Favorite Classical Music

Click to listen to Beethoven's Opus 57 "Appassionata" the third movement.

As I had written before, the very first CD I bought was RCA Victor's The Idiot’s Guide to Classical Music. This CD has 99 tracks of the best known classical melodies. None of them longer than 1 1/2 minutes. It is a fun CD. My sister and her children like to listen to this CD and guess the name of the melodies as they ride in the car. I took the little book that comes with the CD to the library to help me decide what CDs to check out. When I checked out a certain CD more than twice, I would buy it. I learned what kinds of composers and music I wanted to own this way.

I RECOMMEND YOU START WITH THESE.

These are not all of the best composers or all of the best music. This is just a start and I will add to it off and on. If you have a favorite not listed here or you agree with my choices, sign the guest book and tell me.

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
  • Bach is a master of a the fugue. Many of the other great masters listed here learned how to write fugues from listening to his fugues. Bach is from the Baroque Era.
  • Air on the G String
  • Tocatta & Fugue
  • Partita No 1 in B flat Major BWV 825, Menuetto--I do like this.
  • Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op.31, No.1--I like this one, too.
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• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
  • Beethoven is one of my favorite composers. I like big music and Beethoven wrote big music. He also wrote the "Moonlight Sonata" which I love. Beethoven is a transitional figure. He is a part of the Classical Era, but he is also considered the first great Romantic composer.
  • Symphony no 3 in E flat major, Opus 55 "Eroica"-- You really need to hear this.
  • . Symphony no 5 in C minor, Opus 67--Yes, you have heard the first movement of this, but wait until you hear the rest of this symphony.
  • Symphony no 6 in F major, Opus 68 "Pastoral"--You will like this entire symphony, but you will really like the thunderstorm.
  • Symphony no 9 in D minor, Opus 125 "Choral" This is the "Ode to Joy". It is well named.
  • Sonata for Piano no 8 in C minor, Opus 13 "Pathétique"--I love piano music. I like this.
  • . Sonata for Piano no 23 in F minor, Opus 57 "Appassionata"--I like all of this sonata, but I like the third movement best.
  • Concerto for Piano no 5 in E flat major, Opus 73 "Emperor"-- This is an must! Get ready to be happy!
  • Fur Elise--You have heard this one before.
  • Adagio sostenuto from Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Op.27 No.2 "Moonlight."--Can you make heaven without being familiar with this song?
• Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
  • Borodin is one of the mainstream Romantics.
  • Polovtsian Dance No. 17 "Stranger in Paradise"
• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
  • He is a Mainstream Romantic.
  • Piano Concerto, No 24 in F Minor
  • Concerto No. 2 in B-flat for Piano, Op. 83. 3/4/99 Because one of my books said that this was the greatest concerto ever written, I checked it out of my public library to hear it. I listened to it once and immediately listened to it again. What can I say? You must not miss this one. The book was right. I shall soon own it. It has four movements. Get the entire concerto.
  • Symphony No. 2 in D, Op/73.
  • Waltz in A Flat Major, op. 39, No. 12
• Frederic Chopin (1810-1849).
  • Chopin is fast rising to the top of my list of favorite composers. Chopin is one of the early Romantics.
  • The Nocturnes--These are a must.
    • No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 37
    • No. 2 in Op. 27
    • No. 8 in 9 No. 3
  • Sonata No. 3 for Piano in B Minor, Op. 58
  • Waltz No. 3, Op. 34/2 in A Minor
  • "Heroic, "Heroic," Polonalse, Op. 53
  • Etude in A Minor Opus 25 (Winter Wind)-- You will hear the winter wind blowing in this song. Get a quilt.
  • Etude in C Sharp Minor, Op.15, No.7
• Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
  • Copland is a part of the Modern Era. You hear his music on many westerns and commercials.
  • Appalachian Spring -- He is very well know for this song.
  • Fanfare for the Common Man--This song makes me think of the Olympics.
  • Rodeo--You have heard parts of this often. Think "Beef, its what's for dinner."
• Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
  • He is a late Romantic. He was an Impressionist. I like his stuff very well.
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  • Clair de lune--You must hear this.
  • Maid With The Flaxen Hair
  • Reverie
  • Arabesque No.1
• Leo Delibes (1836-1891)
  • He is a Mainstream Romantic.
  • Lakme - Flower Duet
• Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
  • He is a Mainstream Romantic.
  • Symphony No. 9 :"New World" Mvmt. II "Going Home Theme"
• George Gershwin (1898-1937)
  • He is a Modern composer.
  • Rhapsody In Blue
• Edvard Grieg (1843-1907).
  • Grieg is a mainstream Romantic
  • Piano Concerto in A Minor
  • Wedding Day At Troldhagen--written for Grieg's wedding anniversary.
  • Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 ":Morning"--Play this on a nice spring morning.
• George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
  • J.S. Bach and Handel are considered to be the greatest Baroque composers. Though they were both Germans and born in the same year, the two masters never met.
  • Messiah
    • Hallelujah Chorus --Some things are meant to be listened to full blast. This is one.
    • Unto us
  • Water Music
• Joseph Haydn (1770-1827)
  • Haydn is a classical composer. He was Mozart's friend and Beethoven's teacher.
  • Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise). This is fun.
• Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
  • Liszt is a Mainstream Romantic.
  • Hungarian Rhapsodies
  • "Liebestraume
• Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
  • He was an Early Romantic.
  • Concerto in E Minor for Violin, Op. 64
  • In the book, Building A Classical Music Library, Bill Parker writes that this is probably the most popular of all violin concertos. He says that it is because it overflows with enchantingly beautiful melodies.
  • Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90 "Italian".
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
  • Don't judge Mozart by the movie Amadeus. Most everything I have read says it wasn't factual. He was really a infant genius. He is considered by many to be the greatest composer that ever lived.
  • Concerti for Flute: No. 1 in G
  • Overture from "The Marriage of Figaro"
  • Eline Kleine Nachtmusik
  • German Dance No. 3 "Sleigh ride"
  • Symphony No. 40 _ Mvmt. 1
  • Clarinet Concerto
  • Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major
  • Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor
  • Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major
• Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
  • Pachelbel is of the Baroque Era.
  • Canon- You have heard this at almost every wedding to which you have ever been. It is lovely.
• Giacomo Puccini(1858-1924)
  • This man is of the Romantic period. He created some of the best loved operas according to one of my music books. I don't like opera. I have tried, but I can't seem to get there. These are two of his best operas.
  • Tosca
  • Madame Butterfly
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
  • He is a Modern.
  • Prelude in C Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2
  • Prelude G Sharp Minor, Op. 32, no. 12
• Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868)
  • He is an Early Romantic.
  • William Tell Overture - Turn the player up full blast and enjoy.
  • The Barber of Serville
• Erik Satie (1866-1925)
  • He is a Modern.
  • Gymnopedie No. 1 - You can hear that Debussy had a part in this piece's composition. He orchestrated the first and third of these pieces.
• Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
  • He is an Early Romantic.
  • Sonata in B-flat Major for Piano, Op. Posth. (D. 960)
  • Symphony N0. 9 in C, D.944 "The Great"
  • Quintet in A, D. 667 "Trout"
  • Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished"
  • Ave Maria - You need to be familiar with this piece. I don't not like it at all because it represents the false doctrine Mary worship.
• Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
  • He is an Early Romantic.
  • In the Evening, Op. 12, No. 1
  • Concert in A Minor for Piano, Op. 54
• Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941)
  • Rustle of Spring
• Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
  • This is the son. His father and two brothers also wrote music and they all wrote waltzes. He is a Mainstream Romantic.
  • Blue Danube _ I like the waltzes. They make me happy.
  • Tales from the Vienna Woods
• Richard Strauss (1864-1949).
  • He is a Late Romantic.
  • Don Quixote, Op.35
  • Also Sprach Zarathustra - Fanfare----This is the theme form 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
  • He is a Mainstream Romantic. This man had a very sad life but he could write music.
  • The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a
  • Sleeping Beauty Suite, Op. 66a
  • Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a
  • Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
  • Piano Concerto No.4 - Opening
  • Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat for Piano, Op. 23
  • 1812 Overture - finale---Play this one full blast.
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
  • He is a Mainstream Romantic. This guy was a wild man. He had a huge following. His followers were known as Wagnerites.
  • Die Walkure
  • Der Ring des Nibelungen. Listen to a part of this for it is very, very long.
• Ralph Vaughan Williams(1872-1958)
  • He is a Modern.
  • Symphony No. 5 in D
  • Fantasia on "Greensleeves"
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
  • Verdi is one of the most popular of all opera composers. He is one of the Romantics.
  • Nabucco
  • Aidla
  • Otello
  • Falstaff
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
  • He is from the Baroque Era.
  • The Four Seasons Do not miss these.
    • Spring - Play this on a spring or summer morning right after you play Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 "Morning." Crank it.
    • Winter-This needs to played on a snowy winter's day.

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