Classical Masterpieces

Just a small selection of classical pieces that really got me over the years, and after a long while listening to them I still find endless enjoyment in each. Arguably not the best out there, but they are the best to me. Some are quite obscure, but if you can try and listen to each one before you vote because they all really deserve some attention. For me, my vote goes to the Brahms. It's yet to be topped in my books.

And no Mozart putdowns. He was good damnit, especially the Requiem.

My vote goes to Finlandia for patriotic reasons.

I think it's still a close call. Quality over quantity, not saying Bach is bad or anything though. Quite the opposite.

BaldFriede wrote: The Pessimist wrote: I think it's still a close call. Quality over quantity, not saying Bach is bad or anything though. Quite the opposite. But why did you pick out "Jupiter"? it is not a stand-alone piece.

Because it's my favourite from The Planets Suite. Problem at all?

Rico, thanks for your input. As for the Beethoven and Holst comments... All down to opinion at the end of the day really. Personally I think the opening to Pathetique is the finest piece of Beethoven ever, but there you go, one man's beer is another man's piss.

harmonium.ro wrote: I also voted for Romeo and Juliet. Not only because I like it, but also because it was superbly covered (or better say, interpreted) by one of my favourite prog bands (let's see who guesses which band it is).

ELP, who else.

But...3 minutes of cover compared to the 2 original hours?

The Pessimist wrote: BaldFriede wrote: The Pessimist wrote: I think it's still a close call. Quality over quantity, not saying Bach is bad or anything though. Quite the opposite. But why did you pick out "Jupiter"? it is not a stand-alone piece. Because it's my favourite from The Planets Suite. Problem at all?

Its not that I'll loose sleep because of it, but its similar to ask what is your favorite between The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and Comfortably Numb. Its obviously possible to answer (and to have both as favorites), but Jupiter is an "extract" like Erbarme Dich Mein Gott, and The Planets is the grand work, like St. Matthew's Passion.  

Ricochet wrote: harmonium.ro wrote: I also voted for Romeo and Juliet. Not only because I like it, but also because it was superbly covered (or better say, interpreted) by one of my favourite prog bands (let's see who guesses which band it is). ELP, who else. But...3 minutes of cover compared to the 2 original hours?

Not by a million miles. ELP is not one of my favourite bands (that much)

Well, they do share that same genre (Symphonic) and their keyboard players have been compared. It should be simple now.

I didn't know ELP covered Romeo & Juliet, though. Where is that?

The T wrote:   Anyway, it is kind of weird to compare an 8 minute movement vs a 2hour+ monster

It does seem kind of weird from a distance, but look at the title. I consider Jupiter to be a masterpiece on its own, but I don't consider the entirety of The Planets to be a masterpiece as it does have flaws for me. I do however consider all of Matthew's (or Matthaus) passion to be a masterpiece. I'm not exactly comparing them, just telling you the pieces of music that I consider to be masterpieces.

Hope everyone understands that.

By the way, good choice on Requiem. I feared it wouldn't get that many votes, which is a massive shame.

The death metal band Necrophagist do a short homage to R&J at the end of their song "Only Ashes Remain", any of you metalheads on the forum that don't already know that. It's really quite good I think, although they only cover the main theme once which is a shame.