A call out to Classical music Afficionados!?

Question

I am eager to listen and absorb all the classical music i can!! I am curious.. to those of you who would know, what would you say are your favorite/the best pieces of any of these composers listed:
Mozart,
Beethoven,
Bach,
Schubert,
Tchaikovsky,
Chopin,
Stravinsky,
Haydn,
Brahms,

Any other favorites from whom I have not listed, feel free to add! Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Of those you listed, I'd say
Beethoven, (The symphonic master -- 9, 7, 5, 6, 3, 4, all amazing; piano pieces good; pioneer etc)
Tchaikovsky, (Really one of the "pop musicians" from the Romantic period -- extremely accessible, always enjoyable)
Chopin, (Noctures are best piano pieces -- gorgeous; all of his orchestral stuff is pretty bad, because he could never arrange for orchestra right)
Mozart, (Another master--great melodies, but so often sounds the same to me, at least in orchestral works)
Brahms (love his Hungarian stuff)
Stravinsky, (Depends upon what you're listening to--his tonal stuff is great)
Bach, (Some masterpieces, some things that feel like they were just kicked out for church the next day (which they were), good for learning, not so interested in listening)
Schubert, (Moderately good Romantic art songs, piano pieces, orchestral works)
Haydn, (I'd rather listen to Mozart)

My favorite composers are Camille Saint-Saens (His "Organ Symphony, Sym. No. 3, I believe" does it for me ... I think I have 3 or 4 recordings of that piece; listen to the second "movement" first), Philip Glass (for modernism -- Check out "Heroes" Symphony or Sym. No. 5), Percy Grainger (an Australian who used lots of folk songs.. check out "A Lincolnshire Posy" or "Handel in the Strand" or "The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart"), Gershwin, of course; a modern guy by the name of Kernis (still writing really interesting, powerful stuff)

As you can tell, I'm not a huge fan of chamber or solo instrumental music, or opera or art songs for that matter. Shostakovich's string quartets are up there (his symphonic stuff is great too), and Verdi and Mozart for Opera (very different).

Answer 2

Mozart: Jupiter Symphony or Requiem
Beethoven: Eroica (Third) Symphony
Bach: Unaccompanied Cello Sonatas
Shubert: Winterreise
Stravinsky: Petrouchka (for beginners - then Le Sacre du Printemps!)
Brahms - Clarinet trios

Also check out:

Shostakovich - 5th Symphony
Messaiaen - Illuminations of the Beyond or Quartet for the End of Time


I don't really care for Chopin or Tchaikovsky and my knowledge of Haydn. Happy listening!

Answer 3

I recommend you listen in the following order

Tchaikovsky - Piano Conc No. 1
Beethoven - Symph No. 6 (Pastoral)
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No.8 (Pathetique)
Mozart - Serenade No. 13 (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)
Mozart - Symphony No. 40
Tchaikovsky - Ballet Suite The Nutcracker (or Casse Noisette)
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
Schubert - Symph No. 8 (Unfinished)
Mozart - Piano Conc No. 21
Tchaikovsky - Symph No. 5
Beethoven - Symph No. 2
Beethoven - Symph No. 7
Schubert - Symph No. 9 (Great)
Dvorak - Symph No. 9 (New World)
Dvorak - Symph No. 8
Tchaikovsky - Serenade for strings.
Strauss family - Watzes, polkas, marches, etc. (Willi Boskovsky conducting)

This should start you off.
Have fun.

Answer 4

I have three 'all time favorites' ... Beethoven's '9th Symphony,' Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture' and Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' ... and I own TWO DIFFERENT CDs of each of those pieces. I also LOVE Handel's 'Messiah' but don't have a 'good recording' of that after my husband got scratches on the second of the two disk set ... but looking for a 'really good replacement' is LOTS OF FUN!

Answer 5

Chopin has some pretty cool and rediculously hard piano pieces. Some that I've heard are Impromptu (couldn't tell you wich one though...sorry) and Valse Op. 64 No. 2. The Valse has a fast and fun-to-play middle section. I don't know all that much about classical music, but some of it I can play, or at least attempt to play. :)
Hope it helps.