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A Good List of 'Top' Classical Pieces

@bbarten 

bbarten recently posted a request for top classical pieces.  To that end, I will offer two all-time greats:

     a. Beethoven's 5th Symphony - conducted by Carlos Klieber with the Wiener Philharmoniker

     b. Beethoven's 9th  Symphony - conducted by William Furtwangler, live 1942 with the Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester

Also, from the world of A.I... a solid starters-list

  1. Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, “Spring”: Allegro

  2. Chopin – Nocturne No. 2 in E‑flat major, Op. 9 No. 2

  3. Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Morning Mood

  4. Richard Strauss – Also sprach Zarathustra: Prelude (Sunrise)

  5. Beethoven – Symphony No. 5: Allegro con brio

  6. Grieg – Piano Concerto in A minor: Allegro molto moderato

  7. Wagner – Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries

  8. Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake: Scene (Moderato)

  9. Beethoven – Bagatelle in A minor (“Für Elise”)

  10. Debussy – Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune

  11. Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 (“Choral”): Finale

  12. Pachelbel – Canon in D

  13. Barber – Adagio for Strings

  14. Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 (“Moonlight”): Adagio sostenuto

  15. Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo

  16. Puccini – Turandot: Nessun dorma

  17. Elgar – Enigma Variations: Nimrod

  18. Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro

  19. Einaudi – I giorni

  20. Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air on the G String

  21. Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker: Dance of the Sugar‑Plum Fairy

  22. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: Allegro

  23. Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3

  24. Schubert – Ave Maria

  25. Canteloube – Chants d’Auvergne: Bailero

  26. Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a: Waltz of the Flowers

  27. Bach – Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: Vivace

  28. Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: Allegro molto

  29. Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3

  30. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: Allegro

  31. Massenet – Thaïs: Méditation

  32. Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”: Largo

  33. Strauss II – The Blue Danube

  34. Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5

  35. Satie – Gymnopédie No. 1

  36. Mozart – Requiem: Lacrimosa

  37. Beethoven – Für Elise

  38. Elgar – Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1

  39. Bizet – Carmen: Habanera

  40. Beethoven – Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy (excerpt)

  41. Offenbach – Barcarolle (from The Tales of Hoffmann)

  42. Giazotto (after Albinoni) – Adagio in G minor

  43. Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro

  44. Rossini – The Barber of Seville: Overture

  45. Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto

  46. Smetana – Má vlast: Vltava (The Moldau)

  47. Boccherini – Minuet (String Quintet in E major)

  48. Mozart – Symphony No. 40 (additional movement)

  49. Holst – The Planets: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

  50. Orff – Carmina Burana: O Fortuna

 

 

I hope this list, like many other similar lists, provides insight and a place to start.

 

Did they miss any of YOUR favorites?  

Do you have a MUST-HAVE recording of these chestnuts?

 

Cheers,

inagroove
dynacohum
841 posts
 

@Inagroove 

I was first exposed to Beethoven’s sonatas with Kempff and have his box set, but once discovering Gilels’ artistry, I generally go with his performances. 
I read Rubinstein’s charming biography and love his Nocturnes, but not everything. 
There are so many…Brendel, Perahia, Serkin, Michelangeli, Richter, etc. etc. Our local guys Sherman, Goode and Rangell aren’t too bad either. 

inagroove OP
285 posts
 

@hilde45 

Another perennial-favorite performance of a 'classical greatest hit' composition is Glenn Gould's original recording of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations on Columbia.

Columbia convinced Gould to re-record this set, but most people favor the original set.

If you can find a good copy, it is worth having.

larryi
4,604 posts
 

Is it biggest hits or the most important pieces or personal favorites or a little bit of everything?

No list is complete without Bach's B minor mass which is acclaimed by many as the single greatest piece of music (I don't disagree).

Beethoven and Mozart have been recognized above, but I would add Beethoven's Late String Quartets (all of them) and his Sonata for violin and piano No. 5 ("Spring") and Mozart's "Clarinet Concerto."  Schubert wrote some of the greatest chamber works; this includes his Quintet (D. 956).

Certainly the 20th century deserves some recognition; how about Stravinski's "Rite of Spring," Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra," John Adam's Violin Concerto, and Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2?

inagroove OP
285 posts
 

@larryi 

Great Question.

I have submitted only 'greatest hits' pieces, as defined by enduring popularity and critical acclaim for music that is over, say 100 years old.  This lens ensures  durability and avoids transient hits (for better or worse).

This includes the "Late Romantic Period" (Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Debussy, Dvorak, Elgar, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, Strauss, Ravel, etc.) and marches back to the very earliest written music...

Of course a strong case can be made for The Rite of Spring, Firebird, Rhapsody in Blue, etc., but I wonder if they will still be popular in 20 years now that streaming has opened Pandora's Box (i.e. too much content to develop a consciences). 

That being said, I would recommend them to anyone, as they appear to endure.

Finally, my goal is simply to get a 'starter list' of great classical compositions and recordings for anyone willing to spend their time exploring the genre, with no hard rules...

 

larryi
4,604 posts
 

If you are looking for snippets to suggest (i.e., not the whole piece) my specific movements include the following:

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto (second movement-adagio) 

Grieg Piano Concerto (second movement adagio)

Beethoven Piano Concerto Nos. 4, 5 (final movements)

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 (first movement)

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 (second movement adagio)

Schubert "Trout" Quintet (fourth movement-theme and variation)

Mahler Symphony No. 5 (fourth movement-adagietto)

More to discover