And I mean "classical" in the broad sense, not just from the Classical period. (Most of what I like is from the Romantic and Modern periods, so I would fail at such a post!)
I love Holst's Planets Suite. Mars and Jupiter get a lot of the attention, but for me the best is easily Neptune. It's eerie, dreamlike quality draws me in.
From Rachmaninoff's Symphony no 2, this is part of the third movement:
I love all of this sonata (Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp), but as I generally prefer the more quiet, slower movements, this is my favorite. I love the harp here.
And by god do I love Copland when he's being trite! At least, that's how I often hear "Appalachian Spring" get described. :D
28 Apr 2010 11:23 AM
Taumpy
And to show I like pre-Romantic music too, have some Handel. :)
28 Apr 2010 11:42 AM
OtakuLoki
Copland is great, I agree.
I'm also a huge fan of Rodgers' Victory at Sea suite, written for the documentary series for NBC. I'm a bit peeved I can't find any YouTube of his Theme of the Fast Carriers.
Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is great, too. Perhaps the artillery is a bit over-the-top, but it's still fun, dammit. :D
I'm also very fond of Prokofiev's Alexsander Nevsky Suite. Bad history, great music. ;)
And while it's not a true match for the other orchestral pieces here, I can't let this thread go by without mentioning my love for J.S. Bach's organworks, especially the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
28 Apr 2010 11:57 AM
OtakuLoki
I forgot to include this: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 8, Third Movement.
