What is your favorite CLASSICAL music?
 

Ok, I know some of you listen to just more than the latest rock/pop/grunge/(insert next term here) music.

Any classical music lovers here?

Some of my favs:

-Debussy, especially Clair de Lune

-Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue

-Mozert, especially his Requiem

-Faurey (sp?) Requiem

-Durefle's requiem.

(If you like choral works and Mozart's requiem, I especially recommend the last two.)

-Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's desiring (possibly my all time fav)

-Widor's Symphony #5, finale - my all time fav organ piece.
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Ok, metalheads, grungers and ravers, what say you?

Basically, my tastes don't run to particular eras of classical music; I often listen to the "Baroque" composers; Haendel, Bach, Sgarlatti, Albenoni, Vivaldi, Telemann et al, but the next thing on my CD-player might be Prokofiev, Stravinsky or other 20th century composers like Aaron Copeland (I love the" Appalachin Spring" suite; hell, I even have some of the posthumous serious stuff that Frank Zappa wrote (the guy was a genius; he'll be remembered). Music is so subjective that asking someone to say what their Favorite ANYTHING is will only give you an answer that's good until that person hears something else they like. You have to decide for yourself what you like; it isn't hard, and it's certianly fun.

I'm not all that into Baroque but you can't have a fondness for good classical music and get away with not listening to Handel, Teleman, Handel, etc..

Faure's Requiem is a nice choral piece and one of my favorites as well.

You might also check out John Rutter's "Magnificat", Jonathan Elias's "The Prayer Cycle", and H Gorekei's Symphony #3 if you liked the Requiem.

If anything give the Prayer Cycle a listen it's really something else.

There's so many great composers out there and too many to list. I will hunt for a recording of that Widor's Symphony #5 and give it a listen.

i spent a lot of time in hs in the choir room, so a lot of my favorites stem from choir music. bach is a personal favorite, as is mozart.

i also spent a lot of time as a kid dancing, so i love ballets. stravinsky's petrouchka and firebird suite are two i adore, as well as tchaikovsky's nutcracker suite and swan lake.

as far as more modern composers go, i really enjoy gershwin. if you get a chance, check out the musical "crazy for you." very interesting.

i also enjoy eric whitacre a lot, also stemming from love of choral music. check out his arrangement of lux aurumque for brass as well as water night.

just recently started listening to lots of classical musical and opera(mostly because it's the one station that doesn't have commercials), so appreciate any suggestions anyone has on composers.

OK, bar none, my favorite piece of classical music is Zappa's <i>G-Spot Tornado</i>. <i>The Yellow Shark</i> did win a classical grammy. (Of course, Jethro Tull won a metal Grammy, so we know what grammy's are worth.)

Othr than that, I'm pretty prosaic - Beethoven's 9th, Handel's Watermusic, and Gerschwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

Having been a Zappa fan since the late '60's, I'm gratified to see him getting recognition. It's too bad that he's not here to enjoy it; I think that Franks reputation as a serious musician will continue to grow. Of course, anyone who could write lyrics like "Watch out where the Huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow..." kinda makes him someone I would admire anyway.;)

I love Russian composers. Rimsky-Korsakov is great. Tchaikovsky too, who doesn't like the 1812 Overture? Wagner's operas may be long, but contain some of the most stirring music ever composed. I also like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven.

Geeze, I love it all. Mozart and Beethoven were obviously genius at a level beyond anyone else, but what appeals to me most has always been Bach.
* The Goldberg Variations (best ever)
* The French Suites
* Keyboard Concertos Esp. BWV 1052
* Orchestral Suites
* Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
* Cello suites
* Brandenburg Concertos
Yeah, Bach is just awesome.

I had Glenn Goulds early version of the Goldberg variations on vinyl, unfortuneatly, I never got that recording on CD, but I suggest either of Goulds recordings of those pieces.

anything by bach or debussy works with me. mozart is good too

my absolute favorite is vivaldi's four seasons. i tend to like tchaikovsky and vivaldi more than then anything. more of what i grew up on.

Glad to see someone else mentioned Rutter.

I've sung the Magnificat and several other Rutter pieces. I love Rutter and the Cambridge singers.

I'm also glad to see as many responses as I have :)

There are a few pieces mentioned that have perked my ears up!

I listen to "String Quintet in C Major" by Shubert while driving around sometimes. It's a pretty badass song.

Strictly Chopin, I guess because I just love piano. My grandfather always had some Chopin playing at his house when I was little.

i dont really know any of there names, but i really just like what i hear, just something to make you settle down and pay attention.


but does Herb Albert count?

St. Paul's Suite by... well, not really sure who it's by, but it's really good.

Also, the Barber of Seville by... actually, I'm not sure about who composed that either.

Those two are about the only classical songs I can listen to.

*EDIT* I also like Fugue in E Minor and Sonata in E Minor... and also forget the composers' names.

favouirte classical piece is also my favourite piece of music of all time:
Henryk Gorecki's 'Symphoney #3'

other favourites include Samuel Barbers 'Adagio for strings', Preisner's 'requiem for a friend' but mainly the track "Lacrimosa", Nymans 'Piano' soundtrack (of course!)

i've always enjoyed modern composers over traditional stuff.
i like Vivaldi's 'Summer' and Beethoven's 'moonlight sonata'
that's about it.

Beethovan's 9th symphony (wouldn't it sound great played by electric guitars? Seriously.)
Khatchaturian 'Sabre Dance'

my favorite classical piece is Bach: cello suite #1 in G. The sound of a well played cello is just so over whelming that it draws you in and captivates you.

there are different styles that suit every my every mood.
atm i'm listening to holst's planets (jupiter).
my absolute fav is Chopin.

Segovia

F.Chopin (Piano Nocturne in E) & J.S.Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No.3 and so many others) are my two best composers.

I also love Opera in music & words. Puccini, Mozart, Verdi.

Dvorak's New World Symphony
Smetana's Moldau
Jackie DuPre's version of Elgar

Beethoven - Fur Elise

very beautiful piece of work....I used to be able to play it on keyboard but have long forgotten....

besides the old school genuises,

Apocaplyptica

4 cellos

Play metal!

Pachelbel - Canon in D

My all time favourite piece: Pachelbel's canon.

Just like rock, it all depends on the mood.

Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony" is a big favorite, along with Mozart's last three symphonies (#39, 40, and 41).

Any movie score by early-20th Century composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (Adventures of Robin Hood, Seahawk, Captain Blood, etc.).

Schubert's lieder.

Bartok.

Peer Gynt

It is truly great to see so many replies. Nice to hear people out there know who Bach is- for those looking for real gems, I recommend:

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 (&3), Piano Sonatas Op. 53, Op. 57
Josquin des prez - Missa Panga Lingua
Richard Strauss - Die Frau ohne Schatten (opera)
Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (4 operas, LONG)
Bach - Well Tempered Clavier (all 48 baby!)
Debussy Preludes (both books)
Shostakovich - Preludes and Fugues (all 24), Op. 87
Monteverdi - 1610 Vespers
Gregorian Chant during a Thunderstorm (Anonymous 4)

Vivaldi's Four Seasons and In the Hall of the Mountain King from Grieg. I also like pretty much anything from Tchaichovski!

stravinsky's firebird and the rite of spring

george gershwin, especially rhapsody in blue

ian copeland,especially appalachan spring and fanfare for the common man

edgar varese

philip glass

steve reich

Flight of the BumbleBee and Beethoven

There are many classicals that I like but here are a few I can think of right now.. Ravels Bolero, Edvard Grieg- Peer Gynt, Carl Orff- Carmina Burana and Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra...

Mozart's Requiem is chillingly beautiful.
I had a recording from Vienna in th eearly 60's that was spine tingling...lost it though:mad:

Yes.

There's so many of my favorites. I play classical piano (well I try) so this is a soft spot for me!

My all time favorite I think is Canon in D by Pachabel. It just melts me everytime I hear it.
Anything by Chopin.
Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven
Fur Elise by Beethoven
Dance of the Rosebuds.....damn, can't remember the composer
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach

I really enjoy some opera as well. Pie Jesu is one of the most amazing songs ever and just melts any stress away when I hear it.

Good ones, Minx.

Especially Pachabel and Pie Jesu.

Kurt Weill, the German Gershwin...

Anything by Bach

Anthing by Paganini

Any piece that utilizes good counterpointing

Oceans eleven soundtrack version of claire de lune by Debussy - the man!

i really like beethoven, bach, mozart and chopin, my grandfather got me listening to em but i really dont know the names to any peices

My all time fav - Handels Largo (trumpet by Jouko Harjanne and Organ just blows me away)

Saint-Saens - The Swan
Debussy - Girl with the Flaxen Hair
Mussourgsky (sp) - pictures at an exhibition
Pachelbell's Canon in D - stunning
Pie Jesu - also

J S Bach is great (I love playing my trumpet to Bach)
Haydn's - trumpet concerto's
Vivaldi - spring
etc etc etc! We could go on and on and on
Listening to Franck's Panis Angelicus at the moment (sounds heavenly)

I love Bach :) I have not yet found anything of his that I haven't liked. First time I heard one of the Cello suites I thought wtf, but after getting used to the cello I think they're marvellous.

Chopin has been a favourite lately. (Hey, if "The Pianist" wasn't good for anything else I'd watch it for the music ;))

Grieg's "Morning" and especially the first part of "Solveig's Song"

Also (I don't think he's been previously mentioned here) Sibelius.

Beethoven or almost any Russian composer. Or take your pick out of the Strauss' either one is good Richard or little Johann Jr.

If anyone is still thinking about this, I have been on a real kick with the Rite of Spring recently. I'd recommend the New York Philharmonic recording with Mehta - it is absolutely primal in places. For those that don't know, many regard this to be THE PIECE that started modern music on its way. The audience at the premiere rioted and set fire to the theatre!

Also, I played Wagner's Lohengrin 5 times this summer. I'll tell you, it takes some patience to absorb this opera as an audience member (it is 4 hours long!). However, it is worth it. Even after the 5th performance I was getting chills in my spine from some of the moments. Talk about music with the power to transform! My respect for Wagner has increased immensely now that I have had the chance to play a major work in its entirety. That's an experience I would pay for (performing, which usually get me paid, not the other way around!).

James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera put out two cd's of overtures and preludes from Wagner operas that are outstanding. If you are ever in the mood to sit down and quietly listen to something that is about 20 minutes long, I'd recommend the tracks on these albums. Guaranteed to make your spine tingle!

It's too bad that Wagner has been associated with the Nazis; even though Wagner (the man) was a German nationalist, and there is evidence that he held anti-semetic views, his music is among the best that German compsers have to offer (and when you look at the roster of great German composers, that's impressive). His operas are pretty hard to deal with; they're so damned LONG! The music is worth putting up with the length though.
My personal favorite is "Die Meistersinger"; it's a little more accessible than the Nebilungenlied, but it STILL goes on forever; Wagner wrote a number of orchestral works and pieces for solo instruments that are quite beautiful, but operatic music was his forte, and he just blows away any other operatic composer in my book.

wagner's parsifal (that's the only one i've heard all the way through),
gorecki's miserer,
faure's in paradisium & libera me,
barber's adagio,
arvo part's pari intervallo & so much more of him,
bach's passacaglia & fugue, beethoven's moonlight sonata, handel's xerxes, vivaldi's allegro non molto & the four seasons & anything he does with cellos.

i'm partial to baroque especially bach. violin double concerto in D minor is awesome! that's my one song i can play well :P
i like hendel's messiah. that's pretty epic.

stravinsky's firebird suite.

moonlight sonata always hits home too.

I cant really listen to Beethoven anymore, some psychological effect that a clockwork orange had on myself doesnt allow me to listen "to a bit of the ol' ludwig van" with the same enjoyment. anyway, Mozart does it for me. Requiem is absolutely beautiful, i just wish he could have finished it. he is probabaly the composer that i have the most respect for. If i was dying, the last thing on my mind would be compositions.

I like a lot of classical music, the following list is what i have listened to most often in recent years.

Vaughn Williams:
Fantasia over a theme by Thomas Tallis
Mass in G-Minor
+ a lot of other VW stuff :)

Herbert Howell:
Requiem

Ravel:
String Quartet
Music written for poems by Stephan Mallarmé

Chopin is my favourite

I love his Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23, and Raindrops

- Prokofiev's "Montagues & Capulets"
- Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", but specifically "Winter"
- Anything by Chopin
- Anything by Ian Thiersen (composer of the "Amelie" soundtrack)

real classical music buffs will probably cringe as I name my favorites, which label me an uncultured classical music newbie, with a list full of cheesey things everyone has heard a thousand times, but here goes:

Pachabel's Canon in D

Dvorak's New World Symphony-especially cheesey with those endings

Vivaldi's 4 seasons

Handel's Messiah

Nessum Dorma-I think puccini? I love it on the three tenors cd.

P.S. I'll never hear Chopin without thinking of the scene in Tombstone with Val Kilmer and the pianist- "Frederick fucking Chopin"

Excellent choices. :) Was glad to see someone else mention the Carmina Burana. There's so much POWER there.
I also enjoy whichever movement it is from "The Planets", "Mars- God of War". Used to listen to it to get myself pumped up before going to school in the morning. I was ready to take on the day. ;)

Verdi - Requiem. Classical music inspired by Hell. 'nuff said

The only classical music I own is 'Pieces in a modern style' by William Orbit. Hardcore classical fans may think of it as blasphemic but at the end of the day music is music.

Tracklist:-
#1 Samuel Barber,Adagio (for strings)
#2 John Cage,In a landscape
#3 Erik Satie,Ogive Number 1
#4 Pietro Mascagni,Intermezzo Cavalleria Rusticana
#5 Maurice Ravel,Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte
#6 Antonio Vivaldi,Largo from L'Inverno
#7 Ludwig Van Beetoven,Largo Triple Concerto Op.56
#8 George Frideric Handel,Largo Xerxes, Act 1
#9 Henryk Gorecki,Piece in the Old Style I
#10 Henryk Gorecki,Piece in the Old Style III
#11 Ludwig Van Beetoven,String Quartet Opus 132

BONUS CD
#A Barber's Adagio for strings (Radio Edit)
#B Barber's Adagio for strings (Ferry Corsten mix)
#C Barber's Adagio for strings (ATB version) <- the reason I bought the CD.

Rodrigo - Concierto de Aranjuez
(Lots of "covers" of this tune think Miles Davis, or Chick Corea Spain) Everyone should hear the original.

Dvorak - New World

Dmitri Shostakovich

I would recommend that you check out a piece called "The Pines of Rome" by Respigi. I heard the Nashville Symphony play this one a couple of weeks ago, and it is fantastic. It was composed in 1936, so it has some early 20th century elements, but is very reminiscant of the romatic period. You should also check out Finlandia by Sebilius. Part of the Op. 26 is some of the most beautiful music that I have ever heard. If you know anything about music, the part where it goes from the 6m chord to the 1/3 just gives me chills.

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata

don't have a favorite song yet but "Bach" always soothes me

I'm with tou guys on this one...I'm with anything about Zappa. Ensemble Moderne is awesome...I've got a real crusty VHS copy of the making of Yellow Shark...it's still awesome.

Other than that, I like the sounds of Franz Lizst....did I spell his name right?

Last year I saw a brass group called Meridian Arts Ensemble do a Zappa piece. It was the best thing on their concert. In the little lecture they gave at school, they talked about working with him. If only I could remember the title... Something to do with Turkey I think. Anyway, these guys are doing a lot of neat stuff. They were defunct for a bit but have recently gotten back together. I think they provide a real model as to a direction for "classical" music that is progressive but avoids alienating the audience...

Also, Franz Liszt is correct. He was in cahoots with Wagner, who I have already praised in this thread. Liszt revolutionized the piano world by doing things that had been thought impossible, particularly in his orchestral transcriptions. Check out the Faust Symphony - it has some neat stuff.

for some reason i love serenade for winds by mozart