# What's Your Favourite Piece of Classical Music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2015, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193 "2015-03-17T12:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/21 "2015-03-17T14:49:21Z")
Anything by Mozart- I’m surprised he hasn’t been mentioned more. My favorite Mozart pieces are Symphony No. 29 and String Quartet No. 19 in C Major (nicknamed the Dissonance Quartet). ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/22 "2015-03-17T15:03:32Z")
Classical music is so diverse, it’s hard to know what will speak to an individual, but here are some of my favorites: Bach’s 2nd Brandenburg Concerto - so full of joy and confidence and yet still so mathematically structured. If you love math, you’ll love Bach. Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A Major - this is achingly beautiful and the precision of the interplay between the instruments is amazing. Dvorak’s New World Symphony - This is the gateway to classical musical for many people. It’s eminently listenable to the rookie because the music is so evocative you can easily see the pictures Dvorak is painting. The little donkey’s theme is sure to bring a smile to your face. The Chopin Nocturnes for solo piano - Most of these are fairly short, so good for a beginner. And I guarantee they will move you , particularly the E Flat nocturne. It’s astonishing how much emotion Chopin could put into these pieces with such economy of notes. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/23 "2015-03-17T15:13:04Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Sergei Prokofieff _Scheherazade_ You have two choices for a piece entitled “Scheherazade” in the standard repertoire, none by Prokofiev: Rimsky-Korsakov, _[Scheherazade](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheherazade_%28Rimsky-Korsakov%29)_. Ravel, _[Shéhérazade](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C3%A9h%C3%A9razade_(Ravel))_. Note that this one is either a song-cycle based on poetry about Scheherazade, not the original stories, or an unknown orchestral work. Odd that there are orchestra pieces by Ravel that are unknown! But so it is. ETA: As for the OP, I couldn’t possibly choose. I’d be hard pressed to even choose a favorite composer from each major time period. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/24 "2015-03-17T15:18:07Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > **Ligeti** : _Musica Ricercata_ + _Lux Aeterna_ + _Lontano_ + _Violin concerto_ Yay, Ligeti! But no [Lutosławski](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-nxHSu9Uu8)? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/25 "2015-03-17T15:26:02Z")
**Rachmaninoff** : Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 - the first movement in particular. It was the first classical piece I really enjoyed that wasn’t one that is instantly recognizable by laypeople. It still remains my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/26 "2015-03-17T15:32:05Z")
If you’re interested in checking out the Romantics: Gustav Holst: _Brook Green Suite; Saint Paul’s Suite_ Maurice Duruflé:\* Quatre Motets sur des Thèmes Gregoriennes\* Modest Mussorgsky:\* Pictures at an Exhibition\* Gerald Finzi: _Five Bagatelles; Three Soliloques from “Love’s Labor’s Lost;” Severn Rhapsody_ David Diamond: _Rounds for String Orchestra_ This is what I would call Modern Classical, or most people would say Classical Lite. But it’s beautiful, emotionally affecting music. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/27 "2015-03-17T15:44:36Z")
All right, I’ve give this a shot. Here’s a shortish list of pieces that have been massively important to me (as you can see, I couldn’t even stick with just one piece by one composer in some cases!): Josquin: _Missa pange lingua_ J.S. Bach: Passacaglia in C Minor, BWV 582 Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60 or Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastorale” Schubert: String Quartet in G Major, D. 887 Verdi: _Falstaff_ Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (really hard to just pick just one Bruckner Symphony) Strauss: _Also sprach Zarathustra_, Op. 30 or _Ein Heldenleben_, Op. 40 Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, or Symphony No. 6 in A Minor, or Symphony No. 9 Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 “The Inextinguishable” Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 in C Major, Op. 52, or Symphony No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 63 Stravinsky: _Le Sacre du printemps_, _Symphony of Psalms_, or _Requiem Canticles_ Bartók: String Quartet No. 4 or Concerto for Orchestra Debussy: _La Mer_ Ravel: String Quartet in F Schoenberg: Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31 or Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 Berg: _Wozzeck_ or _Lyric Suite_ Webern: Five Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 5 or Symphony, Op. 21 or Cantata No. 1, Op. 29 Varèse: Arcana Holst: _The Planets_ Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 “Babi Yar” Boulez: _Notations I-IV_ for orchestra Lutosławski: Symphony No. 3 Ligeti: _Lontano_, Chamber Concerto, Horn Trio, or _Lux Aeterna_ Carter: Variations for Orchestra Adams: _Harmonielehre_ or _Guide to Strange Places_ Yeah, a barely manageable list. Sorry, folks. I actually hit submit to prevent myself from adding more to it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/28 "2015-03-17T15:50:27Z")
My favorite piece ever is [/Adagio in G minor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adagio_in_G_minor), nominally attributed to Tomaso Albinoni, but actually composed by Remo Giazotto. Nevertheless, it is quite the haunting piece. It is often used in films - it was used effectively in the original _Rollerball_, and is the entirety of the soundtrack for Orson Wells’ _Kafka’s The Trial_. My second would be the Waltz from Sleeping Beauty, by Tchaikovsky. I always want to sweep around the ballroom when I hear that one. I’d add Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Strauss’ Blue Danube, the already mentioned Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, and the dances from The Nutcracker Suite. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/29 "2015-03-17T15:59:34Z")
Dvorak: Serenade for Strings Debussy: Clair de Lune Paganini: 24 Caprices Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/30 "2015-03-17T16:06:44Z")
Great topic here - I offer: Sibelius _Violin Concerto_ Vaughn Williams (early and late) _Norfolk Rhapsody, In the Fen Country, The Lark Ascending, Serenade to Music and Symphony No. 7_ Henryk Gorecki _Symphony No. 3_ ---
**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:** [March 17, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/31 "2015-03-17T16:12:06Z")
Here are a few I haven’t seen mentioned yet: Some of Handel’s Organ Concertos showed me that organ music could actually be fun. Op. 4 #4 is a catchy one. For a more modern take on the organ concerto, try Poulenc’s. String quartets: Haydn wrote a lot of them that are clear and easy to appreciate. Try “The Lark” (Op. 66 #5). Then for something a bit more Romantic, try Dvorak’s “American” string quartet (#12). Piano Trios: Definitely start with Beethoven’s “Archduke” trio. It’s what turned me on to this particular form. Mahler’s 5th symphony is long, intense, and emotionally satisfying. There are a lot more pieces I could mention, but that could take all day… ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/32 "2015-03-17T16:39:36Z")
I don’t have much to add here, but I want to second this: > [@funky\_little\_lee](#): > > Modest Mussorgsky:\* Pictures at an Exhibition\* I’m surprised it’s mentioned only once above. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/33 "2015-03-17T18:33:56Z")
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos #2 and #3; Symphony #2. Chopin: just about everything he wrote. Tchaikovsky: All the Symphonies; all the ballets; Piano Concerto #1; Violin Concerto. Brahms: Symphonies, especially #3; Violin Concerto; Piano Concertos. Verdi: Rigoletto. Bizet: Carmen. Mozart: Symphonies #39, #40, #41; Clarinet Concerto; Clarinet Quintet. Beethoven: Symphonies #3, 5, 7, 9. Piano Concertos. Kabalevsky: The Comedians. Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto #2; Violin Concerto #3; Carnival of the Animals. Lehar: The Merry Widow. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/34 "2015-03-17T19:07:40Z")
A couple well-known Mozart piano pieces: Rondo alla Turca Piano Sonata in C Major, KV545 ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/35 "2015-03-17T19:18:29Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Yay, Ligeti! > > But no [Lutosławski](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-nxHSu9Uu8)? There you go 🙂 : **Lutoslawski** : _Symphony n°3_ + _Piano concerto_ + _Trois Poèmes d’Henri Michaux_. Which forces me to add: **Dutilleux** : _Tout un Monde Lointain_ (for cello and orchestra) + _Ainsi la Nuit_ (for string quartet) + _Symphony n°1_ ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/36 "2015-03-17T20:24:50Z")
Tchaikovsky : Violin Concerto in D major op.35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkw\_Wi4yIo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkw_Wi4yIo) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/37 "2015-03-17T20:40:11Z")
It’s rather obscure, but [Vivaldi’s Concerto for Diverse Instruments, in C.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehv35TdZV-Q) ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/38 "2015-03-17T21:22:22Z")
I’m surprised I’m the first person to mention Mendelssohn. The first movement of the Italian Symphony is among the most accessible and enjoyable classical pieces for newbies. And if you know “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the overture he wrote is wonderful, too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/39 "2015-03-17T23:52:31Z")
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is arguably the best music ever written. And Beethoven was almost, if not completely, deaf at the time he wrote it. It is from the Romantic period, so technically not “classical”, which would be from the end of Baroque (J.S. Bach and such) to the start of Romantic (Beethoven and his crowd). Classical includes the Haydn boys, Mozart, Saliere and those gang bangers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193/40 "2015-03-17T23:53:35Z")
[quote=“furryman, post:11, topic:715193”] The William Tell Overture [/QUOTE] It is the sign of cultural maturity when a grown man can hear the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-piece-of-classical-music/715193.md?page=3)