
  19. Schubert: Symphony #8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished" [1822]
  20. Beethoven: Symphony #5 in C minor, op. 67 [1808]
  21. Bruckner: Symphony #8 in C minor, WAB 108 [1890]
  22. Schubert: Winterreise, D. 911 [1827]
  23. Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) [1948]
  24. Brahms: Symphony #4 in E minor, op. 98 [1885]
  25. Chopin: Nocturnes [1827-46]
  26. Beethoven: Symphony #3 in E-flat, op. 55 "Eroica" [1803]
  27. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [1874]
  28. Schubert: Piano Sonata #21 in B-flat, D. 960 [1828]
  29. Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat, op. 83 [1881]
  30. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, op. 35 [1888]
  31. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 [1741]
  32. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" [1824]
  33. Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum [15th cent.]
  34. Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde [1909]
  35. Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012 [1720]
  36. Mozart: Don Giovanni [1787]
  37. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34 [1864]
  38. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 in E-flat, op. 73 "Emperor" [1809]
  39. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)
  40. Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) [1894]
  41. Bach: Matthäus-Passion ("St. Matthew Passion"), BWV 244 [1746]
  42. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C, D. 760 [1822]
  43. Shostakovich: Cello Concerto #1 in E-flat, op. 107 [1959]
  44. Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, op. 20 [1825]
  45. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956 [1828]
  46. Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor, K. 466 [1785]
  47. Beethoven: Symphony #7 in A, op. 92 [1812]
  48. Bruckner: Symphony #9 in D minor [1896]
  49. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #21 in C, op. 53 "Waldstein" [1804]
  50. Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178 [1854]
Fun!

Can't argue with that list.

Well, except for the Strauss Leider perhaps.

I should compare that list with my list just to see how many works appear on both.
 
Discussion starter · #214 · (Edited)
1. Holst - The Planets, Op. 32. 1918
2. Dvorak - Symphony No.9 in E minor "From the New World", Op 95. 1893


3
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"
Ludwig van Beethoven
1803


. . .

So . . . here's a live version (the BEST way to experience classical music), conducted by a modern genius, Leonard Bernstein leading the Wiener Philharmoniker.

1ST MOVEMENT: Allegro con brio
2ND MOVEMENT: Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
3RD MOVEMENT: Scherzo: Allegro vivace
4TH MOVEMENT: Allegro molto-Poco andante-Presto

BEETHOVEN - Symphony no. 3 in E flat Major, Op. 55 - Leonard Bernstein


As I predicted early on, Youtube videos disappear (or are "disappeared"), and the astonishingly good Bernstein version of Beethoven's 3rd is no exception.

As the TC settings don't allow any edits to posts after even a day, I cannot go back and "fix" the original post when a video vanishes, so here's the same video on a different account:

Here's a new link

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 (Leonard Bernstein)



EDIT, 5 November 2023: Now that Talk Classical has moved to newer software and hosting, I'm now free to go back and "fix" posts with dead links to videos, which I've done now for the aforementioned video.

Ironically, the replacement video I'd put in THIS post is now dead.

I'll just leave it here as a grim reminder of the whims of Youtube.
 
Periphery wanted me to post this somewhere to additionally mention (for the love of teaching and spreading music) a differently generated list for those who are "fairly new to Classical but feel that they have somewhat more of an advanced 'ear'," um, "those who think they're past beginners' music." This is just a teeny blip amongst pianozach's thread which you can move elsewhere if you'd like.

This equation comes from [piece mentions Ă· favoritism] yielding the works that are considered some of the most advanced but also the most approachable and agreed upon, taken from periphery's Stat Charts of TalkClassical's favorite works. In order:

  1. Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) [1913]
  2. Mahler: Symphony #2 "Resurrection" [1894]
  3. Beethoven: Symphony #9 in D minor, op. 125 "Choral" [1824]
  4. Beethoven: Symphony #6 "Pastoral" in F, op. 68 [1808]
  5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 [1844]
  6. Dvořák: Symphony #9 in E minor, op. 95 "From the New World" [1893]
  7. Fauré: Requiem in D minor, op. 48 [1890]
  8. Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 [1749]
  9. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [1859]
  10. Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro [1594]
  11. Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob.XXI/2 [1798]
  12. Mozart: Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 [1791]
  13. Mahler: Symphony #9 [1909]
  14. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #29 in B-flat, op. 106 "Hammerklavier" [1818]
  15. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #32 in C minor, op. 111 [1822]
  16. Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), BWV 846-893 [1722, 1742]
  17. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G, op. 58 [1806/7]
  18. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 [1786]
  19. Schubert: Symphony #8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished" [1822]
  20. Beethoven: Symphony #5 in C minor, op. 67 [1808]
  21. Bruckner: Symphony #8 in C minor, WAB 108 [1890]
  22. Schubert: Winterreise, D. 911 [1827]
  23. Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) [1948]
  24. Brahms: Symphony #4 in E minor, op. 98 [1885]
  25. Chopin: Nocturnes [1827-46]
  26. Beethoven: Symphony #3 in E-flat, op. 55 "Eroica" [1803]
  27. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [1874]
  28. Schubert: Piano Sonata #21 in B-flat, D. 960 [1828]
  29. Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat, op. 83 [1881]
  30. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, op. 35 [1888]
  31. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 [1741]
  32. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" [1824]
  33. Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum [15th cent.]
  34. Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde [1909]
  35. Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012 [1720]
  36. Mozart: Don Giovanni [1787]
  37. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34 [1864]
  38. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 in E-flat, op. 73 "Emperor" [1809]
  39. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)
  40. Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) [1894]
  41. Bach: Matthäus-Passion ("St. Matthew Passion"), BWV 244 [1746]
  42. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C, D. 760 [1822]
  43. Shostakovich: Cello Concerto #1 in E-flat, op. 107 [1959]
  44. Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, op. 20 [1825]
  45. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956 [1828]
  46. Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor, K. 466 [1785]
  47. Beethoven: Symphony #7 in A, op. 92 [1812]
  48. Bruckner: Symphony #9 in D minor [1896]
  49. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #21 in C, op. 53 "Waldstein" [1804]
  50. Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178 [1854]
Thanks for compiling. I thinking also if it might be helpful to read about the history of a piece. How it was composed, why, what context, etc. Maybe first couple of listens concentrate on the music and then afterwards read up while listening. I suppose wiki would be an easy access but I wonder if there is an encyclopedia type reference one could have to peruse while listening?
 
Discussion starter · #216 · (Edited)
Periphery wanted me to post this somewhere to additionally mention (for the love of teaching and spreading music) a differently generated list for those who are "fairly new to Classical but feel that they have somewhat more of an advanced 'ear'," um, "those who think they're past beginners' music." This is just a teeny blip amongst pianozach's thread which you can move elsewhere if you'd like.

This equation comes from [piece mentions Ă· favoritism] yielding the works that are considered some of the most advanced but also the most approachable and agreed upon, taken from periphery's Stat Charts of TalkClassical's favorite works. In order:

  1. Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) [1913]
  2. Mahler: Symphony #2 "Resurrection" [1894]
  3. Beethoven: Symphony #9 in D minor, op. 125 "Choral" [1824]
  4. Beethoven: Symphony #6 "Pastoral" in F, op. 68 [1808]
  5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 [1844]
  6. Dvořák: Symphony #9 in E minor, op. 95 "From the New World" [1893]
  7. Fauré: Requiem in D minor, op. 48 [1890]
  8. Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 [1749]
  9. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [1859]
  10. Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro [1594]
  11. Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob.XXI/2 [1798]
  12. Mozart: Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 [1791]
  13. Mahler: Symphony #9 [1909]
  14. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #29 in B-flat, op. 106 "Hammerklavier" [1818]
  15. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #32 in C minor, op. 111 [1822]
  16. Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), BWV 846-893 [1722, 1742]
  17. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G, op. 58 [1806/7]
  18. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 [1786]
  19. Schubert: Symphony #8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished" [1822]
  20. Beethoven: Symphony #5 in C minor, op. 67 [1808]
  21. Bruckner: Symphony #8 in C minor, WAB 108 [1890]
  22. Schubert: Winterreise, D. 911 [1827]
  23. Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) [1948]
  24. Brahms: Symphony #4 in E minor, op. 98 [1885]
  25. Chopin: Nocturnes [1827-46]
  26. Beethoven: Symphony #3 in E-flat, op. 55 "Eroica" [1803]
  27. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [1874]
  28. Schubert: Piano Sonata #21 in B-flat, D. 960 [1828]
  29. Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat, op. 83 [1881]
  30. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, op. 35 [1888]
  31. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 [1741]
  32. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" [1824]
  33. Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum [15th cent.]
  34. Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde [1909]
  35. Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012 [1720]
  36. Mozart: Don Giovanni [1787]
  37. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34 [1864]
  38. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 in E-flat, op. 73 "Emperor" [1809]
  39. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)
  40. Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) [1894]
  41. Bach: Matthäus-Passion ("St. Matthew Passion"), BWV 244 [1746]
  42. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C, D. 760 [1822]
  43. Shostakovich: Cello Concerto #1 in E-flat, op. 107 [1959]
  44. Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, op. 20 [1825]
  45. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956 [1828]
  46. Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor, K. 466 [1785]
  47. Beethoven: Symphony #7 in A, op. 92 [1812]
  48. Bruckner: Symphony #9 in D minor [1896]
  49. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #21 in C, op. 53 "Waldstein" [1804]
  50. Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178 [1854]
  1. Holst - The Planets, Op. 32. 1918
  2. Dvorak - Symphony No.9 in E minor "From the New World", Op 95. 1893
  3. Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"
  4. Stravinsky - The Firebird. 1910
  5. Tchaikovsky - 1812 Festival Overture, Op. 49. 1882
  6. Vivaldi - Summer, The Four Seasons. 1723
  7. JS Bach - Brandenburg Concerto #6, In B Flat, BWV 1051. 1721.
  8. WA Mozart - Symphony 41 in C "Jupiter", K. 551. 1788
  9. Borodin - In the Steppes of Central Asia. 1880.
  10. WA Mozart - Overture from The Marriage of Figaro. 1786
  11. Grieg - Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46, and Suite No. 2, Op. 55. (Original score, Op. 23). 1876
  12. Frederic Chopin - Polonaise Op. 53
  13. Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition (Ravel orchestration). 1922
  14. Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
  15. Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring
  16. Beethoven - Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op. 67. 1808
  17. JS Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
  18. Carl Orff - O Fortuna from Carmina Burana
  19. Mussorgsky - Night On Bald Mountain (Rimsky-Korsokov arrangement). 1886
  20. Johann Sebastian Bach - Well-Tempered Clavier 2, Prelude F Sharp minor
  21. Claude Debussy - The Sunken Cathedral
  22. Sergei Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op. 23 No. 5
  23. Franz Liszt - Consolation No. 3
  24. Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra
  25. Ravel - Bolero
  26. George Martin - Pepperland
  27. Chopin - Prelude in Db "Raindrop"
  28. Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor ("Moonlight Sonata")
  29. Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
  30. Rossini - Overture to "The Barber of Seville"
  31. Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries
  32. Mozart - Symphony No.40 in G minor
  33. Vivaldi - The Four Seasons "Spring"
  34. Beethoven's Symphony No. 6
  35. Mozart - Requiem in D minor
  36. Johann Strauss II - The Blue Danube, Op.314
  37. Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien
  38. Paul Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
  39. Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
  40. Schubert - Ave Maria
  41. Ottorino Respighi - The Pines of Rome
  42. Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
  43. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major: Op.50
  44. Tallis - Spem in Alium (40-voice motet) 1570
  45. Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.21 in C Major Op.53 (The Waldstein)
  46. Dvorak - Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 46
  47. Josquin des Prez - Missa L'Homme armé super voces musicales
  48. Palestrina - Missa Aeterna Christi munera
  49. Allegri - Miserere
  50. Beethoven's String Quartet in F Major Op.59, no.1

I compared the first 50 on my list with your list of 50. There are only 15 shared entries.

My first 50 doesn't have any Schubert (except for Ave Maria), Brahms, Mahler, or Mendelsson, and that's by design. In fact, that is the basic difference in the lists . . . yours is for intermediate and advanced listeners, while mine is designed for beginners, although both lists are certainly great listening playlists for any lover of Classical Music.

Your 50 hasn't any Mozart Symphonies, nor any Beethoven String Quartets. There's no Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Rossini, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, or Grieg.

Looking forward to the first 100 on my list, and it doesn't really change much. Maybe a dozen shared entries, although it's unfair to compare lists of different sizes. And, besides, I haven't revealed the last few entries in the Top 100 yet.

Both lists of 50 are quite short on music written after 1915. Yours has only five written in the 20th Century. Mine is almost as deficient, with only 10 of the 50 written in the 20th Century.

Thanks for compiling. I thinking also if it might be helpful to read about the history of a piece. How it was composed, why, what context, etc. Maybe first couple of listens concentrate on the music and then afterwards read up while listening. I suppose wiki would be an easy access but I wonder if there is an encyclopedia type reference one could have to peruse while listening?
My list also differs in that I have the luxury of trotting it out in blog form, and usually with a little description, fun facts, and/or context accompanying each entry (more or less), however superficial my commentary may be.

There are some striking similarities between the two lists though: We both list the same five Beethoven Symphonies (3, 5, 6, 7, & 9), plus Dvoraks' 9th. You have 10 works from Beethoven, while I've listed 9.

Your list is a groupthink list, but there are several on that list that are certainly "advanced", but not necessarily "approachable". Wagner's Ring is some fine stuff, but a daunting endeavor to get through. Bruckner's 8th and 9th tasks even advanced listeners. Shosty's Cello Concerto*? Well THAT's certainly a marathon

Of course, the very act of ranking one list against another is somewhat silly :p in the first place; they have different purposes, and different intended audiences. As you pointed out, many on your list are there because they are from composers (e.g. Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, or Mendelsson) that produced works of greater complexity, requiring greater focus to appreciate fully. They are "deep tracks", and practically all are great and worthy. In fact, I'll sprinkle many of them into my personal listening queue.

:)

* Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1

I've got some Shostakovich on my list, but as he's considerably more "advanced", his first entry isn't until the #70, and it's quite awhile before this particular piece shows up. Here's my Shosty list:

70. Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor [1944]
153. Symphony No. 5
190. String Quartet No. 8
224. Symphony No. 15
238. Cello Concerto No. 1 in Eb major, Op. 107
257. Festival Overture
265. Quartet No. 8 (duplicate entry!)
517. Symphony No 7 "Leningrad"

After that my numbering is a bit wonky, but I've got
Symphony 8
Piano Concerto 2


In another thread we've been discussing FILM SCORES, and it's amusing to me that Shostakovich actually DID write some music FOR film. And, of course, there are a handful of other films in which his music was appropriated.

There were also some others that I considered for the list, but didn't make the cut:
The Assault on Beautiful Gorky
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District
String Quartet No. 4
String Quartet No. 11
Quintet in G minor for Piano and String Quartet, Op. 57

Which of these should I move to #265?
 
Periphery wanted me to post this somewhere to additionally mention (for the love of teaching and spreading music) a differently generated list for those who are "fairly new to Classical but feel that they have somewhat more of an advanced 'ear'," um, "those who think they're past beginners' music." This is just a teeny blip amongst pianozach's thread which you can move elsewhere if you'd like.

This equation comes from [piece mentions Ă· favoritism] yielding the works that are considered some of the most advanced but also the most approachable and agreed upon, taken from periphery's Stat Charts of TalkClassical's favorite works. In order:

  1. Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) [1913]
  2. Mahler: Symphony #2 "Resurrection" [1894]
  3. Beethoven: Symphony #9 in D minor, op. 125 "Choral" [1824]
  4. Beethoven: Symphony #6 "Pastoral" in F, op. 68 [1808]
  5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 [1844]
  6. Dvořák: Symphony #9 in E minor, op. 95 "From the New World" [1893]
  7. Fauré: Requiem in D minor, op. 48 [1890]
  8. Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 [1749]
  9. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [1859]
  10. Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro [1594]
  11. Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation), Hob.XXI/2 [1798]
  12. Mozart: Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 [1791]
  13. Mahler: Symphony #9 [1909]
  14. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #29 in B-flat, op. 106 "Hammerklavier" [1818]
  15. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #32 in C minor, op. 111 [1822]
  16. Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), BWV 846-893 [1722, 1742]
  17. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #4 in G, op. 58 [1806/7]
  18. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492 [1786]
  19. Schubert: Symphony #8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished" [1822]
  20. Beethoven: Symphony #5 in C minor, op. 67 [1808]
  21. Bruckner: Symphony #8 in C minor, WAB 108 [1890]
  22. Schubert: Winterreise, D. 911 [1827]
  23. Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) [1948]
  24. Brahms: Symphony #4 in E minor, op. 98 [1885]
  25. Chopin: Nocturnes [1827-46]
  26. Beethoven: Symphony #3 in E-flat, op. 55 "Eroica" [1803]
  27. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [1874]
  28. Schubert: Piano Sonata #21 in B-flat, D. 960 [1828]
  29. Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 in B-flat, op. 83 [1881]
  30. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, op. 35 [1888]
  31. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 [1741]
  32. Schubert: String Quartet #14 in D minor, D. 810 "Death and the Maiden" [1824]
  33. Ockeghem: Missa Prolationum [15th cent.]
  34. Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde [1909]
  35. Bach: Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012 [1720]
  36. Mozart: Don Giovanni [1787]
  37. Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34 [1864]
  38. Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 in E-flat, op. 73 "Emperor" [1809]
  39. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)
  40. Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) [1894]
  41. Bach: Matthäus-Passion ("St. Matthew Passion"), BWV 244 [1746]
  42. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C, D. 760 [1822]
  43. Shostakovich: Cello Concerto #1 in E-flat, op. 107 [1959]
  44. Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, op. 20 [1825]
  45. Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956 [1828]
  46. Mozart: Piano Concerto #20 in D minor, K. 466 [1785]
  47. Beethoven: Symphony #7 in A, op. 92 [1812]
  48. Bruckner: Symphony #9 in D minor [1896]
  49. Beethoven: Piano Sonata #21 in C, op. 53 "Waldstein" [1804]
  50. Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178 [1854]
Not a shabby list at all.

For beginners I think things like Der Ring should probably be eschewed - Das Rhinegold or a "bleeding chunks" recording might be more suitable, just for the time investment.

Also "Fairly new but having somewhat more of an advanced ear" is probably a good place to start including more accessible post-1950 stuff

Just some vague suggestions for more accessible but still modern stuff in a variety of styles from minimalist to tonal and from American-to-European, just as a taster:
Terry Riley - In C (1964) (Columbia)
George Crumb - Ancient Voices of Children (1970) (Nonesuch)
Morton Subotnik - Silver Apples of the Moon (1967) (Nonesuch)
Anton Webern - Complete Orchestral Works (DG)(various, but I believe there's a specific Karajan recording of all of them)
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 (1960) (Decca/Borodin Quartet)
 
Discussion starter · #218 · (Edited)
Not a shabby list at all.

For beginners I think things like Der Ring should probably be eschewed - Das Rhinegold or a "bleeding chunks" recording might be more suitable, just for the time investment.

Also "Fairly new but having somewhat more of an advanced ear" is probably a good place to start including more accessible post-1950 stuff

Just some vague suggestions for more accessible but still modern stuff in a variety of styles from minimalist to tonal and from American-to-European, just as a taster:
Terry Riley - In C (1964) (Columbia)
George Crumb - Ancient Voices of Children (1970) (Nonesuch)
Morton Subotnik - Silver Apples of the Moon (1967) (Nonesuch)
Anton Webern - Complete Orchestral Works (DG)(various, but I believe there's a specific Karajan recording of all of them)
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 (1960) (Decca/Borodin Quartet)
Agreed. The Ring is for "later", although I've included the most "populist" edit from it, Ride of the Valkyries, at #31. I did, however, include Tristan und Isolde at #165, and there's a smattering of other Wagner on my list.

I've observed that many that enjoy Classical Music in general rarely have (or make) the opportunity to explore more contemporary Classical. This little list you've provided is a gem:

Terry Riley - In C (1964) (Columbia)
George Crumb - Ancient Voices of Children (1970) (Nonesuch)
Morton Subotnik - Silver Apples of the Moon (1967) (Nonesuch)
Anton Webern - Complete Orchestral Works (DG)
Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 (1960) (Decca/Borodin Quartet)


I've heard Silver Apples and Shosty's SQ#8, but am unfamiliar with the first two. And I certainly haven't heard Webern's Complete Orchestral Works: Certainly Webern wrote less orchestral music than he did Chamber music or music for Choir or voice. He wrote only one symphony. And it's to his credit that his catalog, being rather thin, still managed to make an impact. Frankly, I'm woefully unfamiliar with Webern's music. Is Webern's music celebrated due to his tragic death? In the grand scheme of things, just much influence did his music have?

As far as my "Beginner's" list goes, I've got Webern's Variations for Orchestra, Op. 30 at #300. And that's it. Nothing else. I don't think I've ever heard his Symphony; I hear that it's an extraordinary work, although I rarely hear it mentioned (certainly not here), nor played (either on KUSC, Classic FM, or programmed into Symphony Orchestra schedules). I find that surprising, as it's length (or brevity) certainly makes it radio-friendly.
 
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