# The Most Epic Pieces Ever



## filepa (Aug 24, 2013)

What are the most epic, strong and intense classical music works or pieces??

For me: Dvorak - Symphony No.9, Movement 4





Carlos Gomes - Il Guarany Overture




(and this one is brazillian, makes me so proud)

Carl Orff - O Fortuna





Beethoven - Symphony No.9, Movement 4





Richard Wagner - The ride of the Valkyries





Karl Jenkins - Palladio


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## Schumann (Aug 12, 2013)

_Random Order_

Bach - Violin Concerto In D Minor, BWV 1052 - 1. Allegro

Mozart - Requiem In D Minor, K 626 - 3. Dies Irae

Beethoven - Die Ruinen Von Athen, Op. 113 - 4. Chor Der Derwische

Vivaldi - Nisi Dominus, RV 608 - Cum Dederit

Haydn - Il Ritorno Di Tobia, H 21/1 - 13. Coro: Svanisce In Un Momento

Brahms: Piano Concerto #1 In D Minor, Op. 15 - 2. Adagio

Schubert - Impromptu In G Flat, Op. 90, D 899/3

Schumann - Waldszenen, Op. 82 - 9. Abschied

Vivaldi - In Furore Giustissimae Irae, RV 626 - 1. In Furore Iustissimae Irae

Purcell - Dido & Aeneas - "When I Am Laid In Earth"

Chopin - Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brillante In E Flat, Op. 22

Bach - St. John Passion, BWV 245 - Herr, Unser Herrscher

Liszt - Liebesträume, "3 Notturnos Für Das Pianoforte", S 541

Mozart - Don Giovanni, K 527 - Act 2: Commendatore Scene


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Schumann said:


> _Random Order_
> 
> Bach - Violin Concerto In D Minor, BWV 1052 - 1. Allegro
> 
> ...


interesting choice for Haydn - I am yet to hear Il Ritorno di Tobia (I've only heard small parts of it so far). Would you place it on the same level as the Creation or the Seasons? Apparently the piece was very popular at the time.


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## Zabirilog (Mar 10, 2013)

Wagner - Siegfried's funeral march
Beethoven - Symphony no. 9 4th mvt
Chopin - Revolutionary etude
Liszt - Mazeppa
Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra
Mahler - 8th symphony (that's epic)
Wagner - Siegfried finale

Just some.


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## filepa (Aug 24, 2013)

Amazing list, really. I haven't heard almost none of those compositions, but I sure will


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Be sure to try Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 7 (Sinfonia antartica) - its third movement couldn't get more epic!

Best regards, Dr


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Most of the symphonies of Mahler (esp. 2 & 8) and Bruckner (esp. 5 & 8).

Havergal Brian's 1st Symphony. Scored for perhaps the largest orchestral & choral forces ever.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Morton Feldman's String Quartet No. 2 is 6 hours, 1 movement. Thats pretty epic in the traditional meaning of that term.

In terms of really epic music in the more modern meaning of that term meaning something awesome and spectacular... Charles Ives' Piano Sonata No. 2, Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131, Edgard Varese's Ameriques, Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and Frank Zappa's Billy the Mountain are all pretty epic.


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

Mahler's eighth, Beethoven's fifth, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Bruckner's Eighth and Messiaen's Des Canyons Aux Étioles.

And - how could I forget? - Der Ring des Nibelungen. 

More: Haydn's Creation Mass and the Seasons, Mozart's Mass in C minor, Brahms's First Symphony.

For more minor works: Messiaen's Apparition de l'Église Éternelle, Beethoven's Egmont Ouverture, Haydn's Symphony 104, Der Große Fuge.

These are, of course, things I have listened to recently; memory should, in due time, return to me fragments of remembrance that will expand the list even more.


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## pjang23 (Oct 8, 2009)




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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Süber's Trois menevilles por un fin des poisson


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## Schumann (Aug 12, 2013)

I prefer _Il Ritorno Di Tobia_ as a whole better though but the Creation and Seasons are also interesting works indeed and especially _L'Infedeltà Delusa_ and his _Stabat Mater, H 20_ are among my most beloved ones. You should listen to this piece; _Il Ritorno Di Tobia, H 21/1 - 13. Coro: Svanisce In Un Momento_ performed on the "Brilliant Classics" edition which is by far the best performance I know.


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## Schumann (Aug 12, 2013)

HaydnBearstheClock said:


> interesting choice for Haydn - I am yet to hear Il Ritorno di Tobia (I've only heard small parts of it so far). Would you place it on the same level as the Creation or the Seasons? Apparently the piece was very popular at the time.


I prefer Il Ritorno Di Tobia as a whole better though but the Creation and Seasons are also interesting works indeed and especially L'Infedeltà Delusa and his Stabat Mater, H 20 are among my most beloved ones. You should listen to this piece; Il Ritorno Di Tobia, H 21/1 - 13. Coro: Svanisce In Un Momento performed on the "Brilliant Classics" edition which is by far the best performance I know.


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

Ok I will list only 2 because all the rest seems to be covered.
Walton's Symphony #1, esp. openning movement

A composer I have never been high on but this, IMHO, falls into the catagory of "Epic":
Liszt's 'Annees De Pelerinage'


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Liszt's B Minor Sonata .
Richard Strauss "Ein Heldenleben".
Busoni Fantasia Contrappuntistica.


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## echmain (Jan 18, 2013)

Holst - The Planets (Mars in particular)
Sibelius - Finlandia


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

*Sibelius:* symphony no. 7, section starting at bar 222
Ginastera: Concerto for strings, last mvt
Varèse: Amériques
Vivaldi: In Furore, first mvt
Mozart: Adagio and Fugue


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

The definition of epic is of course that famous introduction in Richard Strauss' _Also sprach Zarathustra_.
From the same movie, Ligeti's _Atmospheres_ and _Requiem_ are also quite epic.
The orchestra and the piano in the introduction of Ravel's _piano concerto for the left hand_.
Chopin's _Polonaise "Military"_.
Bach's _Toccata und Fuge (Dorian)_.
Xenakis' _Keqrops_.
Any piece by Georg Haas.
Grisey's _Partiels_.


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## Rapide (Oct 11, 2011)

Richard Wagner's _Ring_ cycle


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## LindnerianSea (Jun 5, 2013)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> *Sibelius:* symphony no. 7, section starting at bar 222


great choice. good man ! Sibelius's last movement of symphony 2 also gets really really close !

Quite surprised that no one mentioned the last movement of Mahler's 2nd, Strauss's Alpine Symphony, and any of Bruckner's late symphonies ~


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

There's a hidden Haydn gem in this one (sounds just as menacing as the Kyrie to the Nelson mass, if not more):





(orchestral)





(organ)


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Wait, apparently this piece was already a part of Il Ritorno di Tobia, and was called 'The Storm' - ah yes, now I'm motivated to listen to that oratorio . - oh, now I found it, it was the exact piece you were referring to, Schumann.


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

Many pieces by Berlioz have a certain epic quality.

I would particularly recommend this one from the Grand symphonie funèbre et triomphale.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Another surprising omission is the finale from Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony, epic in every way.


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## musicchambernet (Jul 9, 2013)

I liked the videos, which you have shared here and I must agree that these are some of the epic collections.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

I will get an opinion to this. Regarding my taste, I will answer this objectively:
*
Epic*
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an epic <an epic poem>

: extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope <his genius was epic>

For me,the most epic piece of classical music ever written is:

*Der Ring des Nibelungen* by Richard Wagner










Whatever you may think of Wagner, it is not hard to argue the sheer force of this work. From its huge orchestral elements, incredibly long running time (16 hours to perform the entire Ring), innovative harmonies and "epic" scale, no one can top this masterpiece.


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## Vavaseur (Oct 5, 2012)

Shostakovich Symphony No 7 - The Leningrad Symphony.


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## Garlic (May 3, 2013)

moody said:


> Busoni Fantasia Contrappuntistica.


Haven't heard this one, but his piano concerto is most definitely epic


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## cagerty (May 31, 2013)

Bruckner - 8th and 9th Symphonies
Mahler - 2nd Symphony
Beethoven - 9th Symphony
Brahms - A German Requiem
R. Strauss - An Alpine Symphony


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

peeyaj said:


> I will get an opinion to this. Regarding my taste, I will answer this objectively:
> *
> Epic*
> : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an epic <an epic poem>
> ...


Stockhausen topped it with the 29 hour long _Licht_ cycle.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

J. S. Bach, Chaconne for solo violin.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> *
> Vivaldi: In Furore*


*

Have you heard Julia Lezhneva ? Simply sensational. Check the tube!*


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2013)

Has to be Gorecki's Harpsichord Concerto. Who would have thought the instrument capable of producing head-banging heavy metal music? The piece has actually inspired in me the idea of writing music for instruments that is antithetical to their traditional performance practice.


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

Tchaikovsky 1812 overture:






if you prefer a non-HIP interpretation with "modern instruments" such as 105 mm cannons (no, really! ):






(action starts in part 2, here)

... ok so this was cheap. :lol:

Here's another truly epic piece:


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Dongiovanni said:


> J. S. Bach, Chaconne for solo violin.


Pianists may have a larger repertoire to choose from than violonists when it concerns solo music, but they have the Chaconne ! It's not strange it has been arranged for piano solo (e.g. Busoni) but it never gets that intensity that is achieved by the solo violin. Which is pretty impressive to say the least.

To quote Brahms:

'On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings"


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

aleazk said:


> The definition of epic is of course that famous introduction in Richard Strauss' _Also sprach Zarathustra_.
> From the same movie, Ligeti's _Atmospheres_ and _Requiem_ are also quite epic.
> The orchestra and the piano in the introduction of Ravel's _piano concerto for the left hand_.
> Chopin's _Polonaise "Military"_.
> ...


Definitely one of the most epic organ interpretations I have heard: 



The final minute is so epic...


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

Comes to mind, Tchaikovsky violin concerto, Bruch violin concerto, Beethoven violin concerto, and first two symphonies, and Mahler's first especially the last moments at the closing bars; to say just a few.


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## mstar (Aug 14, 2013)

Most epic? i simply must say Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, especially the fourth movement....

I personally tend to think of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as a little more noisy than epic.... I did later find out that he thought so, too.... It was a commission, and definitely not the work that he put the most effort into.... Nevertheless, it is not _terrible_ , though I tend not to listen to it. _Especially_ when "real cannons!" are involved.


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