Classical Music

[Collective Foal]

I've been in a great mood for classical music today. It's more powerful than any other genre of music and covers such a broad spectrum of colors and flavors. Some of my favorite composers (except Bach, he's boring as hell to listen to) are listed above.

 

My favorite pieces include Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture, used in V for Vendetta and the only musical composition to ever feature real cannons as percussion instruments.

 

I love "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg, one that almost everybody recognizes from some soap commercial or movie trailer.

 

Les Toreadors by Bizet from Carmen has been in my head all day, though it took me until just now to remember the name.

 

A lot of Mozart's work from Don Giovanni.

 

Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

 

So yea, feel free to cast your vote and tell me about your tastes in classical. (P.S. It doesn't have to be pre-1900s to be classical. The Star Wars Imperial March is considered one of the greatest classical pieces of all time, as is the Theme from Space Odyssey)

[Chuckthe2nd]

Tchaikovsky all the way. He's a beast.

 

Edit:

 

Would it not be super cool if a composer like Beethoven or Tchaikovsky could score a film? Holy cow, that would be awesome.

[Mr. ShinyObject]

Voted for William Tell overture, nice bit o' music there.

 

But only because The Planets wasn't an option, probably because it wasn't done during the classical period, and I only call it classical music because it's orchestral music. But seriously, just listen to Mars once and you will hear it in every alien invasion movie forever.

[Epsilon]

I don't listen to classical much, but I do have a bit of a penchant for Carl Orff. No idea if he's classical or not (I feel like a dimwit for that), but I'd be inclined to say he is.

 

Also a few pieces by Bach I like.

[Collective Foal]

@Shiny, I put composers, not compositions. A few have their famous works beside their names. Like I said, The Planets is still definitely Classical, but no, I didn't think of him as a major composer (i don't even know his damn name)

 

@Epsilon, yea I never liked Bach that much. He has too little going on in his pieces. There's usually like 5 string instruments playing and that's it. Not enough depth.

[Alyxx Thorne]

As a Norwegian, I'd have to vote for Grieg. His music is just so... in my blood.

[saja]

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky is my favourite.

[Brad]

Chopin. Etudes, Opus 10 No: 3 is one of my favorite pieces.

[Jek Jek Roo]

Grieg, Dvorak, Wagner

 

Nothing more, nothing less.

[Collective Foal]

Come on Jek, not even Tchaikovsky? I mean, CANNONS!

 

Listen to this shit.

VbxgYlcNxE8

 

14:09 > All your Dubstep bass drops

[Jek Jek Roo]

I love Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Strauss jr, Orff, Mozart, Rimsky-Kosrakov, Rossini...

All the cannons. They rule.

 

Esspecially Lento Adagio from Sheherezade by Rimsky Kosrakov.

 

My top 3, best for all times composers are Grieg, Dvorak, Wagner

[Collective Foal]

Grieg is a boss. I do agree with that. "Hall of the Mointain King" is too damn short though.

 

One thing I've always noticed is how Vivaldi is not a name-him-off-the-top-of-your-head composer, but if you mention his name, you'll probably get some vapid nods. But then, when you start playing Winter and Spring from Four Seasons, all the sudden everybody's like "OH YEA, I know that guy."

 

Love Vivaldi.

[Jek Jek Roo]

If you like him that much you probably enjoy this:

TPZtigbbkz4

this is rape and an eargasm

[Collective Foal]

Eh, I like my classicals to stick with the classical genre. Not a big fan of an electronica crossover. Nothing beats the originals, right?

[danielsangeo]

I've always been partial to Capriccio Italien Op 45 by Tchaikovsky. Not necessarily the entire song, though it's good, but a specific portion:

 

01SEOm9oS-k

Advance to 12:36 and play until about 13:15. Yes, it's short, but it's so awesome.

 

Back in the late 80s, early 90s, when you bought movies (on VHS), they would have previews. Sometimes, the studio itself (Paramount, Universal, whatever) would have their own "previews" in which they show short clips of movies that they've made. I don't remember which studio did it, but they matched their movie clips to that approximately 40 seconds of bombast. I wish I knew who did it because I really love it. But, for now, I settle for that.

 

So, yeah, Tchaikovsky, baby, but I can also go for some "Hungarian" songs (Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt and Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms) and, actually, Carl Stalling did some great work, too.

 

But, if you guys are interested in Tchaikovsky, there is what I like to call the "'Weird Al' Yankovic of Classical Music". His name is Peter Schickele and he goes under the pseudonym PDQ Bach. If you like the 1812 Overture, why not see what inspired it by listening to "1712 Overture"?

 

lhnT4n18Kms

 

(And when I say "inspired", I mean "ripped off")

[Collective Foal]

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt

 

Yes, all of this. Absolutely brilliant compostion.

[Doctor Felix Whooves]

To me the best classical song is carol of the bells

[ProHypster]

To me the best classical song is carol of the bells

Have you even heard the original? It's a Ukrainian composition.. but I guess noone knows that. Shchedryk by Nikolay (Mykola) Leontovych

 

You guys are forgetting lots of people like Prokofiev, Stravinksy, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov.

 

Of course a special melody to me is by Mussorgsky, Gates of Kiev, very proud feeling since I'm from this city and I think it's an important piece for all Rus', reminds me of the times we were together in the middle ages.

 

Stravinsky is also from Kiev and my favourite "classical" composer because of his complexity.

[Different]

Don't have a particular favorite but I have a couple of classical songs in my playlist..

Amilcare Ponchielli - Dance of the Hours

Delibes' Flower Duet, not sure of the author

George Bizet's "Habanera" (from "Carmen")

Gioachino Rossini's "Barber of Seville - Overture"

 

Got a couple more but aint gonna list them all.

[Jek Jek Roo]

Don't have a particular favorite but I have a couple of classical songs in my playlist..

Amilcare Ponchielli - Dance of the Hours

Delibes' Flower Duet, not sure of the author

George Bizet's "Habanera" (from "Carmen")

Gioachino Rossini's "Barber of Seville - Overture"

 

Got a couple more but aint gonna list them all.

 

Yeah, they are all simlpy amazing!