Classical Music Lovers' Thread!

[ssrprotege]

As the title suggests, it's to promote love for classical music, as I see some members in this forum like classical music a lot. Non-classical music lovers are welcome, of course.

As a starting point, which pieces of music do you cherish the most?

For me, they are:

Mahler: Symphony No. 2, 6, 8 (Rattle/CBSO)
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 & 2
Brahms: A German Requiem
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Brahms-Schoenberg's Piano Quartet No. 1 (i.e. orchestrated version)
Bach: St. Matthew Passion & Violin Partita No. 4 (Chaconne :thumbsup:)
Finally, Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8

As you see, no matter how independent I am, I seem to prefer music played by groups. There is only one piece that is not played by groups. Anyway, what are your preferences?

[Bioplasmoid]

Does Philip Glass qualify as classical? I once heard some great stuff by him.

[ssrprotege]

Does Philip Glass qualify as classical? I once heard some great stuff by him.

Yes, why not? Minimalism is part of the classical music movements. :)

[Erika Redmark]

Dvorak: Symphony #8, 9
Griffes: Poem for Flute and Orchestra
Mahler: Symphony #1, 2, 3, 4; Das Lied von der Erde
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise; Variations on Trockne Blumen
Sibelius: Symphony #1, 2; Kullervo; The Swan of Tuonela

[Arcani]

As music to just sit around and listen to while I work, classical isn't my thing. As a result you won't be getting any favorite pieces from me.

On the other hand, I love going to see school band concerts or visits to a local orchestra production. In those settings I've heard some amazing classical works that I really enjoyed.

[Mozzes]

Yes, why not? Minimalism is part of the classical music movements. :)

In that case I'm going to go with 4′33″.

[ssrprotege]

In that case I'm going to go with 4′33″.

4'33'' by John Cage? Is musique aleatorie part of "minimalism"? Have never heard of that before....

[Mozzes]

4'33'' by John Cage? Is musique aleatorie part of "minimalism"? Have never heard of that before....

I don't know, but the performance can consist of as little as a single musician not playing any music. I'm not sure how you can get any more "minimalist" than that.

[ChrisM]

• Aaron Copland - Appalachian Spring

• Antonín Dvořák - Symphony #9 (of course ;))

• Antonio Vivaldi - 6 Cello Sonatas

• Eric Whitacre - Sleep, Three Songs of Praise: No 2: Hope, Faith, Life, Love

• Frédérick Chopin - Prelude XV D flat Major, Opus 28 ("rain-drop")

• JS Bach - Inventions, Sinfonias, and Goldberg Variations

• Maurice Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit, Le Tombeau de Couperin (especially orchestrated version), Ma Mére L'oye, Miroirs, Jeux d'eau, Daphnis Et Chloe, La Valse

• Robert Schumman - Davidsbündlertänze, Fantasiestücke





ChrisM added to this post, 872 minutes and 44 seconds later...

It's hard to do this, but if I had to pick one classical work, it would be the Gaspard de la Nuit suite. It's unbelievable. If you can stand Pascal Rogé's sometimes flaky touch, his version is unparalleled.

[Erika Redmark]

I just listened to Gaspard de la Nuit on Youtube…it's so awesome. I loved the second movement. Then I was related-links-surfing and found some excerpts from L'enfant et les sortilèges…it looks really interesting.

[ChrisM]

Hmm, I'm sure I have it.. just haven't actively listened to it yet. Gaspard has this eerie / enchanted thing that does it for me. I love anything that has vivid scenery, especially darker / ambient stuff. :devilish::)

I love a lot of music that came out of France (Satie, Dutilleux, etc.). Russia too!

[arulguna]

Ahh Satie is amazing, i think his personality really comes out in his music! I'm just beginning to exploring the world of western classical music, but some of the favourite pieces are Gymnopedie No.1, Claire de Lune, Morricione's Once Upon a Time in the West, moonlight sonata, Peer Gynt Op 23 Morning, Ave Maria by 'Guilo Caccini' (vavilov) and Praeludium and Allegro.

[Saint]

Any piece with violins. Any solo piano pieces.

You are listening to Boston Classical 99.5...

[Musicguy]

• Maurice Ravel - Ma Mére L'oye, Miroirs, Jeux d'eau, Daphnis Et Chloe

Nice. Incredibly sensual music, I remember the first time I heard the music from Daphnis et Chloe: broke out in a cold sweat.

Adding to the list:

Ottorino Respighi:
Pines of Rome (if you like the Ravel mentioned about, be sure to listen to the third movement)
Fountains of Rome
Roman Festival
Church Windows

Claude Debussy:
La Mer
Nocturnes for Orchestra

[Deadgod]

Mahler-Symphony No.9
Bruckner-Symphony No.8
Beethoven-Symphony Nos. 3,5,7,9
Scriabin-Piano Sonata No.7 and 9, Symphony No.1
Dvorak-Cello Concerto, Symphony No.9, Slavonic Dances
Schoenberg-Serenade (op.24)
Bartok-Hungarian Sketches, Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta
Camille Saint-Saens-Danse Macabre
Chopin-all his Impromptus, and Ballade No.1
Sibelius-Symphony No.2, Finlandia, Valse Triste
Bach-Cello Suites, Well-Tempered Clavier
Wagner-Die Meistersinger, Der Ring das Nibelungen
Tchaikovsky-Romeo and Juliet Overture, Symphonies Nos. 2, 4-6
Rachmanivov-Symphony No.2, Piano Concerto Nos. 2 and 3, Vocalise
Rimsky-Korsakov-Scherezade, Cappricio Espagnol, Russian Easter Overture
and lastly,
Messiaen- Four Symphonic Meditations for Orchestra, Illuminations of the Beyond, and Quartet for the End of Time

This is good portion of classical music, but I like other composers and there is too much classical music to love. It is the best music ever.

[animado]

Right now my absolute favorite is Schoenberg's Verklaerte Nacht... Can't get enough of it.

Debussy: Trio Sonata for flute, viola, harp
Mahler: Symphony 1, 5
Shostakovich: Symphony 5, 9. String quartets, esp 2 and 8
Stravinsky: Rite of Spring
Tchaik 5
Phillip Glass: Company, Songs from Liquid Days, String quartets
Bruckner: Symphony 8
Dvorak: SQ 12 (American)
Bach: B Minor Mass
Beethoven: Late string quartets

[Musicguy]

Hindemith: Mathis der Maler
Crumb: Makrokosmos 1
Vaughan Williams: Symphony #1 "Sea Symphony"

[Shakyamuni]

In that case I'm going to go with 4′33″.

DEAR GOD! How can this even be classified as anything???? Its 4 min and 33 seconds of NO SOUND..... I would say it is the equivalent of modern art in the musical world.

My favorite piece:
Beethoven's 6th symphony, Pastoral

[ssrprotege]

DEAR GOD! How can this even be classified as anything???? Its 4 min and 33 seconds of NO SOUND..... I would say it is the equivalent of modern art in the musical world.

My favorite piece:
Beethoven's 6th symphony, Pastoral

The possibility of sound being made makes 4'33'' modern music.

[animado]

I love 4'33''... It was absolutely revolutionary! Including noises that were previously considered undesirable is pushed to the extreme, resulting in a piece that is nothing but ambient noise/sound. Sure, it's not something you'll jam out to in your car, but it illustrates a completely new way of experiencing music as sound, and sound as music.

[augustus]

As the title suggests, it's to promote love for classical music, as I see some members in this forum like classical music a lot. Non-classical music lovers are welcome, of course.

As a starting point, which pieces of music do you cherish the most?

For me, they are:

Mahler: Symphony No. 2, 6, 8 (Rattle/CBSO)
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 & 2
Brahms: A German Requiem
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Brahms-Schoenberg's Piano Quartet No. 1 (i.e. orchestrated version)
Bach: St. Matthew Passion & Violin Partita No. 4 (Chaconne :thumbsup:)
Finally, Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8

As you see, no matter how independent I am, I seem to prefer music played by groups. There is only one piece that is not played by groups. Anyway, what are your preferences?

I love Beethoven, Mozart and many romantic composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak, Schumann, Schubert and Mendelssohn.

My favorite works are by Beethoven.

I like Beethoven's symphonies and Violin Concerto.

For Mozart his Piano Concertos.

I like Mahler's 5th (the best) followed by 2nd.4th is interesting.

I like Brahm's 3 & 4th symphonies and absolutely adore his piano concertos.

Bruckner -7 and 4

Sibelius - 2, 3, 6 and 7

and many more....

[einnelsate]

Bach's Brandenburg Concertos & Partita No. 3 (Preludio)
Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5
Bazzini's Dance of the Goblins
Dvorak's Symphony #9
Mozart's Horn & Violin concertos
Sarasate's Habanera
Paganini's 24th & 5th Caprices
Elgar's Salut D'Amour
& the classic Canon In D, Pachelbel :)

[iMiki]

I'm bored with most of the classical pieces from the old times. I prefer classical music with repetitive structures, I guess in other words, minimalist music like Philip Glass' pieces. I really love pieces with piano and strings - pieces with a mysterious sound or that "deep thought" feeling to it, sometimes depressing, or eerie. It's just soothing.

And oh, I love music the has the combination of rock music and classical music like Evanescence and the Fray. Though I think it's not a subgenre of classical music.

[Deadgod]

I can't help but to listen to the ending theme of Mishima. It's such a poignant piece of music from Glass. I could put it on repeat for days and never get tired of it. It's truly mesmerizing. By far the worst guilty pleasure I have.

[Musicguy]

I keep thinking of more:

Choral music of Arvo Pärt.

[Shakyamuni]

Va pensiero! Viva l'italia

[Monte314]

Certainly Mahler's First (especially the finale)
Gustav Holst ("The Planets")
Mussorksy ("Pictures at an Exhibition", "Night on Bald Mountain")
Bach's Brandeburg Concertos (Especially number 3)

[augustus]

I am toying with creating playlists for different occasions and moods.

I am combining my favorite pieces from Mahler right now. Here are the pieces in my list.

Symphony 6 - First Movement
Symphony 2 - 2nd Movement
Symphony 4 - 1st movement
Symphony 2 - 3rd movement
Symphony 5 - 3rd movement
Symphony 2 - 1st movement
Symphony 5 - 1st movement

Its great. One masterpiece after another.

I consider myself a composer of playlists.:)

I like my playlist to have a good beginning, a decent middle with an explosive finish.