Topic: Newbies' Blush List Dozen

[Rosalba]

As someone fairly new to classical music who can be easily embarrassed by my ignorance, I'm wondering whether any of you seasoned listeners could provide a list of a dozen classical pieces that everyone is 'expected' to know?

All help is gratefully received. Thank you.

[Mahlerian]

Not necessarily the ones I think are the best, but certainly among the best-known.  Usually it's an excerpt or two from these that's really the "hit," but they're all better in full.

Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D
Handel: Messiah
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor "Moonlight"
Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night's Dream Overture
Schumann: Kinderszenen
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E minor "From the New World"
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Debussy: Suite Bergamasque
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Ravel: Bolero
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Delighted to help!

Mozart, Ave verum corpus, K.618

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HXjn6srhAlY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/HXjn6srhAlY</a>

JS Bach, Passacaglia & Fugue in c minor, BWV 582

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HtFMxFQrKc4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/HtFMxFQrKc4</a>

Chopin, Prelude in e minor, Op.28 № 4

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/KHGHhYZCIQI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/KHGHhYZCIQI</a>

Beethoven, Symphony № 6 in F, Op.68, "Pastorale"

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2VY33VXnrQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/t2VY33VXnrQ</a>

Vivaldi, Violin Concerto in E, "Spring" (from The Four Seasons)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RnwuF-MCRuo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/RnwuF-MCRuo</a>

Saint-Saëns, Danse macabre, Op.40

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qz7elksiFb4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/Qz7elksiFb4</a>

Prokofiev, Symphony № 1 in D, Op.25, "Classical"

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/WLT55kPIFCo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/WLT55kPIFCo</a>

Ives, The Unanswered Question

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/kkaOz48cq2g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/kkaOz48cq2g</a>

Schubert, "Der Leiermann" (from Die Winterreise)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/pze4NxCOjg0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/pze4NxCOjg0</a>

Handel, Hornpipe (from Water Music)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/6fa2wZEsRWM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/6fa2wZEsRWM</a>

[Rosalba]

Thank you, both - your replies are very helpful indeed.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Let us know what you like, and what you like less . . . there are always more suggestions to be made 

[North Star]

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition (there are also numerous orchestrations, most famously the one by Ravel)
Below are two recordings of the work, by Mikhail Pletnev and Leif-Ove Andsnes.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/kxg2R0Pqb3c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/kxg2R0Pqb3c</a>

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Excellent add, Karlo!

[Mahlerian]

I'm ashamed to have forgotten Pictures.  I did vacillate about adding The Four Seasons or not...figured there was plenty more without it.  Now I've revealed my bias and will shut up.

There's nothing wrong with getting to know the warhorses and the the popular hits, so I wish you happy listening, Rosalba.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

That all comes under 'expected to know,' I think.  That said, I did not post any music to which I am not perfectly happy to listen, myself.

[Spineur]

Bach badinerie from orchestra suite no 2 2:20 of pure happiness

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/3jYxMlPm-_Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/3jYxMlPm-_Y</a>

Charles Gounod, Ave Maria

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/SMvldwLqe2U" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/SMvldwLqe2U</a>

[North Star]

I must say I wouldn't have thought of naming Passacaglia & Fugue in c minor, BWV 582 before Toccata & Fugue in d minor, BWV 565 - the former is clearly the (even) better piece, granted, but the latter is surely far more well-known.

Liszt: La campanella (Grandes études de Paganini, S. 141, No. 3)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/-hCNkp97I30" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/-hCNkp97I30</a>

Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries (an excerpt from the Ring cycle) [I resisted the temptation to post the Looney Tunes version..]
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/V92OBNsQgxU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/V92OBNsQgxU</a>

And Sarasate's Fantasy is a handy way to hear the greatest hits from Bizet's Carmen.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/iwo-vKPR4Lo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/iwo-vKPR4Lo</a>

[Rosalba]

Let us know what you like, and what you like less . . . there are always more suggestions to be made 

I like the music of the eighteenth century - or anything with a strong or interesting rhythm.
Thanks for asking. And thanks again for your samples - I've started on them today, and so far, very nice indeed!

[Rosalba]

I'm ashamed to have forgotten Pictures.  I did vacillate about adding The Four Seasons or not...figured there was plenty more without it.  Now I've revealed my bias and will shut up.

There's nothing wrong with getting to know the warhorses and the the popular hits, so I wish you happy listening, Rosalba.

Thank you - I shall look up your suggestions, I know I shall enjoy myself.

[Rosalba]

Bach badinerie from orchestra suite no 2 2:20 of pure happiness

Thank you, Spineur.

[Rosalba]

I must say I wouldn't have thought of naming Passacaglia & Fugue in c minor, BWV 582 before Toccata & Fugue in d minor, BWV 565 - the former is clearly the (even) better piece, granted, but the latter is surely far more well-known...

Thank you for your examples, North Star - I am looking forward to listening to them.

[Rosalba]

What about modernism? have you heard any of that? 

Not much. Bits and pieces - always pleased to try things, so please suggest any works that I should know. Thank you.

[nodogen]

Ah, Yorkshire, home of Northern Monk. Excellent!

Slightly more tangential suggestions:

As a seasoned ignoramus, I found the book Classical Music by Jan Swafford to be useful to "get my bearings."

Put Radio 3 on, just as background music (sacrilege!).

Nothing is required or expected. I admit I've got stuff by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, but my very favourite music is often by composers I hadn't even heard a note of just a few years ago (or even heard of).

Enjoy the journey. 👍😃

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Ah, Yorkshire, home of Northern Monk. Excellent!

Slightly more tangential suggestions:

As a seasoned ignoramus, I found the book Classical Music by Jan Swafford to be useful to "get my bearings."

Put Radio 3 on, just as background music (sacrilege!).

Nothing is required or expected. I admit I've got stuff by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, but my very favourite music is often by composers I hadn't even heard a note of just a few years ago (or even heard of).

Enjoy the journey. 👍😃

You're being given pearls here 

Truly, two keys to the wonder of classical music are:  the literature is mind-bogglingly rich (breadth and depth), and to enjoy it is purely elective.

[Rosalba]

Off the top of my head, these are essential works that haven't been mentioned yet:

Webern - Symphony op 21
Bartok - Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta
Stravinsky - Agon
Varese - Ameriques
Stockhausen - Gruppen
Xenakis - Jonchaies
Ligeti - Atmospheres
Penderecki - Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima


Hope you enjoy them, it provides a great contrast to many of the examples cited thus far too 

Thank you! I'm a methodical soul, so I'm working down the list, but I'm looking forward to listening to your suggestions, and appreciating the contrast.

[Rosalba]

Ah, Yorkshire, home of Northern Monk. Excellent!

Slightly more tangential suggestions:

As a seasoned ignoramus, I found the book Classical Music by Jan Swafford to be useful to "get my bearings."

Put Radio 3 on, just as background music (sacrilege!).

Nothing is required or expected. I admit I've got stuff by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, but my very favourite music is often by composers I hadn't even heard a note of just a few years ago (or even heard of).

Enjoy the journey. 👍😃

Thank you - I've googled the Swafford book and it looks good. I will definitely read it.