Classical Music - your favourite piece?

Bard

Quick question this... what is your favourite piece of classical music?

Mine would be Strauss' Blue Danube... love that tune, so I do...

Some of Rachmaninoff's, Vivaldi's, Wagner's and Beethoven's works are vying for a close second place, mind you

imp

Very tough choice...

Possibly Adagio for Strings by Barber

I also love all of The Planets by Holst...

}:>

Lemming

Barber - Adagio for Strings
J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concerto no.1
Pachelbel - Canon
Mozart - Symphony no.40 (it has some extremely sinister undertones if you listen to it carefully)
Pergalassi - Nina
Telemann - Concerto in G major for Viola (yes .. I am a viola player)
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No.6 in B minor, Violin Concerto in D Major
Albinoni - Adagio for Strings in G Minor
Shostakovich - Symphony no.5 in D Minor
Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E Minor

sceptre

Probably Rachmanninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Pagannini

ykt0di9url7bc3

Carmina Bourana by Carl Orff

powerfull ****!

Paladin

Carl Orf - O Fortuna

Gordon

Tricky... it's a toss up between Blue Danube (due to 2001 space odyssey) - Bach's Toccata & Fugue Dm Organ piece - Holst's planet (Can't remember which one - the one from the Hovis advert) and Bach's air on a G string.

Class(ical)

Karl Hungus

I'm going for O Fortuna.
Mainly because of Excalibur

b4k4^2

Too hard to choose.
I'd say these are my favourite pieces.
Beethoven's 'Sonata No.14, Moonlight', 'Fur Elise', 'Ode to Joy' and 'Air'
Barber's 'Adagio for Strings'
Mussorgsky's 'Night on the Bare Mountain'
Strauss' 'By the Beautiful Danube'
Khachaturian's 'Adagio from Spartacus'
Prokfiev's 'Romeo and Juliet Ballad'
Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkeries'
Pachelbel's 'Canon in D'
All great stuff.

beardedchicken

Straus????????? strauss?????????? oh come on, man!! strauss is for old ladies with blue hair and false teeth!

Wagner... now that's a man with fire in his belly and a glint in his eye! it's just gotta be "Ride of the Valkyries"

or indeed most German or Russian composers. it's all that cold weather and socialism- it angries up the blood! if you have to go for a strauss, go for richard strauss- at least he had passion!

(edit)

on second thoughts, (and after a few deep breaths), maybe i spoke too hastily- it begs the question: what do you value more highly in music, classical or otherwise-
melody or harmony?
lyricism or passion?
piano or forte?
that really can determine which compsers and which pieces you go for. it's worth thinking about. what makes people choose the type of music they enjoy? what makes a rocker like rock? what makes some people like dance and others jazz? what make s amoron like britney spears think she's a singer?
....but i digress.....

(edit)

Gordon

Oh, how could I forget about Chopin.

'Raindrop Prelude no. 15 Db'

I learned to love it when I learned to play it.

deco

My favourite would have to be Beethovan's "La Pathatique"

just love to sit back and watch the world drift by.....

Even though if I'm going to clobber some shams then I'll but on O Fortuna....really puts you in the mood:D

mike65

Humming Chorus from M.Butterfly by Puccini okay thats opera but its close enough!

Mike.

Greenbean

Prokofiev - Dance of Capuleti
(everyone knows this anthem but not its name - the block buster movie of classical songs)

Ravel - Bolero
(stoner music of its day I bet!)

Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody
(yeah the one from that classic Tom & Jerry cartoon with the piano!)

Gershwin, George - Rapsody in Blue
(fairly recent - its like the musical equivalent of a mad night on the town with bright shinning lights and hazy memory all included)

Kopf

Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto in d minor.

Lemming

Originally posted by Greenbean

Ravel - Bolero
(stoner music of its day I bet!)

UGHHh ... brings back bad memories. Possibly one of THE most horribly boring and soul-crushing pieces to play in orchestra if you're a string player ... most notably a viola player

The first movement is the same 8 notes over and over again and over
and over
and over
and over
lol

darthmise

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata, by a mile.

originally posted by greenbean
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody
(yeah the one from that classic Tom & Jerry cartoon with the piano!)

Thank you very much, long standing query at last solved!!!
What about the other tom and jerry bit where the ants are marching up along therake and onto the hammock? Anyone remember that episode? Or the song more inportantly...

CHRISTYG

Some of my (many) favourites include-in no particular order (too difficult!!!!)


Johann Strauss- The Blue Danube

Beethoven- Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral) especially the 2nd movement- so serene!

Beethoven's 9th (Choral) When the "Ode to Joy" comes, even though I don't speak German, I usually sing along-in English! (I have a translation that a friend gave me years ago!!)

Massenet- "Meditation"- a wonderful solo violin piece. If you've had a stressful day, lie down, take your shoes off, pour yourself a glass of wine, beer, or whatever, and just let the music float over you.

I have hundreds more, but as I don't want to detain you gentlemen (and ladies!) all day, I'll sign off now!!!

Saruman

Saint Sans - Danse Macabre
And Holst is in there too... Planets Suite is great!!!

bobsmith833

It's a bit like the question about which €80 bottle of wine to have with your fish, this is... depends a bit on the circumstances.

I'd usually go for any or all of Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, Beethoven 6th, 7th or 9th symphony, Beethoven violin concerto, Bach St Matthew Passion or Grieg piano concerto. Don't ask me why though...

EvilGeorge

Berlioz - Requiem - Brilliant piece!!!

Anyone ever hear Peter Aben's Pragar te deum - its like the omen part 5 !! An extenion of Carl Orffs classic. (I know its not a classical piece but mordern age works are class).

azezil

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky

Jimi-Spandex

Orff - Fortuna Imperatix Mundi
Wagner - Flight of the Valkyries
Uematsu - Fithos Lusec Vicos Winosec
Kanno - More than 3cm

col_nicholson

1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky
The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wagner - because that scene in apocalyspe now is exellent
Moonlight Sonata - Betthoven