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What is your favorite piece of classical music? (1 Viewer)

Played French Horn through college and gigged a bit after that - thus preferential to dramatic pieces where the brass shines:

Mahler 2 (Resurrection):

:goodposting:

Brain was a rock star complete with unmatched virtuosity, a cool name and an untimely death. His recordings still hold up over a half century later.

 
Big fan of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. Got to see Denis Matseuv perform it here in Santa Barbara a number of years ago - amazing performance. Couldn't find a video of that particular evening, but this should suffice:

 
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I know its played a lot, but Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

will always hold an extremely special place in my being.
 
Beethoven's 9th - It has actually brought me to tears listening to it on a good sound system. I should ask my Dad what his is and chime in, as he's a professional (classical) musician.
What does he play?
Bass Clarinet in the Baltimore Symohone Orchestra. It's his 50th year and will be retiring after the season. Was actually runner up in auditions for the NY Phil ages ago, but he's always loved Baltimore and the symphony had really grown (before the last 20 years where Baltimore declined economically while Symphonies have really struggled with changing demographics and an aging audience outside of the big five or so). Its still ine if only maybe 20 full time orchestras in the nation. Just a struggle for all of them.He stopped auditioning probably 35-40 years ago (around when I was born) if not longer, taught at Peabody for a good while and his prize student, Ricardo Morales, is now principal clarinetist for the NY Phil - and just a great great guy.It's a bit ironic as I have a tremendous appreciation for classical but don't really love it. Perhaps because growing up I had to sit through concerts or rehearsals waiting to get ice cream.
That's so cool. Is that a good living financially?
It's decent, but considering these are the absolute top people in their field in the world with major league level skillsets - and above - not nearly what they deserve. The top tier orchestras (NY, Boston, Chicago, Philly, LA, SF I'd think and Cleveland likely who is on par musically though I'm not quite sure financially) provide something a bit more, but for the next tier or two, it's an ok living that becomes a decent to good living when you tack on teaching posts, private lessons etc. that said, imaging if your HOF major leaguer got a couple hundred thousand give or takeand your All Stars got just into the six figures. And your good olayers that might make a couple all star games in their career would be lucky to get 50k a year.Granted, you supplement that with the other income and there are bonuses for recordings especially for the major orchestras, plus some additions for certain tours, but unless you are an uber star that can command a solo payscale and your own tour, it's a decent to good living. And the classical pie is really shrinking as salaries have decreased overall, especially for anyone out of that top top tier of 5 or so orchestras. Now, imagine you are the 15th or 20th best Bass Clarinetist and you are in a lower mid tier but still full time orchestra... You won't likely be over 75k I think, possible less than that. And if you are the 30thnbest in the world, you are Lucky to be pulling in 40-50k for e Symphony gig and likely less. My dad very rarely encouraged his students to pursue a career unless they were fully prepared to teach full time and if they are lucky, get a part time symphony gig or something like the armed forces band/ orchestra. Considering the level of skill and time it takes to be that good, the pay is a pittance. But for a select lucky and xtremely talented and dedicated few, it's a love and passion that can also provide a decent living. For most it's a love and passion that leads to teaching or another line of work altogether.
 
Currently really digging:

Mozart "Gran Partita" Serenade No. 10

Holst's "Ode to Death"

Ralph Vaughan Williams "Dark Pastoral"

Aaron Copeland "Appalachian Spring"

Debussy's arrangement of "Gymnopedies"

 
If you are into classical music, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has started a new live streaming program. It is available free on the DSO app or at their website http://www.dso.org/

It is a fine symphony and Orchestra Hall is one of the finest venues in the world for music. The sound quality is great, there are multiple HD cameras, it works great. I just finished listening to a brilliant rendition of Ravel's Piano Concerto for Left Hand. Wednesday at 7:30 they will be streaming the Yo-Yo Ma concert with the symphony.

 
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Amazed that Mozart's Requiem hasn't been mentioned. As a vocalist, that was among my favorite pieces to perform.

A little more modern, but the John Rutter Requiem is also really great.

 
Amazed that Mozart's Requiem hasn't been mentioned. As a vocalist, that was among my favorite pieces to perform.

A little more modern, but the John Rutter Requiem is also really great.
Requiem's in general are a favorite. Faure's Requiem and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem are so moving, in ways that are a bit atypical for requiems even.

 
Pandora recently led me to Sad Violin's Canon in D (Pachobel's) which is beautiful. I prefer it more than versions with the full original spread of instruments. Haven't been able to find it on Youtube, but the Amazon sample (track 12) gives an idea.

 
Pandora recently led me to Sad Violin's Canon in D (Pachobel's) which is beautiful. I prefer it more than versions with the full original spread of instruments. Haven't been able to find it on Youtube, but the Amazon sample (track 12) gives an idea.
Search "canon in D violin" and you should get many options from solo to duet, with piano and without. I'm not sure just how stripped down you want, but it should be there.

 
His old man J.S. Bach is an obvious choice but son C.P.E. was actually more popular during his lifetime (according to what a classical music d.j. I heard once said).

True, JS Bach just worked at his local church and wrote music for mass. He had a lot of kids that had successful music careers.

 
Big fan of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. Got to see Denis Matseuv perform it here in Santa Barbara a number of years ago - amazing performance. Couldn't find a video of that particular evening, but this should suffice:

This would probably be my answer as well. I absolutely love this piece and can listen to it over and over. His Vocalise is another all-time favorite.

Depending on my mood, there are so many others that can join the ranks:

Tchaikovsky -- 4th and 5th symphonies, Swan Lake, Capriccio Italien

Beethoven -- 3rd, 5th, and 7th symphonies

Brahms -- Violin Concerto, Tragic Overture

Rimsky-Korsakov -- Scheherazade, Russian Easter Overture

Barber -- Adagio

Bach -- Chaconne (and all of his violin partitas and sonatas), Fugue in D minor

Vivaldi -- Pretty much everything, but in particular his Concerto for 2 violins in A minor and his Concerto Grosso in D minor (not as well known)

I linked some of the lesser known works.

 
Also, for anyone interested in getting some "cheap" classical music to listen to easily:

On amazon, they have different sets of classical music that will go on sale at various times. They are normally $5-6 but will sell for $0.99 or $1.99 and will be a digital collection of 99 classical pieces. The price can't be beat.

Just search 99 classical at amazon and you will see. In particular, the 99 Most Essential Relaxing Classics is amazing and I got it for $.99 about a year ago.

 
Big fan of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. Got to see Denis Matseuv perform it here in Santa Barbara a number of years ago - amazing performance. Couldn't find a video of that particular evening, but this should suffice:

Spotify is where it's at. Every great composer, every great orchestra, every great soloist and conductor, every great piece and almost every rareity. It it has been recorded, it is there.

 
Pandora recently led me to Sad Violin's Canon in D (Pachobel's) which is beautiful. I prefer it more than versions with the full original spread of instruments. Haven't been able to find it on Youtube, but the Amazon sample (track 12) gives an idea.
You might also like:

Leonid Kogan plays Paganini's Cantabile

Kogan was a Soviet master on violin, he puts so much emotion into it without every straying from the melody.

Dvorak: Gypsy Melodies (Arthur Grumiaux and Istvan Hajdu)

The same pair do a version of Faure's Les Berceaux

 
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's version of Strauss' Last Four Songs might be the pinnacle of 20th Century music.

 
I'm looking for a full Orchestra version / no vocals of

Rachmaninoff "Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14"

Just heard the most incredible version on XM and would like a copy. Anyone?

 
Beethoven - String Quartet #14

Debussy - La Mer

Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time

Gorecki - Symphony #3

Pretty much everything by Mahler and Stravinsky
:wub:

I'm a sucker for most things Bach and Mozart piano music.

Also a fan of the French Impressionists: Debussy, Satie, Ravel and tangentially Poulenc

and Reich- Music for Mallet INstruments, Voices and Organ probably my fave, but it's all pretty similar.

oh and just about anything Part wrote.

 
Beethoven - String Quartet #14

Debussy - La Mer

Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time

Gorecki - Symphony #3

Pretty much everything by Mahler and Stravinsky
:wub: I'm a sucker for most things Bach and Mozart piano music.

Also a fan of the French Impressionists: Debussy, Satie, Ravel and tangentially Poulenc

and Reich- Music for Mallet INstruments, Voices and Organ probably my fave, but it's all pretty similar.

oh and just about anything Part wrote.
Nice call on the Gorecki, I hadn't heard it before. I am especially digging choral pieces right now (Haydn's Creation, Mahler's 4th, Vaughan Williams Serenade for Music) so this is a well timed catch.

 
I've been starting to listen to a lot more classical music recently, especially Schubert, Beethoven, and Chopin. Currently my favorite is Schubert's "Ave Maria".
Try some of Schubert's Masses: maybe #2 in G or my favorite #5 in A-flat major.

 

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