Top Ten Pieces of Music Written Before 1900

Me ^ | 12-05-01 | Pharmboy

[Pharmboy]

Ask the question this way: If you were stranded on a desert island with a CD player and a good sound system, what ten pieces would you take with you that were written before the 20th Century?

My list:
1) Beethoven's Appassionata sonata for piano
2) Bach's Partita Number 2 for solo violin
3) Mozart's Symphony Number 41
4) Wagner's Overture to Tristan und Isolde
5) Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 131
6) Chopin's Ballade Number 4
7) Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (IMO the only worthwhile thing he ever wrote)
8) Schubert's Impromptus (all of them)
9) Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata
and 10) Bach's Mass in B Minor

[johnboy]

i'll bet you turn off the lights when you listen to avoid the electrical interference caused by the light bulbs?

[johnboy]

occurred to me that not once in 300 comments did anyone mention rodriguez ... i recall he wrote some very listenable stuff; too, fernando sor wrote a great deal - studies and pieces both - that have yet to be surpassed in bringing forth the beauty and complexity of the classical guitar. alas, it would take me hours rummaging around in closets, reviewing notes - goodness, i'd probably even have to dig out the guitar, too! (ugh) before i could even consider compiling a list.

[AmericanVictory]

Personally, I would rather listen to the horn concerto, especially with either Dennis Brain or, his successor, Brian Civil.

Also, with Bach, the Toccata and Fugue.

[Intolerant in NJ]

... rodriguez......there was a Rodrigo who wrote lots of good guitar music, but he was born in 1901 so we can't mention him here - his Concierto Andaluz for Four Guitars is super nonetheless....

[Noumenon]

For serious listening, I actually do kill all the fluorescents. Makes for a 'blacker' background.

[A Navy Vet]

Tales of the Vienna Woods - Strauss.

[rightofrush]

Second that motion. Every note was wrung from the tears of angels. It isn't music, it's God thinking aloud.

Very nicely put.

[IronJack]

Beethoven compels me to wax rhapsodical.

[Marysecretary]

Now THAT sounds like fun! M

[Marysecretary]

The Lord's Prayer comes to mind. It's a great song.

[KC Burke]

Your system description has given me true envy. Have you listened to Slatkin's Carmina Baruna on it?

[Noumenon]

Have you listened to Slatkin's Carmina Baruna on it?

Not yet. I've got Ormandy's version of Carmina Burana, but I'll take your recommendation and give Slatkin's rendition a try.

WRT the system - that - aside from the north Idaho spread I bought a few years ago - was my one big self-indulgence after walking away from Microsoft. I've got about $28K invested so far, and it would have been more if I hadn't made some practical choices by buying part of it used. About half the cables, the LS22R and the CD transport are used. There are some great bargains out there if you know what you're doing. AudioWeb.com is a good place to shop for used gear. I've also got a review of the Pass X350 out there.

At some point, I'd like to upgrade the system to the latest version of the Magnepans (20.1Rs), An ARC REF-2 preamp and a pair of Pass Labs X600s. Now that'll rock. If music be the food of love...

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Second that motion. Every note was wrung from the tears of angels. It isn't music, it's God thinking aloud...

If you liked the 9th, you will love his "Chorale."  Strictly speaking, the 9th isn't totally Beethoven's work.  The "Ode to Joy" portion of it was pretty much lifted from Schiller.

[IronJack]

The "Ode to Joy" portion of it was pretty much lifted from Schiller.

The lyrics were. The music is all Beethoven. And Beethoven took considerable artistic license with the lyrics as well. It's not a competition, but a blend of two sublime talents.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Are you sure?  My mom used to play "Ode to Joy" all the time on the piano from a book of Schiller's works.

I agree that it doesn't diminish Beethoven's work, since borrowing from others wasn't uncommon.

[IronJack]

I believe Schiller was a poet, not a musician. It's time for some research.

[IronJack]

Well, I was close. Schiller was actually a playwright, a dramatist. See this link for a biography.

[devere]

Sousa, Semper Fidelis or The Stars and Stripes Forever ( both great; I can’t choose between them ).

Joplin, The Maple Leaf Rag.

Chopin, Nocturne Opus 9 #2 or Fantasie Impromptu in C sharp Minor Opus 66 ( both are great!).

Any Mozart clarinet or flute concerto; sheer loveliness.

Beethoven Symphony #5.

Beethoven string quartet #16 in F major Opus 135 ( his last work before he died, and very unusual Beethoven ).

Bach Brandenburg concerto #5 ( #2, and #3 are great also ).

Bach keyboard concerto in D Minor; here’s an amazing performance of this great music by 9 year old virtuoso Alice Burla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwvWrKdXDVc

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, or if you prefer, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker.

It’s hard not to pick a hundred more pieces of music...

[GRRRRR]

Amazing isn’t it? Almost three hundred posts about classical music and how it ties to cartoons. FReepers are amazing...

I wonder about those posts that were deleted tho? Someone has strong feelings about classical HipHop??

I don’t know Bo Diddly about classical, I just know when I hear it, I like it, most times...

[devere]

“I think Strauss was a Nazi sympathizer, wasn’t he?”

His daughter-in-law Alice was Jewish, and he moved heaven and earth to successfully keep her and his grandchildren alive during the war. However, his efforts to save Alice’s relatives ( Strauss travelled to Theresienstadt to try to use his pretige to free them ) were unsuccessful, and they were murdered by the NAZIs. Richard Strauss was neither a NAZI nor a sympathizer.