Notes and Editorial Reviews
The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music consists of famous selections performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of David Parry, with additional appearances by violinist Pieter Schoeman, pianist Finghin Collins, and guitarist Craig Ogden. While the term "greatest" may be debatable in the instance of some of the pieces, "popular" is a description that's easier to support, for there's no denying the staying power of these pieces. Indeed, some are so well-loved, they have become obligatory on such collections and are likely found in most listeners' collections. Pachelbel's ubiquitous Canon in D major and the spurious Albinoni Adagio (actually composed by Remo Giazotto) are here, as is Stanley Myers' Cavatina from The
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Deer Hunter, though most of the tracks are excerpted sections from longer works, such as operas, concertos, symphonies, and choral works. In this way, the masters from Bach and Vivaldi to Rachmaninov and Mahler are generously represented, so even though the album gives merely a sample of what each composer's music is like, the quantity of tracks makes it a broad introductory survey. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Peer Gynt Suite no 1, Op. 46: no 1, Prelude "Morning" by Edvard Grieg
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875/1888; Norway
2.
Symphony no 5 in C minor, Op. 67: 1st movement, Allegro con brio by Ludwig van Beethoven
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1807-1808; Vienna, Austria
3.
Concerto for Violin in E major, Op. 8 no 1/RV 269 "Primavera": 1st movement, Allegro by Antonio Vivaldi
Performer:
Pieter Schoeman (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: circa 1725; Venice, Italy
4.
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 by Samuel Barber
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1936; Rome, Italy
5.
Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1856; Germany
6.
Nocturnes (3) for Piano, B 54/Op. 9: no 2 in E flat major by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Finghin Collins (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1830-1831; Poland
7.
Canon and Gigue for 3 Violins and Basso Continuo in D major: Canon by Johann Pachelbel
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: Germany
8.
Carmina burana: no 1, O fortuna by Carl Orff
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1936; Germany
9.
Suite for Orchestra no 3 in D major, BWV 1068: Air by Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: circa 1729-1731; Leipzig, Germany
10.
The Planets, Op. 32/H 125: Jupiter by Gustav Holst
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1914-1916; England
11.
Suite bergamasque: 3rd movement, Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Finghin Collins (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1890/1905; France
12.
Nabucco: Va, pensiero by Giuseppe Verdi
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1842; Italy
13.
Concerto for Piano no 21 in C major, K 467: 2nd movement, Andante by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1785; Vienna, Austria
14.
Brandenburg Concerto no 3 in G major, BWV 1048: 1st movement, Allegro by Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1711-1713; ?Weimar, Germany
15.
Thaďs: Meditation by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Pieter Schoeman (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1894; France
16.
Symphony no 9 in E minor, Op. 95/B 178 "From the New World": 2nd movement, Largo by Antonín Dvorák
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1893; USA
17.
An der schönen, blauen Donau, Op. 314 by Johann Strauss Jr.
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1867; Vienna, Austria
18.
Hungarian Dances (21) for Orchestra, WoO 1: no 5 in G minor by Johannes Brahms
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1868; Austria
19.
Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a: Scčne by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875-1876; Russia
20.
Gymnopédies (3) for Piano: no 1, Lent et douloureux by Erik Satie
Performer:
Finghin Collins (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1888; France
21.
Requiem in D minor, K 626: Lacrymosa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1791; Vienna, Austria
22.
Bagatelle for Piano in A minor, WoO 59 "Für Elise" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:
Finghin Collins (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: 1808; Vienna, Austria
23.
Pomp and Circumstance Marches (5), Op. 39: no 1 in D major by Sir Edward Elgar
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1901; England
24.
Carmen: Suite no 2 - Habańera by Georges Bizet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1873-1874; France
25.
Symphony no 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral": 4th movement, Finale - Ode to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1822-1824; Vienna, Austria
26.
Les contes d'Hoffmann: Barcarolle by Jacques Offenbach
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1881; Paris, France
27.
Adagio for Organ and Strings in G minor by Tomaso Albinoni
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: Venice, Italy
28.
Serenade no 13 in G major, K 525 "Eine kleine Nachtmusik": 1st movement, Allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1787; Vienna, Austria
29.
Il barbiere di Siviglia: Overture by Gioachino Rossini
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1816; Italy
30.
Sonata for Piano no 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 no 2 "Moonlight": 1st movement, Adagio sostenuto by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:
Finghin Collins (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: 1801; Vienna, Austria
31.
Má vlast: no 2, Moldau, T 111 by Bedrich Smetana
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1874; Czech Republic
32.
Quintet for 2 Violins, Viola and 2 Cellos in E major, Op. 11 no 5/G 275: 3rd movement, Minuet in A by Luigi Boccherini
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1771; Spain
33.
Symphony no 40 in G minor, K 550: 1st movement, Molto allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1788; Vienna, Austria
34.
Slavonic Dances (8) for Orchestra, Op. 72/B 147: no 2 in E minor, Dumka by Antonín Dvorák
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1886-1887; Bohemia
35.
Ave Maria by Charles Gounod
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1859; France
36.
Finlandia, Op. 26 by Jean Sibelius
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: Finland
37.
Sonata for Piano no 11 in A major, K 331 (300i): 3rd movement, Rondo alla turca by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Finghin Collins (Piano)
Period: Classical
Written: 1781-1783; Vienna, Austria
38.
Die Zauberflöte, K 620: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1791; Vienna, Austria
39.
Messiah, HWV 56: Hallelujah! by George Frideric Handel
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1742; London, England
40.
Peer Gynt Suite no 1, Op. 46: no 4, Hall of the mountain king by Edvard Grieg
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1875/1888; Norway
41.
Pavane, Op. 50 by Gabriel Fauré
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1887; France
42.
Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: 1st movement, Vivace by Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1717-1723; Cöthen, Germany
43.
L'arlésienne: Suite no 1 - 1st movement, Prélude by Georges Bizet
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1872; France
44.
Radetzky March, Op. 228 by Johann Strauss Sr.
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1848; Vienna, Austria
45.
Egmont, Op. 84: Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1810; Vienna, Austria
46.
The Deer Hunter: Cavatina by Stanley Myers
Performer:
Craig Ogden (Guitar)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1979
47.
Concerti grossi (12), Op. 6: no 8 in G minor "Christmas" - Allegro by Arcangelo Corelli
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Baroque
Written: 1708-1712; Rome, Italy
48.
Songs (14), Op. 34: no 14, Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninov
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1912-1915; Russia
49.
Requiem Mass: Dies irae by Giuseppe Verdi
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1874; Italy
50.
Symphony no 5 in C sharp minor: 4th movement, Adagietto by Gustav Mahler
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1901-1902; Vienna, Austria
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