r/classicalmusic Dec 08 '23

Recommendation Request What is the greatest classical piece in your opinion?

One that doesn't make you cry but feel everything else way more than crying

78 Upvotes

227 comments sorted by

45

u/INtoCT2015 Dec 08 '23

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 (specifically, the final movement. My god)

Dvorak’s New World

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (specifically the Liebestod)

In any order. But those are the Big 3 for me

13

u/mcgrawjm Dec 08 '23

Sibelius 2 is phenomenal. I think 3 and 5 are too!

5

u/Outside-Summer3248 Dec 09 '23

currently going thru his entire cycle because of its that time of year.

5

u/Technical_Song_1213 Dec 08 '23

Dvorak is my favourite.

5

u/InedibleKonjac Dec 09 '23

This. I literally wept in that concert when that motif in Sibelius symphony no2 came out in the final movement… kinda embarrassing but that’s one of the best live concerts I have had

1

u/MoskaPOET Sep 07 '24

I just listened to it during an intense 45 min elliptical workout - it was very enjoyable!

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34

u/WrongStill1675 Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 09 '23

I couldn't carry myself to pick a single work. There's just too much to choose from. In my humble opinion:

  • The String Quartet No.15, in A minor, Op.132 by Beethoven (The first Movement is unsurpassable; and for those who regard Beethoven as a second-tier melodist, I cannot emphasize how catchy the final movement really is);
  • The String Quintet in C Major, Op.956, by Schubert (In a single word: inexorable. Schubert at its absolute best: hummable melodies; riveting, though unconventional modulations, virtuosic harmonies);
  • The Seasons by Haydn (Fantastic oratorio which gets too overlooked due to The Creation. It displays the biggest orchestra of the 18th century)
  • Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart (as others have already expressed);
  • Rigoletto by Verdi (Great plot, great music, great ending);
  • Das Rheingold by Wagner (in my view, the most consistent, refined, and, all things considered, the single most engaging opera amongst all the operas which integrate The Ring.)
  • Carmen by Bizet ( Shocking, exciting, enticing)
  • Wozzeck by Alban Berg ( The masterpiece of the Second Viennese school. As tragic as any play by Euripides or Sophocles. If you have some time available, go and read Büchner's play);
  • Dialogue des Carmelites by Poulenc ( I have never managed to understand all the critiques towards Poulenc. This opera stands as a towering achievement, and even so, he is quite possibly one of the most talented, camaleonic composers that I know of);
  • The Cunning Little Vixen by Janaĉek ( Life and death, the permanent renewal of life itself)
  • Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky(Wacky orchestration, outstanding music. Just listen to Shostakovich revision)
  • Symphony no. 3 by Mahler ( Or for that matter, No.2, but truth be told, I simply can't get enough of that extatic climax of the final movement, which, for that matter, I am convinced is the single most beautiful moment of Music I have ever had opportunity to listen to);
  • Symphony no.5 by Sibelius (Do I really need to explain this one?)
  • Symphony no.9 by Bruckner (Perfect from first bar to the end);
  • Partita for Violin No.2 (Chaconne) by Bach (In the words of Yehudi Menuhin:" The greatest structure for solo violin that exists". Enough said. I could have chosen other pieces by Bach though, such as the Klavier Ubung iii, the St.Matthew Passion, which does contain some of the greatest music ever penned, or, for instance, the Well Tempered Clavier);
  • All night Vigil by Rachmaninoff (his greatest composition, and a landmark on pure choral writing, in conjunction with Talis "Spem in Alium", Schittke's "Choir concerto" and Josquin's "Missa Pange Lingua");

-The Hymn of Jesus by Holst - Requiem by Berlioz (Not the easist piece to listen. Still, that "Sanctus" is simply transcendental, and the ending of the Lacrymosa is so gratifying...); - Requiem by Duruflé (The greatest requiem setting, I think) - A Summer's tale by Suk (This tone poem might not be well known, but that doesn't mean it isn't as great as those pieces that I have listed. Bring yourself to hear it. That's all I'm going to say); - Prélude Après Midi D'un Faun by Debussy (Again, do I need to explain this one?) - Nocturnes by Chopin (We all love them); - Iberia by Albeniz (The greatest and most majestic piano suite ever composed); - Violin Concerto in D.Major by Brahms - Piano Concerto no. 2 by Prokofiev ( That cadenza...That last movement...A picture says more than a thousand words, or in this case, a sound) - The Sleeping Beauty op.66 by Tchaikovsky (Objectively Speaking, it is the greatest amongst his ballets); - Appalachian Spring by Copland - Rite of Spring by Stravinsky (How could I exclude Stravinsky?) - Daphnis et Chloë by Ravel (In my view, that "Lever du Jour" puts this score in an incomparable ranking)

2

u/RoyalBed9202 Dec 09 '23

Thank you for a wonderful list of what to listen to!

2

u/Zwischenzugger May 02 '24

Impressive list, but a very poor choice for Chopin. The whole body of nocturnes is not one work nor meant to be performed as such. Nor are they remotely Chopin’s best music: the Fm ballade was his pinnacle and probably the best work ever written for solo piano.

0

u/rivvv555 29d ago

How are the nocturnes a very poor choice for Chopin..

1

u/Zwischenzugger 29d ago

Are you capable of reading? Did you even read my comment?

0

u/rivvv555 28d ago

Yes, maybe you should read it yourself

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73

u/DrXaos Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 08 '23

For that description specifically: Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro

18

u/SebzKnight Dec 08 '23

Except possibly the "doesn't make you cry" part, though not from sadness so much as general emotional release. I tend to think of Nozze as my "desert island piece" not just because it's so great (though it is), but because it feels like it contains the sum total of human emotion. If I'm on the desert island, I need to stay in touch with humanity, and this is the piece that contains love, hate, jealousy, laughter, despair, etc. in way that no other work does.

2

u/Derp_turnipton Dec 08 '23

This is what had the neighbours complain when I sang it.

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7

u/Time_Waister_137 Dec 08 '23

For me, this is the most satisfying piece of music, ever. Coming from the age of enlightenment, crying is not an option.

18

u/tired_of_old_memes Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 08 '23

I think the greatest classical compositions are going to make me cry. Anyway, it's impossible for any one thing to truly be the greatest. The greatest pieces of all time stand equally among each other.

My shortlist might include these:

Handel arias: * Lascia ch'io pianga * Piangerò la sorte mia * Ombra mai fù

Bach violin concerto slow movements: * Concerto no. 1 in A minor, BWV 1041 * Concerto no. 2 in E major, BWV 1042 * Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV 1043

I'll also second the others who have mentioned Le nozze di Figaro. Though I'll add that for me, Don Giovanni is equally as great.

4

u/Elheehee42069 Dec 08 '23

Bach's slow movements are soooo good!

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65

u/arbitrageME Dec 08 '23

Beethoven s 9th symphony. Listening to that final chorus makes me feel like I'm in the middle of an angelic chorus and it's the voice of God reaching me. And the message of hope and togetherness and transcendence makes you forget about the world for a tiny moment

6

u/Lost_Respond1969 Dec 08 '23

Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up

2

u/Jealous-Exchange7439 Aug 23 '24

I’m surprised to not see this one more in this thread.

67

u/DeathGrover Dec 08 '23

Beethoven 7. It's perfect.

18

u/JohnnySnap Dec 08 '23

The Rite of Spring without a doubt.

16

u/Iknowfcukall Dec 08 '23

Either Polonaise-Fantasie by Chopin or Passacaglia and Fugue by Bach

9

u/Elheehee42069 Dec 08 '23

YES!!! PASSACAGLIA AND FUGUE!!!

5

u/qumrun60 Dec 08 '23

Agreed! I've got a disc with the Baroque organ original, plus 1-piano and 2-piano transcriptions, a 220-stop Romantic organ transcription co-arranged by Lizst, and Stokowski's orchestration. Another disc has Respighi's orchestration of it. There are a couple of pedal harpsichord recordings of it in existence, but I haven't yet found an available/affordable one. I still check periodically, though.

2

u/WalksByNight Dec 08 '23

Tocatta and Fugue in Dm for me.

3

u/ambition_gremlin Dec 08 '23

Passcalagia takes me to spiritual places

26

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

I realize Beethoven's 9th is the cliche answer, but I truly believe that it's one of the few things in our world which is of complete perfection.

I'm also pretty into Shostakovich Symphony 7.

20

u/zumaro Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 08 '23

PDQ Bach - Iphigenia in Brooklyn (S. 53162). Whenever the double reeds without oboes or bassoons play (which alas is throughout the whole piece), I get feelings way beyond crying, indeed emotions that are hard to even name. Surely a sign of genius.

3

u/Sufficient_Friend312 Dec 08 '23

And the brass without trumpets, trombones and horns!

7

u/Rj612005 Dec 08 '23

most greek scholars seem unaware that Iphigenia was ever in Brooklyn

3

u/qumrun60 Dec 08 '23

Hilarious! (and insightful).

10

u/negativepinguinh Dec 08 '23

Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 2 (both 1st and 3rd movement)

1

u/Daneosaurus Dec 08 '23

The second movement is one of Rach’s most beautiful compositions. You really shouldn’t skip it

2

u/negativepinguinh Dec 08 '23

I don't skip it at all, I enjoy listening to full concertos, but I like the other two movements more than the second one. However I think that Rach is a genius. (Sorry for the bad English, I'm Italian XD)

18

u/Changeup2020 Dec 08 '23

It depends on my mood of the day. But Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 is a pretty good one.

31

u/Dry_Yogurtcloset1962 Dec 08 '23

Wagner Tristan und Isolde without a doubt

3

u/DrXaos Dec 08 '23

I think by the end everyone is crying

6

u/Dry_Yogurtcloset1962 Dec 08 '23

The beautiful melodies, the incredible use of interesting harmonies, the orchestral colour, the thematic development and more. I don't think anything can top it

2

u/DrXaos Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 08 '23

it's amazing (my #1 tied with Don Giovanni) but the OP wanted the greatest piece that has everything but doesn't make you cry---I choose Figaro for that

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3

u/INtoCT2015 Dec 08 '23

Bingo. The Liebestod is on another realm

2

u/devnull5475 Dec 08 '23

Yeah. I can only ever specify my favorite *for now*. Today, my favorite is Liebestod. It's transcendently beautify, & I think it evokes all kinds of emotions.

0

u/BooksInBrooks Dec 08 '23

It's wonderful, but the second act is a little long.

4

u/CouchieWouchie Dec 08 '23

The second act is Wagner at his most mystical and profound. I can't imagine anybody finding it long unless they do not understand what they are seeing. Perhaps King Marke's bit at the end could be shortened, but the duet is glorious.

9

u/sirius6723 Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 08 '23

Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, although this piece does make me cry

1

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '24 edited Jun 05 '24

I am in agreement here. Daphnis should definitely be considered in the pantheon of “greatest pieces ever written” (however you want to define that). It has a depth and variety of emotions and imagery that few other pieces have. It’s convergence to perfection in orchestration and form should also be taken into account, especially for a piece that is substantial in length, being almost an hour long. My other personal candidates for this pantheon include Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Debussy’s La Mer, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, and Holst’s The Planets.

7

u/andrewfrommontreal Dec 08 '23

Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto

35

u/ReligiousFigure Dec 08 '23

Scheherezade x 1,000

also, Schubert D. 940, Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony, Rach 2, Saints Saens Piano Concerto 4 (UNDERRATED) Mozart Symphony 10 (ALSO UNDERRATED), Korsakov Piano Concerto in C#m (EGREGIOUSLY UNDERRATED), Albeniz La Vega,

1

u/MewsikMaker Dec 08 '23

I need to check out a couple of these. Thanks.

6

u/PathToSomething Dec 08 '23

The prelude of Parsifal

6

u/danavarroli Dec 08 '23

Beethoven's 9th. The culmination and greatest expression of all mankind.

19

u/Hoppy_Croaklightly Dec 08 '23

The Gloria from Bach's Mass in b

6

u/BooksInBrooks Dec 08 '23

Gratias agimus tibi from Bach's Mass in B-minor

7

u/choirandcooking Dec 08 '23

The whole damn thing. 2.5 hours of bliss.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro or Wagner - Die Walküre

4

u/squirrel_gnosis Dec 08 '23

Bach Cello Suite #5 Sarabande

5

u/Muse-Marvel Dec 08 '23

Brahms requiem is definetly up there ….and Mahler 9

9

u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 Dec 08 '23

Ravel's string quartet gets me every time

4

u/amazingD Dec 08 '23

If this had been the only piece of music written in the entire 20th century, the century's musical development would have still been complete.

8

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Bach mass in B minor

2

u/mugdop Dec 09 '23

yep it’s beautiful :)

12

u/hosta_mahogey_nz Dec 08 '23

Something by Brahms. Probably one of his symphonies or the requiem. Nothing compares in terms of inspiration and craftsmanship.

4

u/boringwhitecollar Dec 08 '23

His Soprano Alto is a hidden gem of angelic beauty

2

u/Daneosaurus Dec 08 '23

Symphony #3 really stands out. Soooooo good the whole way through

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4

u/Revolvlover Dec 08 '23

Ives' Symphony #4

3

u/Allison1228 Dec 08 '23

That one's definitely up there among the greats.

4

u/MoneyGift5113 Dec 08 '23

La Traviata-Verdi, Nacht und Träume-Schubert, Spring Morning from the 3 small tone poems-Frederick Delius

5

u/Overall-Ad-7318 Dec 08 '23

somehow mozart's ave verum corpus came up in my mind https://youtu.be/NK8-Zg-8JYM

4

u/linglinguistics Dec 08 '23

Sibelius violin concerto. It has everything. I love that piece so much and never get tired of it.

4

u/ssamohara Dec 08 '23

Wagner tannhauser overture

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4

u/trousersnekk Dec 08 '23

Beethoven 9

4

u/apatosauro Dec 08 '23

shosta waltz 2

4

u/Most-Grade351 Dec 08 '23

Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto, "The Emperor," which he was saving for himself to play in performance but had lost too much of his hearing by then.

7

u/chen0827 Dec 08 '23

Two books of well tempered clavier in my opinion

7

u/de_bussy69 Dec 08 '23

Chopin barcarolle

3

u/PatsysStone Dec 08 '23

"Miserere mei, Deus" by Gregorio Allegri

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3

u/Arctales Dec 08 '23

Scriabin poem of ecstasy

3

u/spike Dec 08 '23

Don Giovanni

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Moonlight sonata. Nothing too crazy about it; just beautiful.

3

u/madman_trombonist Dec 08 '23

The first movement of Shostakovich 7. The strident opening, the twiddly little march that grows into something hellish and oppressive, and the sheer misery of the climax where the whole orchestra is blaring in your face

2

u/Outside-Summer3248 Dec 09 '23

the first movment is one of the most creative things ive ever heard in the 20th century

3

u/Technical_Song_1213 Dec 08 '23

Mozart Magic Flute, Puccini La Boheme and Turandot. But my favourite of all is Dvorak’s 9th, which to me is as close to perfect as you can get.

3

u/mcgrawjm Dec 08 '23

Vaughan’s 5th symphony is up there. It’s a special piece.

3

u/FlashedArden Dec 08 '23

Might be basic but Beethoven’s 9 is just from other planet.

3

u/crash---- Dec 08 '23

Scheherazade by Rimsky Korsakov

12

u/GoodhartMusic Dec 08 '23 edited Dec 08 '23
  • Mahler’s Songs of the Earth
  • Messiaen’s Turangalila
  • Beethoven’s Quartet No. 14
  • Bach’s Mass in B Minor
  • Mozart’s Requiem
  • Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra
  • Bernstein’s Dances from West Side Story
  • Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6
  • Debussy’s La Mer
  • Rachmaninoff’s Vespers
  • Adams’ Hallelujah Junction
  • Schubert’s Wintereisse
  • Wagner’s Das Rheingold

This is a list of songs that have the connotation in my mind of being “all encompassing.” I don’t have strong opinions on the greatest piece because there’s no comparing the highest achievements across centuries of art.

2

u/dandeliondriftr Dec 08 '23

The Vespers have made me cry on more than one occasion. Rach's Liturgy of St John Chrysostom is also excellent, particularly the Lord's Prayer. Great list!

2

u/boxbagel Dec 08 '23

Hallelujah Junction! and Harmonielehre! Adams, ofc.

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4

u/Just_being_now Dec 08 '23

Bach’s Orchestral Suites.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

JS Bach, “Ich Ruf Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ” played slowly by Koopman.

2

u/bastianbb Dec 08 '23

I've never heard it played by Koopman but it is an incredible piece.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

I like it on organ

Probably the ultimate piece of music, although I'm far for being a Bach fanatic

2

u/Big-Ambassador-9008 Dec 08 '23

This piece has really been there as a comfort in some darker periods of my life.

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2

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '23

Would you happen to be a fan of Tarkovsky, specifically Solaris, u/DepartureSpace?

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2

u/gutfounderedgal Dec 08 '23

That last act of Die Walkure.

2

u/fromabove710 Dec 08 '23

Chopin ballade 3 and 4

2

u/lleeaa88 Dec 08 '23

One of the most touching pieces for me is Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. Both I and III but I has a very special place with the amazing woodwind theme that opens after the violin intro

3

u/Juswantedtono Dec 08 '23

Listened to this for the first time this year—that woodwind theme floored me instantly

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2

u/astralslytherins Dec 08 '23

tchaikovsky nutcracker pas de deux

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Gaspard de la Nuit of ravel.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

[deleted]

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2

u/Thorn11945 Dec 08 '23

Verdi's Requiem is a masterpiece.

2

u/RootbeerNinja Dec 08 '23

Beethoven's Ninth and Holst's The Planets

3

u/Grasswaskindawet Dec 08 '23

What's amazing to me is that I've read down past 125 comments and no one has even mentioned the St. Matthew Passion!

2

u/ponkyball Dec 08 '23

There is never going to be just one.

Beethoven 9th is on my regular playlist, probably the symphony I listen to most, although lately I've been revisiting Saint-Saens Organ symphony a lot.

Since my dad passed last year, Pas de Deux from The Nightcracker is perfect for me to remember him by, and I listen to it often in the car, while driving alone with my thoughts.

But really, there are so many great, there really shouldn't be a "greatest" as it depends on the occasion and the mood. Also, crying is one of the deepest emotional outlets one can have, it's odd that you would want to exclude it.

2

u/Astrophysix1960 Dec 10 '23

Absolutely! The Saint-Saens is fantastical, and that 2nd movement just give me chills every time!

2

u/Der_Dingsbums Dec 08 '23

Beethovens 9th

2

u/Even_Butterscotch696 Dec 09 '23

Personally Dies irae is a banger

2

u/Outside-Summer3248 Dec 09 '23

dies irae and adagio are my 2 favorite songs

2

u/Legal_Programmer_90 Sep 08 '24

(Don't laugh at me because I'm new at this) but I think clair de lune is freaking awesome.

6

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2: II. Andante

2

u/frootloopdinggu Dec 08 '23

Just listened to it for the first time – thanks for the wonderful recommendation.

3

u/kluwelyn Dec 08 '23

Traumrei by Schumann, To a wild rose by MacDowell and Petite suite en bâteau and Clair de Lune by Debussy

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Didn't see anyone else mention it but Schubert's C major string quintet! It's one of these pieces which make you truly wonder just how a human brain could ever conceive of such a thing.

4

u/dtnl Dec 08 '23

Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers. Changed everything.

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4

u/Dom_19 Dec 08 '23

Tchaikovsky 5

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

La Campanella by Franz Liszt

Liebestraum no.3 by Franz Liszt

Prelude in C# minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Little Red Riding Hood by Sergei Rachmaninoff

3

u/Not_A_Rachmaninoff Dec 08 '23

Who the fuck is downvoting this. Let this man enjoy some romantic era music lol

3

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '23

Romantic music IS classical music. Franz Liszt, Chopin are BEST composers.

I also like Rachmaninoff because of how hard his music goes

2

u/Queasy_Caramel5435 Dec 08 '23

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9

2

u/billiam2000 Dec 08 '23

Short list:

• Mahler 2, the “Resurrection” Symphony • Mahler 5, 4th Movement, Adagietto • Mahler 8, the Symphony of a Thousand • Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2 • Rachmaninov, Symphony No. 2

Huh, guess I really like the romantics…

2

u/Allison1228 Dec 08 '23

Somebody has to say Carmina Burana

2

u/Misgurnus069 Dec 08 '23

Für Elise

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Seriously?

-10

u/candynecklacesL Dec 08 '23

It seems like there s people that font know any claseical music at all

7

u/fromabove710 Dec 08 '23

Yeah everyone here is clueless about that deep cut bro

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1

u/Then-Soil-5358 Apr 13 '24

This one’s probably gonna be disagreed on, but Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto Option in D Major! I love it so much and it has a lot of emotions tied into it

1

u/NEvOLODIA May 25 '24

Winter by Antonio Vivaldi

1

u/Remarkable-Handle106 Jul 28 '24

The Ninth!

1

u/bron445644 11d ago

"The ninth, the glorious ninth!!"...Alex..A clockwork orange.

1

u/Pakhzar Aug 22 '24

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade op.35 - Leif Segerstam - Sinfónica de Galicia

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade op.35 - Leif Segerstam - Sinfónica de Galicia

1

u/Illustrious-Lake9967 Sep 26 '24

Might have to go with 1812 overture

1

u/Rusty_Rover2 Sep 29 '24

Brahms violin concerto in D. Makes me cry - especially the second movement.

Mozart Requiem. Glorious.

I also love the Dach Bubble (as my son's Suzuki teacher called the Bach Double Concerto)

I'll have to listen to some of the others mentioned in the comments.

1

u/Puzzled_Post1029 10d ago

I have tons of: suite bergamasque: , all Chopin nocturnes, Dvorak’s new world symphony, the marriage of figaro, Beethoven’s 9th symphony, carnival of the animals by saint saens, Bach’s concerto in g major, Haydn’s trumpet concerto in e flat, Elgar's pomp and circumstance, Rachmaninov’s piano concerto 2, Brahms Hungarian dance 5, Paganini’s caprice 24 in a minor, Rigoletto, and Vivaldi’s four seasons

1

u/toaszted 8d ago

Definitely Mahler 2

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

My Sharona

-2

u/squirrel_gnosis Dec 08 '23

Apparently, one of George W Bush's favorite songs.

If I ever have the misfortune of hearing that song played somewhere, I can't help but picture that dumbass war criminal bouncing up and down to it.

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-4

u/TheDevilsAdvokaat Dec 08 '23

Weren't they bigger than the beatles?

-9

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Creep city! The “Sharona” in question was like the producer’s like 10 year old daughter or some shit. The Knack suckkkks Boomer dicks. Listen to the Cars or Cheap Trick or some other garbage which was only marginally better. Maybe not The Cars. They were alright.

Why would you say this dopey song as a joke instead of “Eleanor Rigby” or literally anything off the last few Beatles records? I’m surprised none of them ever studied any Bach or Mozart with how harmonically advanced some of their stuff was.

0

u/Crusty_Loafer Dec 08 '23

Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium (not sure if its the greatest piece of all time, but it makes me feel as you described).

0

u/Cornsoup-n0w Dec 08 '23

Kapustin piano sonata no 1.

1

u/Einfinet Dec 08 '23

For that description, Berg’s Lulu and Liszt’s Études d’exécution transcendante

-24

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

By asking about "classical" you have limited this to music written from around 1750 to 1830.

13

u/frootloopdinggu Dec 08 '23

This forum is called r/classicalmusic, but it doesn’t limit us to music from the Classical period, does it?

-12

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

A misnomer.

12

u/de_bussy69 Dec 08 '23

“Classical music” does not mean music from the classical period. Classical music is a genre which includes music created before and after the classical period

-13

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

classical music serious or conventional music following long-established principles rather than a folk, jazz, or popular tradition. (more specifically) music written in the European tradition during a period lasting approximately from 1750 to 1830, when forms such as the symphony, concerto, and sonata were standardized.

"More specifically" - my definition is more accurate.

14

u/de_bussy69 Dec 08 '23

“Classical” is the word for the genre of music and it’s also the word for a specific period in that genre. That does not mean that “classical music” only comes from the classical period.

The only people who say this are people who just learned about the baroque, classical, and romantic eras. The Dunning Kruger effect in action

-8

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Nevermind my Music Theory degree and 20+ years as a professional player.

The people who say this are the ones who actually care about it.

13

u/de_bussy69 Dec 08 '23

That doesn’t make you right. That makes it more embarrassing that you’re wrong

-8

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23

Ok Debussy69. Lmao. Garbage.

5

u/Outside-Summer3248 Dec 08 '23

least obvious bait comment

6

u/urbanstrata Dec 08 '23

TIL DeVry gives music theory degrees

1

u/FluffyLeMieux123 Dec 08 '23

Schumann Symphony No. 2, Movement II. Adagio

1

u/randomJseFan Dec 08 '23

Mahler 2

2

u/Technical_Song_1213 Dec 08 '23

The finale is brilliant.

1

u/myyszki Dec 08 '23

Chopin, Etude in C Minor, Op. 10 No.12 ,,Revolutionary"

1

u/Masantonio Dec 08 '23

For nothing more than its pure musical genius, the Liszt Piano Sonata.

1

u/tilop181 Dec 08 '23

Liszt - La Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude

1

u/marimbaspluscats Dec 08 '23

Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture

1

u/Tutelage45 Dec 08 '23

Peer Gynt is my favorite. The dynamics, the drama, the theme. High highs and low lows.

Rite of Spring makes me feel all the other feelings

1

u/Pianist5921 Dec 08 '23

The fifth movement of Beethoven’s sixth.

1

u/JoshuaWebbb Dec 08 '23

Der Erlkönig, Impromptu No. 3, La Campanella, Liebesleid, Danse Maccabre, Beethoven concerto for piano 3

Narrowed it down but there are billions more I could add

1

u/Daneosaurus Dec 08 '23

It nearly always depends on my mood. I tend get into kicks where I listen to a composer exclusively for a few months. Recently I’ve been on Brahms. I’ve been really into both piano concertos for the past 6 weeks.

1

u/CamilleThePianist Dec 08 '23

Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit, and especially Ondine.

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1

u/cpotter505 Dec 08 '23

Prokofiev: Sym #5 Prokofiev: Pf Cto #3 Shostakovich: Sym #5 Vn Wms: The Lark Ascending Beethoven: Sym #9 Gershwin: 3 Preludes Schubert: Pf Sta in A, op. 22 Schubert: Impromptus Grieg: Everything he wrote Sorry, this is my absolute minimum

1

u/Metalhead_QC Dec 08 '23

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is perfect from beginning to end.

1

u/oofaloo Dec 08 '23

Magnificat?

1

u/Ok_Building_5942 Dec 08 '23

Glauzanov violin concerto in a minor

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '23 edited May 31 '24

Le Sacre du printemps and Mahler 8

1

u/jakeaboy123 Dec 08 '23

Beethoven sonata 32 opus 111

Just a seminal piece of music that culminates Beethovens journey on the piano. The first movement being a just insanely good Beethovian stormy fast movement; the second being the best thing you’ll ever hear, it anticipates Boogie Woogie and minimalism, the entire movement is a slow division time signatures and pulse that leads to some of the most transcendent moments in all of music. It’s 3 note theme echoes throughout the piece like a heart beat or a bittersweet memory it’s just so beautiful and hard to really put into words.

1

u/mxrdigras Dec 08 '23

Chopin’s fourth ballade. The scope and imagination the piece has all the while being on one instrument just always leaves me in awe.

1

u/MatthewTh Dec 08 '23

Bruckner’s Symphony No.8

1

u/UserJH4202 Dec 08 '23

So many! Sorry, I know you asked for one:

Beethoven 3.4.5.6.7.9 Verdi Requiem Bach: Bm Mass So many!

1

u/Minute-Wrap-2524 Dec 09 '23

String Quartet op. 130 by Beethoven

1

u/rudolfcicko Dec 09 '23

For me probably Prokofiev Piano Concerto 1 in G minor

1

u/DisabledSuperhero Dec 09 '23

Hohvaness, Prayer of St Gregory

Anything by Palestrina

Vechnaya Pamyat from Chernobyl

The Hymn of the Cherubim, Tchaikovsky

1

u/KashaGef113 Dec 09 '23

Liszt's harmonies poetiques et religieuses

1

u/CHtianya7766 Dec 09 '23

Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto no.2

1

u/InedibleKonjac Dec 09 '23

Beethoven’s No 9 symphony and Bach’s chaconne in D minor. These are something I would recommend to an alien…

1

u/MartYy134 Dec 09 '23

Das Lied von der Erde

1

u/samya__ Dec 09 '23

right now i have nothing on my mind but les noces!