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posted by cmn32480 on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the falling-on-deaf-ears dept.

I suppose I should not have been surprised.

I got home from work a few days ago just as a performance by the New York Philharmonic of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World" came onto the radio. I actually had a break in my busy schedule and was able to listen to it uninterrupted from start to finish. I especially enjoy the introduction of certain 'passages' that reappear later as well as the tension as the piece builds to a huge fanfare.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and remarked on this in our IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel. Not only did several people recognize it, there was a sudden discussion of people's favorite classical works and a suggestion that I should post a story to the main site.

Other favorites of mine include:

In retrospect, a well-performed piece of classical music is like a well-written piece of software. Everything just flows together. Intricate passages combine into something much greater than its constituent parts.

So, fellow Soylentils, what are your favorite classical works? As performances vary in quality and there are many recordings out on the internet, it would be very much appreciated if you included a link to a free (libre) copy if you know of one that you think others would enjoy.


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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by edIII on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:32PM

    by edIII (791) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:32PM (#277344)

    Dun Dun Dah Dah DAH DAH Dun Dun DAH DAH!!!!!! [youtube.com]

    My favorite when I was a little kid and Bugs Bunny introduced me to it. If the stories are true, it's mostly responsible for my broken arm and wrist when I sang this and leaped off the jungle gym at the playground. I didn't end up flying like I wanted, but at the least the music accompanying it was appropriate for my enthusiasm.

    --
    Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:43PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:43PM (#277351)

      Bugs Bunny introduced me to it. If the stories are true, it's mostly responsible for my broken arm and wrist when I sang this and leaped off the jungle gym at the playground

      So, how much did your parents get WB to settle for?

      • (Score: 2) by martyb on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:21AM

        by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:21AM (#277470) Journal

        Bugs Bunny introduced me to it.

        Hey! Bug Bunny introduced me to "The Barber of Seville."

        It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I discovered that they had put a cartoon to a classical piece -- I'd thought they'd composed the music to go along with the cartoon!

        Back in the early 80's there was a sit-down racing video game that had a classical tune which I've been unable to remember the name of. It started off with a heavy bass line and then transitioned into a horn of some type doing a Wah-wah-wah-Wah-wah-wah-wah-waaaah. Anyone here remember the game or can name the music?

        --
        Wit is intellect, dancing.
        • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:37AM

          by bzipitidoo (4388) on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:37AM (#277565) Journal

          Lot of great music in video games. Can't help you much on the racing video game, not with such sketchy information. Can you remember anything else? I presume it's an arcade game, not a console or home computer game? Might it be Rally-X? In those days they were reusing classical music much more often than producing original music. One racing game called Outrun had original music, light breezy stuff intended to evoke California, which doesn't match your description. A sort of racing game, but foot racing, not automobile, was Metro-Cross, which uses "Hit the Road Jack". Many games for home computers such as the Apple ][ used classical music. Canyon Climber used Bach's Prelude in C, another (may have been Elite) used Thus Spake Zarathustra, Hall of the Mountain King was used in still another, Wavy Navy (a Space Invaders and Galaga style of game) used a bunch of sea shanties and oceanic theme music such as Drunken Sailor and I think Sailor's Hornpipe, and Bilestoad uses Fur Elise.

          Then, who remembers M.U.L.E.? Among many other firsts and near firsts, original music. Nothing intricate, but it was original! Heroes of Might and Magic 2 and 3 have some great music. From the indie game world, VVVVVV has some nice original music.

          Bugs Bunny was great. In one cartoon with Bugs as a classical music pianist, it went from Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody to Boogie Woogie and back. In one of the Big Bad Wolf cartoons (think against Red Riding Hood and not the Three Pigs) the wolf even says what music is used, Hungarian Dance no 5. And of course "Kill the Wabbit!"

          • (Score: 2) by martyb on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:47PM

            by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:47PM (#277686) Journal

            Thanks for the reply!

            To clarify, the video game WAS at an arcade. It had an a seat facing a video monitor, a steering wheel, shifter (2? gears), and an accelerator pedal. Display was in color. (Might have had a brake pedal, too. Can't remember.)

            As best as I can recall, it was some time after June of 1982 and before March of 1985 with my best guess being somewhere near the midpoint of that span. (It was around the same time as the first laser-disc based game that I saw came out with Dirk(?) as a knight navigating through increasingly complex 'situations'. ) I apologize for the vagueness - it WAS a long time ago!

            I did some more searching, and am tempted to say it was Pole Position [arcade-history.com], but have not been able to find a sound track to confirm. Nope, not that game. Upon further reflection, I seem to recall that you could drop oil slicks and shoot at other cars.

            The music started with a very peppy and heavy bass line that sounded like it may have been a synthesizer. It was joined, after a few measures, by a very blaring, wah-wah passage from a brass instrument that I would guess was a trombone.

            Hope the extra info can jog someone's memory!

            --
            Wit is intellect, dancing.
            • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:35PM

              by fliptop (1666) on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:35PM (#277712) Journal

              As best as I can recall, it was some time after June of 1982 and before March of 1985 with my best guess being somewhere near the midpoint of that span

              Who went to the arcade in those days for the music? Isn't that a bit like reading Playboy for the articles? Even though pinball was my favorite game to play, I spent many hours plugging quarters into video games in those days too, but I'll be damned if I can remember any music that may have accompanied the game. Familiar noises that were part of the play (the thrust of "Lunar Lander", the fire of "Space Invaders", the 'whooorrrrrshp' when a "Defender" target reached the top of the screen and changed into a mutant), that's what I can recall, and recognize, from those days.

              --
              Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
              • (Score: 2) by martyb on Saturday December 19 2015, @12:38AM

                by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Saturday December 19 2015, @12:38AM (#278421) Journal

                In no way did I state that I went to an arcade to listen to the music. The arcade I frequented was, however, relatively small and "Spy Hunter" was extremely popular. While waiting for my turn to play, I would watch the others to pick up tricks and techniques, and thus happened to hear the theme played a great many times. Further, upon first hearing the soundtrack, I recognized it immediately and was told the title of it. This story reminded me of that piece of music and I found myself unable to remember its name.I sensed there must be someone in this community who would know the title, and I was not disappointed.

                And, I would like to add, the soundtrack to "Spy Hunter" was far better than "Pole Position" which preceded it; instead of a a few beeps at the start and a buzzing sound to represent RPMs, it was not only from the right genre, it was eminently listenable, too.

                --
                Wit is intellect, dancing.
                • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Saturday December 19 2015, @02:17PM

                  by fliptop (1666) on Saturday December 19 2015, @02:17PM (#278579) Journal

                  the soundtrack to "Spy Hunter" was far better than "Pole Position" which preceded it

                  Yeah but "Pole Position" had a chick riding with you, her blonde hair gently blowing in the breeze. We can dream, right?

                  --
                  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
                  • (Score: 2) by martyb on Sunday December 20 2015, @08:25AM

                    by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Sunday December 20 2015, @08:25AM (#278863) Journal

                    the soundtrack to "Spy Hunter" was far better than "Pole Position" which preceded it

                    Yeah but "Pole Position" had a chick riding with you, her blonde hair gently blowing in the breeze. We can dream, right?

                    I think you may have "Pole Position" confused with another game. This game simulated a F1-type car which had just the driver — there was no passenger seat. Here's a video of a complete run-through of the game: Pole Position Arcade Game Review by NAMCO and Atari - John's Arcade [youtube.com].

                    --
                    Wit is intellect, dancing.
                    • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Sunday December 20 2015, @01:46PM

                      by fliptop (1666) on Sunday December 20 2015, @01:46PM (#278901) Journal

                      You're right, I found this page [jalopnik.com] which gives some details on these driving games, including "Spy Hunter."

                      I think I confused "Pole Position" w/ "Outrun."

                      --
                      Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
                      • (Score: 2) by martyb on Monday December 21 2015, @02:55AM

                        by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Monday December 21 2015, @02:55AM (#279137) Journal
                        Easy to confuse memories from that long ago -- no biggie. And many thanks for the great link! Brought back many fond memories (but, sadly, none of the quarters!)
                        --
                        Wit is intellect, dancing.
            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:10PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:10PM (#277863)

              You're probably remembering "Spy Hunter" from 1983, which used a version of Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" as its theme music. Very much bass-heavy intro followed by brass. Personally, I really enjoy the version of it from the Blues Brothers soundtrack. Go take a listen and see if it sounds familiar to you.

              • (Score: 2) by martyb on Friday December 18 2015, @10:55AM

                by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 18 2015, @10:55AM (#278137) Journal

                Yes! THAT's the one! Thank you SO MUCH! It's been bugging me ever since I remembered playing it so many years ago, waiting in line for my turn to play, the theme was drilled into my head. But never the NAME of the piece. Thanks again!

                --
                Wit is intellect, dancing.
    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:54PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:54PM (#277360)

      > it's mostly responsible for my broken arm and wrist when I sang this and leaped off the jungle gym at the playground.

      I love the smell of school lunches in the morning. Smells like ... victory!

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:43PM (#277395)

      Kill the Wabbit....Kill the Wabbit....
      Culture is listening to The William Tell Overture and not think of the Lone Ranger.

      • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:37AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:37AM (#277518)

        Kill the Wabbit....Kill the Wabbit....

        Naah, it's "Pop goes the weeasel, pop goes the weeeeasel, ...".

        And my favourite classical piece has always been the Fortissimo Crescendo from Bombopoff's "Eruption of Vesuvius". They don't write 'em like that any more.

    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Hawkwind on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:25AM

      by Hawkwind (3531) on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:25AM (#277417)
      Despite my mom's efforts to educate me about classical music when I was young I'd have to say Chuck Jones had a far greater impact.
       
      For this question I'll set aside the emotional pieces and go with the power of nature against the organization with the overture to The Magic Flute.
      • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:17AM

        by krishnoid (1156) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:17AM (#277508)

        Well, if you're going that route, I guess we should provide a link [youtube.com] for those very few who might be unfamiliar with the music, and for those who haven't had a chance to hear it in a while.

      • (Score: 2) by jdavidb on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:23AM

        by jdavidb (5690) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:23AM (#277512) Homepage Journal

        Despite my mom's efforts to educate me about classical music when I was young I'd have to say Chuck Jones had a far greater impact.

        I got a ton of my education from the Smurfs, which has classical music going in the background all the time. Today I have my kids watch the Smurfs every week, and this is one reason why. :)

        --
        ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
    • (Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:58AM

      by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <axehandleNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:58AM (#277426)

      I remember a few years ago driving to work in the morning; just as I went past the airport and into a cloud of burnt jet fuel the ABC* put The Ride on - turned the volume right up.

      *Australian Broadcasting Corporation, my main source of classical music on radio.

      --
      It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
    • (Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:03AM

      by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:03AM (#277496) Journal

      Gotta second this, nothing like flying over a ridge in my Havoc about to make some tank drivers have a VERY bad day in War Thunder while having Valkyries playing in the background, it sounds like...victory!

      Of course since I have been flying Brits lately I felt like having some Brit music would be in order and I have to say that having Deep Purple's "Hush" playing while I'm diving out of a cloud in a Hurricane does make for a quite breathtaking ride. It does make me wonder which bands of today will be looked upon as "classical" a couple hundred years from now, maybe Styx and Rush? I can't picture some snooty college lecturer going "And now class for our classic music appreciation we will play ' Night of the Chainsaw' by the artists known as Insane Clown Posse" LOL.

      --
      ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
    • (Score: 1) by kazzie on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:11AM

      by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:11AM (#277571)

      Or, as all of my wife's family refer to it, "kill da wabbit"!

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by dogvomit on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:35PM

    by dogvomit (5452) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:35PM (#277347)

    When I play Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin or even Rolling Stones, my kids (ages 19 and 21) call it classical music.

    Of course, by the standards of the submission those certainly qualify. Everything just flows together and intricate passages combine into something much greater than their constituent parts.

    • (Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:00PM

      by LoRdTAW (3755) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:00PM (#277368) Journal

      I always call that classic rock. And classical music has greatly influenced a lot of rockers, some of which were classically trained. Randy Rhoads, guitarist for Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne, was classically trained on guitar and Piano.

      • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:20PM

        by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:20PM (#277380)

        The ultimate example to me is Rick Wakeman of Yes fame. Classically trained pianist who then helped write loads of Progressive rock, some of which is structured very like classical symphonies.

        In fact Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was covered (if that's the right word), by Emerson, Lake and Palmer another of the big progressive rock groups.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:25AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:25AM (#277476)

          ELP did lots of symphonic tracks: Fanfare for the Common Man, Allegro Barbaro, Romeo and Juliet, Toccata, Copeland's Hoedown, a bunch of stuff on the Works Vol. I album (including a concerto written by Emerson), etc.. They even toured with a full orchestra in 1976-ish, but they lost a lot of money because of that.

          Crap! Forgot Mars, the Bringer of War off of the Emerson, Lake, and Powell album. Great version that I used to blast out of my stereo.

          The Picutres album is awesome; one of my favorites.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:05AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:05AM (#277531)

            Glad somebody mentioned Keith Emerson and the funky bunch.
            It would be interesting to know how many folks got the Classical bug from listening to some rockers' take on The Masters.

            Walter Carlos[1] did a cover of Brandenburg Concerto #2 on a Moog synthesizer in the 1960s that was pretty great.
            (Like VLM, below, my memory had put this a few years later.)

            [1] Now Wendy, after gender reassignment.

            .
            Since you already mentioned some stuff on my list, I'll add this here.

            Fanfare for the Common Man; Appalachian Spring; Rodeo (A lot of folks immediately say "The soup commercial music" when they hear Hoedown)
            Never heard anything I didn't like from Copland. [wikipedia.org]

            Rhapsody in Blue; An American In Paris from another American genius [wikipedia.org]

            Back when I watched TeeVee, the 1812 Overture performed in DC with an Army artillery unit was very stirring.

            Brandenburg Concertos - Yup. If it ain't Baroque, play it till it is.

            Toccata and Fugue in D minor (more Bach) - The other day, somebody mentioned "the organ music" in the Rollerball subthread.
            If memory serves, it's used in The Phantom of the Opera too.

            The Four Seasons - Vivaldi nailed it.

            Carmen - ...though I don't tend to like opera

            I think Clair de Lune makes everybody's list.
            Something from The Nutcracker too I'd bet. The Russian Dance for me.

            -- gewg_

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:43PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:43PM (#277649)

              Was Carlos the one who did Switched on Bach and others (though the others I'm remembering are probably me-too albums.

              • (Score: 2) by tadas on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:39PM

                by tadas (3635) on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:39PM (#277714)

                Was Carlos the one who did Switched on Bach and others (though the others I'm remembering are probably me-too albums.

                He (at the time) did "Switched on Bach, and "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer". Loved both then, love them now

        • (Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:15PM

          by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:15PM (#277645) Journal

          Rick Wakeman is ok. Awesome work with Yes (and the one ABWH album), but his solo album was surprisingly terrible. I loved ELP's Pictures at an Exhibition, especially the new “pictures” they added.

          I'd like to throw these two out: BanYa [wikipedia.org] (see Beethoven Virus [can't find link], Winter [youtube.com], and Turkey March [youtube.com] [framerate is bad and audio is crap, but you get the idea]) and DJ Taka. Ach, I used to be able to do this without breaking a sweat: DJ Taka's V [youtube.com], a remix of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Winter, First Movement only unlike BanYa's version. Oh, also a fan of Chopin although my introduction was Kakumei [youtube.com] [Revolution[ary]] (note: the oni [demon] steps are actually easier than expert and more fun).

          Speaking of classical music, let's travel to a time when music started being a thing for Western civilization. The band formerly known as the Philadelphia Renaissance Wind Band [wikipedia.org]. Apparently a different band: Orazio Vecchi, So Ben, Mi C'ha Bon Tempo [youtube.com].

          Finally, BBC Proms Verdi's Requiem [youtube.com].

          • (Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:17PM

            by JeanCroix (573) on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:17PM (#277677)

            Rick Wakeman is ok. Awesome work with Yes (and the one ABWH album), but his solo album was surprisingly terrible.

            Wakeman had a number of solo albums, of greatly varied quality. I have a soft spot for "Journey to the Center of the Earth," though some likely find the spoken word snippets from the Verne novel to be pretty cheesy.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:00AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:00AM (#277529)

        James Gang|Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh recorded a tune called The Bomber and included part of Ravel's "Bolero".

        Maurice Ravel died in 1937, yet his estate sued Joe and the gang because Ravel's will specified that the entire song had to be performed--not just bits.
        Future pressings of the record had to shorten the tune.
        In What's Playing Now lists for some radio stations, you may see "Long version" beside that tune.

        -- gewg_

      • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:30AM

        by mhajicek (51) on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:30AM (#277545)

        Saint James Infirmary Blues, Hugh Laurie version.

        --
        The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:04AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:04AM (#277462)

      Let's Get Rocked does it for me

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:44PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:44PM (#277352)

    It's like a short poem, with a doddering, drunken feeling that resolves into blissful peace, like people staying up all night to watch the sunrise.

    Chopin was a genius who wrote a lot of stuff for solo piano. The dynamics of the final note is scored as "ppp" (vanishingly quiet).

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by aitmanga on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:15PM

      by aitmanga (558) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:15PM (#277375)

      Chopin was awesome.
      Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1 and Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 being my personal favorites. Wikipedia has some free(libre) interpretations here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturnes_(Chopin) [wikipedia.org]

      --
      Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Sir Finkus on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:55PM

    by Sir Finkus (192) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:55PM (#277361) Journal

    I always liked Verdi's Requiem. Especially the Dies Irae part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrYy2UC4MLQ [youtube.com] is my favorite performance.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:55PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:55PM (#277362)

    Starting in the middle, but the violence of this sometimes feels just right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHfjYuZbAfk&index=2&list=PLaKki4IYYxqnc3KCq3EQxLgK0Mn5XHDNt [youtube.com]

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by CortoMaltese on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:58PM

    by CortoMaltese (5244) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @10:58PM (#277365) Journal

    Define "classical"
    Either way my top favorite would be:
    Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - Bach [youtube.com]
    Piano Sonata No. 14 - Beethoven [youtube.com]

    I also like Impressionism:
    Clair de lune - Claude Debussy [youtube.com]
    Bolero- Ravel [youtube.com]

    and of course Waltz:
    Waltz No. 2 - Dmitri Shostakovich [youtube.com]

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:47PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:47PM (#277397)

      +1 on Claude Debussy

      Finlandia - Sibelius

      ...and this simply proves there's a heaven:

      Spiegel im Spiegel for Cello and Piano - Arvo Pärt http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FZe3mXlnfNc [youtube.com]

    • (Score: 2) by kbahey on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:33AM

      by kbahey (1147) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:33AM (#277517) Homepage
    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Thexalon on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:32PM

      by Thexalon (636) on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:32PM (#277647)

      I studied classical music seriously in college (as in attending one of the top conservatories in the country). My favorite fact about Tocatta and Fugue in D minor by JS Bach is that according to current research:
      1. It's not strictly a tocatta.
      2. It's not strictly a fugue either.
      3. It was basically a transcription of another piece that was:
          (a) Not by Bach.
          (b) Not in D Minor.

      Which means that everything you know about the piece from the title turns out to be wrong. Which doesn't make it not fun.

      --
      The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:15PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:15PM (#277374)

    Some of these might be baroque I never learned the difference:

    Mozart symphony 25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lC1lRz5Z_s [youtube.com]
    Beethoven 9th symphony, movement 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BDlqlhcCIk [youtube.com]
    Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH1hSWGFGU [youtube.com]

    Lots of people will have said Barber of Seville already so here's a version with drumming added, which I quite enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O-hCtPfef8 [youtube.com]

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:39PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:39PM (#277392)

      If it's not baroque....

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by prospectacle on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:18PM

    by prospectacle (3422) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:18PM (#277377) Journal

    (sorry for dupe, forgot to login)
    Some of these might be baroque I never learned the difference:

    Mozart symphony 25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lC1lRz5Z_s [youtube.com]
    Beethoven 9th symphony, movement 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BDlqlhcCIk [youtube.com]
    Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH1hSWGFGU [youtube.com]

    Lots of people will have said Barber of Seville already so here's a version with drumming added, which I quite enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O-hCtPfef8 [youtube.com]

    --
    If a plan isn't flexible it isn't realistic
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:46PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:46PM (#277650)

      None of those are baroque.

      The 9th is fucking awesome when you are blasting the choral part through a good stereo system. It's also awesome when seen live with a huge orchestra.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @11:44PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @11:44PM (#277998)

        It's also the reason why CDs are 74 minutes long instead of 60.

  • (Score: 2) by stormwyrm on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:21PM

    by stormwyrm (717) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:21PM (#277381) Journal

    Just from Mozart: Symphony No. 25 in G minor (K. 183). Requiem in D minor (K. 626), the Dies Irae just raises the hair at the back of my neck, especially in versions that include strong timpani (not all of the performances I've found do). Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major (K. 525), better known as Eine Kleine Nachtmusic. Andante in C Major for Flute and Orchestra (K. 315), very soothing.

    From Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, better known as the Moonlight Sonata. That is absolutely beautiful from its gentle first movement to its furious third. So is Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op, 13, in Who doesn't love his Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125, or his Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op. 67?

    Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D, from the original one-hit wonder maybe?

    From Bach I remember best the Overture no. 2 in B minor (BWV 1067) for some reason. It includes the famous Badinerie.

    Frédéric Chopin wrote a large number of Nocturnes, which are all very beautiful, but my favourites are No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 9 No 1, No. 4 in F major, Op. 15 No. 1, No. 9 in B major, Op. 32 No. 1, and No. 20 in C-sharp minor, Op. P1 No. 16.

    I'm pretty sure there's plenty more that I can't think of this early in the morning.

    --
    Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
    • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:45PM

      by fliptop (1666) on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:45PM (#277716) Journal

      Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D, from the original one-hit wonder maybe?

      We were going to do this for midnight Mass this year but the choir director heard us try it once and said, "Yeah, no." It is a beautiful song but it takes a lot of practice to do properly!

      --
      Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by inertnet on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:28PM

    by inertnet (4071) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:28PM (#277385) Journal

    Erik Satie: Gnossienne nº 1, when played right, most versions on youtube just don't sound right. This one does in my opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USP3QpqIE8Y>

    There's much more classical music that I like but Erik Satie is not very well know I think, so I thought I'd share this one.

  • (Score: 1) by mrpg on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:28PM

    by mrpg (5708) Subscriber Badge <reversethis-{gro ... yos} {ta} {gprm}> on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:28PM (#277386) Homepage
    From Les pecheurs de perles (Bizet), Au fond tu temple saint https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JiXVT_TNPo [youtube.com]

    Johann Sebastian Bach - Partita No. 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VOkrddp6M8 [youtube.com]

    Auf dem Wasser zu singen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O405pK6BuUc [youtube.com]
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:32PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:32PM (#277390)

    I think you meant to say Free (gratis), not free (libre). I would enjoy either, but free (libre) would move towards jazz music.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:34AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:34AM (#277453)

      libre if (cc) media, though right? gratis almost certainly intended; great eye. would +1 you if I wasn't AC through and Cly through.

  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:54PM

    by LoRdTAW (3755) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:54PM (#277401) Journal

    I grew up with my father who played piano and was an avid listener of classical music. Didnt matter where he was, the radio was tuned to the local classical station. At home he amassed a large collection of CD's when CD's were still new and the old AAD/ADD/DDD labels were still used to denote whether Analog or Digital was used to record the performance, mastering, and finally the recording in your possession (always D for digital if it was a CD, DUH).

    I fell in love with Bach's organ work and a particular organist, Karl Richter. I have a 3 CD set of Richter and he does a fabulous job on two amazing pieces:
    Passacaglia In C Minor, BWV 582. The Passacaglia itself is a very Powerful piece IMHO. The way Richter plays it, it feels as if Bach is telling you a story which builds in emotion.
    Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 538, aka "Dorian", the Toccata itself is my favorite.

    One thing of note is the style of organists and organs used to record such works. Notably, organs of the baroque era were tuned A at 415Hz as opposed to the modern 440Hz. This combined with Richter's style of playing which does not adhere to the strict standards of the Baroque standard, makes the piece feel much more emotional if that makes any sense. He plays slower and in a way that smooths out the sharp feel of traditional baroque organists such as Ton Koopman or Hans Andre Stamm. Some people like his styles, some don't. All I know is it's music that I love.

    Another organ favorite is the Toccata from "Suite Gothique" op.25 by Léon Boëllmann. Very fun piece and it will shake the house if the organist has a true a true 32 foot stop in the pedal section. Though, the entire Suite Gothique is a great listen.

    Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, The Moonlight sonata. Particularly the 3rd movement or Presto agitato. Some serious virtuoso skills are needed for this highly charged piece. My father would play the first and second movements, the third was beyond his abilities. A fond memory for sure.

    And who doesn't love Gustav Holst's "The Planets", Op. 32? Especially the powerful opening movement, "Mars, The Bringer of War".

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:41AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:41AM (#277455)

      Mars from the Planets was Valentine Michael Smith's nation's first Earthly anthem, which I grok is a tidbit Soylentils might appreciate. Oh, I hope I grok rightly! ;)

    • (Score: 2) by hankwang on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:23AM

      by hankwang (100) on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:23AM (#277564) Homepage

      "Notably, organs of the baroque era were tuned A at 415Hz as opposed to the modern 440Hz"

      That's actually a misconception. Nowadays, baroque music is played with a 415 Hz A, but back then, it wasn't standardized. Tuning forks weren't invented until 1711. A summer/winter temperature difference of 10 versus 25 °C in an organ pipe will give you about 10 Hz difference (half a semitone).

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch [wikipedia.org]

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Non Sequor on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:55PM

    by Non Sequor (1005) on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:55PM (#277402) Journal

    Stravinsky's repertoire covers the good bits of the stuff that came before him plus the good bits of more modern music.

    Charles Mingus gives you the best survey of good jazz.

    Devo wrote the next 200 years worth of music back in the 70s. Some of its awesome, and some of its terrible.

    That about covers my range of snob music.

    --
    Write your congressman. Tell him he sucks.
  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:56PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday December 16 2015, @11:56PM (#277403)

    No love for Mozart's Piano Concertos? Not even the 21st? I still remember the first time I heard that one, a couple decades ago on this new fangled thing most folks had never heard of a "CD". Had to be careful not to turn the volume up on the andante second movement or you'd blow your speakers because CDs don't have background noise like records or cassette tapes. I was blown away both by the music and by the CD technology. This was around the time "switched on bach" came out which was basically Bach unleashed on a synthesizer, which probably sounds pretty dated today but at the time was pretty cool.

    I brought the 21st up to listen to for awhile WRT this story on google music; its playing while I type this; I hadn't used the google music web interface in some time, maybe a year. What a horrific UI. Used to be almost usable when it was new. Professional UI designers always and exclusively build UIs to impress other UI designers with how rad and awesome they are; F the end users they don't matter. Possibly the disaster was caused by design by committee. For all the whining about programmer designed UIs, if I did it, it would be an emacs package with a HELM interface and in less time than it takes for one click on the disaster, sound would be coming out of my emacs session and all your emacs keystrokes would "mean something" to the player (think forward/reverse word vs line vs ... as analogy with navigating music). I'm kinda surprised there is no emacs package for google music... off to check MELPA...

    • (Score: 2) by VLM on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:14AM

      by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:14AM (#277412)

      This was around the time "switched on bach" came out

      Well that's embarrassing. Nostalgia drove me to wikipedia and the recording was made the year before the moon landing. The first CD release was vaguely around Reagan's re-election, and my experience of hearing that for the first time, on this newfangled CD thing is what I meant. I can't find the first cd release date for that recording but it had to be vaguely around '84 plus or minus some.

      My dad having an audiophile friend is pretty much the same situation as having friends with boats or planes or vacation houses; real nice to have and I'm really glad I'm not paying for it. A bit more google work shows he paid $700 in the early 80s for that cd player. The picture reminded me how utterly huge the first cd players were.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by RamiK on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:05AM

    by RamiK (1813) on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:05AM (#277405)

    Beethoven's Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata' - III. Allegor, ma non troppo - Presto (Annie Fischer's performance is my favorite but I think a clean recording of Schnabel would have won me over).

    Satie's Gymnopédie 2 & 3.

    Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt, Op.23 - I Dovregubbens hall (Here's a copy with the vocals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P01EqXn7mik) [youtube.com]

    Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 (overrated. but still...).

    Mozart's Requiem Kyrie & Dies Irae (2nd and 3rd).

    Schubert's Ave Maria (The boy soprano performance from the older Hitman game as well as the newer mix are quite good).

    There many others but since I enjoy a lot of heavy metal, jazz, blues and flamenco - and I even chill out to stuff like Russ Liquid (Feral Cat) - I'm quite hesitant to start naming stuff beyond the obvious safe choices that just so happen to pop to mind this very moment.

    --
    compiling...
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gravis on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:11AM

    by Gravis (4596) on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:11AM (#277408)

    SKRILLEX - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites! [youtube.com] classic dubstep, bro.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:12AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:12AM (#277409)

    Chopin Berceuse Opus 57 D Flat Major

    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Chopin+Berceuse+Opus+57+D+Flat+Major&ia=audio [duckduckgo.com]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:13AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:13AM (#277411)

    The right way... https://youtu.be/WIXg9KUiy00 [youtu.be]

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by pinchy on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:39AM

    by pinchy (777) on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:39AM (#277422) Journal

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71iUAFFQ8ik [youtube.com]
    K517 nuff said

    Maybe bruckner a close second
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3k7yRWiVXQ [youtube.com]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:42AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:42AM (#277435)

    I think I will go with motorhead.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:52AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:52AM (#277439)

    Blue Danube Waltz - good for docking spaceships.
    and, this morning, good for driving on icy roads.

  • (Score: 1) by joekiser on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:17AM

    by joekiser (1837) on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:17AM (#277451)

    Devil's Trill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR6KJL5OS54 [youtube.com]
    Four Seasons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8N0eWe1G0s [youtube.com]
    Der Erlkönig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWNCbpwC-PQ [youtube.com]
    Brandenburg No. 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V7oujd9djk [youtube.com]
    and No. 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLj_gMBqHX8 [youtube.com]

    It's pretty violin-centric.

    --
    Debt is the currency of slaves.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:54AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:54AM (#277459)

    Choose your own adventure for the former; everything you can find by the latter, he didn't write much.

    Brian Eno is someone to watch in latter times, and his collaborations are often with strongly talented people. Not quite an Erdo.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:54AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:54AM (#277460)
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:42AM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:42AM (#277486) Journal

    I've always been mighty fond of Mendelssohn's The Hebrides.
    Debussy's La Mer
    Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor
    Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody
    Various works by Chopin
    And last but not least, my childhood favorite because my father played it every day when he got home from work, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 2) by zugedneb on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:04AM

    by zugedneb (4556) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:04AM (#277497)

    check out on youtube, "monteverdi madrigals (or madrigali)"

    if you are there, also search for "girolamo frescobaldi"

    maybe not classical in strict meaning, but nevertheless...

    --
    old saying: "a troll is a window into the soul of humanity" + also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ajax
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:07AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:07AM (#277503)

    Let me put in a few words for Robert Schumann, who was a transitional figure between the Viennese Classical and Romantic eras, like Beethoven. He composed a large number of piano works and chamber music (string quartets and the like), and vocal music, but only four symphonies. All of the symphonies are great, though - I always try to make an effort to see them when they're performed live by my city's top orchestra. If you like Beethoven's symphonies, you'll almost certainly like Schumann's. The fourth symphony is actually the one he started first, but only managed to finish ten years later.

  • (Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:11AM

    by NotSanguine (285) <NotSanguineNO@SPAMSoylentNews.Org> on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:11AM (#277504) Homepage Journal

    To Jazz, Blues/R&B, Good old Rock 'n' Roll and the like, I have some classical favorites such as:

    Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik [youtube.com]
    Strauss's Blue Danube Waltz [youtube.com]
    Mozart's Symphony #40 In G Minor [youtube.com]
    Mozart's Horn Concerto #4 Rondo Allegro [youtube.com]
    Debussy's Claire de Lune [youtube.com]
    Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture [youtube.com]
    Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 [youtube.com]

    I also enjoy ELP's treatment of Mussgorsky [youtube.com] as well.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
    • (Score: 1) by steveg on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:13PM

      by steveg (778) on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:13PM (#277654)

      When I was in college, the local "pirate" radio station hired DJs at minimum wage and let them play anything they liked. One of them introduced me to Mozart's Horn Concertos. There are lots of excellent suggestions in this thread, but the 4 Horn Concertos have to be my favorites of all time.

      By "pirate" I don't mean it was illegal, but the owner treated it like it was. You had to be on the right side of town to even get it -- it was a licensed station but it broadcast at a power of something like 10 watts.

      • (Score: 2) by tadas on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:14PM

        by tadas (3635) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:14PM (#277734)

        Mozart's Horn Concertos. There are lots of excellent suggestions in this thread, but the 4 Horn Concertos have to be my favorites of all time.

        I heartily recommend the version with Dennis Brain (who died in 1957 at age 36 when he plowed his Triumph TR2 into a tree on his way back from a concert). I've heard many other recordings of these concertos, but none can match the magic of Dennis Brain's performance with the subtle support of the original Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by the not-always-subtle Herbert Von Karajan.

        In addition to being a wonderful performance, this was a triumph of the early stereo era, and, like in the field of printing, some of the early works were the best. In the 50's, engineers concentrated on getting the best two microphones positioned in the best locations, and making the recording. Later on, they went nuts with miking everything under the sun, then mixing it down to 2 tracks, to the detriment of the recording.

        For something "completely different", track down Brain's recording of Leonard Mozart's (Wolfgang's dad) horn concerto -- performed on a garden hose.

  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:29AM

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:29AM (#277515) Homepage Journal

    "Bach is bitter medicine that's good for you." -- Esther Tanner, my piano teacher.

    There was a pop version back in the early 70s.

    Philip Glass got his start when his father brought home records that would not sell from his record store. Mostly they were Bach.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
  • (Score: 2) by kbahey on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:54AM

    by kbahey (1147) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:54AM (#277525) Homepage

    Lots and lots of them, too tedious to list them all ...

    Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Mandolin concerto, Divertimento by Strauss, Leroy Anderson's Typewriter (and others), Respighi (many pieces), Rameau, Jean Batiste Lully, Sgambati, Monn, Zelenka, Gottschalk, Andre Matheiu, Fritz Kreisler, Villa Lobos Bachianas Brasilieras, Joaquin Rodrigo, Chaminade, Hubert Parry, Hamilton Harty, Marin Marais, Joseph Boulogne, ...etc.

    But, don't take my word for it. They are in two playlists. Go listen ...

    Classical 1 [youtube.com]

    Classical 2 [youtube.com]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:58AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:58AM (#277528)

    Then I checked out some of the links you guys have been posting and... wow... thank you!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:35PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:35PM (#277662)

      How'd you like Sid Vicious's rendition of My Way?

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:14AM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:14AM (#277535) Journal

    Vivaldi is the man. Even Bach copied his Double Concerto. And the Cello Concerto in D minor, RV 407, to die for. But, they say, baroque is an acquired taste. Unless you are a programmer.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:09AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:09AM (#277588)

      Agreed. Vivaldi's "Goldfinch", and Four Seasons, including the (later?) extended Summer section: "Storm", are among my favorites. "Storm" was the heavy-metal rock of the day.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 19 2015, @12:19AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 19 2015, @12:19AM (#278416)

        Baroque shout-outs to Heinrich Biber and Arcangelo Corelli

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @11:32AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @11:32AM (#277637)

      Even Bach copied his Double Concerto.

      I guess he was lucky that copyright had not yet been invented.

    • (Score: 2) by soylentsandor on Friday December 18 2015, @10:00PM

      by soylentsandor (309) on Friday December 18 2015, @10:00PM (#278368)

      I'm a bit late to the party but I fully agree, Vivaldi is the man.

      A link to the Double cello concerto you mentioned [youtube.com] (sorry, not the best recording ever but the best on Youtube IMO).
      The obligatory Four seasons [youtube.com].
      His Concerto 'alla rustica' in G [youtube.com]

      But I also love his operas, oratorios and sonatas.

      I love this Cecilia Bartoli & Il Giardino Armonico [youtube.com] performance from 1999. And if you don't like the singing, be sure to listen to the Recorder concert in C flat [youtube.com] and Lute concert in D flat [youtube.com].

      Gloria in D flat [youtube.com]
      Farnace [youtube.com]
      La Fida Ninfa [youtube.com]
      Orlando Finto Pazzo [youtube.com]

    • (Score: 2) by gidds on Saturday December 19 2015, @11:33PM

      by gidds (589) on Saturday December 19 2015, @11:33PM (#278769)

      Yep, baroque is my thing too!  Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi are my three faves — but throw in some Telemann, Corelli, Zelenka, Geminiani, etc. too.

      It's interesting how some works become very popular, while others that I enjoy just as much are less so.  For example, Vivaldi's Gloria (RV589) is very popular, and rightly so; but he wrote another surviving Gloria (RV588) that I think is just as good; in particular, the 'Et in terra pax', with its continual falling motif, is gorgeous.  Similarly, Bach's St Matthew Passion is very popular, but I have a soft spot for the St John Passion, and also his gloriously joyful Christmas Oratorio.  And while Mozart's Requiem is very wonderful, I think his Great Mass in C minor (K.427) is just as powerful.

      And who's heard of Jan Dismas Zelenka?  (And why is his glorious Miserere so short?!  The first and last movements, with their continual piling of tensions upon tensions, gives me the shivers every time.)

      After baroque, I find my enjoyment much more limited.  (For 'classical' music, anyway; there are many modern forms of music I love too, especially synth music.)  But go back further, and there's a lot of Renaissance music I love too: Tallis, Palestrina, Dufay, Josquin, Gabrieli, etc.  (Admittedly, some of that is more fun to sing than to listen to.)

      I think it's a real shame that baroque and earlier music has seemed to form a massive 'blind spot' in the world of high-brow music for too long.  I'm pleased that's been changing over the last decade or so, but it's long overdue.  Music doesn't have to use a massive symphony orchestra, be written in sonata form, or have hyperactive changes in dynamics or speed to be important, worthy, or enjoyable!

      --
      [sig redacted]
  • (Score: 2) by mendax on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:01AM

    by mendax (2840) on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:01AM (#277554)

    There are so many!

    Beethoven's Fifth Symphony's first movement can always get my blood moving, his Seventh and Nine touch one's emotions in their own ways.

    Moving forward about 100 years, Debussy's "Claire de lune" is special to me. It was cut from Disney's Fantasia but the deleted scene with the 1939 recording of the Leopold Stokowski arrangement that went with it are on the DVD.

    Then there is Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring", which caused a riot during its premiere at its premiere in 1913.

    Another favorite is a piece no one seems to know: Gavriil Popov's First Symphony.

    But it's a toss up as to what is my ultimate favorite:

    Witold Lutoslawski's Third Symphony. There are many records of it available, I have most of them, and Lutoslawski lived long enough for me to see him conduct this and other works of his with with Los Angeles Philharmonic.

    Dmitri Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony. This is a MONSTERpiece.. It's long, it requires a large orchestra, and its powerful. The ending of its last movement is incredibly beautiful, a contrast to the remainder of the work.

    --
    It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:53PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @12:53PM (#277651)

      Then there is Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring", which caused a riot during its premiere at its premiere in 1913.

      That's not as impressive as it sounds because that was the "in" thing to do at the time amongst the avant garde of the day. You can find some amusing stories from some very well-known artists and musicians who used to attend these things. Just recently I read Richard Rhodes' book (Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, The Most Beautiful Woman in the World) which talks about George Antheil's debut in Paris, and the amusing riot that ensued.

      If they didn't riot (which was done as much for amusement as well as some being staged), that meant your work wasn't avant garde (or "cool") enough, and you weren't a REAL artist.

  • (Score: 2) by engblom on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:07AM

    by engblom (556) on Thursday December 17 2015, @06:07AM (#277556)

    As some one not standing to hear pop & rock anymore, I see this topic as something interesting. About 11 years ago I went from liking rock to hating it in just one day.

    If I would need to pick a favorite genre of classical music, it would be baroque, but I am definitely not limited to just baroque.

    Some of my favorite works are:
    - Messiah by Händel
    - Music for the Royal Fireworks by Händel
    - Water Music by Händel
    - The Four Seasons by Vivaldi
    - 5th Symphony by Schubert
    - Finlandia by Sibelius
    - Hungarian Dances (1-21) played with four hands on piano by Brahms
    - 5th and 9th symphony by Beethoven

    From the shorter pieces I do also like the very popular things like
    - Air on the G string by Bach
    - Piano version of Sheep May Safely Grace by Bach
    - Canon in D by Pachelbel

    There are plenty of beautiful pieces of music out there and these are just the first ones coming in my head.

  • (Score: 1) by Corelli's A on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:45AM

    by Corelli's A (1772) on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:45AM (#277580)

    I enjoy all the usual suspects, but the one that still gives me goosebumps is Geminiani's Follia (Opus 5 No. 12). Corelli and many others did it, of course, but the first cut is the deepest.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by number6 on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:30AM

    by number6 (1831) on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:30AM (#277594) Journal

    featuring solo treble by Roy Goodman.

    "I doubt if any recording made by the choir of King's College, Cambridge, in the fertile Willcocks era will prove more enduring than this celebrated performance of Allegri's Miserere. Admittedly there are more authentic versions in the catalogue, authentic not only in that they use the original Latin words where Willcocks opts for an English translation, but also in the sense that they search for a style less obviously redolent of choral evensong and the Anglican tradition. At the farthest extreme from King's, the Taverner Consort's EMI version strips Allegri's score of its various eighteenth- and nineteenth-century accretions—a nice piece of musical archaeology which, ironically, reveals the utter plainness of the Miserere when denied its familiar jewels, and sounds like an imposter when dressed up in even more garish baubles. For once, musicology seems doomed to failure; the richly communicative singing of King's remains for many an ideal impression of the piece, however far removed it may be from Allegri's intentions. On this new CD compilation the Miserere is accompanied by some classic Palestrina performances, still as fresh as when they were made a quarter of a century ago. Some tape hiss intrudes, but otherwise the sound is excellent."

         -- [Review, Gramophone Magazine, May 1989]

    "Yes, the best solo of all time"

    "That boy nailed it"

    "Me and my dad almost cried when we heard his voice. it is like pure crystal"

    "There will never be anything to match Goodman's unbelievably perfect and beautiful voice. Those octave transitions are so totally seamless it's scary! This really was a piece written for boy soprano, wasn't it. I still have yet to hear a female nail it the perfect way Goodman does"

    "That smooth and pure transition in Roy's crescendo at 3:43-3:44, I have never heard another treble do this"

         -- [Comments at YouTube]

     
     
    Listen to this recording at YouTube - Part 1 [5 min] [youtube.com]
     
    Listen to this recording at YouTube - Part 2 [6 min] [youtube.com]

  • (Score: 1) by ThePhilips on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:55AM

    by ThePhilips (5677) on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:55AM (#277600)

    "The Well-Tempered Clavier" by Bach. (Simply put: all of the Bach, especially the solo pieces, especially the piano and violin ones.)

    "Requiem" by Mozart.

    "Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky.

    Out of the more "pop" things I also like Vivaldi ("Four Seasons"), Rachmaninov ("Symphonic Dances") and Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (esp a cappella "Agnus Dei" version of it).

  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:27PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:27PM (#277658)

    As a guy who went through conservatory studying "serious music" all seriously, my classical playlist stretches across the centuries. Some stuff you might not have explored:

    Renaissance:
    Guillaume de Machaut: Rose liz [youtube.com]
    Thomas Morley: Now Is the Month of Maying [youtube.com] (rather risque if you catch the subtleties)

    Baroque (most of these are mentioned elsewhere, but worth a listen):
    JS Bach: Brandenburg Concertos [youtube.com] (performed by Apollo's Fire, a group that luckily is local to me and is also world-renowned)
    GF Handel: Water Music [youtube.com]
    Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons [youtube.com]

    Classical period:
    Joseph Haydn: Symphony No 55 [youtube.com]
    W.A. Mozart: Fantasy in C minor [youtube.com] (but actually goes all over the place harmonically, and sounds a lot like he improvised it and then went home and wrote it down)
    W.A. Mozart: Symphony 41 (Jupiter) [youtube.com]
    W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni [youtube.com]
    Beethoven: Symphony 6 (Pastoral) [youtube.com] (Yes, all of his symphonies are good - 3, 5, and 9 are the most famous, but this one is my favorite)
    Beethoven: Piano Sonata No 21 (Walstein) [youtube.com] (He has a lot of other good sonatas too, but this is my favorite)

    Romantic period:
    Hector Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique [youtube.com] (probably written on while drugs - I'm not making this up, it's right in Berlioz' program notes)
    Johannes Brahms: Eine Deutsch Requiem [youtube.com]
    Frederick Chopin: Fantasie Impromptu [youtube.com]
    Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake [youtube.com]
    Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No 2 [youtube.com] (playfully referred to as "Rocky 2" - featured in the movie Shine)
    Gustav Mahler: Symphony No 2 [youtube.com]
    Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [youtube.com]
    (I'm running out of time, so stopping providing links)
    Camille Saint-Seans: The Swan
    Manuel de Falla: Ritual Fire Dance
    Karl Orff: Carmina Burana
    Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamesque, Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun
    Gustav Holst: The Planets

    Twentieth Century:
    Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No 5
    Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps, The Firebird, Symphony of Psalms
    Paul Hindemith: Mathis der Mahler
    Arnold Schoenberg: Variations for Orchestra, Pierrot Lunaire
    Alban Berg: Lyric Suite
    Bela Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste. Mikrokosmos
    Anton Webern: Cantata (his complete works are fairly short as well)
    George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Porgy and Bess
    Philip Glass: Einstein on the Beach
    Steve Reich: City Life, Music for Pieces of Wood
    Terry Riley: In C
    John Adams: Nixon in China
    Aaron Copeland: Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid
    Leonard Bernstein: Candide
    Karlheinz Stockhausen: Helicopter String Quartet

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 2) by dyingtolive on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:13PM

      by dyingtolive (952) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:13PM (#277733)

      I second Carmina Burana, particularly, amongst most others. While not technically "classical", it's one of my favorite orchestral pieces.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
  • (Score: 2) by scruffybeard on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:55PM

    by scruffybeard (533) on Thursday December 17 2015, @01:55PM (#277671)

    What a refreshing topic. Hands-down, my favorite is Gustav Holst's Second Suite [youtu.be]. Honorable mention goes to his Planets [youtu.be] suite.

  • (Score: 1) by telemin on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:02PM

    by telemin (5973) on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:02PM (#277673)

    Symphonies seem often to give composers the most breadth for showing off what they are capable of. I think partly because the definition of "Symphony" has (at least since Beethoven) become so broad as to allow a near blank slate to the Composer to do whatever they want to do:

    At the top of my list of personal favourites are three very different "Symphonic" forms, all from the turn of the twentieth century, showing the variety :

    Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 - This is very much a "classical" Symphony in the sense that it has 5 clearly delineated Movements employing a "normal" set of orchestral instruments. - wiki [wikipedia.org]

    Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No 3. "Organ" - Again this feels like somewhat of a "classical" symphony, with divided movements, yet Saint-Saëns also chose to add a pipe organ and the most sublime virtuoso piano passages to the standard orchestral scoring. He intended it to be a history of his own career and illustration of all he felt he had learned and achieved, saying of it that "I gave everything to it I was able to give. What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again." - wiki [wikipedia.org]

    Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie "An Alpine Symphony" - Although he described it as a symphony, and in its scope and complexity that cannot be denied, this is almost an extended tone poem. It describes the experiences of an expedition climbing in the alps, from pre-dawn, through a sunrise reminiscent of "Also Sprach Zarathustra", the summit and a storm, before receding back into the opening them as night falls once again. This is scored for a massive orchestra of over 125 players, and beyond the standard instruments calls for organ, celesta, aeoliphone, Wagner tubas, and a variety of unusual percussion. wiki [wikipedia.org]

    Honorable mentions also go to Sibelius for all of his Symphonies, Tchaikovsky, (particularly 4,5,6) and Shostakovich (particularly 4,5,8,10,15) as other masters of the Symphonic form, but I don't have the space or time to talk about them all as much as I would like to.

  • (Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:33PM

    by JeanCroix (573) on Thursday December 17 2015, @02:33PM (#277681)
    Well, it looks like most of my favorites have already been mentioned, so I'll add the few that I haven't seen so far:
    Saint-Saëns, Danse macabre
    John Philip Sousa
    P.D.Q. Bach
  • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:50PM

    by fliptop (1666) on Thursday December 17 2015, @03:50PM (#277721) Journal

    Only a couple mentions of Vivaldi, I swear every metal guitarist from the 80's stole their licks from "Winter".

    --
    Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Translation Error on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:32PM

    by Translation Error (718) on Thursday December 17 2015, @04:32PM (#277745)
    I didn't see it mentioned much, and it may not be strictly classical, but I do love George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH2PH0auTUU [youtube.com]
  • (Score: 1) by treeves on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:01PM

    by treeves (1536) on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:01PM (#277758)

    Being a horn player, I love good horn parts, and many composers thankfully also do. Especially Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler, Wagner, and most of all, Richard Strauss, whose father was a horn player. I also notice I like the fifth symphony of several composers: Beethoven (although his seventh is my favorite), Mahler (although his second is my favorite), Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich. Finally, a modern composer who shows great love for the horn, especially significant today, and to me, is John Williams. 1977 is the year I started playing the horn, largely, because of a certain film score played by the London Symphony. :)

    • (Score: 2) by meustrus on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:45PM

      by meustrus (4961) on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:45PM (#277850)

      You mention Prokofiev after I was already thinking of Peter and the Wolf. This piece truly captures the essence of each of the solo instruments.

      --
      If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
      • (Score: 1) by treeves on Friday December 18 2015, @12:31AM

        by treeves (1536) on Friday December 18 2015, @12:31AM (#278020)

        And the Wolf is a horn trio! :)

        Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is another piece like that for showing the character of each section/instrument of the orchestra.
        And his Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings is a great piece setting poetry to music....

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @05:58PM (#277793)

    Hi, I'm a pompous 4$$ who thinks I appear more impressive because I like classical music.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:16PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:16PM (#277865)

      Hi, I'm a pompous 4$$ who thinks I appear more impressive because I like classical music.

      Lots of people try to appear sophisticated by their choices in recreational activities or consumer purchases. That's pretty much par for the course.

      That doesn't change the fact that people who *really do* like classical music (and understand why) are in fact, impressive.

      • (Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Thursday December 17 2015, @09:46PM

        by Hyperturtle (2824) on Thursday December 17 2015, @09:46PM (#277921)

        Is there a better, more low-brow way to express appreciation for various fine art forms? Besides the obvious with pornography? Is that low brow enough, or is that offensive because there are high brow or softcore or... well. To paraphrase a famous person, I may not know art when I see it, but I do know the obscene.

        I guess all people that listen to classical music are pompous eggheads, all people in metallica shirts are like beavis and butthead, all people that listened to duran duran in the 80s had big hair and leather pants, and ... what kind of music do you like? We need to categorize this, so if you ask a question that in part seeks out common interests on this site, we know how to properly offend you -- it's not how we normally welcome people here, but we can make the exception for you if you also were able to tell us who you were.

        This is why some introverts choose to remain that way. They stick their neck out and some jerk rises up to smack them--at least in real life the jerk has to do it in person. Anonymous coward, indeed.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:32PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 17 2015, @07:32PM (#277842)

    This is the first classical piece that I was genuinely excited to listen to.

  • (Score: 2) by meustrus on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:35PM

    by meustrus (4961) on Thursday December 17 2015, @08:35PM (#277884)

    I'd like to make one post per suggestion but I ended up with too many.

    1. Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast, especially movement 2 "the Moldau".
    2. Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto.
    3. Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring.
    4. Mozart's requiem, especially "Lacrymosa".

    --
    If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
  • (Score: 2) by cmn32480 on Friday December 18 2015, @02:59AM

    by cmn32480 (443) <reversethis-{moc.liamg} {ta} {08423nmc}> on Friday December 18 2015, @02:59AM (#278058) Journal

    Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart
    The Four Seasons - Vivaldi
    Fanfare for the Common Man and Appalachian Spring - Copeland

    And most any piano concerto.

    I find classical music very relaxing. It is easy on the ears, and no distraction to sing along.

    A rather lovely way to pass the time.

    --
    "It's a dog eat dog world, and I'm wearing Milkbone underwear" - Norm Peterson
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 22 2015, @02:49AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 22 2015, @02:49AM (#279538)

    Heh. https://www.mixcloud.com/ [mixcloud.com] has *zero* knowledge of Liszt, Rossini, Dvořák in a large 'classical' category which, at a glance, seems mostly movie themes. It does, however, have an hour of Erik Satie.

    I haven't the time to do a sampling into other music sources. But a sad priors adjustment.