Good Classical Music

Any specific composers or songs? P: If there's any besides the big names like Beethoven and Mozart and Debussy and whatnots. I'm mostly looking for orchestral music.

I'll give you a name, and a great piece to check out, but I encourage you to look for others by these composers.

Leos Janacek - Sinfonietta
Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 5
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2
Alexander Borodin - In the Steppes of Central Asia
Bedrich Smetana - Vitava (Moldau)
George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 8
Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 1
Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 8
Igor Stravinsky - Rite of Spring / Tango
Olivier Messiaen - Turangalila Symphony

You'll be able to find most of these on YouTube, if you want to check them out quickly without having to download anything.


edit: Also, the 3 you already mentioned... if you haven't already checked these ones out...
Beethoven:
- Eroica (Symphony No. 3) is my favorite

Debussy:
- La Mer (all three movements are fantastic)
- Nocturnes (Nuages is my favorite of the three)
- Tarantelle Styrienne (Danse) - Allegretto
- Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune

Yeah, I'm a big fan of Debussy, and don't know much by Mozart, lol. He's a little too dry for me, I like more contemporary/romantic stuff, usually.

<3 Thanks arl. I somehow knew you'd be the one to deliver

Dude, where have you been for the last month? The "What are you listening to?" thread has been almost all classical.

Is somewhat my fault. As you know, I am a bit of a Mozart fan. Symphony No. 40 in G minor.
Also, as a clarinetist, I love his many divertimentos. Vaughn Williams interests me, try to find his Folk Song Suite. The Bach Cello Suites (No. 3 is my favourite) may appeal to you. Handel's Water Music is another of my favs.

George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 8
Igor Stravinsky - Rite of Spring / Tango
- Eroica (Symphony No. 3) is my favorite
- Nocturnes (Nuages is my favorite of the three)

I have nothing but respect for you, sir.
Wasn't there a riot at the premiere of the Rite of Spring?

If you are looking for symphonic stuff, rather than just "classical", I recommend David Holsinger. His stuff can be really hard to find, but look for "Ballet Sacra". It's a neo-classical piece with all kinds of crazy time signature changes.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgfRABRqhg0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgfRABRqhg0</a>

Also, "El Camino Real" is my favorite piece that we played in symphony band. I played the harp part. It was wicked. The slow part in the middle is great, and it reminds me of Elder Scrolls music.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbEZVlChlI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbEZVlChlI</a>

Polovstian Dances - Alexander Borodin

My favorite piece ever of all time, also by the orchestra who I think performs it best. not the whole thing though, unfortunately.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AynXDnFuOE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AynXDnFuOE</a>

Wasn't there a riot at the premiere of the Rite of Spring?

There absolutely was. The Rite of Spring premiered as a ballet, and the dance routine that went along with it was very disturbing and primal (for 1913). People were going batshit crazy over it almost immediately, people were booing, some were cat-calling, some were arguing right in the audience over whether or not this was "art," and there were even a few fistfights. The choreographer, Vaslav Nijinsky, had to scream out measure numbers from the side of the stage so the dancers knew where they were in the piece. It's said that he was standing on a chair, and leaning so far out towards the stage that Stravinsky himself had to hold on to his coat-tails to keep him from falling over. The dancers couldn't hear the music over the audience freaking out! So, it was actually more the choreography than the music that caused the riot. It premiered in France, and ballet was huge in France, and people were pissed about what Nijinsky did.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjX3oAwv_Fs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjX3oAwv_Fs</a>

Go to 3:00.

(It's primal, ritual dance, if you didn't know. Something about fertility, if I remember correctly.)

This was essentially the birthplace of angular ballet.


However, while it was mostly about the choreography, the music also played a part in the riot. The harsh, dissonant tonalities were definitely a new thing, and many people weren't ready to accept it. Another famous fact is the bassoon in the very beginning, which is played well above where a bassoon is supposed to be played. Apparently, this really pissed some people off, some thought Stravinsky was making a mockery out of the orchestra, though that wasn't his intention at all.



edit: Sorry for all the edits. It's been a while since I studied this piece, some of my info was off. It should be more accurate, now.

Also, not to start a fight with Holk, some of the composers I mentioned above are past the point of "classical" music. Just mentioning that, so you don't get turned off to them just because you might think they're all from the 1700's (which they certainly are not).

Its cool, I wouldn't fight you over something like that. I admit that I don't know much about what is what. I just know what I like. Its funny though, its like the genre wars of the olden days.

Erik Satie's Gymnopedie is one I like.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xe2Rft62Kg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xe2Rft62Kg</a>

Thanks for all that info Arl. From the short part of that video I watched, I easily understand how the commoner's ears and eyes would react to that in 1913, not that I was around then. Would you happen to know how Beethoven managed to be so radical with his music, but Stravinsky was sometimes ridiculed and shunned? Is there something important that Beethoven did that kept the audience from attacking him?

I can't say for sure, but if I were to venture a guess...

I think I remember hearing a reaction to Beethoven's shenanigans being mostly "LOL what is this shit!?" (Paraphrased). Stravinsky's piece combined with Nijinsky's choreography made for a very violent experience on the stage, and on the other hand, Beethoven's music never had such a primal and violent tonality to it.

So, they both were ridiculed for being pioneers of their time, but Stravinsky's Rite of Spring had a violence to it that really pushed the audience over the edge.

That's my guess, anyway.

Dude, where have you been for the last month? The "What are you listening to?" thread has been almost all classical.

I barely lurk RMRK anymore lol. But thanks to everyone for all the contributions and suggestions.