Your Top 5 Favorite Pieces

[Vivaletour]

1. Beethoven - 7th Symphony - Driving rhythms, powerful brass, and an ending that guarantees a standing ovation.
2. Bach - "The Great" organ Fugue in gm, BWV 542 - BEST FUGUE EVER
3. Beethoven - 5th Piano Concerto finale - More great rhythms, whole orchestra in top form.
4. Beethoven - 5th Symphony finale - C major and lovin' it.
5. Saint-Saens - "Organ" Symphony no. 3 - There are few great orchestral works that feature the king of instruments, this is one of them.

There are a lot more...

What about the Wedge fugue (bwv 548)? in my humble opinion that is Bach's greatest accomplishment in fugue writing. although the Great gm is an absolute BLAST to perform

[allegroamabile]

5. Saint-Saens - "Organ" Symphony no. 3 - There are few great orchestral works that feature the king of instruments, this is one of them....

There are also many pieces that consist of chorus and orchestra with organ that are beautiful as well (Dvorak and Hummel's Masses and Elgar's music for choir and orchestra). I would have to say the most astonishing use of organ within a orchestral work would be the last movement of Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony. The organ comes out of nowhere for the first time at the end of this extensive work and the effect just gives you goosebumps.

[wurlitzer153]

Bach has so many great organ works that it's difficult to choose just one. The Wedge just was never my favorite, but it is massive and virtuosic so I'll give it points. Same goes with the 'St. Anne' prelude & fugue. Other favorites of mine are the Passacaglia, the 'little' fugue, the 543, and the 544 fugues.

[juleswinger]

my is
1. "Carmina Burana" choreographed by Paul Vasterling, performed by Nashville Ballet, music by Carl Orff
2. "Kiss" choreographed by Susan Marshall
3. "The Dying Swan" originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine
4."Tensile" choreographed by Alwin Nicolais
5. Butterfly Lovers (I have not found a definite choreographer)

[Sergeï]

A top 5 (or even 10, or even 100) is something I find not only difficult to do, but also very dependent on my mood. Regardless, here are 5 pieces I find absolutely fabulous.

- Mozart, Don Giovanni: quite simply put, the best opra ever written (to me at least ).
- Brahms, Eine Deutches Requiem. The chorals are extraordinary, especially in the second and sixth movements. The only two pieces that even remotely compare in this respect are Mozart's Requiem and Bach's mass in B
- Beethoven, Emperor Concerto. I'd expand, but the first measure says more than I ever could.
- Brahms, 4th Symphony. So many things to say. A near-mystic opening, and the passaglia in the final movement is breathtaking.
- Moussorgsky, Boris Godunov. I like this opera for many reasons, but the main reason would be that it's just so gut-wrenching. Godunov screaming when he sees the dead child's ghost, gnawed by guilt, the revolutionaries' chorus, the soprano arias,... An astounding piece.


Of course, listing only 5 leaves so many out (Dvorak, Mahler, Bach, Schubert, Rachmaninov, Bartok, and so many, many, many others), but I could go on for ever if I didn't respect the limit of 5.

[rojotrb]

1. shostakovich: symphony No. 7
2. shostakovich: symphony No. 10
3. tchaikovsky: overture 1812
4. stravinsky: the rites of spring
5. bruckner: symphony No. 9

[dr927]

Of course, this is changing each and every moment.

1. Every Mahler work
2. Beethoven's 9th, 6th, and 3rd Symphonies
3. Franck's Symphony in D minor
4. Beethoven's Les Adieux Piano Sonata
5. Shostakovich's 4th, 5th, and 7th Symphonies

Yes, I know this is a very strange list. These came to mind first. I don't think I have favorite pieces...just favorite composers and several of their works.

[pianogirl23]

Ummm...this is a toughie...let's see
1. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2
2. Chopin Nocturne Op48-1
3. Rachmaninoff Prelude in D Major
4. Chopin Winter Wind Etude
5. Brahms Intermezzo in E Minor

but i also love
Mozart: D Minor Fantasia and 20th Piano Concerto
Beethoven: Pathetique, Hammerklavier, and Appasionata
Schumann: Kinderscenen, Fantasy in C, Piano Concerto in A Minor

[hautboisetcoranglais]

1. Polovstian Dances
2. 1812 Overture
3. Bolero
4. Pictures at an Exibition
5. Rite of Spring

[dwil9798]

Just checked my previous list, and I'm glad to see my musical taste hasn't really changed in around a year.

Let's take another general look:

1. Wagner: Tristan und Isolde. My favorite by far, and I don't think this will change. Everything about it is just awesome.
2. Puccini: La Boheme. Once one of my least favorite composers, I realize now I had just listened to too many poor renditions of Nessun Dorma (Paul Potts take notice). Really a great opera, and superb music.
3. Britten: Peter Grimes. Great action in this opera, very realistic. I love the music and singing, too.
4. Berg: Lulu. I really love this opera. I am a huge fan of 20th century opera, especially 12-tone music. I actually really respect 12-tone composers. The music of Lulu can be quite beautiful and poignant, but I love it more for the chaotic and exciting moments.
5. Wagner: Parsifal. Still one of my favorites. Awesome music, really sets the tone of the opera.

I love Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Schoenberg, Bartok, Rimsky-Korsakov, Poulenc, Hartmann, Dallapiccola, Raff, and Bruckner as well. They're proabably on the next 10 list.

As for my least favorites I'll just say that I really don't like Brahms, John Adams, Dvorak, and Grieg. Their music really just doesn't do it for me.

[hobee]

Hmm. This is tough. Um, personal favourites for now (they change very frequently) would be, in no particular order,

1. Handel-Halvorsen: Passacaglia for violin and viola
2. Dvorak's 9th symphony (I like Dvorak a lot!)
3. Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre
4. Puccini: I Crisantemi
5. Beethoven's Pathetique sonata (ties with the Appassionata)

I don't listen to much opera...

[BKhon]

It depends on the day:

Monday:

1). Dance Suite Sz. 77 ~ Bartok
2). Violin Concerto, Op.99 ~ Shostakovich
3). Sexteo Mistico ~ Villa-lobos
4). Cell Concerto ~ Lutoslawski
5). VIolin Concerto Op.77 ~ Brahms

Tuesday:

1). String quartet No.2 ~ Borodin
2). Prince Igor ~ Borodin
3). Serenade for Orchestra ~ Elgar
4). Concerto Grosso ~ Ernest Bloch
5). Violin Sonata No.5 ~ Beethoven

Wednesday:

1). Rite of Spring ~ Stravinsky
2). Symphony No.4 ~ Shostakovich
3). Symphony No.7 ~ Shostakovich
4). Firebird (Complete Ballet) ~ Stravinsky
5). Elektra ~ R. Strauss

Thursday:

1). Art of Fugue ~ Bach
2). Tzigane ~ Ravel
3). String Quartet in F major ~ Ravel (probably my all time favorite string quartet)
4). Sonata for Two Violins ~ Prokofiev
5). Violin Sonata No.1 ~ Brahms

Friday:

1). Symphony No.3 ~ Brahms
2). Piano Concerto No.2 ~ Brahms
3). Violin Concerto ~ Khachaturian
4). Symphony No.4 ~ Brahms
5). Fairy Tale Pieces ~ Schumann

Saturday

1). Etudes, Op.12 and 25 ~ Chopin
2). String Quartet No.1 ~ Kennth Gill (Based on his PDF file of the piece)
3). Preludes (all... especially Op.13) ~ Scriabin
4). Etudes (all) ~ Scriabin
5). Piano Sonatas (all) ~ Scriabin

Sunday:

1). I always buy a few new CD's on Sunday and listen to them, so that pretty much consumes my Sunday. I don't listen to much else except the new CD's. If I do, however:
2). Sonatas for Piano (all) ~ Beethoven
3). The Nose (Gergiev conducting, of course) ~ Shostakovich
4). Choros No.8 ~ Villa-Lobos
5). String Quartet No.13 ~ Schubert (but just because I'm currently playing it)


Of course I listen to an array of different pieces, and rarely follow this "schedule".

[vinteuil]

It depends on the day:

Monday:

1). Dance Suite Sz. 77 ~ Bartok
2). Violin Concerto, Op.99 ~ Shostakovich
3). Sexteo Mistico ~ Villa-lobos
4). Cell Concerto ~ Lutoslawski
5). VIolin Concerto Op.77 ~ Brahms

Tuesday:

1). String quartet No.2 ~ Borodin
2). Prince Igor ~ Borodin
3). Serenade for Orchestra ~ Elgar
4). Concerto Grosso ~ Ernest Bloch
5). Violin Sonata No.5 ~ Beethoven

Wednesday:

1). Rite of Spring ~ Stravinsky
2). Symphony No.4 ~ Shostakovich
3). Symphony No.7 ~ Shostakovich
4). Firebird (Complete Ballet) ~ Stravinsky
5). Elektra ~ R. Strauss

Thursday:

1). Art of Fugue ~ Bach
2). Tzigane ~ Ravel
3). String Quartet in F major ~ Ravel (probably my all time favorite string quartet)
4). Sonata for Two Violins ~ Prokofiev
5). Violin Sonata No.1 ~ Brahms

Friday:

1). Symphony No.3 ~ Brahms
2). Piano Concerto No.2 ~ Brahms
3). Violin Concerto ~ Khachaturian
4). Symphony No.4 ~ Brahms
5). Fairy Tale Pieces ~ Schumann

Saturday

1). Etudes, Op.12 and 25 ~ Chopin
2). String Quartet No.1 ~ Kennth Gill (Based on his PDF file of the piece)
3). Preludes (all... especially Op.13) ~ Scriabin
4). Etudes (all) ~ Scriabin
5). Piano Sonatas (all) ~ Scriabin

Sunday:

1). I always buy a few new CD's on Sunday and listen to them, so that pretty much consumes my Sunday. I don't listen to much else except the new CD's. If I do, however:
2). Sonatas for Piano (all) ~ Beethoven
3). The Nose (Gergiev conducting, of course) ~ Shostakovich
4). Choros No.8 ~ Villa-Lobos
5). String Quartet No.13 ~ Schubert (but just because I'm currently playing it)


Of course I listen to an array of different pieces, and rarely follow this "schedule".

Interesting Top 25—you seem very devoted to the post-romantics (I note that Bach is the only pre-1800 composer, really.
If I had to expand my previous list, it might include Josquin's Missa da beata Virgine, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, Schubert's Schwanengesang, Berlioz's Les Troyens, and Berio's Coro.

Bach has so many great organ works that it's difficult to choose just one. The Wedge just was never my favorite, but it is massive and virtuosic so I'll give it points. Same goes with the 'St. Anne' prelude & fugue. Other favorites of mine are the Passacaglia, the 'little' fugue, the 543, and the 544 fugues.

All preludes and fugues? What about the "great" 18?

[KGill]

Saturday
(...)
2). String Quartet No.1 ~ Kennth Gill (Based on his PDF file of the piece)

Interesting choice Ask Nick to send you the mp3 I made if he hasn't already. An opinion of a piece should be based on more than just the score

Sunday:
(...)
3). The Nose (Gergiev conducting, of course) ~ Shostakovich

Have you tried Rozhdestvensky's 1976 recording? Might be worth it if you haven't. It's a much more vibrant interpretation than Gergiev's, IMHO...

[vinteuil]

3). The Nose (Gergiev conducting, of course) ~ Shostakovich

Have you tried Rozhdestvensky's 1976 recording? Might be worth it if you haven't. It's a much more vibrant interpretation than Gergiev's, IMHO...

Did anybody else see the Met's staging last season? Quite an extraordinary set design, along with brilliant playing and singing. I can't imagine that the MetHD version could have been as good...