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

[Pharmboy]

Check out above about the Requiem. I agree. And, I couldn't decide on my Wagner choice between the Overture to the Meistersinger and the Overture to Tristan. I finally decided on Tristan, but you are also correct...IMO

[T'wit]

Thank you for your last nomination, the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I was savoring it too, but it was so far off the list, I doubted that it would come up. Yet... performed well... it has more emotional power -- goosebumps! -- than anything else mentioned, except perhaps Ode to Joy. It ought to be our national anthem.

[Ciexyz]

I tape New Years in Vienna on PBS every January 1st for the beautiful Strauss family waltzes and the panoramas of Vienna at holiday time.

[T'wit]

> I guess the Violin Concerto gets bounced.

You put that right back and bump something else!! :-)

[Pharmboy]

I guess I know where you get your name from...LOL! How clever of you...

[ecurbh]

Good choices. I would have to have some Mahler. His 9th is from 1910, is that close enough?

[Savage Beast]

Was Mahler after 1900? If he was, I'll take everything Liszt wrote--especially the Liszt Sonata (but I don't think there's a recording of it--what do I do in that case?) --SB

[Pharmboy]

Well, we have two votes for Bach's Jesu, the Joy of Man's Desiring already. You folks have just given me my first Christmas present to myself...Virgin Records in Times Square tomorrow.

[Pharmboy]

Yep--Mahler's Ninth is great. There is also a Bruckner Symphony (I can't remember precisely which one, but I think it's in D) that's quite good.

[dread78645]

My taste is mostly in rock/punk/alternative, but of the few clasical tapes i play:

Bach -
 Brandenburg
 Toccatta & Fugue
 Air on the G string
 Jesu, joy of man's desiring.

Beethoven -
  Ninth Sym.
  Seventh Sym.

[Pharmboy]

I'm not a big opera fan, but I did see that documentary from an earlier post of yours. Very frightening...

[Northpaw]

Sadly parodied so often in cartoons and such, Strauss's "Blue Danube" is still one of the most beautiful pieces ever written.

[Pharmboy]

Dread, I think Kurdt Cobain was in the top 5 musical geniuses of the 20th century, so I imagine we share some favorites. May I respectfully recommend Mozart's Requiem (the last piece he ever wrote). Treat yourself.

[SkyPilot]

My MY! What an un-PC list! All this music was written by "Dead White European Males."

I'am sure you have offended the East-Asian-African-Pacific-Islander-My-Dog's-Better-Cause-he's-Fed-Kenelration-American CROWD!

By the way....my vote is for:

Pachabel's Canon in D Major.

[Doctor Doom]

Pre- 1900?

The first Ozzy l.p.?

[Pharmboy]

LOL!! Now that you mention it, that flute-like instrument played by the Andes natives is pretty good stuff. And, I'm sure it qualifies by dates. And, SkyPilot, where are the ladies??

[Pharmboy]

I was thinking Aerosmith perhaps...but I think their first recording was in 1912.

[Chief Inspector Clouseau]

FREEBIRD!!!!!!!!

Oh...sorry, I mis-read the question.

Most of the winners have been mentioned...I guess I would echo Beethoven's 9th, Tchiakovsky's "1812 Overture", and Handel's Water Music.

I'll also add Ravel's "Bolero" just to be different...

[Anticommie]

Pretty good musical taste and choice, I stay mostly with anything by Bach and Mozart, could live without anything else.