Thread: Favourite pieces of Classical music?

John Cage's 4'33" and Luigi Russolo's Macchina Tipografica are two pieces that come to mind.

I'm not big on classical music but adore noise and its history.

Beethoven and Tchaikovsky symphonies. Particularly Beethoven's 7th, 9th and Tchaik's 4th. Chopin's études and Bach's solo cello suites. Many more but those stand out.

How funny. I am sitting here listening to the Brandenburg Concertos being performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and conducted by Sir Nevell Marriner. Just beautiful.

I also really like Holst's The Planets, Mars being my favorite. Any Beethoven.

This list is pretty long.

DAvid

I have an old vinyl disc of the Chopin's Piano Concertos 1 and 2 played by Alexander Brailovsky. I've listened to new performances of these and to my ear no one can compare to his interpretation.

I have to choose?

'Mendelssohn' concerto in E Minor OP.64

'Bruch' concerto Nr 1 in G Minor OP.26

'Wagner' Tristan und Isolde - Tannhäuser - Die meistersinger von Nürnberg

I dont have a large library of Classical but if I had to choose one it would easily be Arvo Pärt's Alina.

Another long, long list here--classical and church music were what I grew up on, and if I name a few favorites, I'll think of a dozen more in minutes.

But high on the list, always, is Barber's Adagio for Strings.

Another vote for Die Meistersinger, and I'll mention the Ring cycle as well. (Iron butt music, but worth it.)

Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (I'm usually kind of an original-language purist, but I sang this and learned to love it in English).

Brahms's Deutsches Requiem, especially "Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen"--that would be what I'd want sung at my own service, if I still knew a bunch of singers and thought I had lived a life deserving a good funeral.

Randall Thompson's Frostiana cycle, especially "Choose Something Like a Star."

And of course that incomparable glee-club classic, Grieg's "Brothers, Sing On".

Among many, many others ...

~Rich