Been listening to classical music regularly for a long time. Some favorite works by my favorite composers...
J.S. Bach, esp. Toccata and Fugue in F major, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, Violin Sonatas and Partitas, Six Cello Suites, The Art of Fugue, A Musical Offering.
F.J. Haydn, any number of symphonies and string quarters. (He was the father of both). Most underrated composer, in my view.
L.V. Beethoven, esp. the late string quartets, Piano concertos #4 and #5, Piano sonata #23, Violin concerto (he only composed one), and the symphonies depending on my mood.
Igor Stravinsky, esp. Apollo, Orpheus, Symphony of Psalms, Concerto in D, Symphony in 3 Movements, The Soldier’s Story, Octet.
My favorite form is probably the string quartet. Aside from the Haydn and Beethoven mentioned above, fave SQs include those by Felix Mendelssohn, Alexander Borodin, Paul Hindemith, Sergei Prokofiev, and (esp.) Bela Bartok.
Preferably listened to on an audio system that includes vintage tube amps and large, efficient speakers by Altec, JBL, or Klipsch.
“F.J. Haydn... Most underrated composer, in my view.”
I second that, and I’ve often wondered why that is.
Didn’t Mendelssohn spark a Bach revival?