Which classical piece of music is the most well known

dominicelliott · February 20, 2025, 10:00:02 PM

A piece of classical music that has transcended people who enjoy the genre and spread into the mainstream audience, to the point now where people will probably know the song, without knowing the name etc?

My opinion would be Prokofiev: Dance of the Knights, simply because of the Apprentice, but would love to hear other people's thoughts!

Brian · February 21, 2025, 06:37:06 AM

I think surely it would be one of the two big wedding marches, Mendelssohn's or Wagner's ("here comes the bride"). A Christmas carol might also be a good answer.

People also all seem to know Flight of the Bumblebee, the Brahms Lullaby, and "O fortuna" from popular culture and movies.

Cato · February 21, 2025, 06:59:46 AM

The opening 90 seconds of Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss, who never gets royalties for his efforts!

A shame in one sense: how many people listen to the entire tone-poem?

Karl Henning · February 21, 2025, 07:29:28 AM

JS Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and "Air on the G String." Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik Serenade. Quite possibly Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

DavidW · February 21, 2025, 07:39:27 AM

Quote from: Karl Henning on February 21, 2025, 07:29:28 AMJS Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and "Air on the G String." Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik Serenade. Quite possibly Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

Nice try! But it is Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March #1.

Check and mate.

ritter · February 21, 2025, 07:41:42 AM

Quote from: DavidW on February 21, 2025, 07:39:27 AM...

Check and mate.

Not quite... I give you Boléro...

Karl Henning · February 21, 2025, 07:51:53 AM

Quote from: ritter on February 21, 2025, 07:41:42 AMNot quite... I give you Boléro...

I'll take it!

San Antone · February 21, 2025, 07:53:24 AM

All I know is the classical music which is most popular with the masses (vis a vis the examples given here) is the kind I like the least.

Szykneij · February 21, 2025, 07:53:50 AM

Pachelbel Canon

DavidW · February 21, 2025, 07:56:31 AM

Quote from: San Antone on February 21, 2025, 07:53:24 AMAll I know is the classical music which is most popular with the masses (vis a vis the examples given here) is the kind I like the least.

Why can't they listen to Stockhausen like normal people?

ChamberNut · February 21, 2025, 07:57:26 AM

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (only the first movement of Spring).

Winner, you may now close thread.

Brian · February 21, 2025, 08:22:16 AM

It's funny how many different good examples have us confident that we have won!

hopefullytrusting · February 21, 2025, 08:24:17 AM

Quote from: Szykneij on February 21, 2025, 07:53:50 AMPachelbel Canon

I'd say this, or the opening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.

Cato · February 21, 2025, 08:46:16 AM

Quote from: dominicelliott on February 20, 2025, 10:00:02 PMA piece of classical music that has transcended people who enjoy the genre and spread into the mainstream audience, to the point now where people will probably know the song, without knowing the name etc?

My opinion would be Prokofiev: Dance of the Knights, simply because of the Apprentice, but would love to hear other people's thoughts!

The WW II Generation and earlier ones alive in the 1940's and 1950's would possibly say Prokofiev's March from The Love of Three Oranges because it introduced a very popular radio drama called The F.B.I. in Peace and War.

Florestan · February 21, 2025, 08:46:47 AM

OTOMH

Eine Kleine Nacht Musik - first theme of the first mvt
Turkish March from KV 331
Fuer Elise
Ode to Joy theme
Overture to Guillaume Tell, final movement
An die Schoene Blaue Donau, first waltz

Karl Henning · February 21, 2025, 09:06:50 AM

Quote from: DavidW on February 21, 2025, 07:39:27 AMNice try! But it is Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March #1.

Check and mate.

I wasn't really striving for Number One, but expanding upon Brian's short list.

Karl Henning · February 21, 2025, 09:07:56 AM

Quote from: San Antone on February 21, 2025, 07:53:24 AMAll I know is the classical music which is most popular with the masses (vis a vis the examples given here) is the kind I like the least.

The FM radio carpet bombing doesn't help!

foxandpeng · February 22, 2025, 05:40:40 AM

Quote from: San Antone on February 21, 2025, 07:53:24 AMAll I know is the classical music which is most popular with the masses (vis a vis the examples given here) is the kind I like the least.

Haha. Sounds like me.

foxandpeng · February 22, 2025, 05:41:08 AM

Quote from: dominicelliott on February 20, 2025, 10:00:02 PMA piece of classical music that has transcended people who enjoy the genre and spread into the mainstream audience, to the point now where people will probably know the song, without knowing the name etc?

My opinion would be Prokofiev: Dance of the Knights, simply because of the Apprentice, but would love to hear other people's thoughts!

Welcome, by the way..

pjme · February 22, 2025, 06:44:45 AM

Ok - most of the all-too-well known culprits have been mentioned.

Following works seem to gain in unprecedented (radio) "popularity"

Sibelius: Karelia suite -alla marcia
Ravel: slow movement from concerto in sol
Pärt: Für Alina, Spiegel im Spiegel
Voglio una casa sung by Lucillia Galeazzi
Saint Saens: Carnaval des animaux
Bits and pieces from Mozart's Requiem
Bachs first cello suite (first mov)
(and preferably transcribed for jazz ensemble, guitar, harp, accordeon, marimba...)
+
Gabriel's oboe