BELOW ARE MY TOP 100 CLASSICAL MUSIC FAVORITES. THEY ARE NUMBERED ~ BUT NOT RANKED IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER.
SONGS NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 10 ARE BELOW. FOR THE REST OF THE SELECTIONS, CLICK THE BUTTONS BELOW.
SONGS NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 10 ARE BELOW. FOR THE REST OF THE SELECTIONS, CLICK THE BUTTONS BELOW.
1. RACHMANINOFF'S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 IN C MINOR
This is my all-time favorite piano concerto, and I got the chance to hear it played live once at the Kennedy Center with National Symphony -- alas, I don't recall the name of the pianist. : )
I love all three movements of this work. The first includes a series of dramatic chords at the start, very Russian-sounding themes throughout, and a very martial, march-like piano theme in the middle! The second movement is beautiful, and the final movement provides a thrilling finish!
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UPDATE: Look what I just stumbled upon -- a video from the past with news from Princess Charles and Lady Diana's trip to Australia in 1988. At one point, Lady Di sits at the piano, and guess what she plays? |
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2. EDVARD GRIEG'S PIANO CONCERTO IN A MINOR
When it comes to my favorite piano concertos, the Grieg is a close second to the Rach 2, above.
I've never seen Grieg's concerto performed live -- although I came close! I had tickets to see the work performed at the Kennedy Center last April, but the concert was cancelled due to the spread of the Trump Virus across the country. : ( As with the Rach 2, all three movements are wonderful. The lyric melody of the second movement is just beautiful. |
3. RICHARD WAGNER'S OVERTURE FROM HIS 1845 OPERA "TANNHÄUSER"
Although the Overture begins on the quiet side with the main theme played by woodwinds and horns, it's not long before you are overwhelmed by the full sound of the orchestra that is nothing short of glorious with its lush strings and heroic brass. If/when you listen to this one, be sure to have your sound turned up to the max! : )
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UPDATE: I have now posted #71 to my list, Richard Wagner's overture to his opera Rienzi (HERE). In preparing for that entry, I learned that Wagner's second wife was none other than Franz Liszt's daughter, Cosima (and Wagner was her second husband). I also found a Liszt fantasy for piano on themes from "Rienzi," and when I discovered that video, I also stumbled upon this (at the right) -- a piano version of the Overture to Tannhäuser by Liszt.
WOW -- the Tannhäuser Overture -- on piano. Just WOW. |
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4. GEORGE GERSHWIN'S "RHAPSODY IN BLUE"
When I told my wife that I was posting my Top 100 classical music favorites, she said, "Don't forget to include 'Rhapsody in Blue.'" She had nothing to worry about -- because Gershwin's classic is, indeed, one of my top favorites!
How crazy is this? After the premiere of “Rhapsody in Blue” in 1924, music critic Pitts Sanborn wrote that the piece “begins with a promising theme well stated" yet "soon runs off into empty passage-work and meaningless repetition." Another criticized the piece in the New York Tribune as “derivative," "stale," and "inexpressive." |
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Say whhhaat? "Rhapsody in Blue" is anything but stale and inexpressive. With its fusion of jazz and classical music -- from its opening slide of the clarinet to its bold and brassy end -- Gershwin's syncopated and bluesy "Rhapsody" is nothing short of a musical portrait of America's Jazz Age.
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5. GIOACHINO ROSSINI'S OVERTURE TO HIS 1816 OPERA "THE BARBER OF SEVILLE"
I'm not a big fan of opera, but there are some I do enjoy: Bizet's "Carmen," Donizetti's "La Fille du Régiment," Strauss' "Die Fledermaus," and a few others including Rossini's classic comedy "The Barber of Seville."
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At the right: Here's "Barber of Seville Fantasie for Piano 6 hands"
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6. BEETHOVEN'S PIANO SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, THE SONATA PATHÉTIQUE
This sonata is one of if not my favorite sonata. I love all three movements, but in particular, the dramatic opening (marked "Grave," below left) followed by the outburst of notes in the first movement, and the beauty and melancholy of the entire second movement (below right).
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At the left: Edward Elgar composed his Variations on an Original Theme, known as the Enigma Variations in 1899. The work consists of fourteen variations on Elgar’s theme. Each variation is a musical sketch of one of his circle of close acquaintances, and Variation IX is known as “Nimrod”
At one point in his life, Elgar was very depressed, and he talked about giving up composing, His friend and publisher Augustus Jaeger encouraged him to continue writing music. He referred to Beethoven, who had a lot of worries, but wrote more and more beautiful music. "That is what you must do," Jaeger said, and he sang the theme of the second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8. Elgar later disclosed that the opening bars of "Nimrod" were made to suggest that theme. If you listen closely, you can hear it. |
7. ROBERT RUSSELL BENNETT'S SUITE OF OLD AMERICAN DANCES
One of the comments on YouTube under the video of the right says, "I've had this piece stuck in my head for 8 years ever since high school symphonic band...and could not for the life of me remember the title. This was one of my favorite pieces we played!"
Well, this song's been "stuck in my head" for over 50 years now, and it is certainly one my favorite pieces. |
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In the song's program notes, Bennett wrote that there was " no particular purpose in mind in the composition of the Suite except to do a modern, and, I hope, entertaining version of some of the dance moods of my early youth." The suite includes five dances -- I. Cake Walk, II. Schottische, III. Western One-Step, IV. Wallflower Waltz, V. Rag -- and all of them are wonderful. I love the rhythms, the harmonics, the syncopation, the counterpoint, and all of the dynamics that make up each selection.
There is a fun and energetic performance of the Suite of Old American Dances by the Eastman Saxophone Project, HERE. More on the ESP is HERE.
There is a fun and energetic performance of the Suite of Old American Dances by the Eastman Saxophone Project, HERE. More on the ESP is HERE.
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8. PROCESSION OF THE SARDAR BY MIKHAIL IPPOLITOV-IVANOV
Another song I've really loved since my days in high school band is the Procession of the Sardar. Even though I never really knew what a "sardar" was (LOL -- I just looked it up), I could easily deduce its meaning just from the tone of the song.
I'm retired now, but in the past I'd drive to work listening to the classics on WQXR. At 8:00 a.m. they'd play an upbeat selection "to get you out the door." This was always a great choice for that feature! |
9. BEETHOVEN'S SYMPHONY NO. 5
There are some songs you know are coming -- Beethoven's 9th, the William Tell Overture, Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and other major classics -- so I suspect you knew this one was coming, so here it is, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the song with the world's most famous four notes.
My guess is that most people are familiar with the first movement, so if you have never heard the entire symphony, it's definitely worth a listen! The third and fourth movements (there is no break between the two) are quite exciting and dynamic. The second movement is is a lyrical work and includes two themes which are presented in alternation |
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Below left: Beethoven's 5th Salsa -- it's a lot of fun! Below center: A solo piano version -- of the entire symphony. Below right: A mimed argument between Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray -- very funny & clever.
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UPDATE: Look at the ad I found for fountain drinks at a convenience store called "AM PM" -- it features Beethoven's 5th! Certainly an appropriate commercial to produce to celebrate Beethoven's 250th birthday last year! SPOILER ALERT: Beethoven makes a cameo appearance in the ad! Click HERE. |
10: AARON COPLAND'S APPALACHIAN SPRING
"Appalachian Spring" is gentle and serene, and it captures the simplicity and beauty of the Appalachians on a spring day -- and then I read this (on Wikipedia):
"Originally, Copland did not have a title for the work, referring to it simply as "Ballet for Martha"—a title as simple and direct as the Shaker tune 'Tis the Gift to be Simple quoted in the music. Shortly before the premiere, Graham suggested Appalachian Spring, a phrase from a Hart Crane poem, "The Dance" from a collection of poems in his book "The Bridge." |
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O Appalachian Spring! I gained the ledge;
Steep, inaccessible smile that eastward bends
And northward reaches in that violet wedge
Of Adirondacks!
Because he composed the music without the benefit of knowing what the title was going to be, Copland was often amused when people told him he captured the beauty of the Appalachians in his music, a fact he alluded to in an interview with NPR's Fred Calland. Little known is that the word "spring" denotes a source of water in the Crane poem; however, the poem is a journey to meet springtime."
Below: Aaron Copland's "Ballet for Martha," a.k.a. "Appalachian Spring"
Steep, inaccessible smile that eastward bends
And northward reaches in that violet wedge
Of Adirondacks!
Because he composed the music without the benefit of knowing what the title was going to be, Copland was often amused when people told him he captured the beauty of the Appalachians in his music, a fact he alluded to in an interview with NPR's Fred Calland. Little known is that the word "spring" denotes a source of water in the Crane poem; however, the poem is a journey to meet springtime."
Below: Aaron Copland's "Ballet for Martha," a.k.a. "Appalachian Spring"
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At the left: Judy Collins sings "Simple Gift" If you would like to read the complete poem, "The Dance," by Hart Crane, click HERE. One last funny anecdote about "Appalachian Spring": Years ago, my wife was teaching a class of third graders, and she had the students write letters to famous people and celebrities. One young man chose to write to Aaron Copland, and in his letter he said, "I just loved your song 'Apple H and Spring.'" |