# What are four essential works from your favorite musical era?



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I know the music of the 20th century much better than the Romantic, Classical, Baroque, Renaissance, or Medieval eras. And then there is the 21st century which is so new! I'm sure, also, that many of you know certain musical periods better than others. I think many of us would like to get to know great music from times that we are less familiar with.

Choosing ESSENTIAL works is a little different than using lists of ranked works from each era. It assumes that the listener wants to initially explore just the CORE works. So...

*Please select one (or more) favorite musical era(s) that you feel you know relatively well, and indicate FOUR ESSENTIAL WORKS from that era.*

This will be a springboard for breadth of listening and discussion! Thanks!


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

From the 20th Century, I'd pick:

1. Stravinsky: Rite of Spring
2. Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
3. Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
4. Sibelius: Symphony No.5


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I'm going to base my decisions on the innovation and impact of the works, and for each of the four works I'll explain what makes it historically significant. Here's my list for the Romantic Era:

*Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique.* Its narrative is much more detailed than the other programmatic works of the time; it transformed program music from a picturesque genre into a literary genre. Also, its use of the Idee Fixe, a motive that changes and adapts itself to the specific mood of each section, was an important precursor of Wagner's Leitmotivic technique.

*Chopin: Mazurkas.* I hope it's OK to nominate an entire collection, even though this includes many different opus numbers! I chose this (massive, multi-opus:lol group because of its nationalistic use of folk styles. Chopin went beyond simply quoting snippets of folk tunes, as earlier composers had done. In his Mazurkas, he absorbed the whole language into his style - the modal melodies, the drone basses, the rhythmic patterns. These Mazurkas helped to create the idea of musical nationalism in which composers based their music on the folk styles of their homelands.

*Liszt: Transcendental Etudes.* These works took piano technique to a new level, exploring new sonorities and types of touch on the piano. These include massive leaps, rapid strings of parallel thirds, tremolos, chromatic scales in alternating octaves, and fast repeated notes.

*Wagner: Tristan und Isolde.* The first - and perhaps the only - opera which responds directly to a philosophical text. The text that Wagner chose as as his inspiration was Schopenhauer's World as Will and Representation. Wagner brilliantly translated Schopenhauer's ideas into his libretto and music, representing the restless striving of the will and the longing for release in the form of death. Also, the music is revolutionary: it explores chromatic alternatives to common practice tonality. Much of it is based on sequential motion by thirds instead of the standard circle of fifths.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

As I read post above I would sat: that's nice, but then again, tomorrow it's a different choice .
( for me that is)


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Pugg said:


> As I read post above I would sat: that's nice, but then again, tomorrow it's a different choice .
> ( for me that is)


I know exactly what you mean! My list would probably change too, if you asked me tomorrow. Even now, just half an hour after I wrote my post, I'm regretting that I didn't include Schubert's Winterreise. But then again, I'm not sure what I would bump in order to make room for it...


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bettina said:


> I know exactly what you mean! My list would probably change too, if you asked me tomorrow. Even now, just half an hour after I wrote my post, I'm regretting that I didn't include Schubert's Winterreise. But then again, I'm not sure what I would bump in order to make room for it...


Two peas in a pot so to speak.


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

Bettina said:


> I know exactly what you mean! My list would probably change too, if you asked me tomorrow. Even now, just half an hour after I wrote my post, I'm regretting that I didn't include Schubert's Winterreise. But then again, I'm not sure what I would bump in order to make room for it...


Ahhh, Winterreise. Just seeing the word is like a spell, that I must follow and return to at once! :lol:


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

Bettina said:


> I'm going to base my decisions on the innovation and impact of the works, and for each of the four works I'll explain what makes it historically significant. Here's my list for the Romantic Era:
> 
> *Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique.* Its narrative is much more detailed than the other programmatic works of the time; it transformed program music from a picturesque genre into a literary genre. Also, its use of the Idee Fixe, a motive that changes and adapts itself to the specific mood of each section, was an important precursor of Wagner's Leitmotivic technique.
> 
> ...


Thank you for this Bettina. I really like the way you've described these and their impact.


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

MODERNISM

Arnold Schoenberg - Moses und Aron

Alban Berg - Violin Concerto

John Cage - Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano

Philip Glass - Einstein on the Beach


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Romantic Era:

Pathetique Symphony- Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 7- Beethoven
Scheherazade- Rimsky-Korsakov
Symphony No. 4- Mahler

But that is literally for the next hour- it will soon change, it is always changing.


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## rpc732 (May 9, 2017)

Picking through an entire era would mean I never make up my mind, even for the moment, so...

Orchestral works, 1900-1920:

(1) Stravinsky, Rite of Spring
(2) Debussy, La Mer
(3) Mahler, Symphony 9
(4) Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin


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## rpc732 (May 9, 2017)

Here's one more niche, with the end date extended purely to accommodate #4:

Solo piano music, 1800-1855:
(1) Beethoven, Sonata No. 21 in C major ("Waldstein")
(2) Schubert, Fantasy in C major, Op. 15 ("Wanderer")
(3) Chopin, Nocturnes
(4) Liszt, Annees de Pelerinage (Books I & II)


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I've learned to like all musical eras more or less equally just recently.

Renaissance:
Monteverdi's Vespers, Des Pres's Missa Pange Lingua, Palestrina's Missa Brevis, Gesualdo's Responsoria

Baroque:
Vivaldi's Guitar Concerto, Bach's Cantanta BWV 140, Handel's Theodora, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4

Classical:
Haydn's Nelson Mass, Mozart's Fantasia K. 475, Beethoven's Piano Sonata Les Adieux, Haydn's Lamentatione Symphony

Romantic:
Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, Bruckner's Symphony No. 9, Dvorak's Cello Concerto

Post-Romantic:
Debussy's Prelude to an Afternoon of a Fawn, Ravel's String Quartet, Mahler's Symphony No. 9, Richard Strauss' 4 Last Songs

Modern:
Bartok's Music for Celesta, Percussion and Strings, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 6, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Varese's Hyperprism

Post-Modern:
Henze's Symphony No. 7, Schnittke's Piano Quintet, Ligeti's Atmospheres, Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 4


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Prokofiev 6 is such a gem! I'm so glad you like it. As an aside, which recordings to you like?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

20centrfuge said:


> Prokofiev 6 is such a gem! I'm so glad you like it. As an aside, which recordings to you like?


If I may butt in, my favorite Prokofiev 6th is Rozhdestvensy with the Moscow RSO. It's part of a complete set that seems hard to come by right now.


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## R3PL4Y (Jan 21, 2016)

Neo Romanticism:
Shostakovich 10
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra
Barber Violin Concerto
Prokofiev Symphony 5


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

20centrfuge said:


> Prokofiev 6 is such a gem! I'm so glad you like it. As an aside, which recordings to you like?


I heard Mvravinsky's Live version was the best in many ways. That was really the only version I heard.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Early romantic guitar music here:
Fernando Sor-Fantasia op. 7
Mauro Giuliani-Variations on a March by Cherubini op. 110
Niccolo Paganini-Grande Sonata
Sor-L'Encouragement op. 34 for 2 guitars
...maybe not the most popular pieces and so be it


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestions re Prokofiev 6 - Rozhdestvensy and Mravinsky. 

I essentially grew up with Jarvi and the Scottish RNO version, which I love, but I'm always willing to hear a different interpretation.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> I'm going to base my decisions on the innovation and impact of the works, and for each of the four works I'll explain what makes it historically significant. Here's my list for the Romantic Era:
> 
> *Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique.* Its narrative is much more detailed than the other programmatic works of the time; it transformed program music from a picturesque genre into a literary genre. Also, its use of the Idee Fixe, a motive that changes and adapts itself to the specific mood of each section, was an important precursor of Wagner's Leitmotivic technique.
> 
> ...


I think from an aesthetic point of view, this is the prettiest, neatest post, I have ever seen!!


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

hpowders said:


> I think from an aesthetic point of view, this is the prettiest, neatest post, I have ever seen!!


Wow, thank you so much!! That's a huge compliment, because there are so many excellent posts on TC, by you and many other posters.

The works that I discussed in my post are very special to me, and I tried to do justice to the reasons why they captivate me - glad that you enjoyed reading my thoughts on all of this!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Two Periods: Baroque & Twentieth Century:

Handel Giulio Cesare, Bach WTC, Bach Sonatas & Partitas for Unaccompannied Violin, Bach Six Keyboard Partitas.

Berg Violin Concerto, Schoenberg Piano Concerto, Ives Concord Piano Sonata, Shostakovich Symphony No. 4.


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

hpowders said:


> I think from an aesthetic point of view, this is the prettiest, neatest post, I have ever seen!!


I'm starting to think that maybe it would be a good idea to send some of my posts through Bettina first before I reply :cheers:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

AfterHours said:


> I'm starting to think that maybe it would be a good idea to send some of my posts through Bettina first before I reply :cheers:


I woukd only send Bettina my four most essential posts and take it from there.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

AfterHours said:


> I'm starting to think that maybe it would be a good idea to send some of my posts through Bettina first before I reply :cheers:


Thank you for your kind words! I'm blushing from all this praise.  Seriously, though, you do NOT need me to edit your posts - your reviews of music and film are amazingly well-written. Your review of Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom was so eloquent.

We TC members have such a great time writing about music...we should totally compile a book of our TC posts and try to get it published. :lol:


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## AfterHours (Mar 27, 2017)

Bettina said:


> Thank you for your kind words! I'm blushing from all this praise.  Seriously, though, you do NOT need me to edit your posts - your reviews of music and film are amazingly well-written. Your review of Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom was so eloquent.
> 
> We TC members have such a great time writing about music...we should totally compile a book of our TC posts and try to get it published. :lol:


Thank you  Glad to team up with hpowders to give you a little "sunburn" on your face, not that you'll be needing the help down there in Cali! 









Maybe we can get the Admins to chip in on compiling that book! Much of it would be hilarious! Could you imagine Classical historians reading TCs pages on 4:33, among others?


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