Top Ten Pieces of Music Written Before 1900

Me ^ | 12-05-01 | Pharmboy

[Pharmboy]

Ask the question this way: If you were stranded on a desert island with a CD player and a good sound system, what ten pieces would you take with you that were written before the 20th Century?

My list:
1) Beethoven's Appassionata sonata for piano
2) Bach's Partita Number 2 for solo violin
3) Mozart's Symphony Number 41
4) Wagner's Overture to Tristan und Isolde
5) Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 131
6) Chopin's Ballade Number 4
7) Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (IMO the only worthwhile thing he ever wrote)
8) Schubert's Impromptus (all of them)
9) Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata
and 10) Bach's Mass in B Minor

[Mini-14]

I've mastered seven of these and have worked on two others. That still leaves three more for me, including the nastiest one: "Feux-Follets". What is interesting about "Chasse-Neige" is that I used to consider it impossible to play, but that was before I discovered the secret to playing it.

The secret is that you have to break all the rules for "correct" fingerings for chromatic scales.

[Martin Tell]

The Thieving Magpies ... Any particular recording you would recommend?

Try the soundtrack to "A Clockwork Orange." That started me on classcial music in general and Rossini in particular.

[Martin Tell]

Hard to believe that only you (#62) and rightofrush (#72) mentioned my fav, Franz Joseph Hayden. I would recommend (demand) the piano sonatas, some of the quartets, and any of the symphonies. I listened to Symphony #100 (the Military) yesterday on the commute into work. I was ready to slay some Taliban when I arrived, if you know what I mean.

Also worthy of note, Shuman's trios.

[austinTparty]

Dunno about top 10, but my votes for the Desert Island set are:

Bach: The Brandenburg Concertos
Bach: Magnificat
Bach: 6 Suites for Unaccompanied Cello
Monteverdi's "Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria"
Walter Frye--mid 15th century composer (good CD out by the Hilliard Ensemble)
Jean-Baptiste Lully: Marche pour la Ceremonie des Turques
Verdi: L'Elisir d'Amore (really only for "Una Furtiva Lagrima")
Anton Rubenstein: "Melody in F"
Ferdinand Sor: 20 studies for classical guitar
Ernesto Lecuona: Malaguena (hey, he was BORN in 1895... does that count? :D)

[AuntB]

Greensleeves..Yes..Your choice is excellent!

[austinTparty]

Love that one, too... what I love about that piece by Dvorak is that you can pick out a lot of American folk references. Great music.

[Maven]

ALL the best music was written before 1900 :-)

I like "Rhapsody in Blue," and that's 20th century.... :)

Maven

[Cinnamon Girl]

Do you have Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger" on that collection? In their studio recorded version you can hear Pacabel Canon the best.

[Savage Beast]

I'm glad I traded Mahler in on Richard Strauss anyway. Mahler's too gloomy. The Kindertotenlieder--I can't handle that.

[ohioWfan]

I'm not from southern Ohio, but my husband was raised there, and is also a Bearcat!

Glad I could help with the suggestions! If the Dvorak 'Stabat Mater' is one you aren't familiar with, buy it right away (the Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony version). It's phenomenal!!!

[ohioWfan]

The Kindertotenlieder--I can't handle that.

Obviously neither could he!

[Savage Beast]

Then there's that symphony where Time is marching montrously--the 6th?--Mahler was undone listening to it. Maybe it's glorious, but it gives me the creeps.

[jimfree]

A little heavy on the classical. Somewhere we need to recognize Stephen Foster and the other popular composers of the time.

[maxwell]

AC/DC's Back in Black!!!

(Oh before 1900... Hmmmm...)

[lowbridge]

bump

[headsonpikes]

IMHO, to qualify your request by 'Before 1900', was superfluous. ;^)

[ohioWfan]

I'll stick with the Resurrection, and the 3rd, which I had the privilege of singing.
Lots of emotion, but not enough to freak me out..............just make me cry. Both of those finales bring you to an emotional peak and just when you think you're going to break, Mahler brings you even higher. You have to start out with a lot of emotional reserve before you listen to either of them!

Strauss isn't nearly so bad, but the Nietzsche thing bothers me a bit.

[alaskanfan]

Does any one know the name and composer of that classical piece that Sean Hannity uses on the itro to his radio show? Is it part of an opera or something?

[nagdt]

And for those of you who haven't watched the movie Amadeus, you simply must! I've had the video for years and watch it whenever. I just pulled it off the shelf for tonight. Thanks for the thread pharmboy!

[Savage Beast]

Yeah, I think Strauss was a Nazi sympathizer, wasn't he? But Wagner's music was Hitler's music! Talk about getting the creeps!