SEVEN (7) GREATEST pieces of CLASSICAL MUSIC ever written: which are your nominees?

Question

And by this, I don't necessarily mean "your favorites": rather, choose the ones you feel are truly monumental and/or original in their artistic quality.

And pretty, pretty please-no more than 7: a line must be drawn somewhere, and I'm just choosing a number arbitrarily.

They can be symphonies, concertos, cantatas, operas, divertimentos, quintets, whatever.

And your reasons for your choices would be nice.

Thanks,

Alberich

Answer 1

Here's my seven (in no particular order) for what it is worth:



Beethoven: Symphony No.9 - need I even bother to say why?

Mozart: Don Giovanni - possibly the greatest opera ever written.

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - revolutionary work that foreshadowed the modern period.

J.S. Bach: The Goldberg Variations - any way you look at it... simply remarkable.

J.S Bach: The Saint Matthew Passion - perhaps Bach's greatest work although the Mass in B minor may be preferred by some.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor, "Apassionata" - The new romanticism exemplified!

Beethoven: Symphony No.5 - possibly the most famous music ever created.



Nothing very controversial here, but tough to limit the choices to 7.

Answer 2

These are in chronological order (not order of importance - I couldn't argue that one!) and relate quite closely to my previous list of 7 greatest composers. Again, I have listed pieces which, in my humble opinion, were seminal in the development of classical music.



1 Guillaume de Machaut - Messe de Nostre Dame

Dating from the 1360s, this was the first independent setting of the Mass and the first known piece of its scale ever written. Machaut can safely be credited with being the first large-scale 'classical' composer and his example served as an inspiration for generations of composers to come.



2 Monteverdi - Orfeo

Scholars argue whether it was Peri's 'Daphne' (1597) or Monteverdi's 'Orfeo' (1600) which was the first true opera. Peri's piece is lost, sadly, so we cannot tell exactly what sort of work it was. Monteverdi's masterpiece paved the way for opera and the new Baroque style of writing. Like Beethoven's Eroica, 'Orfeo' meant that everything was changed forever.



3 Bach - Mass in B minor

Held up by many as the greatest work by arguably the greatest composer of all time. The B minor Mass has it all - wonderful lyricism, a perfect harmonic structure and some cracking fugues. Every composer since has had to have learnt something from Bach.



4 Beethoven - Symphony No 3 (Eroica)

This is the symphony that really ended the Classical era as it had been known up till then. The Eroica could be considered the first Romantic symphony. Its huge scale (it was the largest symphony to be composed at that time), structural and harmonic daring and audacity meant that nothing would ever be quite the same again.



5 Beethoven - Symphony No 9 (Choral)

The 'Big B's second entry - and the second of his 9 symphonies to make it into my list. By any standards, the Ninth is a towering masterpiece. 20 years after the 'Eroica', Beethoven again wrote the largest-scale symphony ever written. Some would regard it as still the greatest symphony of all time.



6 Wagner - Tristan und Isolde

This is where tonality received it first true challenge. The harmonic language in Tristan reached new chromatic heights. Wagner had also developed his 'through composed' style (as opposed to 'number operas' which had been the norm until then) and the use of the Leitmotiv, where characters and other ideas were associated with certain musical themes.



7 Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

The last of Stravinsky's revolutionary ballet scores for Diaghilev, The Rite paved the way for a new kind of music where melody could be subserviant to rhythm, orchestral colour and sheer impact.

Answer 3

1. Bach B-minor Mass: what can I say? Bach is amazing. This work is monumental. If you listen to it, you can't disagree.



2. Haydn Creation: I chose Haydn's Creation for its representation of chaos and mighty choruses. The composer set out to describe the entire universe, and look what he wrote.



3. Mozart Don Giovanni: Mozart-Da Ponte was a fortuitous pairing, I could just as easily have picked Le Nozze. I pick Don Giovanni because it balances comic and serious elements, the finales of both acts are pure musical genius, and the monumentality of the subject matter: the hero defies social convention and traditional morality even to death... or you could say he embodies a demonic force that requires a character from the other world to bring him down.



4. Beethoven Symphony No. 9: the choral finale is universal and has a universal message, can you imagine the history of music without this work?



5. Wagner Ring Cycle: epic, 4 operas... it's amazing how Wagner contrives to develop the music and the plot, building the intensity until the climax of Götterdämmerung.



6. Mahler Symphony No. 9: also epic, but in a different way. It's as much a landmark in tonality as Tristan und Isolde (which didn't make my list). Perhaps it needs some prozac though.



7. Stravinsky Rite of Spring: I would choose this if for no other reason than its initial reception scandal; this work was revolutionary for subverting the audience's expectations and was remarkably influential in the various courses 20th-century music took. The harsh dissonances and rhythms thrill the listener.

Answer 4

WAGNER - Der Ring des Nibelungen/Tristan und Isolde

-Does Wagner really need an introduction? This 4 opera cycle is a giant in classical music. Also, his other opera, Tristan, is worth mentioning because it and the Ring are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Both are beautiful, but to different extremes.



BACH - Chaconne from Partita in d - This solo for violin is monument in violin repertoire, and vastly difficult. A huge range of emotions can be presented through this one piece.



BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 9/Appassionata - arguable comparison. For those who have read my answers before, they know my stance on these two pieces.



SHOSTAKOVICH - Piano Concerto No. 2. A beautiful and fun work of the twentieth century



PAERT - Te Deum - a masterpiece of the twentieth century, written in an original compositional style, tintinnabulation, going against the odds, taking us back into antiquity.



RAVEL - Le Tombeau de Couperin - Another big piano work, and the main reason I took Mozart off this list. :)



VIVALDI - L'estro armonico violin suite. This composer wrote concerto form, crystal clear. This is an amazing set, well worth the listen/study.

Answer 5

1 Beethoven Missa Solemnis

2 Beethoven Grosse fugue

3 Bach mass in Bm

4 Monteverdi Vespers of 1610

5 Mozart requiem dm

6 Mozart Don Giovoni

7 Mahler 9th symphony

Answer 6

Alberich,



If I put in the complete Ring Cycle, do I get credit for all 146 pieces?



In no particular order:

1. Holst: Planets (Darn, seven pieces right there) -- Holst must've lived in an Earth-centered universe ... no earth here.



2. Bach: Brandenberg Concerti (three movements each) (Concertos 3, 4, and 6 are favorites) -- saw #6 live with Karajan when I was a kid.



3. Beethoven: Symphonies (Symphonies 3, 4, 6, and 9 are favorites) -- perpetual favorites of anyone who loves music



4. Verdi: Aida -- another live and in person



5. Verdi: Rigoletto -- and again



6. Sibelius: Finlandia (Op. 26) -- pretty much beautiful music



7. Vaughn-Williams: Sine Nomine -- Majestic organ hymn.



(and/or any of his symphonies ... which are pretty much universally in minor keys)



Sincerely,

I. Jones, crossing the line whenever he can.

Answer 7

Here's mine.1 Beethoven Missa Solemnis, 2 Beethoven 9th symphony,3 Stravinsky rite of spring, 4 Bach Mass in B minor,5 don Giovanni, 6 Mahler 7th symphony , 7 stravinsky symphony of psalms.



One's that barely didn't make the cut Monteverdi vespers, stravinsky Petrouchka, mahler symphonies 9, 5,2,1, Beethoven symphonies 3,5,7,6

Answer 8

1.Mendelssohn violin concerto.- The Adagio.

Though not the greatest piece of music (very repetitive, the melody's gorgeous, and the sereneness can easily depict many stories.) An all-time fabourite that people just can't get enough of- it must be truly great:)



2.Ravel's Bolero- The overlapping of instruments is amazing. Also I heard an "Alternative" song by Rufus Wainwright in which the Bolero's incorporated into the background. It's very clever.. The suspense of the drums is incredible.



3.Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite- (My favourite composer!)

Reflects exactly how you'd imagine the ability to dance gracefully.



4.Bloch violin concerto- Immense passion, and wows the audience.



5.Swan Lake- Agian, just a melt-heart weak spot of mine :)

Always reminds me of my first trip to the ballet- It's great as it's so light and airy...



6.Brahms Hungarian Dance #5- PHWOAR- I LOVE the tearing the gut out of the violin! It's a piece everyone knows, and you can capture the mood- just imagine the Hungarian Gypsies that freelance and create such empowered music.



Shostakovich-Symphony 5 Stokowski- Just amazing. Amazing. Shostakovich's awful history with Stalin make his works even more intruiging. You can see how Stalin's oppression influenced his moods and character.



Classical music has been at the forefront of my 14 year life so far- thanks for such an amazing question :)

x

Answer 9

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

SEVEN (7) GREATEST pieces of CLASSICAL MUSIC ever written: which are your nominees?

And by this, I don't necessarily mean "your favorites": rather, choose the ones you feel are truly monumental and/or original in their artistic quality.



And pretty, pretty please-no more than 7: a line must be drawn somewhere, and I'm just choosing a number...

Answer 10

Bach: B Minor Mass



Mozart: Don Giovanni (opera)



Beethoven: Symphony 9



Bizet: Carmen ( opera)



Stravinsky: The Right of Spring



Copeland: Rodeo ( ballet music)



Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice



and maybe: La Boheme ( opera by Puccini)

Answer 11

Elgar - Cello Concerto

Mozart - Requiem

Faure - Pavane

Beethoven - Pastoral Symphony

Tschaikowsky - Swan Lake

Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Mozart - Piano Concerto #21

Answer 12

Beethoven's 5th and 9th Symphonies. That are usually two of the melodies that non-classical music listeners know the tune of.



Holst- The Planets. Gives a variety of emotion in one big package. And now they're complete =D



Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8. You can really feel his own personal emotion throughout the piece. Anything by Shostakovich really.



Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture. Another tune that many people know. Has a variety of emotion in it as well.



Smetana- The Moldau Vltava- basically what I've been saying (emotion)



Hope that helps!

Answer 13

Some favorites:



Daphnis et Chloé is probably Ravel's most important, expressive piece, and I love it because of it's beauty and perfection. Ravel really did it with that one. I won't say Boléro because I don't think Ravel would like that.



Stravinsky is my other favorite. Of course everyone says that Le Sacre du Printemps is one of the great groundbreaking pieces ever written, and it's true. It's so, ummmm, I am having trouble finding a word, but you know what I mean. Le Sacre is definately another of my favorites, and I have memorized the entire thing.



Stravinsky has also amazed me with his spectacular Firebird. The finale contains some of the most powerful, beautiful music I've ever heard, thus it is also a favorite of mine.



Ahhh, Ravel. His little opera L'enfant et les Sortileges is fantastic. It is purely Ravel, with it's magical fairy tale like quality. I love the ragtime of the teapot and the Chinese cup. It's my favorite opera. I know that not many will think of this as one of the greatest pieces of classical music, but I don't care.



Rimsky-Korsakov blows me away with his brilliant orchestration, and so of course Sheherazade makes my list. It's exciting, it's beautiful, and it's got some great violin solos.

He also gets me with his Capricco Espagnol.



I could name so many more of my favorites, but the list would go on and on.



Ravelinsky

Answer 14

Bach B minor mass

Bach 2nd violin partita

Beethoven 9

Beethoven violin concerto

Mozart C minor piano concerto

Mozart Sinfonia concertante

Allegri Miserere

Answer 15

Mine would be in no order: symphony of psalms (Stravinsky),, Beethoven 7,6,3,9 symphonies, Petrushka Stravinsky, Don Giovanni Mozart, Brandenburgs Bach, Mahler 7,9,1,2, Symphony fantastic,

monteverdi vespers.

Answer 16

Difficult questions, because music can be so subjective......



Lets say you asked a different question.....If we decided to send 7 recordings of classical music into space for some alien race to discover and listen to.....I'll try for a variety here...





1 piano concerto Racmaninoff #3, represents among the best in piano/orchestra literature



1 Violin concerto Mendelssohns, represents among the best in violin/orchestra literature



1 Opera Mozart Don Giovanni (Good representative of Opera and the Classical period)



2 Symphonies Beethoven's 9th (Earth's best representative of music PERIOD)

Howard Hanson #2 (Romantic) (Wanted to include a symphony to represent modern times, and to portray the changes in orchestral music over 100 years)



2 Orchestral Pieces Bach's Mass in Bm (Had to include the best piece of music from Earth's Father of Music)

Stravinksy Rite of Spring (Just to throw the aliens for a loop after they listen to Bach :-)





very difficult choices.......I could pick them totally different if you asked me next week. Tried to include different eras of music, different forms, also wanted to include Rhapsody in Blue, or something by Copland. .



Boy Wonder

Answer 17

These are my top seven:

clair de lune by debussy, rondo alla turca and Sonata in D 1st movement K. 284 both by Mozart, Humoreske by Dvorak, Fantaisie-Impromptu by Chopin, Gymnopedie no.1 by Satie, and Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin.



They all have amazing melody lines and very moving in different ways. Maybe the last one isn't classed as a classical piece...not sure

Answer 18

Franz Liszt's "La Campanella", "Hungarian Rhapsody no.2" , and "Liebestraum no. 3"



All three of these pieces are incredibly beautiful. "La Campanella", however, is in my opinion the most inspiring.



I also think Chopin's Piano Ballade #1in G Minor and Kapustin's concert etudes part 6 are both amazing.



I suggest everybody to take a look at Adam Gyorgy on youtube or something. He is incredible.

Answer 19

Bach 1004 - Chaconne. Everything else is nonsense.

Answer 20

Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata #14. It is my all time favorite. When I heard it, I instantly fell in love. it is a very deep and passionate love song. So beautiful. Definitely #1!!!!!

Answer 21

scholarly evaluations?

yahoo answers probably isnt the place.