Excellent. I would add Max Bruch's Scottish Fantasy and Beethoven's 6th symphony. As for a great piece of music and a great performance, on Tidal I have found Beethoven's 6th Symphony with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Szell, in HD. A wonderful experience for me, as this was among the first records I ever owned in the late 1950s, and I heard this symphony performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Karl Böhm in 1976; it was a stunning performance by both conductor and the orchestra.
A Good List of 'Top' Classical Pieces
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
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Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, “Spring”: Allegro
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Chopin – Nocturne No. 2 in E‑flat major, Op. 9 No. 2
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Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Morning Mood
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Richard Strauss – Also sprach Zarathustra: Prelude (Sunrise)
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Beethoven – Symphony No. 5: Allegro con brio
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Grieg – Piano Concerto in A minor: Allegro molto moderato
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Wagner – Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries
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Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake: Scene (Moderato)
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Beethoven – Bagatelle in A minor (“Für Elise”)
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Debussy – Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune
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Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 (“Choral”): Finale
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Pachelbel – Canon in D
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Barber – Adagio for Strings
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Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 (“Moonlight”): Adagio sostenuto
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Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo
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Puccini – Turandot: Nessun dorma
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Elgar – Enigma Variations: Nimrod
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Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
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Einaudi – I giorni
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Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air on the G String
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Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker: Dance of the Sugar‑Plum Fairy
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Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: Allegro
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Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3
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Schubert – Ave Maria
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Canteloube – Chants d’Auvergne: Bailero
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Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a: Waltz of the Flowers
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Bach – Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: Vivace
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Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: Allegro molto
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Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3
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Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: Allegro
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Massenet – Thaïs: Méditation
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Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”: Largo
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Strauss II – The Blue Danube
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Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5
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Satie – Gymnopédie No. 1
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Mozart – Requiem: Lacrimosa
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Beethoven – Für Elise
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Elgar – Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1
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Bizet – Carmen: Habanera
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Beethoven – Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy (excerpt)
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Offenbach – Barcarolle (from The Tales of Hoffmann)
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Giazotto (after Albinoni) – Adagio in G minor
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Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
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Rossini – The Barber of Seville: Overture
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Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
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Smetana – Má vlast: Vltava (The Moldau)
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Boccherini – Minuet (String Quintet in E major)
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Mozart – Symphony No. 40 (additional movement)
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Holst – The Planets: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
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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,
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- 42 posts total
Thanks for the input. Any particular Scottish Fantasy recording? I have a thing for Beethoven's 6th: It is such a counterpoint to the 'heroic' themes in so many of the other symphonies. I have owned at lease 13 versions of the 6th, and still have 8 versions on the shelf, including Szell/Cleveland and Bohm/Vienna, but not Bohm/Berlin. Perhaps I need a nineth 6th ;-) |
https://forum.audiogon.com/users/inagroove My favorite Scottish Fantasy is performed by Kyung Wha Chung, in part because I attended a performance by her with the Munich orchestra in 1973; it was excellent. It is available on Tidal, with Rudolph Kempe and the Dutoit orchestra. As for Beethoven's 6th Symphony, my favorite is George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, but Karl Böhm and the Vienna Philharmonic is incredible. My wife and I attended a performance of the 6th in West Berlin (now simply Berlin) in early 1976, conducted by Böhm with the Berlin Philharmonic. Böhm almost tottered out to the podium, but when he picked up the baton he appeared to grow several inches in height. He then vigorously conducted the 6th Symphony in a performance that clearly competed with Szell and Cleveland. When the performance ended, Böhm lowered the baton and appeared to shrink before our eyes. The Berliners went wild, applauding and stomping their feet for over 45 minutes. Both are available on Tidal. I am sure there are other superb performances, but those are my favorites. |
Half the fun is discovering music on your own. I’d suggest going to the main branch of your library and looking at scores. A music college typically has a sizable collection of scores. If you can’t read music, no problem. Just make a long list of pieces you find and look for recordings of those works. Chances are, you’ll find around 20% of what you see. Also, pieces are listed on the back covers of scores as a way for the publisher to promote their catalogue. Anyway, this can be a lot of fun and you’ll find that this erudite undertaking will educate you about pieces and composers most people have never heard of. Of course the internet is also a great resource. I used to do this myself because I live near the College Conservatory of Music and was interested in contemporary compositions that my local radio station ignores. |
- 42 posts total