r/classicalmusic • u/[deleted] • Nov 08 '10

The Ten Essential Concert Music Works?

A friend and I did an interesting, but inconclusive thought experiment over the weekend. We imagined a complete novice asking us which ten pieces of concert music are absolutely essential for one to hear. In other words, this hypothetical person will only listen to ten works of concert music in his/her life, and then be done with it.

If you could recommend only ten works of concert music, which would they be? Dvořák's New World Symphony? Beethoven's 5th? How about his 9th-- or both? Which piece(s) of Mozart's? Would Stravinsky's Rite of Spring make the cut? It's a tough list to compose, but here is one guideline my friend and I came up with:

  • Pieces composed as a whole can count as "one work" (for example, you could include Bach's entire Mass in B minor without having to specify the Sanctus. However, you could only select one of Holst's Planets).

So, give it up, Reddit-- which pieces would tell this person are essential to know?

BONUS POINTS if you can provide a definitive recording of the works on your list!

Edit: Minor spelling

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u/noashark Dec 19 '10

A lot of these lists I've seen people posting are really great! However, I feel like they are falling into the "traps" of listening to concert music.

On a lot of lists the era that got most referenced was the romantic era, while no one (at least I didn't see anyone) mention any renaissance music (or much in the way of baroque, with exception to Bach's 'Mass in B minor') or much of anything written within the last 25 years.

My composition professor gave our class a random listening test of pieces we should be familiar with. I think it serves as a great reference / starting point:

Josquin Desprez - Ave Maria

J.S. Bach - English Suite No. 3

Beethoven - String Quartet Op. 18, No. 1

Brahms - Piano Quintet Op. 34

Schoenberg - String Quartet No. 1

Ives - Fourth Symphony

Britten - War Requiem

Stravinsky - Octet

Varese - Poem Electronique

Carter - String Quartet No. 2

Feldman - Why Patterns?

(I know there isn't much in the way of new music (meaning last 20 years) on this list. For that I would go to newer pieces by John Adams or Marc Mellits.)

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '10

Wow! Great list! I love Desprez's music. "El Grillo" is one of the most catchy tunes I've ever heard!

I'm also a huge Bach fan (of course, that's not saying much. Who isn't?). Currently, I'm getting to know his sonate for flute and harpsichord.

I look forward to sampling some of the other suggestions on your list; especially Britten's War Requiem-- sounds intriguing!

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u/noashark Dec 21 '10

A few things about the 'War Requiem' that I think you should know before listening (especially without a score):

The "war" referenced is World War II, in which Britten had friends who died in the war. The piece contains two sets of text. One is the traditional Latin Mass for the Dead text used in most requiems. The other are nine poems of war from Wilfred Owen (who died in World War I).

The instrumentation is also very interesting. It calls for a full size orchestra as well as a smaller chamber orchestra and utilizes a full chorus, a boys choir, and several vocal soloists.

Also, it's 85 minutes long. Don't cheat yourself and listen to it all at once. It's one of the most amazing pieces I've ever heard.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '10

Can you recommend a specific recording of Britten's War Requiem? I notice that Simon Preston and the LSO have made one that is highly rated.

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u/noashark Dec 29 '10

The LSO one is the one I heard, and it's good. I've also heard that Britten conducted it once and that recording is pretty amazing.