My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Fri, May 11 2012, 2:20PM
My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
I have had a go at naming my top fifty pieces and found it quite a challenge. I wonder if anyone else could do it.
50. The Ring-Wagner. (Actually I have never heard this complete, however I would love to one day.)
49. Der Rosenkavalier-Richard Strauss.
48. Finlandia-Sibelius.
47. The Trout Quintet-Schubert.
46. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini-Rachmaninov.
45. Water Music-Handel.
44. Pavane-Ravel.
43. Bolero-Ravel.
42. Swan Lake (ballet)-Tchaikovsky.
41. Violin Concerto No. 4-Mozart.
40. Violin Concerto-Beethoven.
39. Emperor Waltz-Johann Strauss.
38. Symphony in C-Dukas.
37. Peer Gynt Suites 1&2-Grieg.
36. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis-Vaughan Williams.
35. Double Concerto in A minor-Brahms.
34. Romeo and Juliet-Tchaikovsky.
33. Sea Drift-Delius.
32. In a Summer Garden-Delius.
31. The Walk in Paradise Garden-Delius.
30. The Damnation of Faust-Berlioz.
29. Tosca-Puccini.
28. Madam Butterfly-Puccini.
27. Variations on an Original Theme 'Enigma'-Elgar.
26. 'Moonlight' Piano Sonato-Beethoven.
25. Canon and Gigue-Pachelbel.
24. 'Air on a G string-Bach.
23. Peter Grimes-Britten.
22. Scheherazade-Rimsky-Korsakov.
21. The Flying Dutchman-Wagner.
20. Violin Concerto in D-Brahms.
19. Symphony No. 5-Schubert.
18. A Midsummer Night's Dream-Britten.
17. Symphony No. 6-Dvorak.
16. Danse Macabre-Saint-Saens.
15. Fantasia on Greensleeves-Vaughan Williams.
14. Piano Sonato-Dukas.
13. Adagio-Albinoni.
12. The Nutcracker (ballet)-Tchaikovsky.
11. Symphony No. 2 in E minor-Rachmaninov.
10. Piano Concerto in A minor-Grieg.
9. The Four Seasons-Vivaldi.
8. The Sorcerer's Apprentice-Dukas.
7. Symphony No. 5-Beethoven.
6. The Blue Danube-Johann Strauss.
5. 1812 overture-Tchaikovsky.
4. Carnival of the Animals-Saint-Saens.
3. The Planets-Holst.
2. Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale)-Beethoven.
1. Lark Ascending-Vaughan Williams.
Fri, May 11 2012, 11:36PM
#2
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
I'm not going to knock your list if only because I love lists and, probably, for all the wrong reasons.
The fascination for me was the inclusion of the Dukas symphony and the Delius pieces and the omission of Verdi to name but one of several.
Sat, May 12 2012, 8:32AM
#3
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
I did say it was challenging, and I have never been a Verdi fan. And I had to start with my number one and work backwards, which was very difficult. Quite easily my top twenty could be almost in any order as I play them the most. I also believe Dukas and Delius' pieces are brilliant and deserve more airplay.
Sat, May 12 2012, 9:04AM
#4
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Why would anyone above the age of twelve want to waste the time and effort with such a childish idea. If the list doesn't change constantly then you are wasting your time and effort listening to classical music and should probably just spend you time making lists.
Sat, May 12 2012, 10:06AM
#5
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Nurse!
Ooh that's not very nice of you Hugh, is it?
Let's see if we can remember the list of names we learnt last week:
Hugh
Pugh
Barney McGrew
Cuthbert
Dibble
Grubb
Yes that's right! And why do we like this list? Because one of the firemen is named after you!
Now if you're nice to nurse Mandy and don't say anything rude again we might let you watch another episode of Camberwick Green this afternoon!
(Actually it should be Pugh Pugh but don't tell him).
Sat, May 12 2012, 10:17AM
#6
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Nurse!
Ooh that's not very nice of you Hugh, is it?
Let's see if we can remember the list of names we learnt last week:
Hugh
Pugh
Barney McGrew
Cuthbert
Dibble
Grubb
Yes that's right! And why do we like this list? Because one of the firemen is named after you!
Now if you're nice to nurse Mandy and don't say anything rude again we might let you watch another episode of Camberwick Green this afternoon!
(Actually it should be Pugh Pugh but don't tell him).
For God's sake don't put these ideas into his head, you know the ward he's on is short-staffed at weekends.
Sat, May 12 2012, 10:30AM
#7
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Why are people so rude about my writing lists of my personal top fifty, perhaps because they are jealous of my challenge. Please grow up and ..........
Sat, May 12 2012, 11:15AM
#8
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Don't be too upset by this, Ian. The course of treatment that Hugh F is on involves sessions where he must learn to express himself in a group context. This, combined with the medication he has been prescribed, can lead to unfortunate social consequences as he struggles to find his true identity (or at least narrow them down to a manageable number)
Sat, May 12 2012, 12:03PM
#9
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Hi Ian. An interesting topic, and one to be honest that I've not really considered before. I should think it would be extremely difficult to do!
I think I'd have to start with favourite symphonies, and there's so many to choose from: Beethoven 6 and 7, Schubert 5 yes and 8, Shostakovitch 5 and 8, Sibelius 5 and 6, Haydn's La Passione, Brian's Gothic even!
Then I'd have to think about concertos, choral, chamber!
Mark
Sat, May 12 2012, 2:18PM
#10
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Hi Ian. Like Mark, I imagine that it would be very hard to do so--for me, probably impossible as there are a number of different pieces of music which I enjoy. One idea I have which I think might be fun and interesting for you and perhaps others here to try: make a yearly list of your top favorite pieces of music (and perhaps specific performances?) and keep a journal of them then compare them somewhere down the road and see if (or how) your tastes have maybe changed over time...which ones are still on your list? Or maybe a musical journal in general might be fun--to see where your explorations have taken you over the years? Might convince you to try either new composers in your favorite areas or take a big leap and try something in a totally different area of music if you see (and feel) like you are getting in too much of a rut? Or maybe try some different pieces by composers that you already love? Etc., etc.
Also, this could also be interesting reading for your kids down the road (if you have any and they also enjoy music)? Or, then again, just for your own personal enjoyment?
And lastly, one nice thing about lists--reading someone elses--is that you get a little bit of a sense of what you have in common plus it reminds the rest of us that we haven't listened to a piece of music in awhile (which can encourage one to haul it out and give it a spin) or to explore it in the first place!
So, good for you!
Best wishes,
Petra
Sat, May 12 2012, 2:26PM
#11
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
perhaps because they are jealous of my challenge. ...
You may find it a challenge but i don't think anyone would be interested let alone jealous.
Sat, May 12 2012, 2:57PM
#12
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Well, I'm interested, Ian, so, don't be put off.
Partsong opens the door for a whole realm of possibilities.
My list would, probably, consist of my "hitlist" of CDs stacked on my player, in my car or on my iPod.
Strangely, or coincidentally, one of them is on your list: Dukas' symphony, along with La Peri.
Also, just to annoy those that think there is no other music outside their own tiny little universe, Muse!
Sat, May 12 2012, 8:09PM
#13
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Unfortunately, Ian, lists are only artificial and, even if they might represent your current state of mind in perceiving Classical Music works, they distract you from expanding your horizon, while they can make you have a wrong focus on the most substantive works (check your list and particularly the order you chose with the all over the world recognised major works of Classical Music).
The "challenge" you were faced with constructing this "list" was an artificial burden on you. The real challenge is to comprehend all those great composers and each and every work they composed. Then, you may realize that there is no room for...lists and particularly of classification (is it possible for any work in Classical Music to be conceived as No.1?!)!
Parla
Sat, May 12 2012, 11:23PM
#14
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
Unfortunately, Ian, lists are only artificial and, even if they might represent your current state of mind in perceiving Classical Music works, they distract you from expanding your horizon, while they can make you have a wrong focus on the most substantive works (check your list and particularly the order you chose with the all over the world recognised major works of Classical Music).
The "challenge" you were faced with constructing this "list" was an artificial burden on you. The real challenge is to comprehend all those great composers and each and every work they composed. Then, you may realize that there is no room for...lists and particularly of classification (is it possible for any work in Classical Music to be conceived as No.1?!)!
Parla
This is but a variation on your views against lists which you always find a need to tell us about, yet again.
I thought you had gone home to China.
What would you suggest Ian listens too?
Incidentally, such lists can only be subjective.
Sat, May 12 2012, 11:50PM
#15
RE: My Top Fifty Classical Music Pieces.
By all means, these lists are subjective. This is not the issue. What matters is that these lists distract instead of helping focusing on the variety and multi-faceted nature and value of the Classical Music works.
I don't suggest Ian has to listen specific musical works, but rather to focus on listening as much as he can, expanding his knowledge and cultivating his criteria of appreciating more Classical Music genres and more works by different composers.
In this way, he may find out that the Classical Music is so vast and so varied that it's practically impossible to encompass it in any formal list and much more in any sort of classification.
Parla
P.S.: Incidentally, I'm leaving tomorrow. It doesn't mean, I'll vanish from the forum for long time.
Are you sure this isn't the tracklisting from an old Classic FM Magazine covermount CD?
You get interesting at No.33 - Sea Drift, but it's suspiciously grouped with 2 other Delius pieces...