It’s true that I am a bit of a classical music fan. It can make you relaxed, energized, cry, happy and even make you want to dance and it’s all done without a single word being said. Classical music can have the same kind of impact as your favorite song and whether you like Medieval or Contemporary, there is always something for everyone.
I studied Music at university and I’ve had to listen to a wide range of composers throughout and was exposed to so many composers I’ve never heard of. Funny how people expect you to know a certain piece just because you did a degree in Music and assume you would be able to help them out when they say ” whats this piece again? it goes something like this *hums*”…uhhhhh ok then, if I am the know it all, perhaps you just have bad singing.
I’ve compiled my top 10 favorite composers in no specific order. I’ve also put in a few recommendations if you want to have a listen to something different for a change.
1. Dmitri Shostakovich (Russian) – Symphony No. 4,5, 7 and 10. Gadfly Suite: Romance, Jazz Suite: Waltz No. 2, Tahiti Trot
2. Antonin Dvorak (Czech) – Symphony No. 8 and 9, Cello Concerto in B Minor, String Quartet No. 12 “American”
3. Ludwig Van Beethoven (German) – Symphony No. 3 (Eroica), 5, 7 and 9, Moonlight Sonata, Sonata for Violin and Piano “Spring”, String Quartet Op. 18 No. 1, Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F Major, Appasionata Sonata, Egmont Overture
4. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian) – Swan Lake Ballet, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Marche Slave, Serenade for Strings in C Major, Symphony No. 5, 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker, String Quartet No. 1
5. Johannes Brahms (German) – Symphony No. 4, Cello Sonata No. 1, Violin Concerto in D Major, Hungarian Dances, Tragic Overture,
6. Frédéric François Chopin (Polish) – Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Prelude No. 4, Mazurka Op. 33 No. 4, Mazurka Op. 63 No.3, Black Keys Etude, Piano Sonata No. 2, Waltz in C-sharp minor Op. 64 No. 2
7. Robert Schumann (German) – String Quartet Op. 41 No. 3, Violin Sonata No. 2 Op. 121, Piano Concerto Op. 54, Fantasy in C,
8. Claude Debussy (French) – Arabesque No. I and II, Nocturnes – Clouds, Festivals, Sirens, La Mer, String Quartet in G minor,
9. Felix Mendelssohn (German) – Italian Symphony, Scottish Symphony, Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream Overture, Songs Without Words.
10. Gustav Mahler (Austrian) – Symphony 3, 5 and 8, Piano Quartet in A minor,
I do realize that most of these are within the Romantic Period, but music from this era just floats my boat!
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