What Is Your Favourite Classical Music Piece?

[pianoman1800]

What is your favourite classical music piece and why?

[inverted]

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2
Quite simply it made me see the beauty in classical music: the sheer power of orchestral forces and the piano, the seemingly boundless variety and expression possible in even basic themes, the potential to give a piece propulsion and variety through modulation, the tension and purpose of form.

And now, having avidly listened to various composers for months, it remains my favourite piece. There's too much sheer beauty and astonishing virtuosity (in playing and composition) for another piece to knock it of its throne.

[cabbynum]

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2
Quite simply it made me see the beauty in classical music: the sheer power of orchestral forces and the piano, the seemingly boundless variety and expression possible in even basic themes, the potential to give a piece propulsion and variety through modulation, the tension and purpose of form.

And now, having avidly listened to various composers for months, it remains my favourite piece. There's too much sheer beauty and astonishing virtuosity (in playing and composition) for another piece to knock it of its throne.

Virtuosity.... have you heard the third? haha
I completely understand though, the 2nd is gorgeous. My favorite of the Rach Concertos is no.1 because of that melody in the first movement.


MY favorite classical music piece... It is impossible for me to choose just one

Alkan op.39 no.11 because of the power and passion throughout
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no.1 for the reason stated above
Chopin Fantasie in F minor because its like you connected his heart directly to the piano.

[pianoman1800]

I really love Mozart's 23rd and 27th (his last) concertos. Also the Goldberg Variations are really something. They always give me goosepumps when I hear these works!

[thalbergmad]

Unique idea for a thread.

Is it for the under 5's or can anyone post???

Thal

[visitor]

Is it for the under 5's or can anyone post???

I'm under 5's but it's in banana(s). Does that count?

[thalbergmad]

Bananas count for definate.

[visitor]

Bananas count for definate.

oh good. i prefer works based on folk music (translated - music of the folk).
dis then.

[inverted]

Unique idea for a thread.

Is it for the under 5's or can anyone post???

Thal

No just us under-5s, sorry, don't tell any of your bigger friends they can post too.

[thalbergmad]

Excellent, looks like we are agreed that this nonsense should be in the students corner then.

Thal

[david456103]

as of now, chopin 1 mvmt 1(may change anytime)

[allysia]

It changes on a daily basis. Today, I'm digging Liszt's Liebestraum #3, it's got such a great build-up and a catchy melody.

[vladimir_gouldowsky]

.

[joon]

Chopin Etude 10/1

The destiny piece which officially made me "hooked" on the Piano.  All I can say is that it is the greatest sound I have ever heard the piano sing.

[zezhyrule]

Mahler 6 

[vertigoone]

First of all, I am quite perturbed by the '5-year-old' route this thread took half-way through.  Disagreement is a mark of maturity, but name-calling is inexcusable.  I think it is quite important to have favorites.  In a way, they help to define you.  It is something I think about often.

My favorite piece of music is Mahler's 9th Symphony.  Leonard Bernstein remarked in his famous Norton Lectures at Harvard that he thinks it is the closest Art has come to mirroring Death.  The First movement is a never-ending sea of painful goodbyes, bringing enlightenment to the significance of a single sigh.  The second movement is equally painful in its marked realization of life's circus act (I am reminded of Beethoven's death-bed words "Applaud, friends, the comedy is over").  The third movement, the manic, hysterical scherzo.  The last movement, life's final goodbye, death.  Mahler's 9th symphony is so real as to be a living, breathing entity.  It fills me with hope and life every time I hear its painful cries of goodbye.

Thanks for asking!

[g_s_223]

Not piano, but as I am attending tonight's performance of this: https://www.roh.org.uk/productions/die-frau-ohne-schatten-by-claus-guth I'd like to say I find this a truly wonderful work.

[cometear]

Albinoni - Adagio in G Minor
Beethoven - Grosse Fugue
Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No. 3

[visitor]

First of all, I am quite perturbed by the '5-year-old' route this thread took half-way through.  Disagreement is a mark of maturity, but name-calling is inexcusable.  I think it is quite important to have favorites...

Thanks for asking!

This banana is a dolphin swimming through a table, thus....

...your argument is invalid.

[mozartk365]

This is a difficult question, I would pick Liszt piano concerto no.2, Chopin ballade no.1, and Mozart rondo in a minor KV 511

[ajlongspiano]

Bach - Goldberg Variations BWV 988
Chopin - Ballade op.23 no.1
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto no.3

[cuberdrift]

I like the 'Ricordanza' very much - specifically the one by Arrau. Heaven! One doesn't have to be too enclosed in the dull realities of this 'world' after all. It is simply his choice, I guess...

[beethoven_ii]

In the orchestral genre, Beethoven's Ninth. Hmm, looks like the whole world beat me to it.

Rachmaninov 2nd is my favorite piano concerto, and Vivaldi Summer my favorite for the violin.

For Piano solo, probably the Apassionata sonata, though its difficult to pick from the holy 32, not to mention other composers like Chopin and Rach. Ballade No.1 and Pathetique sonata would probably be the runners up.

[future_maestro]

Chopin's Ballade No. 1

Widely considered one of the most romantic & beautiful classical pieces.

[beethoven_ii]

I like Rubinstein's better...

[alistaircrane4]

The piece which I first heard ever was the august harvest of Tchaikovsky's seasons but the piece which i have come to hold above all others is Chopin's Ballade In a flat major Op.47. Chopin is my most beloved composer in my opinion no one can stand up to him in terms of piano composition. This piece shows true pianism the contrast of feelings and the powerful section mixed with the light ones shows Chopin's artistic genius. I could say this for all his works but this Ballade I hold above all others.

[j_menz]

I like Rubinstein's better...

Anton's is a great addition to the genre, and not played nearly often enough. In fact, I'm not aware of a recording, can you point me at one?

[beethoven_ii]

Anton's is a great addition to the genre, and not played nearly often enough. In fact, I'm not aware of a recording, can you point me at one?

Oh, sorry, I meant Arthur Rubinstein's recording of the chopin ballade in g minor.

What do you mean, did anton write a ballade or is there a recording of him playing one?

[beethoven_ii]

.

[mjames]

Oh, sorry, I meant Arthur Rubinstein's recording of the chopin ballade in g minor.

What do you mean, did anton write a ballade or is there a recording of him playing one?

He's *** with you.

[iansinclair]

Favourite involving piano?  Rach 2.  But followed very very closely by Beethoven 5 Emperor... and a whole bunch of others not far behind.

Favourite overall?  What questions you do ask.  I suppose the Berlioz Requiem.

[visitor]

per above, same here as well, too broad to label just one, but everytime I visit this question, I am tempted to just say the heck w/ it and nominate this as my top. Lauridsen is a modern genius and his music has been described by many as transcendental

*goose bumps!

[lazyfingers]

*goose bumps!

+1

When I get to the pearly gates, and they aren't singing this, I'm not going in!

[j_menz]

He's *** with you.

Not at all. Anton did write a ballade. Rather a good one. 

[beethoven_ii]

Help! j_menz, i can't find a recording of the Anton Rubinstein ballade anywhere. Have you got it?

[beethoven_ii]

I can only find the sheet music on on imslp, looks like i'll have to play it to hear it.

[mjames]

Not at all. Anton did write a ballade. Rather a good one. 

I know he did. That's not what I was referring to. -insert condescending emoticon here-

[j_menz]

I can only find the sheet music on on imslp, looks like i'll have to play it to hear it.

Indeed.  I'm surprised there's not a recording somewhere on the net (or at least not one I can find).

It's from his Op 93, which is a most unusual collection to have a single Opus number!

[eusebius12]

Speaking for Talberg'smad, its anything by Ferdie Grofe, but also very partial to Badarzewska's Maiden's Prayer and Kotzwara's Battle of Prague

[superstition2]

Scriabin concerto

best performance is Ugorski's

Virtuosity.... have you heard the third? haha
I completely understand though, the 2nd is gorgeous. My favorite of the Rach Concertos is no.1 because of that melody in the first movement.

Have you heard the original version?

[j_menz]

Ferdie Grofe

When did he acquire an "i"?

Badarzewska

Prefers to remain the hyphenated -Baranowska

[eusebius12]

When did he acquire an "i"?

Wikipedia: "During the 1920s and 1930s, he went by the name Ferdie Grofé"