# best piece of classical music written... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680 "2003-07-20T02:42:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blue22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@blue22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue22)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/1 "2003-07-20T02:42:23Z")
Nominations? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/2 "2003-07-20T03:08:30Z")
“Va Pensiero”, from “Nabucco” by Verdi. This piece can literally bring you to tears, particularly when you know that the people of Florence loved it so much that they lined the streets upon Verdi’s death and sang it as his procession passed by. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/3 "2003-07-20T07:51:10Z")
“Ode to Joy” would be an obvious choice. Personally, I like Bach’s “Air for the G String.” ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/4 "2003-07-20T10:21:55Z")
The critics’ choices, the _Citizen Kane_ or _Anna Karenina_ of the classical music world, would be Beethoven’s late string quartets. My personal choices would be Beethoven’s _Grosse Fuge_ ( part of one of the above), Schoenberg’s _Verklärte Nacht_ and Britten’s _Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings_. ---
**Author:** ![stigoftdump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@stigoftdump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stigoftdump)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/5 "2003-07-20T11:09:24Z")
In the same way that the best bit of popular music is either Bohemian Rhapsody or Yesterday because of popular opinion (not mind - I can’t stand either) you dont’ wanna be going for critics’ choice. My bet is on Barber’s Adagio for Strings or Beethoven’s 5th. Good tunes, is Beethoven’s case, great opening riff. All good stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Bugnorton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bugnorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bugnorton)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/6 "2003-07-20T12:52:32Z")
Mozart’s 40th is the greatest “classical” piece I can imagine; as for the greatest Baroque piece or Romantic piece…oh sh\*t, I’m nit- picking again. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/7 "2003-07-20T13:15:59Z")
I second **Bugnorton**. Welcome to the boards, BTW. Haven’t seen you around before. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/8 "2003-07-20T13:22:59Z")
Nominations? Plenty. Choice? Impossible My subjective list of 14 most important composers, with their best work (in more or less consecutive order): Bach - Cello sonatas Mozart - Clarinet concerto Beethoven - Symphony 6 Schubert - String quintet Mendelssohn - Violin concerto Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem Dvorak - Symphony 9 Wagner - Der Ring der Nibelungen Bruckner - Symphony 9 Mahler - Kindertotenlieder Debussy - Prelude a l’apres-mid d’un faune Strauss R - Vier letzte Lieder Stravinsky - Le sacre du printemps Shostakovich - String quartet 8 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/9 "2003-07-20T13:28:10Z")
Well, the UK radio station [Classic FM](http://www.classicfm.com) holds a yearly poll and this year’s favourite is [Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor](http://www.classicfm.com/index.cfm?nodeId=271&full_path=%24/classicfm/music/halloffame/1to50). Personally, I go for Handel. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/10 "2003-07-20T14:30:01Z")
_Toccata and Fugue in D Minor_ by Bach. I have simple tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/11 "2003-07-20T18:19:38Z")
Mozart’s _Requiem_. As has been said, merely a nomination – a consensus on “best” is beyond hope. Beethoven’s 9th has already been (obliquely) mentioned. For Bach, add the B Minor Mass and the St. Matthew Passion. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/12 "2003-07-20T18:41:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by qts \* > \*\*Well, the UK radio station [Classic FM](http://www.classicfm.com) holds a yearly poll and this year’s favourite is [Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor](http://www.classicfm.com/index.cfm?nodeId=271&full_path=%24/classicfm/music/halloffame/1to50). > > Personally, I go for Handel. \*\* Second on Handel for “Water Music”. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/13 "2003-07-20T19:52:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dragon Phoenix \* > **Bach - Cello sonatas** Bah, disconnect between mind and fingers - that should be Cello _suites_. ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/14 "2003-07-21T02:50:06Z")
I’ll nominate Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor, K. 516. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/15 "2003-07-21T02:53:23Z")
Bedriech Smetana’s _Moldau_ - Mein Vaterland. Absolutely beautiful. Running a close second is music from Orff’s _Carmina Burana_ and Bach’s _Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring_ (not the proper Bach title, but I can’t recall it). SO wants Canon in D when I walk down the aisle at our wedding, but I’m trying to convince him to use JJOMD since Canon in D is so overused. Ava ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/16 "2003-07-21T02:56:55Z")
Oh! And how could I forget - the second movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. That HAS brought me to tears several times. Ava ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/17 "2003-07-21T03:35:36Z")
Beethoven’s 9th. But only if you take the WHOLE SYMPHONY into account. The entire symphony is a masterpiece. It’s a shame more don’t hear anything but the ‘Ode to Joy’ movement, which IMHO isn’t even the best movement in the symphony. ---
**Author:** ![TheFunkySpaceCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheFunkySpaceCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFunkySpaceCowboy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/18 "2003-07-21T04:20:22Z")
Wow that’s a big questoin, I wouldn’t even know where to start in trying to decide what the best piece of “classical” music is, and I’m by no means an expert. I’ll just present a short list of works that I think are worthy of consideration. Stravinsky - \* The Rite of Spring \* Carl Orff - \* Carmina Burana \* Dvorak - \* From the New World \* Gershwin - \* Rhapsody in Blue \* Holst - \* The Planets \* Shoenburg - \* String Quartets \* I am, of course, leaving out a large number of truely great pieces with this list, in fact I kind of feel guilty but this is what I can think of (and spell) off the top of my head, and I don’t feel like getting up and digging through my CD collection right now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/19 "2003-07-21T04:34:54Z")
I’ve got no answer for the “best” piece. I believe the genre is way too varied and has lasted too long to decide on one piece that trumps all others - that idea just doesn’t make sense to me. But! I can offer favorites like everyone else has, and will offer them with the caveat that they are, of course, subjective opinions (yeah, even to say “it’s tightly written, and has genius counterpoint!” seems to be subjective to me - someone can always come along and disagree with that!): Beethoven - Symphony #7 Mahler - Symphony #9 Stravinsky - Rite of Spring and Symphony of Psalms Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe (complete ballet) Schoenberg - Moses und Aron Mozart - Symphony #35 “Haffner” Wagner - Tristan Shostakovich - Symphony #15 Schubert - Arpeggione Sonata Bach - Cello Suites Bruckner - Symphony #8 …and now I stop, because I’ll just keep going otherwise 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680/20 "2003-07-21T05:53:12Z")
Hey everybody–these are probably all public domain, does anyone know of a website where a good collection of classical music can be DL’d? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-piece-of-classical-music-written/189680.md?page=2)