# "Epic", or "Grand" Classical or Operatic Pieces **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403 "2009-07-09T03:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheMadEngineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TheMadEngineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadEngineer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/1 "2009-07-09T03:12:09Z")
I’m in the mood for some new music and I’m in more of a classical/opera mood. I’m wondering what pieces (Preferably entire concertos, symphonies, Operas) have a rather epic or grand feel to them. Something I could turn up very, very loud and be washed over by the music. Something on the scale of the complete (Philharmonic Orchestra + Chorus) Ode to Joy. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/2 "2009-07-09T03:53:07Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadEngineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TheMadEngineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadEngineer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/3 "2009-07-09T04:24:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. Thank you 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/4 "2009-07-09T04:28:17Z")
Mahler wrote 9 symphonies, all of them epic in some way or other. My favorite is his [5th](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7cwbGBFyEQ). Maybe some Prokofiev—something like [Alexander](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MXc1J9cYj0) [Nevsky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLCReEaS1hA)? ---
**Author:** ![TheMadEngineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TheMadEngineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadEngineer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/5 "2009-07-09T04:57:19Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Mahler wrote 9 symphonies, all of them epic in some way or other. My favorite is his [5th](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7cwbGBFyEQ). > > Maybe some Prokofiev—something like [Alexander](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MXc1J9cYj0) [Nevsky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLCReEaS1hA)? I actually saw the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia perform selections from Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé, among other other pieces. It was a brilliant show though I have to say their two encore pieces that captured me the most were by Khachaturian - His Masquerade Suite’s Waltz and Lezghenka, from the ballet Gayane. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/6 "2009-07-09T05:01:22Z")
Carmina Burana. Turn it all the way up to 11. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/7 "2009-07-09T05:04:13Z")
Wagner. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadEngineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TheMadEngineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadEngineer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/8 "2009-07-09T05:10:51Z")
Thanks a ton for the suggestions 😃 Carmina Burana is great, and I’ll look into Wagner tomorrow when I’m not so completely tired. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/9 "2009-07-09T05:28:51Z")
Regardless the postwar claims, “Carmina Burana” must exist OUTSIDE its Fascist beginings. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/10 "2009-07-09T05:47:55Z")
Dvorak’s 6th symphony. Preferably the performance by Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Karel Ancerl. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/11 "2009-07-09T06:16:15Z")
Verdi Requiem It contains the bits he took out of other operas but were too good to just throwaway. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/12 "2009-07-09T08:57:43Z")
Mozart’s Requiem, obviously. Brahms is always good. Try his Violin Concerto and Double Concerto. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/13 "2009-07-09T10:25:03Z")
Aida? It sure requires epic-sized stages and some bits can make the windows rattle. Tchaikovsky can get pretty loud too but my brain is suffering from epic name-of-stuff failure right now. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/14 "2009-07-09T14:28:29Z")
Tchaikovsky’s _Piano Concerto #1_ Gustav Holst’s _The Planets_ Richard Strauss’s _Also Sprach Zarathustra_ Ernest Bloch’s _Concerto Grosso #s 1 and 2_ ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/15 "2009-07-09T15:39:41Z")
Wagner’s _Ride of the Valkyries_. Turn it UP. Better yet, turn it up with noise-cancelling headphones! You can fuckin’ FLY when that piece lets loose in your head. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/16 "2009-07-09T17:32:40Z")
Tchaikovsy’s 1812 Overture ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/17 "2009-07-09T18:20:10Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > Carmina Burana. Turn it all the way up to 11. I’m a fan of the [Chicago Symphony recording](http://www.amazon.com/Orff-Carmina-Burana-Bernd-Weikl/dp/B000001G5X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1247163558&sr=1-5) with Levine conducting, on Deutsche Grammophon. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/18 "2009-07-09T18:50:10Z")
Some operas: “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti “Don Giovanni” by Mozart “Aida” by Verdi “Turandot” by Puccini Pipe organ music is the thing that will really knock you over, though. Look around youtube for something you like. Hint: nobody has ever outdone Bach. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/19 "2009-07-09T19:10:35Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > Pipe organ music is the thing that will really knock you over, though. Look around youtube for something you like. Hint: nobody has ever outdone Bach. Yes, but see also Saint-Saens’s Organ Symphony and Poulenc’s Organ Concerto. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403/20 "2009-07-09T19:24:00Z")
Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Procession of the Nobles” from Mlada and “Sheherazade” Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture” Stravinsky’s “Firebird”, especially the finale [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epic-or-grand-classical-or-operatic-pieces/502403.md?page=2)