Essential Summer Listening – Classical

Ernie often prodded me to listen to more music, especially classics written by the great composers. I once asked him for suggestions and he effortlessly rattled off a list. In my futile attempt to keep up with him, I managed to jot down enough to keep me busy for a while. Ernie was a proponent of active listening, as opposed to playing these pieces as background music or using them as sleep aids. He proved the value of a keen ear with his ability to sing the themes of all of the following compositions. I even have shorthand notes next to a few of them which describe special harmonic and rhythmic traits he thought I should pay especially close attention to. Anyway, here’s the list:

Bach, Johann Sebastian – The Brandenburg concerti

Bartok, Bela – Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Beethoven, Ludwig van – Symphonies 5 & 7
Beethoven, Ludwig van – Violin Concerto

Brahms, Johannes – Symphonies 1 & 4
Brahms, Johannes – Violin Concerto
Brahms, Johannes – Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Brahms, Johannes – Piano Concerto No. 1

Britten, Benjamin – A Ceremony Of Carols

Copland, Aaron – Lincoln Portrait

Debussy, Claude – Images

Dvorak, Antonin – Piano Quintet

Gershwin, George – Concerto In F / An American In Paris

Grieg, Edvard – Piano Concerto

Handel, George Frederick – Water Music / Music for the Royal Fireworks

Harris, Roy – Symphony No. 3

Haydn, Franz Joseph – The “London” Symphonies (Nos. 91-104)

Ives, Charles – Piano Sonata No. 2
Ives, Charles – Symphony No. 2

Mahler, Gustav – Symphony No. 1 / Songs of a Wayfarer

Mendelssohn, Felix – Octets

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus – Symphony No. 40
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus – Piano Concerto No. 21
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus – Clarinet Concerto

Rachmaninov, Sergey – 3rd Symphony

Respighi, Ottorino – The Pines of Rome / The Fountains of Rome / Roman Festivals

Schumann, Robert – Piano Quintet
Schumann, Robert – Piano Concerto

Stojowski, Zygmunt – First Concerto for Piano & Orchestra

Stravinksy, Igor – The Rite Of Spring / Firebird
Stravinsky, Igor – Petrushka

Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich – 6th Symphony
Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich – Piano Concerto No. 1
Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich – Violin Concerto

Villa-Lobos, Heitor – Guitar Concerto

Walton, William – Viola Concerto

Tags: Classical Composers, Essential Classical Recordings, Great Works, Summer List