That 76 voted by the listeners Best Classical from WRTI this past week...

[8991XJ]

Well here they are and I've got some comments and questions:
76 Best Complete List WRTI 2024
76. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
75. Puccini: Nessun Dorma from Turandot
74. Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351
73. Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun)
72. Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
71. Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez
70. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
69. Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess)
68. Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
67. Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492
66. Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring ("Jesus bleibet meine Freude"), BWV 147
65. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
64. Respighi: Pines of Rome
63. Delibes: Dome epais, le jasmin (Flower Duet) from Lakme
62. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, "Trout"
61. Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
60. Bernstein: West Side Story
59. Satie: Three Gymnopedies
58. Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C minor, "Resurrection"
57. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
56. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
55. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
54. Pachelbel: Canon in D
53. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
52. Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Op. 49
51. Handel: Water Music
50. Bizet: Au fond du temple saint from The Pearl Fishers
49. Stravinsky: The Firebird
48. Jenkins: Benedictus from The Armed Man
47. Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71
46. Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"
45. Copland: Rodeo
44. Grieg: Peer Gynt, Op. 23
43. Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
42. Bach: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
41. Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
40. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
39. Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
38. Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, "Moonlight"
37. Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
36. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
35. Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major, "Titan"
34. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
33. Verdi: Requiem
32. Sibelius: Finlandia, Op. 26
31. Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
30. Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 (Enigma Variations)
29. Fauré: Requiem in D minor, Op. 48
28. Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, "Eroica"
27. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
26. Wagner: The Ring Cycle
25. Debussy: Clair de Lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
24. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, "Emperor"
23. Ravel: Bolero
22. Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232
21. Orff: Carmina Burana
20. Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K. 626
19. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
18. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56
17. Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, "Organ"
16. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
15. Brahms: A German Requiem, Op. 45
14. Smetana: The Moldau (from Ma Vlast)
13. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35
12. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos
11. Holst: The Planets, Op. 32
10. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"
9. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
8. Barber: Adagio for Strings
7. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni)
6. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
5. Copland: Appalachian Spring
4. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
3. Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
2. Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World"
1. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125

First off, through my collecting a few used record lots (with multi-record sets) and the CDs I've purchased or Tom has sent, I have an amazing 48 of these 76 'tunes or 63% of them in my collection in one form or another. I was generous with my inclusions as I believe the only Planet I have Mars, The Bringer of War is not the full work but just one tune on the album. I need to fix that as I do like another one of the Planets, one I recorded live.

This brings up the question of how to tell if the selection is a full record or just a tune? It took 6 days to play these, ~8 hours a day and 76 tunes would usually take about 10 hours give or take for rock and roll. So many of these were the full album or should I say disc since those can contain the symphony without having to play side two.

Next, Opus, what does that really mean? as well as the other specifiers K and BWV and HWV?

Those that care to add to this list or comment on some that aren't as worthy, I look forward to those posts.

 

[marcok]

Opus , K or KV , BWV , HWV are classification system :
Opus ( work ) is generic
K or KV for Mozart ( Köchel Verzeichnis ) Kochel catalog
BWV for Bach ( Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis ) Bach catalog of works
HWV for Handel (Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis ) Handel catalog of works

It's moreless a complete list , but
I would add after a first reading :
-Schubert symphony No 8 " Unfinished "
-Beethoven Kreutzer sonata No 9
-Mozat Symphony No 40 K 550

Ciao
Marco

 

[Fast Forward]

I have listened to Classical music in encluding Opera for around 10 years so all I know about it I could write on the head of a pin.
Some music that I've always enjoyed are
Chopin Nocturne in E Flat
Wagner. Oveture from the Flying Dutchman
Jules Massenet Meditation from Thais
There's a bunch more but thats all I can come up with off the top of my head

 

[Bob Boyer]

#38 always catches my attention. Was lulled to sleep by mom playing it when it was nap time as a really young child.

Good list, overall.

 

[8991XJ]

Was lulled to sleep by mom playing it when it was nap time as a really young child.

Had a gig here last fall and Joe was lulled to sleep by Stravinsky: The Firebird. He was startled awake after the quiet part. I have the Telarc and it is a nice listen.

 

[8991XJ]

Ciao

Thank you for the descriptions of the extras in the works titles. Making sense of it.

I'll add any additions to this list to my list and see if I have them. All of these will be played as I get further through the newest 370CD from Tom Clone. It is about time I dove into the classical music I have. I know some of it is really good.

 

[Bob Boyer]

Had a gig here last fall and Joe was lulled to sleep by Stravinsky: The Firebird. He was startled awake when it started getting good. I have the Telarc and it is a nice listen.

How in the hell did someone fall asleep to the Firebird?!? That's just funny to me. And yes, I bet yours is the same Telarc I found at that estate sale a month or so ago. Love it.

 

[8991XJ]

How in the hell did someone fall asleep to the Firebird?!? That's just funny to me. And yes, I bet yours is the same Telarc I found at that estate sale a month or so ago. Love it.

I like listening kinda loud when I'm tired and someone else is playing tunes. Guess that is what we had. Then the quiet part of that Suite and eyelids are heavy and you're just enjoying the tunes. Then BAM the orchestra comes to life to wake up the audience. Just enjoyable for sure. I left that record on one of the turntables for a month.

 

[marcok]

Classical music and chamber music have an "other problem" :
conductors and soloists .
If you listen to a Beethoven's symphony conducted by Von Karajan or
by Bernstein you immediatly "feel the difference" ( it's only an example ).
At this point the list is more complex .
Some examples ( IMHO ) :
For Beethoven's symphonies the best is Von Karajan , for piano
Pollini and for violin Nathan Milstein .

Ciao and enjoy the music
Marco

 

[laatsch55]

Like Van Halen without DavidLee Roth, or Cream without Clapton...

 

[marcok]

Anyway You Tube is a good help to choice your favorite musical performance .
First listen and after buy .
Ciao
Marco

 

[8991XJ]

If I go for streaming and get a decent algorithm playing a few of the ones I like it might find others. But I know there are numerous versions, orchestra and conductor, for each one. Just makes it hard to find the gems.