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

[MozartLover]

Mozart: Requiem
Tchaikovsky: 6th Symphony
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
Beethoven: Wellington's Victory
Chopin: Ballades (for piano)(esp. #1)
Britten: Ceremony of Carols (really 20th century, but based on Medieval texts and GORGEOUS)
Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate
Mozart: Piano Sonatas
Mozart: Ave Verum
Brahms: German Requiem

[Pharmboy]

In my high school during lunch, they played Ravel's Bolero every day for months at a time. Never figured out why. I still like it, though (the school was Brooklyn Technical High School in NY).

[Doctor Doom]

Seriously, I vote Pachalbel and Mozart. Which ones? Any.

Until i'm in the mood for world conquest. Which is nightly. At which time it is time for the Valkyries to Ride.

[T'wit]

I'm an incurable romantic, so let me toss in The Seasons by Glazunov, the Goyescas by Grandados (played by Alicia de Larrocha)(whether or not they were composed before 1900) and all of Gilbert and Sullivan. When you simply have to skip around the room, put on the second movement of the Second Piano Concerto by St. Saens.

[Doctor Doom]

I'll also add Ravel's "Bolero" just to be different... Ms. Derek was right about one thing...

[lawgirl]

I am sure you're probably on here but ping anyway

[technochick99]

bump for a later read!

[Pharmboy]

Hmmm. A few votes for Brahm's German Requiem. I guess I'll have to go Here and listen to it. (Scroll a little more than halfway down the page).

[ClearBlueSky]

Ahhhh- Mahler! Moves me to tears every time!
I play the piano, Chopin's Etudes are my favorites.
Can I add classic Japanese koto music? Midori No Asa is beautiful, and ancient Celtic/Irish music is too.
Amazing Grace- or just about anything on bagpipes- is sublime.

[1 FELLOW FREEPER]

A little heavy on Beethoven,a little light on Mozart. As for #7....ROTFLMAO!

[BluesDuke]

In no particular order of preference:

Handel, Water Music (There is a brilliant recording of the complete, unedited Water Music suites by Pierre Boulez conducting the New York Philharmonic.)
Debussy, La Mer
Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor")
Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto (specifically, its interpretation by Isaac Stern, may his soul rest in peace)
Bach, Concerto For Two Violins and Orchestra (my favourite: Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman; New York Philarmonic, Zubin Mehta - Conductor)
Vivaldi, The Four Seasons (my favourite: Itzhak Perlman conducting the Israel Philharmonic)
Brahms, Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 (as performed by Philippe Entremont, piano; New York Philarmonic, Leonard Bernstein - Conductor)
Debussy, L'Apres Midi d'un Faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) (New York Philarmonic version)
Dvorak, Symphony in E Minor ("For The New World") (I've always been especially partial to the recording by the Cleveland Orchestra with George Szell...)

[RightField]

Here's one lady's (mine) choices:

Four Seasons - Vivaldi
Violin Concerto No. 3 - Mozart
Brandenburg Concertos No. 3 & 9 - Bach
Trumpet Tune and Air - Purcell

and ... most of the things others have listed above.

[gusopol3]

Schumann Symphony #1
" Piano Concerto
Brahms Symphony #1
Saint Saens Symphony #3--"The Organ"
Mendelsohn Hebrides Overture
Grieg Peer Gynt
Beethoven Emporer Concerto
Schubert Incidental Music to Rosamunde
Mozart Violin Concerto #5 "Turkish"
Dvorak Symphony #9 "From the New World"

[Pharmboy]

Aw c'mon...it's not like I picked the PIANO concerto. And actually, I could have easily filled it up just with Ludwig's piano stuff. If you scroll down a few from the top, you'll notice that I DID exchange the Violin concerto for the Mozart Requiem when Sam Adams brought it up.

[jae471]

1. 1812
2. Beethoven's Ninth
3. Cannon in D
4. Messiah
5. Four Seasons
6. Eine Kliene Nachtmusick (sp?)
7. Die Valkyrie
8. Bradenburg Concertos
9. Toccata and Fugue in D minor
10. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

[keta]

A better cut-off point would be 1800, with the baroque and early classical composers such as Handel, Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart.

[Pharmboy]

We've had many votes for Water Music; it perhaps leads the league at this point in votes. And thanks for reminding me about the Bach Double Violin Concerto. I wore out one LP of that piece when I was in college.

[RightField]

#42
Mr. RightField fondly remembers his high school football days here in Southern California where Bolero was played in the locker room each week as the players dressed for the game. (As his long suffering wife (hehe), I still must endure old football war stories each time we hear even a short snippet of Bolero).

[jae471]

Trumpet Tune and Air - Purcell

Excellent Choice.