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Very often, parents and students ask me, “Can you recommend some good classical music to listen to?” Absolutely! There are so many wonderful pieces to choose from, it is difficult to narrow the list down to “must haves” for your recording collection. Here is a “short list” of my favorites. Most of the pieces listed here are for string orchestra or symphony orchestra. If you have a favorite piece you would like included on this list, send me an e-mail! If you want to explore more music by these composers, or explore the works of other composers not listed here, check out www.classicalarchives.com You can download a limited number of music files each day for free. Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concertos No. 1 – No. 6. Mass in b minor Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites The Art of the Fugue “Little” Fugue in g minor Toccata and fugue in d minor Double Concerto in D for two violins Ludwig von Beethoven Symphonies No. 1 – No. 9. My personal favorite is No. 6 "Pastoral." The two most popular symphonies are No. 5 and No. 9 "Choral." Piano Sonata No.14 in C#-, Op.27 No.2 "Moonlight" Piano Sonata No.23 in F-, Op.57 "Appassionata" Johannes Brahms Symphonies No. 1 – No. 4 Violin Concerto in D, Op.77 Samuel Barber Adagio--When people think of Samuel Barber, this is the piece they think of. "Adagio" is a very beautiful and emotional work for string orchestra. Hector Berlioz Symphony Fantastique Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring Rodeo Claude Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun Rêverie (1890) Antonin Dvorak Symphony No 9 New World String Quartet "American"--This is one of my favorite string quartets. George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue An American in Paris George Frideric Handel Messiah--The best known selection from "Messiah" is the "Hallelujah Chorus." Music for the Royal Fireworks in D, HWV.351 Water Music (3 Suites, HWV.348-350) Franz Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 94 in G "Surprise" Symphony No.104 in D "London" Gustav Holst The Planets Felix Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21 Die Hebriden ("Fingal's Cave"), Op.26 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphonies No. 40 g minor and No. 41 "Jupiter" Serenade in G for strings "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Night Music) K.525--This is one of Mozart’s best known chamber works. Piano Concerto No.23 in A, K.488 Overtures "The Marriage of Figaro" and "The Magic Flute" Jacques Offenbach Overture "Orpheus in the Underworld"--The most recognizable section of this piece is "Can-Can." Niccolo Paganni Caprices for Violin--Paganni is best known for his flashy and showy violin pieces. Concertos nos. 1 and 2 for Violin and Orchestra Sergei Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Peter and the Wolf Maurice Ravel Daphnis et Chloe Pavanne Bolero--This is not my favorite piece by Ravel (I love Daphnis et Chloe) but I included it on this list because it is one of the best known pieces by Ravel. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade--A beautiful piece for symphony orchestra, very “exotic” sounding. Capriccio espagnol Russian Easter Overture Gioacchino Rossini Overture to "William Tell" Camille Saint Saens Carnival of the Animals--My favorite movements are "The Swan" (featuring the cello) and "The Elephant" (featuring the bass). Franz Schubert Piano Quintet in A "The Trout"--This is my favorite quintet. It is so beautiful! Symphonies No. 8 "Unfinished" and No. 9 "The Great" Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 Igor Stravinski The Firebird Le Sacred du printemps (Rite of Spring)--This ballet was so innovative and shocking, that at the premiere performance in Paris in 1924, the audience started a riot! This piece was featured in the animated film "Fantasia" (think of the dinosaur part). Petrouchka Johann Strauss Waltzes "Blue Danube" and "Tales of the Vienna Woods" Richard Strauss Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks Also sprach Zarathustra--This piece was featured in the movie “2001 A Space Odessy.” Don Juan Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade in C, Op.48, for strings--This is my absolute favorite piece for string orchestra. Violin Concerto Piano Concerto No. 1 The Nutcracker Suite--This piece was featured in the animated film Fantasia. Swan Lake Sleeping Beauty 1812 Overture, Op. 49 Tchaikovsky intended this piece to be performed outdoors, complete with live cannon shots! This piece is often performed on July 4th to accompany fireworks displays. Symphony No. 6 Ralph Vaughn Williams Greensleeves English Folk Song Suite Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons This is probably Vivaldi’s best know work. It consists of four violin concertos—Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Gloria in D Violin Concerto in a minor Richard Wagner Die Meistersinger Lohengrin Tannhauser Here are some favorites submitted by students: Franz Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Ludwig von Beethoven Rondo a Cappriccio Op. 129 (Rage Over a Lost Penny)
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