Favorite Peice of Classical Music

**Strike For The South** · 05-13-2011, 20:34

While I'm not entierly sure this qualifies I have have always had a soft spot for "Nearer My God To Thee"

Very calming effect on me

**naut** · 05-13-2011, 20:54

*At that moment it occurred to me that Strike was, in actuality a 65 year old man.*

**Strike For The South** · 05-13-2011, 20:54

baH

it's I before E

**Skullheadhq** · 05-13-2011, 20:57

Just had to post 'em, I absolutely love classical music! Modern music can't beat this.

and

and (go to 4:16)

and:

**Tellos Athenaios** · 05-13-2011, 22:14

Originally Posted by Strike For The South

baH

it's I before E

So that is why so many people write “wierd” when they mean “weird” ?

**Louis VI the Fat** · 05-13-2011, 22:21

André Reiu?

If we are talking that leveil of cultural refineiment, I nominate as my favourite peice of classical music this Teixas classic by Dr. Hook:

**Subotan** · 05-13-2011, 22:29

Oh lawd save me from André Rieu. Props on the Rossini tho.

My absolute most favouritist symphony evar - and this is the best bit. I always find this particular movement to be exceptionally moving, and I swear something died inside me when one of my best friends said she actively dislikes it.

Funnily enough, another friend who plays violin in the university symphonic orchestra also dislikes it, and I didn't mind, as it's very possible to like listening to a piece, only to end up despising it once you have to play it (Curse you 733 Squadron CURSE YOU)

2nd Movement of Shosty's 11th - Keep listening from 00:25 onwards for the thrilling symphonic equivalent of the march down the Odessa Steps in Battleship Potemkin

It's a godawful cliché I know but it's so GOOD

The Karelia Overture is like drinking the Sibelius equivalent of the syrup Coca-Cola is sold to McDonalds as - extremely concentrated Sibelius, and delicious

Probably one of the best pieces ever written for concert/military band

It's Vaughan Williams, AND it's a tuba piece - what more could you possibly want from this life or the next?

And also, because Louis was wrong in the other culture thread to suggest that modern classical is worthless (

), here's a bunch of extremely exciting stuff by modern composers. Oddly, pretty much all good modern composers are American.

Probably the most important modern classical piece ever written, it's a pity they don't have parts two and three on Youtube so that you ca- FROM NEW YORK TO LOS ANGELES FROM NEW YORK FROM NEW YORK TO LOS ANGELES

I confess I originally heard this on Civ 4, but, BUT, I later found it on the OST to a film my parents watched, I Am Love, and it really got me hooked on Adam's stuff. I have no idea how good the film is, but the OST is an absolutely cracking collection of Adam's work.

This is pretty groovy for a classical piece, and it's fun to listen to.

Excellent background music. You can drift in and out of it extremely easily and never feel like you're missing a second of it due to lack of concentration.

That should keep you all busy

**Hax** · 05-13-2011, 22:34

Is It Bill Bailey?

Yes. It is.

**HoreTore** · 05-13-2011, 22:45

Easy.

"Dovregubbens Hall", of course. Oh, and Morgenstemning. Mostly due to childhood experiences....

**Louis VI the Fat** · 05-13-2011, 22:48

Originally Posted by Subotan

Probably the most important modern classical piece ever written, it's a pity they don't have parts two and three on Youtube so that you ca- FROM NEW YORK TO LOS ANGELES FROM NEW YORK FROM NEW YORK TO LOS ANGELES

Hah! My Google-fu is much stronger than yours! What you do is, you simply Google for 'Third Reich'.

It all looks very confusing though, this modern classical music.

**Rhyfelwyr** · 05-14-2011, 00:27

how can you listen to that stuff?

**naut** · 05-14-2011, 01:01

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwr

how can you listen to that stuff?

Ears.

**ajaxfetish** · 05-14-2011, 04:30

I'm a sucker for a cappella stuff.

Randall Thompson's Alleluia

Eric Whitacre's Water Night

Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque

Franz Biebl's Ave Maria

That's pretty good for a start

Ajax

**seireikhaan** · 05-14-2011, 04:40

Gonna snip.

**GeneralHankerchief** · 05-14-2011, 05:12

Generally a fan of piano-only pieces, so Chopin is obviously a favorite. Here's his Raindrop Prelude:

Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2, which you may recognize from Looney Tunes but is also a fabulous piece of music (especially the first part):

Rachmaninoff's Prelude in my favorite key, C-sharp minor:

And capping it off, the third movement (not the first) to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. As much (deserved) acclaim as the first movement to that piece gets, the third just completely blows you away.

**ajaxfetish** · 05-14-2011, 06:34

Originally Posted by GeneralHankerchief

Rachmaninoff's Prelude in my favorite key, C-sharp minor:

My second favorite Rachmaninoff piece, after his Prelude in G Minor

Ajax

**Skullheadhq** · 05-14-2011, 11:16

and:

and for the piano fans:

**Subotan** · 05-14-2011, 12:01

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwr

how can you listen to that stuff?

I'm gonna assume you're asking me, and answer in two parts, both with regards to classical music in general and more specifically modern classical.

I very very rarely listen to classical music in the same way I listen to Frank Zappa, which is to say giving the music my full and complete attention. This is because the music itself is often hard to concentrate on, and because the songs are often extremely long, even when compared to my leviathan prog rock albums. Just listen to classical music in the background of what you're doing, and you'll start paying attention when the music is particularly interesting. Listening to classical music is a great and very easy way to appear sophisticated, as the people who you will be able to have a proper conversation about classical music with are often worth knowing, and also because to people and girls who don't know much about classical music, engaging in conversation with them about classical music makes you look very cultured, regardless of how much you actually know about classical music. One of the really major problems with getting into classical music is that the amount of music available is just so massive as to be overwhelming. I'll freely admit that I've never listened to a Mozart, Bach, Chopin or Liszt piece out of choice, simply because I've been too busy grinding my way through Mahler, Shosty, Sibelius and Vaughan Williams symphonies.

With regards to modern classical music, especially quite minimalist stuff, I find it very easy to listen to because of my background in listening to rock, and particularly math rock. I find songs like this (Slightly NSFW - if you want something a bit shorter but not as good, this is only 1:50 long) to be extremely relaxing, as I expect all the sharp and angular sudden jerks in the music, after having listened to it so much. Similarly, a lot of modern classical is quite "mechanical". It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.

Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Hah! My Google-fu is much stronger than yours! What you do is, you simply Google for 'Third Reich'.

It all looks very confusing though, this modern classical music.

How come you're being facetious?

Originally Posted by ajaxfetish

I'm a sucker for a cappella stuff.

That's pretty good for a start

Ajax

Personally, I'm not a fan. It's good, and I can see why people like choirs, but they don't do anything for me.

Originally Posted by Yaseikhaan

Gonna snip.

<3

**Greyblades** · 05-16-2011, 00:36

Ooh, does O sole mio by Pavarotti count?

I cant get enough of the three tenors. Pity Paverotti died before I was even introduced to his singing, allways the way eh?

**tibilicus** · 05-16-2011, 03:06

One of my all time favorites.

**naut** · 05-16-2011, 05:48

Originally Posted by Subotan

With regards to modern classical music, especially quite minimalist stuff, I find it very easy to listen to because of my background in listening to rock, and particularly math rock. I find songs like this (Slightly NSFW - if you want something a bit shorter but not as good, this is only 1:50 long) to be extremely relaxing, as I expect all the sharp and angular sudden jerks in the music, after having listened to it so much. Similarly, a lot of modern classical is quite "mechanical". It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.

You're seriously saying Math Rock is "modern classical music". What the hell does "modern classical music" even mean?! I hope this is some sort of hipster irony.

**ajaxfetish** · 05-16-2011, 07:19

Originally Posted by Psychonaut

You're seriously saying Math Rock is "modern classical music". What the hell does "modern classical music" even mean?! I hope this is some sort of hipster irony.

Umm . . . he said his background in math rock made it easy to appreciate modern classical, not that math rock is modern classical. As far as the label "modern classical" goes, it's rather unfortunate, since the word classical is traditionally the name of a period (Haydn/Mozart era for music), but has also been used to describe concert music in general. You can think of modern classical as art pieces, stuff made for orchestras, and so forth, primarily in opposition to popular music.

Ajax

**Sigurd** · 05-18-2011, 14:09

Classical music is soothing and helps me unwind.

Ajax mentioned a Capella. This is one of my favorites:

I like big organ music: here Toccata

Russian orthodox is intriguing. (crank up the volume on this one)

**Pannonian** · 05-21-2011, 09:53

I quite like this version of the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th symphony. Dunno why, but I find it a very visual piece. The change of tempo at 5:41 is especially nice.

**InsaneApache** · 05-21-2011, 16:32

I like this.

And this.

This Welsh lullaby always leaves me with damp eyes...

Last and far from least...

As someone got in before me on Rossini's Thieving Magpie, I'll make do with this...