What's your favourite piece of classical music?

[Tail End Charlie]

My school plays Classic FM all day in the main area we all walk through and I really love it. I grew up in a musical family playing clarinet and piano so I've always had a love for classical music, but kind of drifted away from it when I was older. I really enjoy hearing pieces I remember as I walk round the school. I have very Classic FM taste in music, I'm unashamed to say. My all-time favourites are Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto and the final scenes of Swan Lake but my current favourite is Shostakovich's Jazz Suite. I've been singing it all day since I heard it on the radio. (Lucky children!)

Shoss. Jazz.

What's your favourite piece and why?

Classic FM is great I agree. It might be just the "biggest hits" to some, but there's nothing wrong in that. Even my son, a dedicated rap listener, has it on at times, as he says "you hear different things even in the same piece of music".

 

[Cycleops]

Samuel Barber 'Adagio for strings'. Almost brings me to tears.

View: https://youtu.be/c6zClMZ6vi0

 

[irw]

'Jupiter' from The Planets Suite has to be up there...!

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I was brought up round classical music, no Beatles for me. I remember once at school, about 1972, we had to select our favourite piece of music, most of the others put something called Sylvia's Mother, which was presumably number 1 at the time. I put Chopin's Les Sylphides (a piece of ballet music) and didn't think it was in the least bit strange.

 

[Rocky]

Samuel Barber 'Adagio for strings'. Almost brings me to tears.

View: https://youtu.be/c6zClMZ6vi0

One of my favourites too

 

[Chris S]

I'm not a big fan of classical music so mine would be '4 minutes 33 seconds'

 

[The Crofted Crest]

If you want to learn more about music in general and classical in particular, from Bach to birdsong and rap to Cage, subscribe to BBC R3's The Listening Service: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b078n25h

 

[rockyroller]

thanks to my late Father-in-Law, who turned me on to it. Itzhak Perlman Vivaldi The Four Seasons Spring thank you Pops!

this is just 1 performance I found. there may be other performances of this piece that are better, meaning more precise or more entertaining, or just more pleasurable to watch. always fun to listen to, but I get the chills watching some sections performed. Itzhak Perlman's rendition is the one I own, but not from this performance. I can tell, just listening to it, that this isn't the one I own

View: https://youtu.be/TKthRw4KjEg

 

[All uphill]

I really dislike 'easy listening' such as Classic FM. In fact I can't stand background music. And I far prefer live performance to recordings. Stand-outs for me were Stockhausen directing three orchestras at St John Smith Square some time around 1968; Mahler's 10th at the Festival Hall many years ago. Various late-night concerts including Cage's altered piano pieces, and Stockhausen (he'd died in the meantime). Vaughan Williams' Tallis variations always move me. But the Desert island discs would have to be Beethoven's quartets. I can listen to those repeatedly and always find something new.

Oh yes, well said @Ian H

 

[All uphill]

Ligeti's Requiem. Loud while cooking.

I can't be doing with all the schmaltzy stuff on Classic FM. I need something with attitude and edge.

Panufnik is pretty amazing.

Fortunately Ms AU and I share musical preferences.

 

[Gunk]

View: https://youtu.be/Rw9DueQot48

 

[Brandane]

Anything by the Electric Light Orchestra .
10538 Overture:

 

[Dave7]

WoW what a question.
So many and it could change tomorrow.
2 that spring to mind are the 1812 overture. When you know the story the build up at the end is very moving
Mars from the planet suite also gets me.

 

[Cycleops]

For a bit of German drama you can't beat 'Ride of the Valkyries'. Synonymous now of course with Apocalypse Now.

 

[Cycleops]

I was brought up round classical music, no Beatles for me. I remember once at school, about 1972, we had to select our favourite piece of music, most of the others put something called Sylvia's Mother, which was presumably number 1 at the time. I put Chopin's Les Sylphides (a piece of ballet music) and didn't think it was in the least bit strange.

Did they call you softy after that?