Classical

Classical music is hard to define in specific terms, but it is generally understood to be music rooted in Western European traditions performed by trained musicians in formal settings like concert halls, opera houses, and churches. Its key emphasis is the faithful interpretation of composers' written scores. Classical music's roots lie in the chant melodies of Medieval religious rites. Its contemporary incarnation encompasses everything from opera and the symphony orchestra to chamber ensembles, solo works, choral music, songs, film music, and the avant-garde. Works from the intervening centuries make up the bulk of the recorded repertory, and they mirror the artistic and architectural trends of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras in their sound worlds and conception. The dichotomy between classical and popular music is a fairly recent cultural development. In fact, much of what is considered classical music today grew out of, was influenced by, or was popular music of its time.

Classical Song Highlights

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046 Johann Sebastian Bach
English Chamber Orchestra / Benjamin Britten / Carmel Kaine / Emanuel Hurwitz / Sir Philip Ledger / Sir Neville Marriner / Tess Miller / William Bennett
La Mer, symphonic sketches (3) for orchestra, CD 111 (L. 109) Claude Debussy
Leonard Bernstein
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 Ludwig van Beethoven
Carlos Kleiber
Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007 Johann Sebastian Bach
Mstislav Rostropovich
Music in Twelve Parts, for chamber ensemble Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Messiah, oratorio, HWV 56 George Frederick Handel
Leonard Bernstein
Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83 Maurice Ravel
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Rhapsodies (2) for piano, Op. 79 Johannes Brahms
Martha Argerich
Glassworks, pieces (6) for chamber ensemble or piano Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, CT. 202 Frédéric Chopin
Daniel Barenboim
4'33", for any ensemble or number of players John Cage
Amadinda Percussion Group
Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b Richard Wagner
Georg Solti
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 Edward Elgar
Janet Baker / Jacqueline du Pré / John Barbirolli / London Symphony Orchestra
Ave generosa, hymn Hildegard von Bingen
Gothic Voices / Christopher Page / Emma Kirkby
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ("Pathétique"), Op. 13 Ludwig van Beethoven
Artur Schnabel
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Martha Argerich / Gidon Kremer
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 Ludwig van Beethoven
Various Artists
Horn Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 11 (TrV 117) Richard Strauss
Various
Sonata for violin & piano in A major, FWV 8 César Franck
Vladimir Ashkenazy / Itzhak Perlman / Barry Tuckwell
Symphony No. 8 in C minor ("Stalingrad"), Op. 65 Dmitry Shostakovich
Yevgeny Mravinsky / Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
Appalachian Spring, concert suite for full orchestra Aaron Copland
Leonard Bernstein
The Veil of the Temple (All Night Vigil), for soprano, chorus, boys' chorus, brass, temple bowls, tamtam, temple bells, organ & Indian harmonium John Tavener
Stephen Layton / Patricia Rozario
Cello Concerto in B minor, B. 191 (Op. 104) Antonin Dvorák
Pablo Casals
Pagliacci, opera Ruggero Leoncavallo
Enrico Caruso
Preludes (10) for piano, Op. 23 Sergey Rachmaninov
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Violin Concerto, Op. 14 Samuel Barber
Gil Shaham / André Previn
Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), opera, WWV 86a Richard Wagner
Georg Solti
Hard Times Come Again No More for voice & piano Stephen Foster
Yo-Yo Ma / Edgar Meyer / Mark O'Connor
Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in E major ("La Primavera"), RV 269, Op. 8/1 (The Four Seasons; "Il cimento" No. 1) Antonio Vivaldi
Neville Marriner / Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Symphony No. 1 in D major ("Titan") Gustav Mahler
Carlo Maria Giulini / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, CT. 47 Frédéric Chopin
Artur Rubinstein
Four Organs, for 4 electric organs & maracas Steve Reich
Steve Reich/Philip Glass
Veni creator, for chorus & organ Arvo Pärt
Paul Hillier / Ars Nova Copenhagen / Theatre of Voices
Così fan tutte, opera, K. 588 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Luciano Pavarotti
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046 Johann Sebastian Bach
Neville Marriner
Music in Similar Motion, for mixed ensemble (or orchestra) Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Martha Argerich / Gidon Kremer
Fanfare for the Common Man, for brass & percussion (from Symphony No. 3) Aaron Copland
Zubin Mehta / Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Il Trovatore, opera Giuseppe Verdi
Enrico Caruso
Turandot, opera Giacomo Puccini
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa/Puccini/Charpentier/Moore
Sonatas (6) for violin solo, Op. 27 Eugène Ysaÿe
Leila Josefowicz