Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

10 Best lists for classical music

The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, Otello, Trout Quintet – everyone would agree

Dover Quartet playing Dvorak
Dover Quartet playing Dvorak

In speaking with a friend the other day, the topic of “10 pieces of classical music everyone should hear before they die” came up. We came up with three pieces before the parameters of the list began to fall apart. Does this list include opera? Is this a list for people who don’t know classical music at all or for those who know György Ligeti exists?

Should the list include music which people have heard but might not realize they have heard? If so, here’s that list in more or less chronological order. To clarify this is music people have probably heard in popular media but if they haven’t they should listen to this list.

Video:

"Contessa perdono"

From Mozart, <em>The Marriage of Figaro, </em> Act IV

From Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro, Act IV

  • Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
  • Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor
  • Handel: “Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah
  • Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
  • Mozart: “Contessa perdono” from The Marriage of Figaro
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 16: Moonlight
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
  • Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
  • Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
  • Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

How about a list which excludes the somewhat ubiquitous music above but is still friendly to the uninitiated?

Sponsored
Sponsored
Video:

"Pines of Rome"

Freom Respighi's <em>Pines of the Appian Way,</em> Movement IV

Freom Respighi's Pines of the Appian Way, Movement IV

  • Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
  • Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks
  • Mozart: “Overture” from The Marriage of Figaro
  • Mozart: Ave verum corpus
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 3
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6
  • Dvorak: Symphony No. 9
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 5
  • Respighi: Pines of Rome

What about opera? Here are 10 operas everyone should hear before they die but are also friendly to basic people.

Video:

Pagliacci

"Vesti la giubbia" sung by Mario Del Monaco

"Vesti la giubbia" sung by Mario Del Monaco

  • Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni
  • Rossini: The Barber of Seville
  • Donizetti: The Elixir of Love
  • Verdi: La Traviata
  • Verdi: Otello
  • Bizet: Carmen
  • Puccini: La Boheme
  • Puccini: Madame Butterfly
  • Mascagni: Pagliacci

If we start talking about the greatest operas of all time then the list changes a little.

Video:

Der Rosenkavelier

The Final Trio

The Final Trio

  • Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni
  • Berlioz: Les Troyens
  • Wagner: Tristan and Isolde
  • Wagner: Parsifal
  • Verdi: Otello
  • Bizet: Carmen
  • Mascagni: Pagliacci
  • Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
  • Britten: Peter Grimes

10 pieces of chamber music every human should hear?

Video:

Dvorak, American Quartet

First movement, by Dover Quartet

First movement, by Dover Quartet

  • Mozart: Gran Partita Serenade
  • Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
  • Beethoven: Archduke Trio
  • Schubert: Trout Quintet
  • Schubert: Octet
  • Mendelssohn: String Octet
  • Brahms: Clarinet Quintet
  • Dvorak: American Quartet
  • Borodin: String Quartet No. 2
  • Ravel: String Quartet

What do my lists accomplish? Not much except to expose my own tastes in music. Anyone could read this and come up with lists that have zero crossovers—except for the opera lists. I think every opera lover can confirm that at least The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, and Otello would be considered on anyone’s “10 greatest operas” list. Schubert’s Trout Quintet is going to be any chamber music list.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Dover Quartet playing Dvorak
Dover Quartet playing Dvorak

In speaking with a friend the other day, the topic of “10 pieces of classical music everyone should hear before they die” came up. We came up with three pieces before the parameters of the list began to fall apart. Does this list include opera? Is this a list for people who don’t know classical music at all or for those who know György Ligeti exists?

Should the list include music which people have heard but might not realize they have heard? If so, here’s that list in more or less chronological order. To clarify this is music people have probably heard in popular media but if they haven’t they should listen to this list.

Video:

"Contessa perdono"

From Mozart, <em>The Marriage of Figaro, </em> Act IV

From Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro, Act IV

  • Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major
  • Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor
  • Handel: “Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah
  • Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
  • Mozart: “Contessa perdono” from The Marriage of Figaro
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 16: Moonlight
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
  • Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
  • Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
  • Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

How about a list which excludes the somewhat ubiquitous music above but is still friendly to the uninitiated?

Sponsored
Sponsored
Video:

"Pines of Rome"

Freom Respighi's <em>Pines of the Appian Way,</em> Movement IV

Freom Respighi's Pines of the Appian Way, Movement IV

  • Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
  • Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks
  • Mozart: “Overture” from The Marriage of Figaro
  • Mozart: Ave verum corpus
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 3
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6
  • Dvorak: Symphony No. 9
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 5
  • Respighi: Pines of Rome

What about opera? Here are 10 operas everyone should hear before they die but are also friendly to basic people.

Video:

Pagliacci

"Vesti la giubbia" sung by Mario Del Monaco

"Vesti la giubbia" sung by Mario Del Monaco

  • Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni
  • Rossini: The Barber of Seville
  • Donizetti: The Elixir of Love
  • Verdi: La Traviata
  • Verdi: Otello
  • Bizet: Carmen
  • Puccini: La Boheme
  • Puccini: Madame Butterfly
  • Mascagni: Pagliacci

If we start talking about the greatest operas of all time then the list changes a little.

Video:

Der Rosenkavelier

The Final Trio

The Final Trio

  • Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
  • Mozart: Don Giovanni
  • Berlioz: Les Troyens
  • Wagner: Tristan and Isolde
  • Wagner: Parsifal
  • Verdi: Otello
  • Bizet: Carmen
  • Mascagni: Pagliacci
  • Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
  • Britten: Peter Grimes

10 pieces of chamber music every human should hear?

Video:

Dvorak, American Quartet

First movement, by Dover Quartet

First movement, by Dover Quartet

  • Mozart: Gran Partita Serenade
  • Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
  • Beethoven: Archduke Trio
  • Schubert: Trout Quintet
  • Schubert: Octet
  • Mendelssohn: String Octet
  • Brahms: Clarinet Quintet
  • Dvorak: American Quartet
  • Borodin: String Quartet No. 2
  • Ravel: String Quartet

What do my lists accomplish? Not much except to expose my own tastes in music. Anyone could read this and come up with lists that have zero crossovers—except for the opera lists. I think every opera lover can confirm that at least The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, and Otello would be considered on anyone’s “10 greatest operas” list. Schubert’s Trout Quintet is going to be any chamber music list.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Thanksgiving Lunch Cruise, The Avengers and Zeros ‘77, Small Business Saturday In Escondido

Events November 28-November 30, 2024
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Downtown thrift shop offers three bands in one show

Come nightfall, Humble Heart hosts The Beat
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader