Bonus Way In: The Greatest Hits

What a pleasure it has been to research this book, discovering and rediscovering all kinds of new music to give myself the “first listen experience.”

From greats like Yo-Yo Ma and Hilary Hahn playing Persian music and improvising with prepared piano, to finding a charming student production of Le Nozze di Figaro, to discovering a riveting performance of the Auerbach cello sonata, and getting a personal first listen to more than one Bruckner symphony, I've rediscovered for myself the thrill of the first listen. If I've gotten so carried away that this book is probably more music than words, in some sense that feels right to me.

We classical music snobs always talk about how classical music is so much better than pop music because it bears repeated listening. How the 100th listen of the Goldbergs still reveals something new, changes you in a different way. As I've said, I think what we lose in that conversation is how delightful it is to hear something for the first time, because honestly, our repertoire is so fixed that most Classical Music regulars rarely get that delight.

Most of the “Canon”—the equivalent of Classical Music's Top 40—is so often (dare I say over-)played that we've heard all of the music before we get to the concert hall. The rare exceptions are the new commissions—typically short overtures to the rest of the program in which the audience endures a performance of a composer not represented in the canon.

These diversions are, necessarily, hit or miss, but more miss than hit. In the era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (dubbed the “classical” era from 1750-1820), there were hundreds of composers, and yet I'd be willing to bet that those three account for something like 90% of today's performances from music of that era—frankly, because their music is better and survived a natural selection of sorts. We haven't had the time for that natural selection in contemporary music, and so today's music includes mostly pieces that won't be played in 100 years. I don't mind bearing the brunt of that selection, but I understand why casual audience members don't want to.

So, without further ado, I will give the people what they want… but for each of the top 40, there's also a “companion” piece from composers not (yet) on the list, either because they're contemporary composers or have been historically overlooked.

A Top 40 watch-list

A list like this is probably what most of you came here for in the first place. And I’m sure there are plenty of musicians who will end up reading this and debate it. They'll claim that Johann Strauss Jr. should replace Mussorgsky, or Janáček should replace Respighi. But I’m right :).

So here are the rules of the game. The Classical Music Top 40, but:

• only 1 piece per composer (Sorry Beethoven)!
• The composer must be widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time.
• The piece selected must be one of the most programmed pieces in its genre (e.g. Piano Solo/Symphony/Cello Concerto/Violin Sonata), but doesn't have to be the composer's most famous piece.
• Excluding vocal works for simplicity (sorry Verdi, Bizet, Monteverdi, and others).

The order doesn't really matter, but it kinda goes from concrete to abstract, in the spirit of this book.

(Warning: superlatives and grand finales abound—if you want more beautiful melodies, just find the slow movements on YouTube. This is just for fun. This section is not pretending to be serious commentary.

The videos are chosen less carefully than in other parts of the book, too—they favor those with many official videos on YouTube—but I have loved discovering that pieces that I call “famous” or “overplayed” in fact have some refreshing new interpretations as well. A HUGE thank you to all the musicians who have officially uploaded videos to YouTube!)

Programmatic-ish

1. Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade (as discussed here). From the man who wrote the book on orchestration comes some of the best musical storytelling.

For more from Rimsky, I'd listen to Tsar Sultan, which includes his most famous piece, “Flight of the Bumblebee” (discussed here).

Companion: Fazil Say 1001 Nights in the Harem, also based on the 1001 nights story.

2. Wagner Prelude from Tristan und Isolde, the first part of the greatest 5-hour climax in music, and one that changed music forever.

Technically from an opera, this bends the no-vocals rule a bit, but Wagner's influence has extended far beyond the opera hall, including in his orchestral overtures that are played by themselves. His most played piece is the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin, followed by Ride of the Valkyries (as discussed here).

Companion: Thomas Adès Powder Her Face Overture, a boundary-pushing, epic overture from an important contemporary composer.

3. Copland Appalachian Spring (as discussed here), the most quintessential piece of American music from its “Dean.”

I wish more people knew his more “serious” music like the Third Symphony and Piano Sonata, but he is better known for pieces like Hoe-down.

Companion: Kevin Puts Concerto for Orchestra, modern Americana.

4. Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition, mentioned in the Literature Rabbit Hole. Here is Ravel's orchestration of the last movement, the Great Gate of Kiev, one of the most majestic endings in music.

His most publicly known piece is the Halloween favorite, Night on Bald Mountain.

Companion: Lera Auerbach Labyrinth, inspired by Mussorgsky's Pictures.

5. Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night's Dream, a depiction of magic that many prefer over Shakespeare's original.

We discussed his Songs Without Words here, but his most publicly known piece is the Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream. But his G minor Piano Concerto is easy to love, and his Violin Concerto in E minor, Piano Trio in D minor, and String Octet have an argument for the greatest in their genre. Many claim the octet as the greatest piece ever written, but I've found it takes some effort to get into via recording.

Companion: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel Overture in C, similar music from Felix's sister.

6. Ravel La Valse, to be discussed further in a future chapter, in which a Viennese waltz grows frenzied and disintegrates into madness. Ravel is probably the greatest orchestrator of all-time (alongside Rimsky-Korsakov), and this piece sometimes holds the crown for the most programmed piece in the world.

Ravel's most famous work is Bolero, but all his piano works, like Gaspard de la Nuit (of which we discussed “Ondine” here) and the two piano concerti, are firmly in the canon, alongside Daphnis et Chloé (from the Ballet chapter rabbit hole), the Rapsodie espagnole, Mother Goose Suite, String Quartet, Piano Trio, and Tzigane.

Companion: Julia Wolfe Fountain of Youth, colorful orchestration and forward direction on the border of losing control.

7. Respighi Fountains of Rome, from the Tone Poem rabbit hole, a toss-up with his Pines of Rome, which features the first use of electronics in a symphony.

He also wrote a great violin sonata, but is mainly known for his Roman trilogy (though Roman Festivals is less played). I almost left out Respighi from this list in favor of Gustav Holst's Planets, which feels like it deserves a spot and scratches a similar itch to Respighi.

Companion: John Williams Jurassic Park transports you to another world, courtesy of a big, building, brassy sound.

8. Vivaldi Four Seasons, a piece that is perhaps the most over-played in classical music, but still a great piece which delivers impressive drama from such a technically easy violin part. See also Max Richter's re-composition.

Vivaldi's other concertos, especially the fast rock and roll movements, for clarinet, cello, recorder, mandolin, trumpets, flute, bassoon, oboe, and quite a few others for multiple soloists I find quite similar to the Four Seasons, but are not nearly as often heard.

Companion: Max Richter 4 Seasons Recomposed, modern take on Vivaldi.

9. Stravinsky Firebird, since we discussed Rite of Spring here.

The Rite may be his most famous and groundbreaking piece, but Firebird is his most accessible. And I love the puppet show (a show about puppets) Petrushka especially in its virtuosic piano version.

Companion: Nobuo Uematsu One Winged Angel, video game music with a heavy Stravinsky influence.

10. Schubert String Quartet “Death and the Maiden”, called by Terez Rose, “one of the most compelling, soulful, profound, irresistible pieces of classical music.”

His most publicly known work is the song, Ave Maria, but aside from his songs (discussed here), Schubert has written some of the greatest works in many genres: the “Unfinished” Symphony, the F minor Fantasy for Piano Duo, the Trout Quintet, the Piano Trios, the late Piano Sonatas, and the Cello Quintet.

Almost all of them have a claim to the greatest of their specific genre; many claim one of the last sonatas or cello quintet, and especially their slow movements, to be the greatest music ever written, and we'll discuss them further in a future chapter. Like the Mendelssohn Octet, I've found the Cello Quintet takes some time to fully appreciate. The easiest to start with is probably the shorter Impromptus or transcriptions of the songs.

Companion: Kevin Lau String Quartet No. 3, an accessible contemporary string quartet for a next listen after Schubert.

11. Debussy Girl with the Flaxen Hair

His most famous work is Clair de Lune, which we discussed here. His most historically important work is Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, which veered away from conventional “keys.” His La Mer, String Quartet, Cello Sonata, Piano Trio, and all his piano works, like this prelude "Fireworks" are part of the standard repertoire. ^💬

Companion: Mel Bonis Femmes de légende, intimate and colorful French piano writing.

12. Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1, from the Literature rabbit hole. We'll call Liszt the most virtuosic piano composer, but he's equally notable for his deeply religious side.

Liszt's most famous works are his Hungarian Rhapsodies, Liebestraum, Etudes, and Consolations, but his most historically significant work is the B minor Sonata. We've discussed many of these already, and virtually all of his solo and concerto piano works are in the standard repertoire.

Companion: Unsuk Chin Toccata, in which “difficulty” reaches another level above Liszt's—this is the hardest piece on my music shelf.

13. Berlioz Symphonie fantastique, the first programmatic music. Too many great excerpts to choose just one (the witches, the Dies Irae, the march).

Berlioz also wrote a Requiem, a Romeo and Juliet, and Harold in Italy, one of the most important viola pieces.

Companion: Gabriela Ortiz Antrópolis, an intense programmatic fantasy with as much orchestral innovation and an influence from dance.

14. Strauss Don Juan—a great tone poem, as good as any of his others.

The opening of Zarathustra is among the most iconic of all time, though all of his tone poems and operas are firmly in the canon. As I said in the Tone Poems Rabbit Hole, I love Death and Transfiguration and Metamorphoses especially. As far as easier listening goes, I'd choose the shorter works.

Companion: Jennifer Higdon blue cathedral, a gorgeous tone poem with a touching backstory.

15. Robert Schumann Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood).

We've also already discussed Schumann's programmatic works at length in Literature and mentioned his song cycles. His longer form abstract works worth a listen include the Piano and Cello concerti, Piano Quartet and Quintet. His symphonies and sonatas are great pieces but can be harder to get into.

Companion: Clara Wieck Schumann Scherzo, beautiful piano miniatures from Robert's wife.

16. Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht, the Long Play from Literature. Many people who know the piece deeply consider it their favorite piece.

Schoenberg's most accessible works are his programmatic works Pierrot Lunaire, which we saw in the movie section, and the massive oratorio Gurre-Lieder. Even his atonal Survivor in Warsaw and Moses und Aron are approachable with subtitles, especially in shorter excerpts. But I would encourage listeners to give his abstract works a chance, perhaps starting with the still tonal first String Quartet and then moving to some of the shorter piano pieces, like Op. 11 before trying the Piano Concerto, a piece that had programmatic titles telling of his exile from Europe before he removed them. Another way into Schoenberg can be through his students Berg and Webern, who applied Schoenberg's techniques in sometimes more accessible ways.

Companion: Esmail Ragamala, lush waves of string writing that live on the edge of the traditional Western scales and harmonies.

17. Chopin Barcarolle, as discussed. It's pretty hilarious to put Chopin below Schoenberg on a “most accessible” list, but if we're going by how programmatic the recommended piece is, it's accurate!

His most famous work is the intermediate student favorite Fantaisie-Impromptu. Unlike Schoenberg, basically all of Chopin's other music is accessible too. The Ballades and Nocturnes we discussed at length, but also try the Scherzi, Sonatas, Preludes, Etudes, Concerti, and Fantasy. His most personal, and many argue greatest works are the dances—the Waltzes, Polonaises, and especially the Mazurkas. These can be a little harder to get into but we'll spend some more time with them in a future chapter. If I were to choose a desert-island Chopin piece for myself, it would be the Polonaise-fantaisie, one of his last works.

Companion: Caroline Shaw Gustave le Gray, based on—and including—a Chopin mazurka.

“Non-programmatic”

18. Barber Adagio, which we discussed in terms of its use after tragedy. Many consider it their favorite piece of music—also worth hearing in its original form as a String Quartet.

I think a lot of Barber should be more popular than it is, especially the Piano and Cello concerti, which have never achieved the success of their violin counterpart. The vocal works are performed, but the instrumental works that are played frequently are the Violin Concerto and Piano Sonata, both with wild, crowd-pleasing final movements.

Companion: George Walker Lyric for Strings, similar origins and feeling.

19. Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue. I'm especially partial to the performers who take inspiration from jazz and add their own improvisation, like Sumino below, who uses a melodica and later improvises on an audience member's cell phone ringtone.

We've already mentioned Porgy and Bess, which features his most famous work, the lullaby “Summertime,” and mentioned An American in Paris in the Tone Poem rabbit hole. Pianists also love to play Earl Wild's transcriptions of his songs, the three preludes, and the Concerto in F.

Companion: Jessie Montgomery Strum, vernacular and genre-bending.

20. Fauré Sicilienne, which alongside the Élégie and Berceuse form favorite short pieces played on many different instruments.

Best known for the Pavane and the Requiem, with its frequently transcribed In Paradisum. We've already discussed the Nocturnes and Après un rêve, but his Piano Quartets also form an important piece of that genre. I think his first violin sonata is as great as the ubiquitous Franck sonata (and I greatly prefer playing its piano part to Franck's which requires gigantic hands).

Companion: Lili Boulanger D'un matin de printemps, an intimate and original French miniature tone poem.

21. Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, my personal favorite of the piano concerti.

Most famous for his G minor and C-sharp minor preludes and the second and third piano concertos (the first and fourth have many champions but have a long way to catch up). His piano preludes, etudes-tableaux, moments musicaux, and second sonata are all quite easy to listen to. If I were to pick one piece, it would be the cello sonata. Others enjoy his longer symphonic works, but those have taken me more work to get into.

Companion: Philip Glass Piano Concerto 3, beautiful and accessible listening with plenty of repetition.

22. Beethoven Symphony No. 5. Ahhh, finally we get to the most famous composer in all of music and the most famous opening. More to come! I recommend this even though everyone knows the opening out of hope that folks actually listen to the whole work, which contains far more treasures than just the opening measures.

Most famous for the “Ode to Joy” in the 9th symphony, Für Elise, the “Moonlight” Sonata, but what's not to love from Beethoven? Almost all of his works are among the best ever written—and most played—for that medium: All 32 piano sonatas, especially the last ones (Opp 101-111) and the famous ones with “names” (Pathetique, Appassionata, Tempest, Waldstein, Les Adieux, Hammerklavier, etc.). The violin concerto and piano concertos 3, 4, and 5. The “Spring” and “Kreutzer” violin sonatas, the third cello sonata, the Archduke trio, the string quartets and their orchestral arrangements. And then, of course, the symphonies, especially 5, 6, 7, and 9. The third, Eroica, is likely the most important of the bunch, but given its length I wouldn't advise tackling it first.

But there's so much great Beethoven that the true gems are often found in the ones not listed here! Maybe try some piano variations, like the C minor variations without an opus number—far from a secret and performed by pianists quite often, but not nearly as well known as “Moonlight.”

Companion: Joan Tower Piano Concerto, an homage to Beethoven. (Many have quoted the 5th Symphony directly, too—see also Ives' Thoreau)

23. Dvořák Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, as discussed here.

Dvořák's most famous pieces might be the Slavonic Dances, Humoresques, aria “Song to the Moon,” and “Songs my mother taught me.” But his lush melodies also compete for the “best of” category in many genres. His cello concerto remains at the peak of its field, and his piano quintet, “Dumky” piano trio, “American” string quartet, Serenade for Strings (and for Winds), and Symphonies 8 and 9 are all, I could argue, the most accessible first pieces to experience in their respective genres.

Companion: Florence Price Symphony 1, also with inspiration from vernacular American tunes.

24. Mahler Symphony No. 1, the first one I fell in love with. Here's the long play! Didn't think you could get away without one—so I hid it. The full first movement is below. But actually I hope you watch the whole symphony!

Amazing that someone can be one of the greatest of all time with just a handful of symphonies and little else in the standard repertoire. After the first symphony, try the second, fifth, sixth, and ninth. Known for gorgeous slow movements and spectacular endings.

Companion: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Song of Hiawatha, once called the “African Mahler.”

25. Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor

What to recommend next, other than the operas (Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Magic Flute, discussed here) and Requiem? The piano concertos and sonatas, the violin concertos and sonatas, or the symphonies like “Jupiter”? His most recognizable tunes are Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and Rondo alla turca (and its modern day variations).

Companion: Arvo Pärt Tabula Rasa, lyricism, propulsion, brilliant string writing, and depth from a very important composer.

26. Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3, discussed here.

Prokofiev is most famous at children's concerts for Peter and the Wolf and for the ballets Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella, but classical music's “bad boy” is often known for his dissonant music. Try a “war” sonata for piano (number 7-9) or a violin concerto.

Companion: Esa-Pekka Salonen Piano Concerto, where dissonance and virtuosity meet excitement in this sci-fi inspired piano concerto.

27. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5—melodist maybe even better than his idol, Mozart?

His most famous works are the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, discussed here, and the 1812 overture from the film chapter. The first piano and violin concertos are arguably the most played in the repertoire—the less-played second and barely-played third piano concertos merit better! The Sixth Symphony (“Pathétique”) joins the Fifth as a symphonic staple. The Dumka for piano solo, the Rococo Variations cello concerto (maybe the hardest of his concerti?), Serenade for Strings, and the chamber works Souvenir de Florence and Piano Trio are all standard repertoire but not as popularly known.

Companion: William Grant Still Symphony 1 “Afro-American”, who has been called “an American Tchaikovsky” and the “Dean of Afro-American Composers.”

28. Grieg Piano Concerto has made its way into the piano concerto repertoire with lovely melodies, a long showy solo cadenza, and easy drama, and is often among the first Romantic concerti a piano student will learn. I will admit I've tired of this one, but that doesn't mean it's any less great.

His most famous work is In the Hall of the Mountain King, another Halloween and pops-concert staple. The Peer Gynt suite, Holberg Suite and lyric pieces are often played, but his Ballade, String Quartet and sonatas for piano and violin are sometimes overlooked.

Companion: Amy Beach Piano Concerto, an easy to listen to Romantic concerto with beautiful melodies.

29. Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony is known for its giant organ chords, but as an orchestral pianist my favorite part is the piano four-hands section that sounds like the Aquarium from his Carnival of the Animals (my first professional orchestra gig).

Most famous for the Carnival of the Animals, specifically the Swan, and Danse Macabre, yet another Halloween piece and the related Danse Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah. Piano Concertos 2 and 5, the violin showpiece Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and first cello concerto form some of his standard repertoire. But Sol Gabetta's version of the Second Cello Concerto went viral for good reason.

Companion: Hans Zimmer Interstellar, which also uses the organ to achieve a general sense of epicness.

30. Elgar Cello Concerto, as discussed here. In 1906, violinist Fritz Kreisler called Elgar the greatest living composer, “without hesitation.” It's possible he gives Dvořák's Romantic tunefulness a run for his money.

Most famous for Pomp and Circumstance, a British patriotic song known in the US as “the graduation song” since Yale played it for Elgar's honorary doctorate in 1905, followed by the Salut d'amour. Far greater music from Elgar is his set of “Enigma” variations, in which each movement describes someone in his life—and in which he says there's a secret code that has puzzled musicologists for over a century. Also worth listening are his Serenade for Strings, Introduction and Allegro, violin concerto, and symphonies.

Companion: Clyne DANCE, gorgeous cello lines that are painful, nostalgic, and freeing, sometimes all at once.

31. Sibelius Violin Concerto, my favorite of the standard repertoire violin concerti. Definitely worth watching the outer movements if you're just getting into Sibelius.

Most famous for Finlandia, there are also fantastic moments in the Valse Triste, second, fifth, and seventh symphonies. More and more pianists are playing his piano works these days, too.

Companion: John Adams Violin Concerto, virtuosic violin concerto with a grooving perpetual motion finale.

32. Franck Violin sonata, as discussed in the rabbit hole for night music.

Outside of this one overplayed piece, Franck remains one of the most underrated composers—the Piano Quintet, the Prélude, Choral et Fugue for piano, and even the once-popular D minor symphony find themselves on the fringes of the standard repertoire. Franck was an organist, and so it's only right to include an organ piece like the Prélude, Fugue et Variation.

Companion: Rebecca Clarke Viola Sonata, which has become standard repertoire for violists.

33. Haydn C Major Cello Concerto. Often the first major concerto cellists learn, though this performance makes it seem way too difficult for that.

Those who think Haydn is boring can try his more “Romantic” D Major Cello Concerto or F minor variations for piano. But really, poor “Papa” Haydn, one of the forefathers of classical music so maligned by poor performances that miss his wit and character. Luckily, there are now plenty of good performances of his piano sonatas, string quartets, Trumpet concerto, and symphonies that capture all of his humor and drama.

Companion: Tom Johnson Failing for String Bass, one of the funniest pieces I've heard, though a very different humor from Haydn's.

34. Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 2, his most played, most “Romantic” sonata.

But his sonatas get wilder from 3, 4, and 5, and progressively more towards his later work. But his études and preludes provide short, varied, and beautiful ways to experience Scriabin.

Companion: Grażyna Bacewicz Piano Sonata 2, an emotional and important Eastern European piece in the Sonata form.

“Harder”

35. Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8. Who knows if the composers in this section are actually harder to listen to? This one is awesome.

This theme is also used in his chamber symphony, but his most famous piece is the much tamer Waltz.

In addition to his string quartets, his symphonies (especially 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 15), cello concertos, violin concertos, cello sonata, violin sonata, second piano trio and quintet, all could be called the century's greatest. Some of the solo piano works, like the sonatas and preludes are great works not played as much.

Companion: Gabriela Smith Carrot Revolution, a fresh take on the String Quartet which shares some of the “hard rock” feel of Shostakovich.

36. Handel Fireworks Music, a toss-up with its partner, Water Music, music that has had new life breathed into it by more recent historically-informed performances.

Most famous for the Messiah with its Hallelujah chorus on many holiday playlists. The Kempff arrangement of the Menuet and the Halvorsen arrangement of the Passacaglia (which is more Halvorsen than Handel) are fairly common encores. Among his keyboard works, the Chaconne and “Harmonious Blacksmith” are the most popular, but the other suites are getting more attention, which they deserve in my opinion.

Companion: Brett Dean Fire Music, pure energy.

37. Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

One of music's Big Names, relegated to the less easy listening part of the list because many of his works go long stretches without catchy tunes to grab the attention. His Hungarian Dances are his most publicly known pieces.

But I wouldn't feel bad about listening to single movements from the big works: the symphonies, violin concerto, piano concertos, violin sonatas, cello sonatas, piano trios, quartets, and quintet, horn trio, clarinet sonatas, trio, and quintet, could all easily be called the greatest works in their genres—or period.

Among the piano works, the shorter intermezzos, like the popular Op. 118 No. 2 are good places to start before diving into the epic Handel Variations, Paganini Variations, and sonatas. Then come back to the rest of the shorter intermezzi where Brahms bears his soul.

Companion: Missy Mazzoli Bolts of Loving Thunder, inspired by the music of Brahms.

38. J.S. Bach Goldberg Variations, perhaps my favorite piece in the world. Don't worry, more Bach will be coming in a future chapter.

This was from a short recording I made, but the Glenn Gould recordings of the complete variations are required listening (even if you don't end up liking them).

The most publicly recognizable works are probably the Air on the G String, the Prelude from the G Major Cello Suite, the Halloween-y D Minor Organ Toccata, the Sheep May Safely Graze, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, and the C Major Prelude to the Well-Tempered Clavier.

His sacred works—especially the St. John and St. Matthew Passions and B Minor Mass—are often called the greatest pieces of music ever written (to say nothing of the Easter Oratorio, cantatas, etc.), but vocal music is supposed to be beyond the scope of this list.

Despite these works, Bach is low on this list because he doesn't always put a pretty melody in the highest register—you have to listen to everything that is happening to make sense of it. So where to start with Bach? Personally I would lean into his more dramatic works which can be found in every genre—in that sense, Bach was a “Romantic” composer, extremely effective at conveying mood and action.

We have his suites for cello (and cello piccolo), violin works, flute works, lute works, keyboard works and concertos, Brandenburg concertos, and all of the organ works, not to mention the transcriptions.

And then you have the three big variations works that perhaps take the cake in the greatest music ever debate—The Goldberg Variations, C minor Passacaglia for organ, and D minor Chaconne for violin (and its transcriptions)—but I might start with the smaller works first.

Companion: Frederic Rzewski The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, a set of piano 36 variations similar in scope to Bach's.

39. Bartók Concerto for Orchestra, with his signature use of Night Music in the slow movement and folk tunes for the melodies.

His most famous tunes are probably the Romanian Folk Dances or his children's pieces.

We already discussed his Miraculous Mandarin, but some of his other greatest and most original works are the Sonata for 2 pianos and percussion, music for strings, percussion, and celesta, and Contrasts for clarinet, violin, and piano. If you get scared of his piano and violin concertos, try out the Zander masterclass at that previous link (lesson at 4:43).

Some of his thornier works include his solo violin and piano works. Bartók's String Quartets are some of the most important in the genre, but they can be even more dissonant and "metal" than Shostakovich.

Companion: Gabriela Lena Frank Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, with inspiration from folk music. ^💬

Bruckner

40. Bruckner Symphony No. 9, a piece I still only “get” some of the time.

To me, Bruckner's power lies in its power to wash over you over many, many minutes. They are so long that it can be very easy to fall asleep to them. Even though the climaxes are big and exciting, they have to be attended to over time for full effect. After listening to the “Unfinished” ninth symphony in full, try 6, 7, and 8.

Companion: John Luther Adams Become Ocean, music of giant scale that washes over you.

We did it! Is this every major non-vocal work in Classical Music? I mean, no, but time to argue with me. I'd love, for instance, to add a contemporary composer the next time I revise this. Find me someone to kick off!

The Rabbit Hole, Kinda

But now, more???! Couldn't let you go without a Rabbit Hole. Here's a top 25 list, but by genre this time. Still no repeating a composer. Maximum of two provided for further listening in the footnotes (that might have been chosen if not for the no repetitions rule). So much fun.

Genres are kinda arbitrary, but so is this whole exercise. No embedded videos this time, so that it's more scannable:

1. Piano Solo: Chopin Preludes  ^💬
2. Piano Concerto: Rachmaninoff No. 3  ^💬
3. Solo strings: Bach Chaconne  ^💬
4. Violin Concerto: Sibelius  ^💬
5. “Lower” Strings Concerto: Dvořák Cello  ^💬
6. Piano Duo: Schubert F minor Fantasy  ^💬
7. String Duo/Sonata: Franck Violin Sonata  ^💬
8. Piano Trio: Ravel  ^💬
9. Piano Quartet/Quintet: Schumann Quintet  ^💬
10. String Quartet: Shostakovich No. 8  ^💬
11. Strings > 4: Mendelssohn Octet  ^💬
12. Irregular chamber: Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time  ^💬
13. Irregular concerto: Bartók Concerto for Orchestra  ^💬
14. String/Chamber Orchestra: Barber Adagio  ^💬
15. Symphony: Beethoven No. 3  ^💬
16. Choral symphony: Mahler No. 2  ^💬
17. Choral: Verdi Requiem  ^💬
18. Symphonic poem: Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade  ^💬
19. Wind solo/duo: Debussy Syrinx  ^💬
20. Wind trio: Brahms Horn Trio  ^💬
21. Woodwind concerto: Mozart Clarinet  ^💬
22. Brass concerto: Haydn Trumpet  ^💬
23. Opera: Wagner Die Walküre (The Valkyries)  ^💬
24. Song/Song Cycle: Strauss Four Last Songs  ^💬
25. Ballet: Tchaikovsky Swan Lake  ^💬