# Favorite music in preference or rank



## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

I have wondered about the following works from the baroque period. I am curious of how members decide what suite or work is their favorite of the following that I picked out mainly due to how different they are from each other. To be clear I am not asking for comparisons between various works.

Bach brandenburg concerto: Favorite one? 1-6, or rank in preference.
Bach orchestral suites: Favorite one? 1-4, or rank in preference.
Bach cello suites: Favorite? Rank? Violin sonatas/Partitas?

Handel concerto grosso op 6 : Favorite one? Rank?
Handel water suites: Favorite one? Generally broken up in 3 section but if a choice?
Handel organ concertos?

Vivaldi the Four Seasons: Favorite of the 4 seasons? Rank?
Absolute favorite Vivaldi concertos?

Corelli: op 6 Favorite work 1-12?

If interested in adding any not listed in same vein go ahead as I am sure to be forgetting some. I am mostly focusing on Baroque period of well known composers.


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Rankings in order of favorite to least favorite:

Brandenburgs: 5,6,1,4,3,2
Orchestral Suites: 2,3,4,1
Cello Suites: 6,5,1,3,2,4
Violin Sonatas/Partitas: Sonata 3, Partita 3, Sonata 2, Sonata 1, Partita 2, Partita 1
Of Bach works you didn't mention I would add the keyboard concerti - 1 and 2 are among his greatest compositions. Then of course the three well-known violin concerti and the oft-overlooked oboe/oboe d'amore concerti (even though they are transcriptions).

All Handel's concerti grossi are among my favorite music ever but I'm most fond of 3,5,6,8,11. Love the organ concerti too - I would say Op. 7 is generally better, with Op. 7/5 being my favorite. Not as familiar with nor as fond of the Water Music suites. 

Four Seasons from favorite to least: Winter, Fall, Summer, Spring. Other favorite Vivaldi concerti include the Concerto for Two Trumpets, a handful of cello concerti, and the other violin concerti in the Four Seasons opus.

Corelli's concerti grossi are also superb, though I haven't heard all 12 yet. Of those I've heard 4 and 8 are my favorite.

Other Baroque instrumental works that are favorites of mine include Buxtehude's organ works, Rameau and F. Couperin's keyboard pieces, and Zelenka's trio sonatas.

Hope that helps!


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## Caesura (Apr 5, 2020)

For the Water Music, I love all of it, and it was hard to choose which suite is my favourite. I ended up choosing Suite 1 as my favourite, Suite 3 as second, and Suite 2 as last.

My favourite season is Fall, then Winter, Summer, and Spring.

I don't know everything else well enough to give a ranking on them.


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Bigbang said:


> I have wondered about the following works from the baroque period. I am curious of how members decide what suite or work is their favorite of the following that I picked out mainly due to how different they are from each other. To be clear I am not asking for comparisons between various works.
> 
> Bach brandenburg concerto: Favorite one? 1-6, or rank in preference.
> Bach orchestral suites: Favorite one? 1-4, or rank in preference.
> ...


I must be too tired as I quoted my own post .....ignore this post.


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Caesura said:


> For the Water Music, I love all of it, and it was hard to choose which suite is my favourite. I ended up choosing Suite 1 as my favourite, Suite 3 as second, and Suite 2 as last.
> 
> My favourite season is Fall, then Winter, Summer, and Spring.
> 
> I don't know everything else well enough to give a ranking on them.


Even if not able to rank (I am challenged to do so myself) one that you are drawn to perhaps?


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Rankings in order of favorite to least favorite:
> 
> Brandenburgs: 5,6,1,4,3,2
> Orchestral Suites: 2,3,4,1
> ...


I have all the works on cds except Buxtehude/Rameau. I have some Couperin. I was curious of about how some listeners might have towards these works. For example, Brandenburg concerto 1 is rarely a favorite. Will check out Buxtehude and Zelenka as not familiar with them.


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## Caesura (Apr 5, 2020)

Bigbang said:


> Even if not able to rank (I am challenged to do so myself) one that you are drawn to perhaps?


Out of the Handel organ concertos, I like them all, but have a soft spot for Concerto #1. I bookmarked a YouTube video of all of Handel's organ concertos, but haven't gotten through it yet (it's almost four and a half hours long!).


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I love the finale of the Fourth Brandenburg; one of the Suites in D (I forget which number, but I could hum it), and most of the Water Musik suites (the hornpipe is probably my favorite movement, followed by one of the gigues).

The Vivaldi is enough to make me want to burn every calendar in the house.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

B'burgs - 
1, 2, 
5, 6
4, 3...
Orch suites - 4 1 3 2
Handel H2O - F major, D major, G maj

Vivaldi Concerti - 38 Bassoon concerti - wonderful pieces - really lay well for the instrument. Great stuff..no, he didn't write the same concerto 38 times!! lol!! All different


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Caesura said:


> Out of the Handel organ concertos, I like them all, but have a soft spot for Concerto #1. I bookmarked a YouTube video of all of Handel's organ concertos, but haven't gotten through it yet (it's almost four and a half hours long!).


I have Koopman on Erato (gramophone winner in the past I think) and I like to put on in the mornings/evenings when I am doing stuff around the house. Also have English Concert.


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Heck148 said:


> B'burgs -
> 1, 2,
> 5, 6
> 4, 3...
> ...


I am not up on the bassoon concertos though I have some individual works. I do have a cd of Vivaldi bassoon concertos with Sir Neville Marriner and John Miller(st marys players??). I don't know if any good as I played it once long time ago. Will look it up and play it.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Bigbang said:


> I am not up on the bassoon concertos though I have some individual works. I do have a cd of Vivaldi bassoon concertos with Sir Neville Marriner and John Miller(st marys players??). I don't know if any good as I played it one long time ago. Will look it up and play it.


That John Miller disc is topnotch. Miller was long time principal of Minnesota Orchestra....a terrific player..it is my favorite Vivaldi bassoon disc. Klaus Thunemann has good recordings of Vivaldi as well...and the Naxos series CV with T. Benkocz is quite good also...unfortunately, the great recording with Maurice Allard never made it into the digital age...really superb.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Bach Brandenburg Concertos: 3, 5, 2, 4, 1, 6
Bach Orchestral Suites: 3, 4, 1, 2
Bach Cello Suites: 5, 1, 4, 3, 2, 6

Handel Water Music Suites: 2, 1, 3

Vivaldi Four Seasons: Winter, Spring, Autumn, Summer
Absolute Favorite Vivaldi Concertos: 

Corelli Concerti Grossi: The ones in D major are my favorites, but I can't rank them now. Ditto the other categories.


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## Bigbang (Jun 2, 2019)

Heck148 said:


> That John Miller disc is topnotch. Miller was long time principal of Minnesota Orchestra....a terrific player..it is my favorite Vivaldi bassoon disc. Klaus Thunemann has good recordings of Vivaldi as well...and the Naxos series CV with T. Benkocz is quite good also...unfortunately, the great recording with Maurice Allard never made it into the digital age...really superb.


That is high praise indeed. I just found it and put it in the cd player. My copy is on the label Proarte and their are four concertos listed.


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