A few people have asked about the classical music I plan on listening to this year. Which composers? What symphonies?
I’ve put together this list of essential classical pieces after reading Discovering Classical Music by Ian Christians. The book gives a concise introduction to classical music, and then takes ten of the greatest composers and gives a pen portrait of each, before examining their most accessible music. These are the pieces of music that stood out for me:
- Mozart
- Piano Concerto No. 22
- The Jupiter Symphony
- The Jupiter Symphony
- The Magic Flute
- The String Quintet in C
- Requiem
- Beethoven
- The Fifth Symphony
- The Fifth Piano Concerto (Emperor)
- The Violin Concerto
- The Moonlight Sonata
- The Archduke Trio
- Bach
- The Brandenburg Concertos
- The Concerto for Two Violins
- Toccata and Fugue in D minor
- Magnificat
- B Minor Mass
- St. Matthew Passion
- The Goldberg Variations
- The Well Tempered Clavier (performed by Glenn Gould)
- Schubert
- The Unfinished Symphony
- The Trout Qunitet
- Impromptu
- Berlioz
- Grande Messe des Morts Requiem
- Symphonie Fantastique
- Witches Sabbath
- Nuits d'Ete
- Te Deum
- Roman Carnival
- Dramatic Symphony, Romeo and Juliet
- Verdi
- Rigoletto
- La traviata
- Otello
- Requiem
- Aida
- Bruckner
- Third Mass
- Te Deum
- Seventh Symphony
- Fourth Symphony
- Fifth, Eight and Ninth Symphony
- The Third Mass
- Tchaikovsky
- Swan Lake
- Pathetique Symphony
- Violin Concerto
- First Piano Concerto
- Fantasy Overture, Romeo & Juliet
- Sleeping Beauty
- The Nutcracker
- Serenade for Strings
- Symphony No. 4
- Dvorak
- Slavonic Dances
- Serenade for Strings & Serenades for Wind
- Eight Symphony
- Cello Concerto
- American Quartert
- Symphony from the New World
- Seventh Symphony
- Sixth Symphony
- Piano Quintet
- String Quintet
- Mahler
- Second Symphony, The Resurrection
- Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth's Magic Horn)
- Symphony No. 1
- Symphony No. 4
- Symphony No. 8
- Holst
If you are a classical buff, and want to suggest any other composers or pieces of music I should listen to, please add a comment below.