Most important/influential piece of music

[karlhenning]

Could one be considered the most popular?

I don't think so.

Then too, "most popular" is probably a separate matter from most important or most influential . . . .

[The Mad Hatter]

Well, I know that Mozart, Beethoven and Mahler all kept copies of the Well-Tempered Clavier handy, I'd say that's a pretty big vote for that...

MahlerTitan: you seem to be neglecting Schoenberg, Shostakovich, etc. in their continuation of the classical tradition. Though I agree with regard to certain composers. (Cage...)

[karlhenning]

That's not how things work around here. The idea is to list as much as possible with no explanations at all. Now that's informative.

All right, I'll play:

Le sacre du printemps

(1) More than any single other piece, it signaled that music had Moved On from sumptuous Romanticism.

(2) Proved a fertile text of rhythmic and harmonic methods for composers after.

(3) As much as it put Stravinsky on the map as A Modern Composer, it put Paris on the map as The Place Where Hot New Music Happens.

(3a) If you wonder why so many Americans went to Paris to study composition, look no further than the premiere of Le sacre.

[oyasumi]

"I'll play," haha.

[BachQ]

(3a) If you wonder why so many Americans went to Paris to study composition, look no further than the premiere of Le sacre.

...... or to have close proximity to the original manuscript of Ravel's Bolero ........

[from the new world]

The pieces of music that most inspired Schoenberg to go serialist must be considered as very influential. Amongst these include Mahler, notably the 7th symphony. Ironically, this is just the work that is the most troublesome, least played (probably) and most criticised of Mahler's works.

[quintett op.57]

For opera: Monteverdi / Orpheus

For symphonic music: Corelli / Concerti Grossi op. 6

For chamber music: Corelli / Violin Sonatas op. 5

This is, I think, a good way to proceed

I would add, modestly :

For concertos: Vivaldi / L'Estro Armonico

But it's again a question we don't know the answer to.

[Mozart]

'I composed all those works 3 weeks before they all did!, bastards just copied me!'

[max]

Suppe's Poet and Peasant Overture.

Can there even be a single answer to such a question...as if times never change!

Anybody get the idea that this place is running out of themes!

Even the Greats can hold up their end only for so long before comments get diluted by Eternal Recurrence

[quintett op.57]

I don't really agree with you.

Vivaldi - The Four Seasons for basically inventing the tone poem as we know it

Seems that Biber's Battalia is a precedent.

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique for its new use of orchestral color

Yes, but we could say the same of some masterpieces by Antonio Vivaldi.

Beethoven - Große Fuge for redefining the language of the string quartet

Yes, I think the whole cycle is a very important one in history of music.

Wagner - Tristan and Isolde for furthering the limits of tonality (Tristan chord, etc...)

Liszt before.
Regarding Schönberg, you seem to know better than me.

But I think you're way of answering is very relevant.

[Haffner]

Schoenberg String Quartets 3 and 4

[karlhenning]

Yes, but we could say the same of some masterpieces by Antonio Vivaldi.

Sorry, but that really is ridiculous.  Comes a point when we say, yes, everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not to his own facts.

Whatever Vivaldi's contributions to the larger musical scene, no one concerto had anything like the impact of the Symphonie fantastique.  This is blatant paulb-ism:  This is what I like a lot, so I say this is what has the greatest historical importance.

. . . Now, I am prepared to interpret your smiley as "No, really, this was an entire joke!" 

[quintett op.57]

Sorry, but that really is ridiculous.  Comes a point when we say, yes, everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not to his own facts.

Whatever Vivaldi's contributions to the larger musical scene, no one concerto had anything like the impact of the Symphonie fantastique.  This is blatant paulb-ism:  This is what I like a lot, so I say this is what has the greatest historical importance.

. . . Now, I am prepared to interpret your smiley as "No, really, this was an entire joke!" 

I agree with this. Not one concerto by Vivaldi had such an impact. Obviously.
But La Symphonie Fantastique's impact is not only due to the use of new orchestral colors, it's what made me say that.
It would not be that important if it were not a very important step in the development of program music

[greg]

in the future:

Karl's White Nights 

[karlhenning]

I agree with this. Not one concerto by Vivaldi had such an impact. Obviously.
But La Symphonie Fantastique's impact is not only due to the use of new orchestral colors, it's what made me say that.

Spoken like a gentleman, sir!

[karlhenning]

in the future:

Karl's White Nights 

From your lips to God's ear! 

[quintett op.57]

Spoken like a gentleman, sir!

I didn't express myself very well, Kullervo was right to include La Symphonie Fantastique in the most influential works, I should have written I didn't mean it was not fair to include it.

[karlhenning]

No worries!

[Haffner]

Mozart came along...but there is nothing in the nuts and bolts of the harmony & rhythm of Mozart to even raise Bach's eyebrow, aside from expansions of form and structure its a simplification.  Surface beauty, and glitter and charm....as opposed to "for the glory of God" which is the highest aspiration IMO, and backlights much of JSB's music. Anyway, then Beethoven is next in line...to continue in the Mozart vein...but even more dramatic and adventerous in harmony and complex in form...with solo and orchestra more intricately woven than Mozart, and Beethoven continued increased virtuosity of the solo writing which were to continue thru the 19th and 20th centuries, displays of virtuosity

All due respect intended, but not only did Mozart have plenty of pieces that weren't "surface glitter and charm", but J.S.Bach had plenty of pieces that were rife with it. As did Beethoven.

Please forgive me for any presumptuous, but this post shows a marked lack of knowledge in regard to the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Bach.

Just curious, do you read or study music in any way?


Again, no disrespect intended, James. I just wonder if you wrote that in order to start a conversation.

[karlhenning]

of course Schubert's lieder... practically created the song form singlehanded.

I respectfully refer you to:

Most important/influential piece of music

Piece is cast in the singular.