The classics are energetic. The most famous classical pieces of music

However, each piece on this list is great for a variety of reasons, and each one is iconic, either for the history of music, for society, or for a particular composer. When you listen to all of them, you will just touch the surface of classical music.

All of these compositions are a good start to gain a deeper knowledge of music.
Some of them are very long and have several parts, so listen to at least one part of the whole piece.

Top 50 Classical Music Works

Top 200 Classical Music Works

List of the 200 best classical music pieces. ever written.

100 pieces of music to start listening to the classics

A programmed list of 100 works, after which you can fall in love with the classics without memory, compiled by music critic Ilya Ovchinnikov.

75 pieces of music to start listening to the classics with

Real masterpieces of classical music, with which you need to start your acquaintance with the world of classical music.

Brief information about some famous musical compositions

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Perhaps the most famous of all the symphonies is a Beethoven classic. If you like this symphony, try listening to the other 8 symphonies created by Beethoven.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Marriage of Figaro"
Perhaps the pinnacle of Mozart's work in opera, based on Beaumarchais's comedy "Crazy Day or the Marriage of Figaro", is a magnificent cocktail of beautiful music and comic situations.

"Moonlight Sonata" Ludwig van Beethoven
In the summer of 1801, the brilliant work of L.B. Beethoven, who was destined to become famous all over the world. The title of this work, "Moonlight Sonata", is known to absolutely everyone, from old to young. But initially, the work had the title "Almost Fantasy", which the author dedicated to his young student, beloved Juliet Guicciardi. And the name, by which it is known to this day, was invented by the music critic and poet Ludwig Relstab after the death of L.V. Beethoven. This work belongs to one of the most famous pieces of music by the composer.

"Turkish March" Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
This work is the third part of Sonata No. 11, it was born in 1783. Initially, it was called "Turkish Rondo" and was very popular among Austrian musicians, who later renamed it. The name "Turkish March" was also assigned to the work because it is consonant with Turkish janissary orchestras, for which the sound of drums is very characteristic, which can be traced in the "Turkish March" by V.A. Mozart.

"Ave Maria" Franz Schubert
The composer himself wrote this work to the poem "The Virgin of the Lake" by W. Scott, or rather to a fragment of it, and was not going to write such a deeply religious composition for the Church. Some time after the appearance of the work, an unknown musician, inspired by the prayer "Ave Maria", put its text to the music of the genius F. Schubert.

"Impromptu Fantasy" by Frederic Chopin
This work of F. Chopin, the genius of the period of romanticism, dedicated to his friend. And it was he, Julian Fontana, who disobeyed the instructions of the author, published it in 1855, six years after the death of the composer. F. Chopin believed that his work is similar to the impromptu of I. Mosheles, a disciple of Beethoven, a famous composer and pianist, which was the reason for the refusal to publish Fantasia-Impromptu. However, this brilliant work has never been considered plagiarism, except for the author himself.

Johann Strauss Jr. "On the beautiful blue Danube" (The Blue Danube)
This elegant waltz has become the unofficial anthem of Austria (where Mozart is "our everything"), gracefully embracing all the beauty of the big city - Vienna.

"Flight of the Bumblebee" Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
The composer of this work was a fan of Russian folklore - he was interested in fairy tales. This led to the creation of the opera "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" on the plot of A. Pushkin. Part of this opera is the interlude "Flight of the Bumblebee". Masterly, incredibly vividly and brilliantly imitated in the work the sounds of the flight of this insect N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.

"Caprice No. 24" by Niccolo Paganini
Initially, the author composed all his caprices solely to improve and hone the skill of playing the violin. Ultimately, they brought a lot of new and unknown things into violin music. And the 24th caprice, the last of the caprices composed by N. Paganini, carries a swift tarantella with folk intonations, and is also recognized as one of the works ever created for the violin, which has no equal in complexity.

"Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14" Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov
This work concludes the 34th opus by the composer, which combines fourteen songs written for voice with piano accompaniment. Vocalise, as expected, does not contain words, but is performed on one vowel sound. S.V. Rachmaninov dedicated it to Antonina Nezhdanova, an opera singer. Very often this piece is performed on violin or cello, accompanied by piano accompaniment.

Moonlight Claude Debussy
This work was written by the composer under the impression of the lines of a poem by the French poet Paul Verlaine. The name very clearly conveys the softness and touching melody, which affects the soul of the listener. This popular work of the genius composer C. Debussy sounds in 120 films of different generations.

Gioacchino Rossini "The Barber of Seville"
Wonderful comic opera, from the great Italian composer. Rossini used the famous overture from this opera in two of his other operas.

Richard Wagner "Siegfried Idyll"
A symphonic piece created as a birthday present for his wife and named in honor of his newborn son, who was named after the hero of the opera "Siegfried". The main theme of this play is taken from the opera "Siegfried" from the cycle "Ring of the Nibelungen".

Hector Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique"
The greatest contribution of the French composer Hector Berlioz to orchestral music,
Fantastic Symphony is an amazingly colorful and expressive work.

Robert Schumann "Poet's Love" (Dichterliebe)
One of the greatest song cycles for piano and voice.
A set of 16 poems by Heinrich Heine, set to the music of Schumann, revives in the heart hope and pride in the wonderful ability and purpose of man - to love!

Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich Symphony No. 10
After Stalin's death in 1953, Shostakovich, after a forced long creative restriction, was finally able to freely create an epoch-making work.
The result is one of the great symphonies of the 20th century, in which the composer summed up the era of Stalinism and is believed to have created a kind of musical portrait of Stalin.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
Tchaikovsky's latest work is a masterpiece of emotional angst.
It seems that never before have such deep scenes of spiritual life, despair and hopelessness been expressed in music with such incomparable talent and beauty.

Gustav Canvas Suite "Planets" (The Planets)
A monumental piece of music dedicated to the planets of the solar system and the gods of the same name.
The suite describes seven planets, the composer missed the Earth, and Pluto had not yet been discovered, and now it is no longer a planet.

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Like through a fog, cherry blossoms
On the mountain slopes in early spring
Whiten in the distance
So you flashed
But my heart is all full of you!
- Ki-no Tsurayuki

Music ... Perhaps the word itself already evokes a lot of pleasant associations: smoothness, melodiousness, tenderness ... This is how classical music seems to be. You can listen to it online for hours and do it completely free!

To the origins

Music created in the era of Classicism was originally considered classical. This "classical" period gave a lot to modernity. At that time great composers were creating, and their works, which have passed over the years, have overcome the test of time, survived and earned recognition among several generations at once, were called "classics".

Classic today

Modern songs, which you can download without registration, can also be classified as classics. Currently, the interpretation of this concept has changed somewhat. Classics are not only old instrumental compositions and works of famous maestros of the past, but also many mp3 performers living today.

The main distinguishing feature is the opposition to pop music, which is designed for the general public. In most cases, the classics do not have a wide audience. It is understandable and pleasant only to a select few. Do you want to make sure for yourself that you belong to this group of connoisseurs? Then we suggest you listen to the free track directly on our website. Who knows, this discovery may be a real find for you or just a useful experience!

Concerts for soloists and orchestra

Each part of this list is accompanied by a playlist with all the works mentioned in it.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Brandenburg concerts

Simultaneously large-scale and compact cycle of six chapters from ten to twenty minutes long. Six completely different concerts, united by a purely Bach's joy of life, each of which was the first of its kind: for example, the Fifth Brandenburg Concert, the first ever concert for clavier and orchestra.

Alban Berg

"In memory of an angel"

If the opera Wozzeck is one of the highest achievements of the new Viennese school in the field of musical drama, then the Violin Concerto is a masterpiece of lyrical expression. It will not leave you indifferent, although there are no catchy melodies here; but the concert finale is based on a quotation from Bach, organically woven into the fabric of the piece.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Concerto for violin and orchestra

Forget everything you've heard about the ponderousness of Beethoven's symphonies - this concert seems to be talking to you personally, and there is not a penny in it. If you get bored in the middle, you will be rewarded in the finale: he will give you such a beautiful and sad melody that you can hardly resist crying grateful. One of the greatest violin concertos ever.

Johannes Brahms

Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra

While there are not so many concertos for cello and orchestra as for violin or piano, there are even fewer concertos for violin and cello, and the more valuable each one is. The brightest among them is Brahms' Double Concerto, which incorporates the best features of his symphonic and chamber works. It is full of beautiful melodies and, with all the external restraint, is unusually emotional.

Antonio Vivaldi

"Seasons"

One of the most popular pieces of classical music, an absolute hit known to everyone. Four seasons - four violin concertos, each better than the other.

George Gershwin

Blues Rhapsody

The first successful attempt to cross the classics and jazz, which gave rise to more than one new direction and yet remained unique.

Antonin Dvorak

Concerto for cello and orchestra

One of the first large-scale compositions with a cello in the lead role, where the harmony and sophistication of the composition are combined with the incredible accessibility of melodies that fit the ear without any effort.

Felix Mendelssohn

Concerto for violin and orchestra in E minor

Everyone knows the wedding march from A Midsummer Night's Dream, although it is by no means Mendelssohn's main work. He owns excellent Italian and Scottish symphonies, beautiful trios, quartets and oratorios, as well as the Violin Concerto: no less important than Beethoven's, but much more intelligible.

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3

The music of Rachmaninoff and Mahler does not have much in common, but it was Mahler who conducted one of the first performances of the concert. Although the Third Concerto initially remained in the shadow of the famous Second Concerto, it also belongs to the highest achievements of the genre and is one of the most serious tests for participants in pianist competitions. And its main theme is one of the best melodies in all musical literature.

Jan Sibelius

Concerto for violin and orchestra

By the end of the 19th century, the supremacy of the Austro-German tradition in music became questionable: one after another, new national schools - Hungarian, Czech, and Polish - emerged. The founder of another, Finnish, and today one of the most advanced in the world, was Sibelius, whose concert is unlike any other and still hits the heart.

Opera: from Monteverdi to Bizet and twentieth century masterpieces

Georges Bizet

"Carmen"

It is hard to believe that the premiere of Carmen was not a success: hits here follow one another with such a density that no other great opera can boast of. Overture, habanera, Toreador couplets, segidilla, "Gypsy dance" - just to name a few. One can only envy those who have not heard them yet.

Richard Wagner

"Tannhäuser"

You must have flinched as a child at the sound of "Flight of the Valkyries" and heard many unpleasant things about Wagner. Try to form your own opinion about his music; if Wagner's operas are too long for you, orchestral fragments are enough to start with. The incredibly beautiful overture from the opera Tannhäuser is a masterpiece in itself that you will surely enjoy, regardless of your sympathy for the author's socio-political views.

Giuseppe Verdi

"La Traviata"

Don Juan, Carmen and La Traviata are among the top three operas in the world. It is impossible to resist the charm of La Traviata, even if you are indifferent to Italian opera: the music is so delightful - light and at the same time imbued with a foreboding of trouble. The famous love story that is born and dies before our eyes.

Claudio Monteverdi

"Orpheus"

It makes no sense to place any of the three operas of Monteverdi on any list of the best operas: this Italian genius is so original, who actually founded opera as a genre. Start with "Orpheus", especially since the toccata that opens it sounds from everywhere and you probably know: you will not be able to come off.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"Don Juan"

Opera of operas, the main one for all times and peoples. No other great opera has such a balance between tragic and comic, high and low, the will to live and the inevitability of death. As Svyatoslav Richter said, “Così fan tutte” is a greater mysticism than “Don Juan”. There, the statue is to blame for everything, that it came to life ... And here the woman is to blame for being born into the world. "

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"All women do this" ("Così fan tutte")

The middle-aged cynic Don Alfonso undertakes to prove to two young men that the fidelity of their brides is a relative concept. The guys seem to go to war, return in the guise of strangers in love, and each looks after the other's bride. The girls, not without pleasure, submit to their new destiny and are going to get married, but then the real suitors return. They decide to play two weddings, although no one looks happy. An opera that women are more mysterious and more unpredictable than men.

Leos Janacek

"The Adventures of a Cheating Fox"

According to the writer Milan Kundera, Janacek accomplished a feat by opening the world of prose for opera. Indeed, Janacek's melodies are based on human speech in all its psychological nuances. "The Adventures of a Cheating Fox" is the most lyrical opera by a Czech composer, telling about the coexistence of two worlds - the world of humans and the world of animals - and calling for their rapprochement.

Alban Berg

"Wozzeck"

Music unlike anything you've heard before. On the second or third try, you will discover that the language of this opera about the mad soldier is not so strange: the composer simply does not compose melodies, but puts the natural intonations of human speech into the basis of music. The difference with Janacek, according to Kundera, is obvious: “German Expressionism is distinguished by a preferable attitude towards excessive states of mind, delirium, and insanity. Janacek's expressionism is a rich fan of emotions, a close opposition of tenderness and rudeness, rage and reassurance. "

Kurt Weill

"Threepenny Opera"

The work, formally belonging to the classics of the twentieth century, was sold to hits, sung dozens of times, starting with the ingenious "Mackie-Knife" - one of the melodic symbols of the century. Although Weill is a major innovator in the field of academic music, no composer of his generation has received such attention from pop and rock artists.

Igor Stravinsky

"King Oedipus"

The dissimilar "Petrushka" and "The Rite of Spring" still do not seem to be the works of two different authors, whereas in the opera-oratorio "Oedipus the King" you certainly do not recognize the creator of "Petrushka". It is no coincidence that Stravinsky was called a chameleon and a man of 1001 style. In Oedipus they sing in Latin, and the music - perhaps the most beautiful in Stravinsky's - goes back to the late Baroque: no Russian archaic, no pancakes.

Dmitry Shostakovich

"Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District"

Sex and violence were the main themes of one of the key operas of the 20th century; that is why, shortly after the triumphant premiere in 1934, it was officially banned by Stalin himself in 1936. Pay special attention to the dancing of the guests in the third act and the singing of convicts in the fourth - having heard it once, it is no longer possible to forget it.

Richard Strauss

"Electra"

The opera is based on the story of the death of King Agamemnon, killed by his wife and her lover. The king's daughter hates her mother and lives in the hope of retribution. Driven by noble motives, the heroine feels like an instrument in the hand of God, and this obsession turns her into a monster. In the first moment of such a dark story, the orchestra unleashes such hopeless music on the audience that the hair stands on end. The opera, running without intermission for almost two hours, is like a grandiose symphony, from which one cannot tear himself away.

Solo. Piano and violin

Charles Ives

"Sonata" Concorde "

More than a sonata, a whole study on the topic: can music express anything beyond what it sounds like? One of the most important piano works of the 20th century remained unfinished only because the author himself decided so: “The sonata seems to me incomplete every time I play it. Perhaps I will not deny myself the pleasure of not finishing it at all. " The sonata is imbued with Beethoven's "theme of fate", which restores order in the midst of chaos, then unfolds the narrative by 180 degrees.

Johann Sebastian Bach

"Well-Tempered Clavier" (HTK)

Probably the most perfect work in the history of music: two cycles of 24 preludes and fugues in all existing keys are like two colossal Gothic cathedrals, each more beautiful than the other. The first prelude in C major can be played by almost anyone on the piano; however, gradually the cycle becomes more complex. And more and more interesting.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sonatas and partitas for solo violin

Isn't it boring to listen to a lonely violin for a long time? Not at all - she can do much more than we can imagine. At the very least, Bach strives to fully embrace its capabilities. The pearl of the cycle is the famous chaconne, the shrill of which there is no music in the world.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 14

Among Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas, Moonlight may not be the best, but certainly the most famous; it has been quoted by many, from Shostakovich to The Beatles. Few writing in the world has outgrown its framework to such an extent, becoming a symbol of unrequited love.

Claude Debussy

Preludes

A compressed encyclopedia of the great composer's work, a bizarre combination of romanticism and impressionism, long-standing traditions of piano music and paradoxes of the twentieth century. The names of each prelude are not at the beginning, but at the end of the notes, as if they ask the listener riddles, checking if he has correctly captured the mood of the play, be it Sails, Footsteps in the Snow, Fogs or Fireworks.

Olivier Messiaen

"Twenty Views of the Baby Jesus"

One of the main opuses of Messiaen, even in the year of his century, was more often played in fragments than in whole: this cycle requires too much dedication. The largest piano work of the era, with which only 24 preludes and fugues by Shostakovich can be compared, is an atypical creation for the mid-twentieth century: where is irony and reflection, where is rigor and calculated? This is a grand prayer, two and a quarter hours of mostly major music with numerous repetitions.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Piano Sonata No. 11

The well-known Turkish Rondo is actually not an independent piece, but the finale of one of Mozart's sonatas, the other parts of which are no less delightful. As, in fact, and other piano sonatas by Mozart, not to mention his "Fantasies".

Modest Mussorgsky

Pictures at an Exhibition

This cycle is known primarily in the orchestration of Maurice Ravel, which is perceived today as a genius, but very pop hit. Listen to the original version of Pictures, originally written for piano: you will be amazed at how unusual and not at all hit music it is.

Niccolo Paganini

24 caprices for solo violin

A new word in the discovery of the possibilities of violin and violinists, which for the third century has remained a test for virtuosity. Best known is the last, twenty-fourth caprice - a short but brilliant theme, variations on which were written by many great composers.

Eric Satie

Gymnopedias and other works for piano

Although Sati is a 20th century composer, many of his compositions appeared in the previous century: in 1888 hymnopedias were written that anticipated the genre of easy listening. Sati also had the idea of \u200b\u200bmusic as an unobtrusive background - today there is nowhere to go from it, and a hundred years ago it was new.

Frederic Chopin

24 preludes for piano

An encyclopedia of musical romanticism and at the same time a colorful kaleidoscope of genres: elegy, mazurka, march, song without words and much more. The main means of expressiveness that grabs the listener's attention is the contrast of major and minor in each adjacent pair of preludes.

Robert Schumann

"Kreisleriana"

A cycle of fantasy plays, the name of which was given by the image of Johannes Kreisler - a mad bandmaster invented by Hoffmann, who frightens those around him with his devotion to music. One of the finest works by Schumann, the most romantic composer who ever lived.

Masterpieces of vocal music

Johann Sebastian Bach

Cantatas

In addition to the magnificent Passion and the Mass in B minor, Bach wrote over two hundred cantatas. Even more so than this entire list, they deserve the words "best music ever." You will fill the playlist many months in advance if you decide to gradually listen to them all. For the impossibility to single out the best from the best, we note three: "Heavens rejoice, earth rejoices" (BWV 31) with a magnificent trumpet solo in the finale, "Who will believe and be baptized" (BWV 37) with a wonderful aria "Faith gives us wings for the soul" and probably the most famous “I've had enough” (BWV 82).

Luciano Berio

Folk songs

A truly universal composition; Berio, the most prominent avant-garde artist of the second half of the twentieth century, processed a number of original songs from Europe and Asia, adding a couple of his own. The listener, who is far from the avant-garde, will be delighted that avant-garde artists have compositions that seem simple and understandable.

Benjamin Britten

War Requiem

An unusual line-up: two orchestras with two conductors, two choirs, three soloists and an organ. The tenor, baritone and chamber orchestra are responsible for the "military" part of the requiem, which is based on the poetry of a poet who died in the First World War. The symphony orchestra, choir and soprano perform the traditional parts of the requiem from Requiem æternam and Dies irae to Agnus Dei and Libera me. An amazing result, unlike both the funeral masses of previous eras, and the non-traditional requiems of the 20th century.

Antonio Vivaldi

Arias from operas

You should listen at least to know: “The Seasons” is not the only and, perhaps, not even the best work of Vivaldi. At least the collection of his arias performed by Magdalena Kozhena will make you forget about the evergreen hit for a while.

Valery Gavrilin

“Russian notebook. German notebooks "

The Russian Notebook reflects the experience of Gavrilin as a folklorist, and this deeply national composition is an analogue of the great cycles of Schubert and Schumann. But with what to compare "German Notebooks", written on the verses of Heine - the most that neither is Schumann's material? How to explain the appearance of such a wonderful cycle as "The First German Notebook" in a sophomore, from whom the professor, under the threat of a deuce, demands "something vocal"? Probably only a miracle.

Georg Frideric Handel

"Messiah"

On the eve of religious holidays "Messiah" is performed all over the world; connected with this is the true story of one orchestra player. To the question "What happened to you?" he replied: “I had a nightmare! I dreamed that I was playing "Messiah" again! Moreover, when I woke up, it turned out to be true! " The best performances of "Messiah" have nothing to do with this reality, it is truly divine music. After finishing the "Messiah" in three weeks, Handel said: "I thought that the heavens had opened and I see the Creator."

Gustav Mahler

Songs about dead children

One of the most terrifying compositions in the history of music: do we believe in fate or not, but soon after the creation of this vocal cycle, Mahler lost his beloved daughter. Five incredibly beautiful and unspeakably sad songs.

Gustav Mahler

"Song of the Earth"

The first symphony, where they sing from beginning to end, and the large orchestra sounds chamber - so that all the instruments are heard. The last part - "Farewell" - the author considered suicidal, but I want to return to it again and again.

Olivier Messiaen

Three small liturgies of the Divine presence

Catholicism, the study of the language of birds and attention to non-European cultures - these features make up the work of Messiaen, a separate direction in the music of the twentieth century. Although Messiaen's language is unlike anyone else's, his music is extraordinarily infectious: listen to the liturgy at least once and you will notice that you are humming them.

Alfred Schnittke

"The Story of Dr. Johann Faust"

Schnittke's cantata has nothing in common with Goethe's Faust: it is based on the 16th century “The People's Book of Faust”. An ingenious find is Mephistopheles, acting in two guises: the devil seducing (countertenor), the devil mocking and punishing (contralto). Although the planned participation of Alla Pugacheva in the Moscow premiere was canceled, the mounted police were on duty at the hall. The hero's humiliation culminates in a swaggering tango with saxophones, unexpectedly intruding into harsh music.

Dmitry Shostakovich

Symphony No. 14

Although Shostakovich's penultimate symphony is dedicated to Britten, it is more closely associated with Mahler. It is essentially a sequel to his Songs of the Earth, a symphony-cantata with two singers, entirely dedicated to death. Even among Shostakovich's gloomy symphonies, this one is especially full of depression and a sense of loneliness. Two voices unite only to sing in the finale: “Death is so powerful. She is on guard and at the hour of happiness. "

Franz Schubert

"Winter way"

The pinnacle of world vocal music: 24 songs united by a common bitter mood and gloomy images of nature. The final one, "Organ Grinder", is one of Schubert's most hopeless songs (and he has about 600 of them!): A melancholy melody sounds against the background of the dull, monotonous sounds of a barrel organ.

Great symphonies

Hector Berlioz

Fantastic symphony

One of the first - perhaps the most striking - samples of program music: that is, music that precedes a specific scenario. The story of Berlioz's unrequited love for the Irish actress Harriet Smithson formed the basis of the masterpiece, which includes Dream, Ball, Scene in the Fields, Procession to Execution, and even Dream on Sabbath Night.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphony No. 7

Of the three most famous symphonies of Beethoven, it is better to start not with the Fifth with its "theme of fate" and not with the Ninth with its ending "Hug, millions". In the Seventh there is much less pathos and more humor, and the ingenious second part is familiar even to listeners far from the classics in the processing of the Deep Purple group.

Johannes Brahms

Symphony No. 3

Brahms's First Symphony was called Beethoven's Tenth Symphony, meaning the continuity of tradition. But if Beethoven's nine symphonies are unequal, then of Brahms's four symphonies each is a masterpiece. The pompous beginning of the Third is just a bright cover for a deeply lyrical statement that reaches its climax in an unforgettable allegretto.

Anton Bruckner

Symphony No. 7

Mahler is believed to be Bruckner's successor; against the backdrop of his canvases like roller coasters, Bruckner's symphonies can seem boring - especially their endless adagios. However, each adagio is followed by an exciting scherzo, and the Seventh Symphony will not let you get bored from the very first movement, brooding and drawn out. The finale, the scherzo and the adagio dedicated to the memory of Wagner are no less good.

Joseph Haydn

Symphony No. 45 "Farewell"

It seems impossible to write easier than Haydn, but in this deceptive simplicity lies the main secret of his skill. Out of one hundred and four of his symphonies, only eleven are written in minor key, and the best of them is Farewell, in the finale of which the musicians leave the stage one by one. It was from Haydn that the group Nautilus Pompilius borrowed this technique for the song "Goodbye, America".

Joseph Haydn

Symphony No. 90

Against the background of the impetuous Farewell, Haydn's later symphonies are much more balanced and positive. They are full of special warmth, artless beauty and harmony. And, of course, humor: the last part of the symphony is crowned with a "false" ending, which even a sophisticated audience takes for a real one and begins to applaud while the orchestra is still playing.

Antonin Dvorak

Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"

Collecting material for the symphony, Dvorak studied the national music of America, but he did without quotation, trying to embody its spirit in the first place. The symphony in many ways goes back to both Brahms and Beethoven, but lacks the pomp inherent in their opuses.

Gustav Mahler

Symphony No. 5

Mahler's two best symphonies seem similar to each other only at first. The confusion of the first parts of the Fifth leads to the textbook adagietto, full of vexation, which has been repeatedly used in cinema and theater. And the ominous fanfare of the introduction is answered by a completely traditional optimistic ending.

Gustav Mahler

Symphony No. 6

Who would have thought that Mahler's next symphony would be the darkest and most hopeless music in the world! The composer seems to mourn all of humanity: such a mood is affirmed from the very first notes and only aggravated towards the finale, which does not contain a single ray of hope. Not for the faint of heart.

Gustav Mahler

Symphony No. 7

The trilogy ends with a mystery symphony. It is considered to be inconvenient for performance and perception, although it is a real celebration of music: if in the rest of Mahler's symphonies, willy-nilly, you still look for a conflict, here it is almost impossible to find it. It remains only to guess why, between the extreme parts of the Seventh, there is, as it were, another inner symphony of two octurnes and a central scherzo.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 25

Among Mozart's forty-odd symphonies, only two are written in a minor key, and in the same one: G minor unites a number of his key works. The twenty-fifth and the Fortieth are separated by fifteen years, in the case of Mozart - almost half a life. Both are equally sad, but if the Fortieth unfolds thoughtfully and unhurriedly, the Twenty-fifth falls upon you with all the swiftness of the "storm and onslaught" era.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 40

Another super hit, the beginning of which causes involuntary irritation. Try to tune your hearing as if you are hearing The Fortieth for the first time (even better if you are): this will help you experience the ingenious, albeit utterly hackneyed first part and learn that it is followed by the equally beautiful second, third and fourth.

Sergei Prokofiev

Classical symphony

Prokofiev explained the name of the symphony as follows: "Out of mischief, to tease the geese, and in the secret hope that ... I will beat if over time the symphony turns out to be so classical." After a series of daring compositions that excited the audience, Prokofiev composed a symphony in the spirit of Haydn; it became a classic almost immediately, although his other symphonies have nothing to do with it.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 5

Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony is not as popular as his ballets, although its melodic potential is no lower; from any two or three minutes of her could have made a hit, for example, Paul McCartney. If you want to understand what a symphony is, listen to Tchaikovsky's Fifth, one of the best and most complete examples of the genre.

Dmitry Shostakovich

Symphony No. 5

In 1936 Shostakovich was defamed at the state level. In response, calling on the shadows of Bach, Beethoven, Mahler and Mussorgsky for help, the composer created a work that became a classic already at the time of the premiere. According to legend, Boris Pasternak spoke about the symphony and its author: “He said everything he wanted - and he got nothing for it”.

Dmitry Shostakovich

Symphony No. 7

One of the musical symbols of the 20th century, and certainly the main musical symbol of the Second World War. An insinuating drum roll begins the famous "invasion theme" illustrating not only fascism or Stalinism, but any historical era, the basis of which is violence.

Franz Schubert. ** Unfinished symphony

The Eighth Symphony is called Unfinished - instead of four parts, there are only two; however, they are so rich and strong that they are perceived as a complete whole. Having stopped work on the work, the composer did not touch it anymore.

Bela Bartok.

Concert for orchestra

Bartok is known primarily as the author of countless pieces for music schools. The fact that this is far from the whole of Bartok is evidenced by his concert, where parody is accompanied by severity, and sophisticated technique is accompanied by cheerful folk tunes. In fact - Bartok's farewell symphony, as well as Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.

Sergei Rachmaninoff

"Symphonic Dances"

Rachmaninoff's last opus is a masterpiece of unprecedented power. The beginning seems to warn of an earthquake - this is both a harbinger of the horrors of war and the realization of the end of the romantic era in music. Rachmaninov called "Dances" his best and favorite composition.

Chamber music treasures

Johannes Brahms

Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3

A chamber ensemble is one of the finest types of music-making: a violin sonata, piano trio or string quartet can often express much more than a ballet or symphony. A synonym for chamber music is the name of Brahms, for whom each chamber piece is a masterpiece. Including this sonata, an unforgettable beginning of which is born from a phrase, as if interrupted in mid-sentence.

Ludwig van Beethoven

String Quartet No. 11 "Serioso"

Beethoven's later quartets are one of the pinnacles of chamber music. Before that, the composer had not written them for almost fifteen years, pausing after the brilliant F minor quartet with the subtitle "Serioso" - "Serious". Despite its laconicism, it is incredibly rich in ideas and mood swings, especially the fast part, the intonation of which rushes non-stop between interrogative and affirmative.

Johannes Brahms.

Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello No. 1

Another gem, where each of the chapters is full of surprises, especially the last two: isn't this jubilant march in the middle of the lyrical part surprising? Doesn't the final Hungarian Style Rondo leave far behind any of the Hungarian Dances? The quartet was created by Brahms long before his First Symphony, but four instruments have been gifted with such a wealth of melodies and consonances that it would have been enough for an entire orchestra.

Antonin Dvorak

Quintet for piano, two violins, viola and cello No. 2

Dvořák's second quintet was created in 1887, a quarter of a century after the Brahms quartet. Another late romantic composition, even more contrasting and even more densely flavored with Eastern European motives - there is a place here for both Ukrainian dumka and Bohemian dances. There are three main characters here: the cello and the viola, whose solos open the first and second movements, as well as the piano, which connects the fabric of the quintet with invisible threads.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 21

The saddest music ever.

Cesar Franck

Sonata for violin and piano

One of the finest violin sonatas ever written, it is quite a romantic piece, striving with all its might beyond romanticism. Without a doubt, you will remember the amazingly beautiful first phrase the first time, and not only her.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

"In memory of the great artist"

For many, Tchaikovsky - "The Nutcracker", "Sleeping Beauty", the First Piano Concerto. The trio "In Memory of the Great Artist" has nothing in common with these works - a tragic, deeply intimate statement, devoid of any ponderousness and pomp. You have never heard such a Tchaikovsky.

Dmitry Shostakovich

String Quartet No. 8

The title "In memory of the victims of fascism and war" is just a cover for the true name that Shostakovich had in mind: "In memory of the author of this quartet." By no means the last work of the composer, nevertheless, became his monument to himself: a mournful epitaph, layered with quotations from the best works of Shostakovich.

Franz Schubert

Piano Trio No. 2

Schubert's chamber compositions are no less expressive and heartfelt than vocal ones. An example of this is the trio for piano, violin and cello: the main theme of its second movement is remembered from the first time and for life, check it out.

XX century classics

Charles Ives

"Unanswered question"

A small masterpiece is the key to all the music of the twentieth century: the strings play one thing, the flutes another, the trumpet another. There is no catchy melody, but it sounds beautiful and bewitching.

Arnold Schoenberg

Serenade

Another, along with "Wozzeck", is an example of "dodecaphony with a human face." Although hardly anyone will succeed in humming a few bars of serenade, it is full of drive and humor: among the instruments there is a guitar and a mandolin, giving the ensemble's cold sounding some informality and even nationality.

Arnold Schoenberg

"Lunar Pierrot"

If the serenade is an example of a strict, prevailing style, then Pierrot Lunar is just his quest: Schoenberg has not yet discovered dodecaphony, but has already abandoned tonality, major and minor. To the accompaniment of a small ensemble, the vocal part sounds in the manner of speech singing - in the middle between singing and excited human speech. One of the most revolutionary works of the 20th century.

Pierre Boulez

"A hammer without a master"

The musician who created the reference recordings of Schoenberg's works responded to his death with an article with the defiant title "Schoenberg is Dead." And three years later, “The Hammer Without a Master” appeared for voice and ensemble, a kind of “Moonlight Pierrot” of the second half of the 20th century. Stravinsky, who defined "Pierrot of the Moon" as the solar plexus of new music, would later unhesitatingly call "Hammer Without a Master" the best contemporary work, sounding "as if ice cubes were clashing in a glass."

Claude Debussy

"Afternoon of a Faun"

The day of the premiere of the work - December 22, 1894 - became the birthday of musical impressionism. The Faun begins with an unforgettable flute solo that has opened up new horizons in world music.

Zoltan Koday

"Dances from Galanta"

A spectacular piece based on authentic folk melodies, where slow tempos are replaced by such fast ones that it will take your breath away. This change of pace is a characteristic feature of the verbunkos, a Hungarian dance performed at recruiting points and on wires to the army. Fifteen minutes of pure joy.

Darius Millau

"World creation"

French composers from the Six group offered a European version of what Gershwin succeeded in: combining classical tradition with jazz and big city sounds, turning his face to simple forms and catchy melodies. Millau especially succeeded with his ballets The Bull on the Roof and The Creation of the World. "How, and this is also a classic !?" - you ask. Definitely yes.

Arthur Honegger

Pacific 231

Another musical symbol of the 20th century in general and technical progress in particular. Having finished an energetic orchestral piece, the author jokingly gave it the name of the most powerful steam locomotive in the world. The public took the joke seriously when they heard in the Pacific a sound portrait of a steam locomotive that accelerates, hums and then brakes; great music that gives a lot of room to the imagination.

Krzysztof Penderecki

Lamentation for the victims of Hiroshima

The play, like Pacific 231, was glorified primarily by its title. Written in the most advanced language for the middle of the twentieth century, the score was not successful under the original name "8.37", but under the new name it became very popular, although not a single note changed. As positive as "Pacific" is, just as depressing is "Cry", although you should certainly get to know him.

Sergei Prokofiev

"Romeo and Juliet"

The best musical embodiment of Shakespeare's tragedy, numbering several hits - first of all, the well-known theme "Dance of the Knights" (popular under the name "Montagues and Capulet"). It is surprising that the Bolshoi Theater, commissioned by which the ballet was written, at first rejected it, considering the music unstable and unthinkable for the theater.

Maurice Ravel

"Bolero"

Drum roll, flute plays a deceptively simple theme that is gradually picked up by other instruments in the orchestra. It seems to be a simple scheme, but the listener will still be left with an open mouth, even if he knows Bolero by heart.

Maurice Ravel

Waltz

A typical Viennese waltz gradually emerges from the indistinct hum. The dancers are spinning faster and faster, and at last a spring bursts at this enraged music box. An eerie and perfect depiction of the end of a beautiful era, which was replaced by the century of world wars.

Arvo Pärt

"Fratres"

Pärt is the most performed contemporary composer, his works are performed in the world hundreds of times a year. In the mid-1970s, Pärt moved from the avant-garde to quiet, slow music, which proved to be extremely in demand: many of Pärt's lovers are far from the classics and perceive his opuses as a kind of musical soothing. The reference composition is "Fratres", which sounds differently in each of the numerous editions, but does not lose the intonation of the sad question mark.

Steve Reich

"Different Trains"

Another living classic, once known as an avant-garde artist. "Other Trains" is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust: Reich contrasts the trains of his childhood, on which he crossed America more than once, with others that sent his European peers to concentration camps. The work was written for a string quartet and a phonogram, which includes the clatter of wheels, locomotive whistles, and stories of Holocaust survivors. Fragments of human speech, recorded in notes, became the basis of instrumental parts. Ideal for the first meeting with Reich.

Igor Stravinsky

"Parsley"

One of the most perfect expressions of the Russian spirit in music: Shrovetide, barrel organ, accordion, gypsies, trained bear, "Along St. Petersburg", "Oh you, my canopy, canopy", carnival, fun, pancakes.

Igor Stravinsky

"Sacred spring"

The complete opposite of “Petrushka”: paganism, fear of death, slow gloomy round dances, sacrifice in the hope of appeasing the elements, completely blowing away the consonance - one of the most revolutionary and scandalous scores in the history of music.

Alfred Schnittke

Concerto grosso No. 1

The visiting card of the main Soviet composer after Shostakovich: elements of mutually exclusive styles merge here into a single whole. “As part of the Concerto grosso, I introduced a lively children's choral, nostalgic-atonal serenade - a trio guaranteed to be genuine Corelli (made in the USSR) and my grandmother's favorite tango, played by her great-grandmother on the harpsichord.”

Alfred Schnittke

"Revision tale"

An ideal way to get to know Schnittke's music for those who find it too complicated. The combination of the harpsichord with pop instruments creates a multifaceted space, where there is a place for Beethoven's "theme of fate", and parodies of Haydn, whose intonations are brought to sweetness, and the shadows of Mozart and Tchaikovsky, dancing tango and cancan.

Just masterpieces

Johann Sebastian Bach

Orchestral Suites No. 2 and 3

Compared to the HTK, the two suites sound like light music, especially since each contains at least one greatest hit: "Joke" and "Aria" respectively, which have long been sold out in ringtones and TV and radio screensavers. However, this could have happened with other fragments of these suites, which are replete with bright melodies.

Johannes Brahms

"Hungarian Dances"

If the symphony orchestra plays an encore, in one case out of three the conductor will choose the First "Hungarian Dance"; in extreme cases - the fifth. Two dozen miniatures for two pianos, later arranged for orchestra, were created on the basis of authentic Hungarian melodies; result - 21 exemplary encore.

Edvard Grieg

"Peer Gynt"

Ibsen's drama Peer Gynt is world famous, and Grieg's music written for its premiere is even more popular: Solveig's Song and In the Cave of the Mountain King, you undoubtedly know. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of listening to "Pera Gynt" in its entirety.

Alexander Scriabin

"Prometheus"

In his last and, perhaps, his most significant symphonic work, Scriabin strove to express the idea of \u200b\u200bthe triumph of the spirit, to achieve the utmost radiance. Therefore, "Prometheus" (aka "Poem of Fire") was written not only for orchestra, piano, organ and choir, but also for a light keyboard that immerses the concert hall in the radiance of one color or another. However, the music of Prometheus itself is literally overflowing with sunlight.

Bedrich Sour Cream

"My motherland"

The cycle of symphonic poems is a musical portrait of the Czech Republic, its history, nature and legends. Especially popular is the Vltava, in which one can hear the flow of the river, and hunting in the forest on its banks, and night dances of mermaids. The main theme goes back to the 17th century Italian song "La Mantovana". Later, the same melody formed the basis of the hymn of Israel.

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

"Scheherazade"

First, the author gave the names to the parts of the suite: “The Sea and the Sindbad's Ship”, “The Fantastic Story of Tsarevich Kalender”, “The Tsarevich and the Princess”, “The Baghdad Holiday. Sea. The ship crashes against the rock with the bronze rider. Conclusion ”, but later decided to remove them. Nevertheless, they are well known, and, listening to music, we involuntarily associate the violin with the voice of Scheherazade, the exclamations of the wind instruments with a storm at sea, the flute solo with the ship of Sinbad the sailor. One of the best examples of program music.

Richard Strauss

"Don Quixote"

Of the works of Strauss, the most famous is the poem "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", the introduction of which serves as a screen saver for the program "What? Where? When?". However, Don Quixote, where a cello sings on behalf of the famous knight, is much richer in unexpected twists and, like few other music in the world, resembles an exciting movie.

So, the focus of our attention today is the most famous classical pieces of music. For several centuries classical music has been exciting its listeners, causing storms of feelings and emotions in them. It has long been a part of history and is intertwined with the present with thin threads.

Undoubtedly, in the distant future, classical music will be no less in demand, since such a phenomenon in the musical world cannot lose its relevance and significance.

Name any classic piece - it will be worthy of the first place in any music chart. But since the most famous classical musical works cannot be compared with each other, due to their artistic uniqueness, the opuses named here are presented only as works for acquaintance.

"Moonlight Sonata"

Ludwig van Beethoven

In the summer of 1801, the brilliant work of L.B. Beethoven, who was destined to become famous all over the world. The title of this work, "Moonlight Sonata", is known to absolutely everyone, from old to young.

But initially, the work had the title "Almost Fantasy", which the author dedicated to his young student, beloved Juliet Guicciardi. And the name by which it is known to this day was invented by the music critic and poet Ludwig Relshtab after the death of L.V. Beethoven. This work belongs to one of the most famous pieces of music by the composer.

By the way, an excellent collection of classical music is represented by the editions of the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" - compact books with discs for listening to music. You can read about and listen to his music - very convenient! Recommended order discs of classical music directly from our page : press the “buy” button and immediately go to the store.

"Turkish March"

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This work is the third movement of Sonata No. 11 and was born in 1783. Initially it was called “Turkish Rondo” and was very popular among Austrian musicians, who later renamed it. The name "Turkish March" was also assigned to the work because it is consonant with Turkish janissary orchestras, for which the sound of drums is very characteristic, which can be traced in the "Turkish March" by V.A. Mozart.

"Ave Maria"

Franz Schubert

The composer himself wrote this work to the poem "The Virgin of the Lake" by W. Scott, or rather to a fragment of it, and was not going to write such a deeply religious composition for the Church. Some time after the appearance of the work, an unknown musician, inspired by the prayer "Ave Maria", put its text to the music of the genius F. Schubert.

"Impromptu Fantasy"

Frederic Chopin

This work of F. Chopin, the genius of the period of romanticism, dedicated to his friend. And it was he, Julian Fontana, who disobeyed the instructions of the author, published it in 1855, six years after the death of the composer. F. Chopin believed that his work is similar to the impromptu of I. Mosheles, a disciple of Beethoven, a famous composer and pianist, which was the reason for the refusal to publish Fantasia-Impromptu. However, this brilliant work has never been considered plagiarism, except for the author himself.

"Flight of the Bumblebee"

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

The composer of this work was a fan of Russian folklore - he was interested in fairy tales. This led to the creation of the opera "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" on the plot of A. Pushkin. Part of this opera is the interlude "Flight of the Bumblebee". Masterly, incredibly vividly and brilliantly imitated in the work the sounds of the flight of this insect N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.

"Caprice No. 24"

Niccolo Paganini

Initially, the author composed all of his caprices solely to improve and hone the skill of playing the violin. Ultimately, they brought a lot of new and unknown things into violin music. And the 24th caprice, the last of the caprices composed by N. Paganini, bears a swift tarantella with folk intonations, and is also recognized as one of the works ever created for the violin, which has no equal in complexity.

"Vocalise, opus 34, no. 14"

Sergei Vasilyevich Rahmaninov

This work concludes the 34th opus by the composer, which combines fourteen songs written for voice with piano accompaniment. Vocalise, as expected, does not contain words, but is performed on one vowel sound. S.V. Rachmaninov dedicated it to Antonina Nezhdanova, an opera singer. Very often this piece is performed on violin or cello, accompanied by piano accompaniment.

"Moonlight"

Claude Debussy

This work was written by the composer under the impression of the lines of a poem by the French poet Paul Verlaine. The name very clearly conveys the softness and touching melody, which affects the soul of the listener. This popular work of the genius composer C. Debussy sounds in 120 films of different generations.

As always, the best music is in our group in contact .

1. "Symphony No. 5", Ludwig van Beethoven

According to legend, Beethoven (1770-1827) could not come up with an introduction to Symphony No. 5 for a long time. But when he took a nap, he heard a knock on the door, and the rhythm of this knock became the introduction to this work. Interestingly, the first notes of the symphony correspond to the number 5, or V in Morse code.

2. O Fortuna, Karl Orff

The composer Karl Orff (1895-1982) is best known for this cantata with dramatic vocals. It is based on the 13th century poem "Carmina Burana". It is one of the most frequently performed classical pieces around the world.

3. Hallelujah Choir, Georg Friedrich Handel

Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) wrote the Messiah in 24 days. Many melodies, including "Hallelujah", were later borrowed from this work and began to be performed as independent works. According to legend, Handel had music in his head that was played by angels. The text of the oratorio is based on biblical stories, Handel reflected the life, death and resurrection of Christ.

4. "Flight of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner

This composition is taken from the opera Valkyrie, which is part of the cycle of operas Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner (1813-1883). The opera "Valkyrie" is dedicated to the daughter of the god Odin. Wagner spent 26 years composing this opera, and this is just the second part of a grandiose masterpiece of four operas.

5. "Toccata and Fugue in D minor", Johann Sebastian Bach

This is probably the most famous work of Bach (1685-1750) and is often used in films during dramatic scenes.

6. "Little Night Serenade", Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart