Posted on 03/01/2006 7:54:55 PM PST by Reaganesque
I was sitting here tonight listening to Mozart's Requiem and I got to thinking: what do I consider to be the best work of music ever? For my part, Mozart's work really does the trick for me when I need to be re-energized. Therefore, I believe that his Requiem is the greatest work of all time. There just isn't another work that is as powerful and passionate. When the chorus sings the final "Amen" at the end of "Lacrimosa" I get the feeling that he knew it was the last thing he would ever write. It gives me chills at times.
Other favorites are:
Handel's Messiah
The 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky
And a "10" in my categorization is Ravel's Bolero!
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?
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.
#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
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.
Any relation to Werner? (Col. Klink)
For me as well, and I'm not a classical music fan.
Runner up is John Coltrane's live performance of "My Favorite Things."
Absolutely; otherwise he would not have gotten away with the humming.
Vivaldi - The 4 seasons
Also:
Wagner - Flight of the Valkyrie
Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra
Aaron Copeland - Fanfare for the common man - as performed by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
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.
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.
I love that album.
Yes, those lyrics are nice and have special meanings but my favorite arrangement is a duet of fiddle and guitar, no lyrics.
Thank you so much Luis!
God bless!
Frankenstein.
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.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.