My Favorite Classical Works
I started teaching myself about classical music three years ago, and also simultaneously started building a classical music collection. It recently occurred to me that I’ve mostly accomplished my goal. It only took three years.
I still have much more to learn about opera, and, as such, I have a few large gaps in my classical music knowledge. As one example, I know next to nothing about Wagner; although admittedly what I have heard I did not like. I also could learn more about avant garde and twelve-tone composers. All in good time, I don’t like that stuff much either.
As a nice Friday evening activity, I thought I’d compile my list of personal favorites.
Albeniz: Asturias - Suite Espagnol
What can I say? Classical guitar turns me on.
Albinioni: Adagio
This was used to great effect in Orson Welles’ The Trial.
Arnold: Guitar Concerto
Bach: Double Concerto in D Minor; Partita Nr.3 E-dur I
Barber: Adagio for Strings
A little overused, but whatever. It’s still excellent.
Barrios: Danza Paraguaya No. 1
Bartok: Bluebeard’s Castle
I saw this at the Seattle Opera last spring. So amazing. I’ll be polite and not speak of the Schoenberg train wreck that was also performed that night.
Beethoven: Coriolan, Fidelio, and Leonore I overtures; Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat; Sonatas No. 14 “Moonlight”, 21 “Waldstein”, 23 “Appassionata”, and 26 “Les Adieux”; Symphony No. 7
Bernstein: “A Simple Song”, “God Said”; Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront
Bizet: Carmen, but especially La Habanera, “Pres de Remparts de Seville”, the Toreador song, “La Fleur Que Tu M’avais Jetee”, “Carreau! Pique!… La Mort!, “A Dos Cuartos! A Dos Cuartos!”, and “Les Voici! Le Voici!”
Brahms: Double Concerto in A Minor; Piano Concerto No. 1; Violin Concerto in D Major
Chopin: Nocturne #2 in E Flat; Nocturne #1 in C Sharp Minor; Nocturne #1 in E Minor
Copland: Ceremonial Fanfare; Billy the Kid - 8. The Open Prairie; Rodeo
Debussy: Clair de Lune; Arabesque
Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B Minor
Gershwin: Concerto in G; “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess
Gluck: Orpheus and Eurydice; Iphigenia in Tauris
I also saw Iphigenia at the Seattle Opera, really beautiful.
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor
Hermann: Symphony No. 1
Holst: The Planets
Kodaly: Dances of Galanta
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies - No. 2, C Sharp Minor and No. 3, B Flat
Mozart: Piano Sonata in C Major; “Non Piu Andrai, Farfallone Amoroso” and “Voi Che Sapete Che Cosa é Amor”; Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni overtures; Piano Concerto No. 23; Requiem; Symphony No. 25
The Marriage of Figaro’s overture was one of the first works that got me interested in classical music thanks to its use in the opening credits of Trading Places. I only just saw the opera this past year.
Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain
Paganini: Caprice No. 24
Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante; Sonata in C; Sonata No. 7
Sinfonia Concertante is probably my single most favorite classical work. Every time I listen to it I hear something new. Check out Sonata in C for a little reference to Dixieland.
Puccini: Tosca; Turandot
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2
I have a thing for Austrians and Russians.
Ravel: Bolero
Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol; Scheherezade
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez
Rossini: William Tell, Barber of Seville, Semiramide, and Italian Girl in Algiers overtures
Schubert: “Standchen”; “Aufenthalt”; “Trout” Quintet
Sibelius: Karelia Suite; Lemminkainen Suite; Violin Concerto in D Minor
Maybe Finns as well.
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
It’s amazing how many movements from this ballet have become iconic. Check out the second, fourth, and ninth to see what I’m talking about.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty suites; Piano Concerto No. 1
Verdi: Rigoletto; La Traviata
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Vivaldi was incredibly prolific, but most of his work sounds the same. The Four Seasons are his only concerti worth owning, in my opinion.