What Is the Greatest Musical Work of All Time?

3/1/2006 | Reaganesque

[Young Werther]

And a "10" in my categorization is Ravel's Bolero!

[rollo tomasi]

As far as recording goes, Otto Klemperer without a doubt does the best version of St. Matthew Passion.

I love Klemperer's pace in everything that he did.

[Age of Reason]

there is a right answer . . . . The correct answer is: Messe in h-moll by J. S. Bach.

By whose standard?

Certainly that's up there--but choosing between the very, very best is still a matter of opinion.

Many folks did get the the number two piece, though: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

In the same breath as Bach's B Minor Mass? ROFLMAO.

Are we talking number two on some Classical Hit Parade?

[Luis Gonzalez]

There is an old recording of the Eastman Wind ensemble doing Percy Grainger's "Lincolnshire Posy" on the Mercury label that's just wonderful, if you ever run across it, get it.

Also on Mercury, "Wagner for Band", again the Eastman Wind Ensemble...great rendition of Elsa there, as well as the Prelude to Act III and Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin AND the Entry of the Gods into Valhalla from Das Rheingold.

Being a brass guy myself, I always loved to play Copland.

[Tares]

#1) Concerto for Orchestra - Bartok

Other Bests:
Brandenberg Concertos
Symphonic Dances - Rachmaninoff
Beethoven's 7th
Dumbarton Oaks - Stravinsky (Brandenberg Concerto fans check this one out)
Endicott - Kid Creole and the Coconuts

And one that I'm willing to bet no one who has posted to this thread has heard:

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra - Roy Harris

[Cyropaedia]

I suggest that you reserve some time and put on the 9th and close your eyes and open your ears. There is nothing better.

I have done what you suggest, many times. I love the ninth. But the AoF is a different creature altogether. It is still possibly the only musical work written centuries ago that can still honestly claim to be ahead of its time, even by today's standards. With his canons and fugues Bach composed what is probably the most intellectually rigorous music our world has known.

Bach is more of an acquired taste than say, Beethoven or Mozart. I will admit that.

[dfwgator]

As far as recording goes, Otto Klemperer without a doubt does the best version of St. Matthew Passion. I love Klemperer's pace in everything that he did.

Any relation to Werner? (Col. Klink)

[Lurking Libertarian]

Beethoven's 9th, for me.

For me as well, and I'm not a classical music fan.

Runner up is John Coltrane's live performance of "My Favorite Things."

[luvbach1]

But he [Gould] was the genuine article. Immensely Knowledgeable concerning Bach and a very skilled pianist.

Absolutely; otherwise he would not have gotten away with the humming.

[cardinal4]

Grateful Dead-Hampton, VA 3-27-88. Out of all of the band's concerts, this is rated in the top 5. Sometimes a band is just "on", and this was one of those times. Great show, but getting there was half the fun...

[roaddog727]

Vivaldi - The 4 seasons

[roaddog727]

Also:

Wagner - Flight of the Valkyrie

Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra

Aaron Copeland - Fanfare for the common man - as performed by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

[Wolfstar]

Hi Jonny. Thanks for the ping. It's impossible for me to pick one greatest musical work of ALL time. If we're talking modern symphonic pieces, I like George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'An American in Paris.'

If we're talking classical symphonic music, I like Beethoven's 5th Symphony. I also like Massenet's 'Meditation' and Ravel's 'Bolero.'

If we're talking inspirational/religious music, my all-time favorite is Franz Schubert's 'Ava Maria.' I heard Pavarotti sing it once, and nothing quite touches my soul like a great performance of that song.

If we're talking patriotic music, no list of mine would be complete without the '1812 Overture,' 'Stars and Stripes Forever,' 'Taps,' 'God Bless America,' 'America the Beautiful,' and the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic.'

If we're talking musical theater, I love the 'Soliloquy' from Carousel.

And that's just for starters. If we're talking American folk and popular music, I love songs from every era going back to at least the mid-1800's.

How can anyone pick just ONE all-time greatest piece of music? A piece from the Middle Ages is still popular today because of its haunting beauty. We know it as Greensleeves. Its longevity, alone (over 400 years old), qualifies it as one of the greatest musical pieces of all time.

[Maven]

Gee, Most people refer it to MEAT LOAF's Bat out of Hell... But Steinman is indeed the composer :-) .

Exactly! Mr. Aday sang the song, but Mr. Steinman created it.

Generally, I'm not into rock and roll, and like music that I can listen to on fairly low volume.... But both BOoH albums, I can listen to over and over, and crank up the volume.

Couldn't tell you why though; I just love them.

I pretty much gave up rock/pop around 1986, when I realized that almost all the rock/pop singers/bands I liked had classical training. So, I looked into classical music and pretty much never looked back.

I could add Kansas' Dust in the Wind to my list, too.

Maven

[msjhall]

Occasionally a song that I never paid much attention to unexpectedly manifests itself in a profound way. Three years ago I was at an amusement park listening to some college students perform a musical tribute to the soldiers, one of their themes for the year. They were performing "God Bless The USA" when I heard the words "where at least I know I'm free". So unexpected was the emotion in that line that I had to struggle to maintain my composure. I thought that if the very least we have in this country is freedom then how wonderful a country it is and how blessed we are.

I can't help but think that those who have fought for it and are still fighting must understand this, we all should. We should stand with them to fight for the freedom in which we share.

Now when I hear this song I feel an inspiring sense of patriotism.

[antceecee]

I love that album.

[Ben Ficklin]

Yes, those lyrics are nice and have special meanings but my favorite arrangement is a duet of fiddle and guitar, no lyrics.

[MeekMom]

Thank you so much Luis!

God bless!

[hobbes1]

Frankenstein.

[PalestrinaGal0317]

I know exactly what you mean; my choir recently performed the Faure Requiem and I was amazed that when I heard it "put together" (ie, in the church with the instruments and soloists etc) I still loved it--though there were times during practice during which I knew that if I heard "Requiem Aeternam" so much as one more time I might scream.
The "Pie Jesu," huh? Someday I want to sing that in a performance; It is really beautiful when sung properly.
As far as the greatest musical work of all time, I'd have to go with "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (Bach), Beethoven's 5th, Palestrina's Sicut Cervus or maybe Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus (when it is not sung like a funeral dirge). Greatest hymn of all time would have to be Faith of our Fathers or Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.
Soundtracks--well, let's just say that I'd relax my views about cloning just once in order to clone John Williams. I can never hear "My Friend the Brontosaurus" from Jurassic Park (I know, odd choice, but the strings are INCREDIBLE) without wanting to hear it again. The theme from Chariots of Fire was also good.
Musicals? Sound of Music (some songs) and "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel (infinitely beautiful onstage if sung by a deep, rich alto and infintely horrible IMHO at Mass). Also Grease; don't like the morals but love the music. "Something Good" amd "Defying Gravity" from Wicked are also good. Yeah, I know, weird conglomeration there.
I can't hear the trumpet solo in "The Trumpet Shall Sound" from the Messiah too many times, either.
Chant is always beautiful; I don't think I will ever hear "Ubi Caritas" or "Salve Mater Misericordiae" once too often.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I sure as heck can't make up my mind.