Simply your favourite 30 works

[karlhenning]

But how can you leave off the Second Cantata (op 31) and the wonderful orchestration of the Ricercare a 6 from the Musical Offering?

:-)

[Maciek]

30. Brahms- Piano Concerto #1 and 2

Greg, you're cheating!

(I still haven't got mine ready but I think I'll start it with J.S. Bach - keyboard works )

[Sergeant Rock]

Anyone who think this over and type out all the selections probably has too much time at hand. 

Guilty as charged, officer. However, it really didn't require too much thinking. I know what I like 

Sarge

[Danny]

Should be 100. 

[Joe Barron]

But how can you leave off the Second Cantata (op 31) and the wonderful orchestration of the Ricercare a 6 from the Musical Offering?

Yeah, I was going to amend my post. Since Webern assigned opus numbers to 31 pieces, I'll have to leave one out — So, Opp. 2-31. The ricercare will have to go begging.

[karlhenning]

So, Opp. 2-31. The ricercare will have to go begging.

Anyway, it's tainted with Bachian associations 

[BachQ]

Each variation of Brahms op. 24.
Brahms op. 15
Brahms op 83

[hornteacher]

Okay these are not in order:

Haydn 88
Haydn 94
Haydn 100
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
Mozart Clarinet Quintet
Mozart Clarinet Trio
Mozart 36
Mozart 40
Mozart 41
Mozart Marriage of Figaro
Beethoven Symphony 3
Beethoven Symphony 5
Beethoven Symphony 7
Beethoven Symphony 9
Beethoven Piano Concerto 5
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Beethoven SQ #4
Schubert Trout Quintet
Schubert 5
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Brahms 1
Brahms Violin Concerto
Dvorak Cello Concerto
Dvorak 8
Dvorak 9
Dvorak American Quartet
Rachmaninov PC 2
Holst Planets
Copland Symphony 3
Copland Appalachian Spring

[quintett op.57]

Should be 100. 

Which one is the 100th?
Which one is the 101st?
It wouldn't be that easier

[Maciek]

I'm bound to fail but I'll try anyway 0:). I'm sticking to the one work per composer rule, otherwise I'd perish...

1. Bach's keyboard works (WTC II, if I'm forced to choose only one) - they simply have to go first.

Next I'll list some of the more modern stuff (from 1900 onwards), which I generally like most, to see if there's any space left for the rest of it:

2. Tadeusz Baird - Voices from Afar (Głosy z oddali). A wonderful, moving, perhaps even disturbing song cycle for baritone and orchestra about death and dying.
3. Augustyn Bloch - Anenaiki. My favorite work for choir.
4. Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki - Symphony No. 2. IMO, much better than the bestseller it preceded.
5. Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen - Triptych for percussion and orchestra. An amazing work, a sort of concerto based on a very simple yet wonderfully effective structural principle.
6. Wojciech Kilar - Orawa. A very simple, energetic, minimalistic piece. Yet, for me, undeniably charming.
7. Eugeniusz Knapik - La liberta chiama la liberta. A very powerful, modern, neoromantic opera.
8. Jerzy Kornowicz - Small Pavana for violin and piano (1993). The corniest trifle on earth, and yet I love it!
9. Hanna Kulenty - Violin Concerto No. 1 (for violin with delay and orchestra). Fascinating single arch of music developed with amazing drama.
10. Aleksander Lason - Concerto festivo (Violin Concerto). One of the most beautiful and touching contemporary violin concertos I have ever heard. Modern yet very communicative - the whole second half of it was encored during the first performance.
11. Witold Lutoslawski - Paroles tisées. A powerful, very emotional set of songs for tenor and chamber orchestra.
12. Krzysztof Meyer - Violin Concerto No. 2. From the first notes - an extremely expressive concerto.
13. Michael Nyman - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for A Hat. An, admittedly minimalist, opera dealing with the role of music in life. I find it extremely moving.
14. Andrzej Panufnik - Lullaby (1947). A microtonal masterpiece reaching heights that Panufnik would never reach again.
15. Krzysztof Penderecki - Saint Luke's Passion.
16. Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 2. Simply my favorite 20th century piano concerto, and an extremely difficult one too.
17. Alfred Schnittke - Concerto grosso No. 2. Currently my favorite Schnittke piece.
18. Kazimierz Serocki - Impromptu fantasque. Probably the most fantastically sounding piece for a reed ensemble that I've ever heard. This is, IMO, the woodwind counterpart of Penderecki's Threnody. Need I say more?
19. Shostakovich - 8th Symphony. My favorite Shostakovich symphony.
20. Tomasz Sikorski - Music from afar (Muzyka z oddali) (1974) for mixed choir and instruments. The softest, most delicate sounding music ever written!
21. Marek Stachowski - From the Book of Night. A sort of modern symphonic poem.
22. Stravinsky - Symphony of Psalms. Currently my favorite Stravinsky composition.
23. Pawel Szymanski - Four Liturgical Pieces (1980-81) for soprano and orchestra. One of the most beautiful settings of liturgical texts that I've ever heard.
24. Karol Szymanowski - King Roger (Król Roger). My favorite opera. Period.

That doesn't leave much for older times but let me try anyway:

25. Brahms - Symphony No. 4. Probably my favorite symphony of all time.
26. Chopin - Concerto in E Minor. Well, I had to include some Chopin, so I decided it would be the concerto.
27. Mieczyslaw Karlowicz - Violin Concerto.
28. Stanislaw Moniuszko - The Haunted Manor. I cannot believe that after years of being an avowed Moniuszko-hater I'm posting one of his operas on my top-30 list! But nowadays, I listen to his operas all the time.
29. Vivaldi - Lute Concertos. What would life be without them?
30. Juliusz Zarebski - Piano Quintet in G Minor Op. 34 (1885). Probably my favorite piano quintet.

Well, I thought 30 would be a lot but in fact that meant leaving quite a lot out - and most of the stuff left out turned out to be pretty mainstream (like Beethoven, Bruckner, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Sibelius and many more). Not because I strived to be original but because I really don't listen to that music as much as I used to anymore (well, music is discovery, if I may quote D Minor's motto ). Most of the music I listen to and return to is Polish and modern, hence my list. And I must admit there's quite a lot from those categories that I left out. Paderewski's and Melcer's PCs, for example. Not to mention the problems I had when selecting only one piece by each composer!

And if anyone wants to know - yes, this does take a lot of time. But was the time wasted? Not really - it was fun. I'm starting my festival of favorites right away!

Maciek

[BachQ]

25. Brahms - Symphony No. 4. Probably my favorite symphony of all time.

Well, at least we have something in common! 

[Maciek]

Definitely more than that!

(Remember about Zimerman!)

[Mahler Symphony]

Here's my list in no particular order-


Bach - Mass in B Minor
Bach - St. Matthew Passion
Bach - Goldberg Variations
Bach - Well Tempered Clavier

Strauss - Salome
Strauss - Elektra
Strauss - Metamorphosen

Berg - Wozzeck
Berg - Lulu

Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra

Stravinsky - Rite of Spring

Schoenberg - 5 Pieces for Orchestra
Schoenberg - Moses und Aaron

Mahler - 2
Mahler - 3
Mahler - 4
Mahler - 5
Mahler - 6
Mahler - 8
Mahler - 9 0:)
Mahler - 10
Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde

Wagner - Parsifal
Wagner - Tristan und Isolde
Wagner - Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Wagner - Tannhauser
Wagner - Lohengrin
Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Bruckner - Symphony no. 7

Beethoven - Symphony No. 6
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

Which one is the 100th?
Which one is the 101st?
It wouldn't be that easier

I think that it would be easier. It may not be clear in which order they should go, but listing only 30 works is completely suffocating!

[gomro]

I'm curious.

Please, organize your post (by genre, by period, by composer... do what you want)

I'm really interested

THIRTY favorite works -- well, at least there's room to actually make a fair representation of favorite stuff... I shall list one favorite per composer.

1. BELA BARTOK - Music for Strings Percussion and Celesta
2. ARTHUR HONEGGER - Pacific 231
3. MAURICE RAVEL - La Valse
4. OLIVIER MESSIAEN - Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorem
5. CHARLES IVES - Three Places in New England
6. HOWARD HANSON - Mosaics for orchestra
7. AKIRA IFUKUBE - Symphonic Fantasia #1
8. MORTON SUBOTNICK - The Key to Songs for ensemble and computer
9. STEVE REICH - Three Tales for ensemble and electronic samples
10. IANNIS XENAKIS - Terretektorh for orchestra scattered among the audience
11. KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN - Stop und Start for ensemble
12. DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony #13
13. AARON COPLAND - Symphony for Organ and Orchestra
14. CARL RUGGLES  - Sun-Treader for large orchestra
15. EDGARD VARESE - Ameriques for large orchestra
16. CHARLES WUORINEN - Genesis for orchestra and chorus
17. ERIC EWAZEN - Ballade, Pastorale and Dance for flute, horn and piano
18. ROBERTO GERHARD - Concerto for Orchestra
19. JENNIFER HIGDON - Concerto for Orchestra
20. PAUL MORAVEC - The Time Gallery for ensemble
21. SAMUEL JONES - Roundings for orchestra
22. IGOR STRAVINSKY - Les Noces for pianos and chorus
23. SERGEI PROKOFIEV - Scythian Suite
24. PHILIP GLASS - The Photographer
25. TERRY RILEY - In C
26. TAKASHI YOSHIMATSU - Symphony #4
27. YASUSHI AKUTAGAWA - Allora Symphony
28. ARNOLD SCHOENBERG - Ode to Napoleon
29. KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI - Credo
30. MORTON FELDMAN - Piano and String Quartet

[david johnson]

amazing grace

billings - when Jesus wept & david's lamentation

beethoven - sym 5 & 9, pno sonata 14

bruckner - sym 9

copland - sym 3

dixie

dvorak - sym 9

fernandez - batuque

hummel - trpt con

mahler - sym 1 & 2

meadowland

mendelssohn - fingal's cave & sym 4

orff - carmina burana

rimsky-korsakov
russian easter overture & scheherezade

schubert - sym 8 & 9

shostakovich - sym 5

sibelius - swan of tuonela

sousa - stars & stripes forever

tchaikovsky - sym 4 & 6, swan lake

telemann - heroic music

way down yonder in new orleans

[quintett op.57]

Buxtehude :         Membra Jesus Nostri
Bach :                 Violin partita 3
Handel :              Concerto grosso op.6 n°2
Haydn :               Piano sonata 59
                         Quartet op76 n°2 
                         Cello concerto 2 
                         Symphony 96
                         Symphony 104
Mozart :              Horn concerto 1
Beethoven :         Piano sonata 32
                         Violin sonata 9 Kreutzer
                         Piano trio after Symphony 2
                         Symphony 6
Schubert :           String quintet
Schumann :         Cello concerto
Berlioz :              Harold in Italy
Liszt :                 Piano Sonata
Smetana :           String quartet 2
Bruckner :           Symphony 5
Brahms :             Piano concerto 2
Strauss :             Ein Heldenleben
                         Till Eulenspiegel
nielsen :              Symphony 3
Ravel :                Piano concerto in G
Britten :              Violin concerto
Shostakovich :     String quartet 8
                         Piano quintet
                         Symphony 10
Pettersson           Symphony 7
Schnittke :          Cello sonata

I'm not sure of my list, but it shows my taste.

[greg]

wow, i'll have to think a bit....
here goes

1. Mahler 9
2. Gorecki 3
3. Schoenberg- Book of Hanging Gardens
4. Mahler 2
5. Mahler 10
6. Prokofiev- Cello Sinfonia Concertante
7. Webern- Passacaglia for Orchestra
8. Berg- 3 Pieces for Orchestra
9. Prokofiev- Piano Sonata #6
10. Prokofiev- Piano Sonata #2
11. Mahler 3
12. Mahler 7
13. Stravinsky- Rite of Spring
14. Prokofiev- Piano Concerto #2
15. Prokofiev- Piano Concerto #3
16. Schoenberg- 5 Pieces for Orchestra
17. Xenakis- Ata
18. Penderecki- Fluorescences
19. Penderecki- De Natura Sonoris #2
20. Penderecki- Threnody
21. Penderecki- De Natura Sonoris #1
22. Xenakis- Hibiki Hana Ma
23. Xenakis- Orient-Occident
24. Bartok- 1st Piano Concerto
25. Prokofiev- Symphony #5
26. Xenakis- La Legende d'eer
27. Prokofiev- Symphony #5
28. Brahms- Symphony #1
29. Brahms- Symphony #4
30. Brahms- Piano Concerto #1 and 2


I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEE lists like these 

however, it's impossible to actually fit everything on there since there's so many ties

oh no! I left off Mahler 6, Brahms' Paganini Variations, and Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet 

[karlhenning]

I'll join in the fun.

There can be no question of completeness in such a small list, so the first 30 favorite works which came to mind:

1   Shostakovich, Fourth Symphony
2   Shostakovich, Tenth Symphony
3   Shostakovich, Fourteenth Symphony
4   Shostakovich, Four Pushkin Romances
5   Shostakovich, 24 Preludes & Fugues
6   Shostakovich, Seventh String Quartet
7   Shostakovich, Second Trio for Violin, Cello & Piano
8   Shostakovich, Sonata for Viola & Piano
9   Stravinsky, Le sacre du printemps
10   Stravinsky, Symphonies of wind instruments
11   Stravinsky, Concerto for two pianos
12   Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms
13   Stravinsky, Orpheus
14   Stravinsky, Agon
15   Prokofiev, Second Symphony
16   Prokofiev, Le pas d'acier
17   Prokofiev, L'enfant prodigue
18   Prokofiev, Second Sonata for Violin and Piano
19   Prokofiev, Romeo & Juliet
20   Prokofiev, Seventh Piano Sonata
21   Bartók, Second Piano Concerto
22   Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra
23   Bartók, Third String Quartet
24   Bartók, Fourth String Quartet
25   Bartók, Fifth String Quartet
26   Bartók, Sixth String Quartet
27   Bartók, Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta
28   Ravel, Sonata for Violin & Cello
29   Debussy, Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp
30   Copland, Sextet

[not edward]

9   Stravinsky, Le sacre du printemps
10   Stravinsky, Symphonies of wind instruments
11   Stravinsky, Concerto for two pianos
12   Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms
13   Stravinsky, Orpheus
14   Stravinsky, Agon
15   Prokofiev, Second Symphony
16   Prokofiev, Le pas d'acier
17   Prokofiev, L'enfant prodigue
18   Prokofiev, Second Sonata for Violin and Piano
19   Prokofiev, Romeo & Juliet
20   Prokofiev, Seventh Piano Sonata
21   Bartók, Second Piano Concerto
22   Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra
23   Bartók, Third String Quartet
24   Bartók, Fourth String Quartet
25   Bartók, Fifth String Quartet
26   Bartók, Sixth String Quartet
27   Bartók, Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta

Interesting.

If I were to list my six favourite Stravinsky and seven favourite Bartok works, I'd probably come up with the same list as you for both (I'd have a hard time keeping the Symphony in Three Movements and Requiem Canticles off the Stravinsky list, though).

If I were to list my six favourite Prokofiev works, however, I would come up with an entirely different list (Third and Sixth symphonies, Symphony-Concerto, First Violin Sonata, Sixth Piano Sonata and Cantata for the Twentieth Anniversary of the October Revolution).

[vandermolen]

In no order:

Sibelius: Tapiola
Copland: Symphony 3
Vaughan Williams: Symphony 6
Miaskovsky: Symphony 6
Honegger: Liturgique Symphony
Walton: Symphony 1
Bruckner: Symphony 9
Novak: The Storm
Bax: Symphony 5
Tubin: Symphony 2 "The Legendary"
Diamond: Symphony 3
Rubbra: Symphony 5
Raid: Symphony 1
Brian: Symphony 8
Alwyn: Symphony 2
Shostakovich: Symphony 4
Moeran: Symphony
Arnell: Symphony 3
Pettersson: Violin Concerto 2
Bliss: Morning Heroes
Lilburn: Symphony 1
Langgaard: Symphony 4
Egge: Symphony 1
Kinsella: Symphony 3
Hadley: The Trees so High
Sainton: Nadir
Rootham: Symphony
Bainton: Symphony 3
Hayasaka: Piano Concerto
Arnold: Symphony 1