[Elston]

I want to know what you people think are some essential recordings of classical music. I'm fairly open minded when it comes to music (I've fallen in love with TMR, Faust, Rock Bottom since discovering this site...the beatles used to be my favourite band heh), but I don't own a single classical music record. What are some pieces that absolutely need to be heard?

[albummaster]

for me Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo. I think one of the most moving and beautiful pieces of music. Paco de Lucia's interpretation is incredible.


Link

[bc1991]

Sorry for this late post.
Here are some works that might be essential:

Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concertos
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 40
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 41
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring
Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition
Bela Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra

Some good conductors/performers you should start with:

Fritz Reiner
Glenn Gould
Herbert von Karajan (specially for the Beethoven works)

[maxxy]

My two favorite classical pieces are Shostakovitch's 5th symphony and Beethoven's 9th. Beethoven's 9th is a masterpiece, and Shostakovitch is just an incredible composer.
My favorite piano piece is Mendelssohn-the sighing wind (Op. 102 No. 4). It's such a beautiful piece...really hard to play too, but totally worth it.

[maxxy]

I would like to revive this thread. Please comment...

In addition to the pieces I mentioned before, I think some must-listen-to's are:
Dvorák 4th Symphony
Brahms' 1st Symphony, especially the last movement
Bach cello suite #1,
Mozart piano sonatas, especially #1, 3, 5
Beethoven's 5th (everyone knows that one)
Modeste Mussorgsky's Night on bald mountain/pictures at an exhibition (same record)
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite

[maxxy]

Rimsky-Korsikoff's (sp.) Cappricio Espagnol
Holst's The Planets
Tchaicowsky's 4th Symphony
_________________
"I'm so ugly but that's OK cause so are you"

[teodor_matz]

the intro to that moonlight thing by beethoven is pretty cool... and Ennio Morricones The Good the Bad and the Ugly soundtrack is great to

[bc1991]

Excellent choices Maxxy!
The Planets by Gustav Holst is one of my favorite works from last century.
I would also like to point Mussorsky's Pictures At An Exhibition which is another personal favorite. Did you know that the original version was a solo piano only? The orchestrated by Ravel is the most famous though.

[maxxy]

[teodor_matz]

yeah, that's the one