[kwitel]

Id like to hear subjective answers here; not interested in what may be the most accessible piece or, what you think the masses might agree on.

Looking for that particular piece(s) that is not only your favorite, but the one that you think also best represents the overall feel/style of that particular composer.

 

[zeroibis]

This will probably be a bit odd compared to most but I must say that out of everything my all time favorite really is: Sergio Leone Suite: The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly (Ecstacy of Gold) it is from Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone. I just love the way it is pieced together it is just fantastic!

 

[limpidglitch]

Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto in D major RV93 for two violins, lute and basso continuo.

It's got all the typical Vivaldi stuff. Small repeating themes that stick to your mind for a long time. The duality, elegantly changing between energetic, playful dancing rhythms, and slow, dreamy movements. Painting pictures with colours no other composers even knew about, making whole living environments with their changing moods. It all flows so effortlessly, never appearing dense and complicated as baroque often do. It's music you can tap your feet to, groove to.
This little piece has it all.

 

[mbhaub]

Mahler: The Third Symphony. It has all the hallmarks of Mahler: huge orchestra (and he uses it), his innate sense of song using the solo voice and choir, the wildly romantic vision, the long, gorgeous finale. It's the perfect Mahler symphony.

 

[zumaro]

Joseph Haydn - Missa in Augustiis (Nelson Mass)
Any of Haydn's six late masses stand head and shoulders above every other classical mass, with the exception of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, but the Nelson Mass is the best of them. Inhabiting a distinctive sound world with its restricted orchestra of strings, drums, trumpets and organ, it combines Haydn's symphonic urgency with operatic solos and awe inspiring choruses, into a deeply spiritual and moving whole. Simply the best mass written between Bach's B minor and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.

 

[LarryK2]

. . . String Quartet, though Op. 131 would be an equally good choice; I just happen to love the Molto adagio from 132. I think any Beethoven other than one of the late Quartets does a disservice to his mystic and cosmic genius.

 

[DavidMahler]

A good composer, let alone "favorite" composer could never truly be represented by a single work.....

Mahler is my favorite...........

I think one really gets the sense of his evolution and the completion of his styles if they listen to the 2nd, the 5th and 9th symphonies................

Brahms has a variety of mediums he wrote for.....

for his chamber works either the Piano Quintet or Clarinet Quintet is well-nigh definitive

for his symphonies.....they're all good, but I think the 4th is his greatest

for his concertos.......the 2nd Piano Concerto is the sure winner, though his other piano concerto and violin concerto are genius

For his solo piano works..........It's hard to separate different op. numbers for me concerning his last (and greatest piano works).....my favorite is Op. 117.....but anything 116-119 is the epitome of his writing.

and finally the Germany Requiem is his greatest achievement for voice perhaps.

 

[zumaro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryK2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif . . . String Quartet, though Op. 131 would be an equally good choice; I just happen to love the Molto adagio from 132. I think any Beethoven other than one of the late Quartets does a disservice to his mystic and cosmic genius.

I think the late piano sonatas show the same degree of mystic and cosmic genius! I would choose Opus 111 as my cosmic Beethoven, but any of those late works would do, with their mix of the earthy and the transcendental

 

[zumaro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif A good composer, let alone "favorite" composer could never truly be represented by a single work.....

Ahh true, but thats not the point - reduce your favorite down to one work that best represents him. With a Mahler or Brahms I think thats easier than with Beethoven, who has distinct phases in his output. So in actual fact for Beethoven (if he was my favorite composer) I would be tempted to pick the 3rd Symphony, as a good mix of the radical and the classical - that way I have 2 phases covered. But Mahler poses me no great problem to pick the 3rd Symphony as covering a lot of representative bases, psychological tics and musical themes, or Brahms the German Requiem or maybe the 4th Symphony as catching his essential sobriety and autumnal outlook.

I picked my favorite Haydn for a work that manages to be symphonic as well as spiritual, summing up many aspects of the man's stupendous creativity.

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zumaro /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ahh true, but thats not the point - reduce your favorite down to one work that best represents him. With a Mahler or Brahms I think thats easier than with Beethoven, who has distinct phases in his output. So in actual fact for Beethoven (if he was my favorite composer) I would be tempted to pick the 3rd Symphony, as a good mix of the radical and the classical - that way I have 2 phases covered. But Mahler poses me no great problem to pick the 3rd Symphony as covering a lot of representative bases, psychological tics and musical themes, or Brahms the German Requiem or maybe the 4th Symphony as catching his essential sobriety and autumnal outlook. I picked my favorite Haydn for a work that manages to be symphonic as well as spiritual, summing up many aspects of the man's stupendous creativity.

OK.....with this I will attempt to revamp


MAHLER: Symphony 5 because its smack dab in the middle, unfortunately it does not demonstrate his amazing gift for vocal or choral writing.

BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2.......his symphonies are all great, but I think the Piano Concerto in B-flat goes a step further, and shows just how creatively he wrote for the instrument as well

MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 20......Still one of the all time great piano concertos, and probably Mozart's most continuously enjoyable instrumental composition. Some would choose his Requiem or an opera to represent him.

HAYDN: Creation......no brainer for me, he considered it his best, it probably was his best, though it takes more from the listener than his more accessible symphonies

LISZT: Piano Sonata in B Minor........the greatest piano sonata of all time? Perhaps not, but definitely one of the top 10, and certainly the Hungarian composer's most interesting work for the instrument he is so known for.

CHOPIN: Ballade No. 4 in F Minor.........The greatest continuous movement of piano writing ever? Maybe, definitely my most essential Chopin.

BEETHOVEN: I'm inclined to say the 5th Symphony (sorta a midway point).....if we were going to consider how advanced Beethoven were to progress, I'd say the 32nd Piano Sonata or String Quartet 15 (op. 132)....but I don't know that that fully represents his output. The 5th is better for this purpose if not quite as "complex"

BACH: St Matthew Passion......nothing else to say about that..........definitely the St Matthew Passion (yes more than even the Mass in B Minor)

 

[Mink]

Mahler - Symphony no. 2
Great transition from the 'classical' form to 'romantic'.
The 1st movement ("Totenfeier") is my favorite Mahler 'piece'

Bartok - 4 Orchestral pieces.
Haunting, dark, melancholy and highly emotional, which is interesting because the music for a large part is purely written as a study in form, there's not a personal (emotional) meaning behind it.
(Very difficult choice between Bartoks Wooden Prince and these Orchestral pieces)

Bach - Concerto in D Minor for two violins
I never get tired of this, melodic, emotional... just sheer beauty.

Mozart - Great Mass in C.
'Entertainment', beauty and depth. It gets me more than his Requim and even his excellent operas like Le Nozze and Don Giovanni

Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe
Such a beauty of tone...Ravel is a genious in orchestrating.
(Preferably Boulez' version on DG)

 

[Tyson]

Brahms - Symphony 3

Bach - French Suites

Beethoven - Violin Sonata 9 "Kreutzer"

Mahler - Symphony 2

Mozart - Piano Concerto 20

Sibelius - Violin Concerto

Shostakovich - String Quartet #8

Chopin - Mazurkas

Debussy - Etudes

Tchaikovsky - Symphony 6

Schubert - Piano Trio #2

Bruckner - Symphony 8

Prokofiev - Piano Concerto 3

Bartok - Miraculous Mandolin

Dvorak - Symphony 7

 

[Papa Sun]

Some early music, perhaps?

Marin Marais - Les Voix Humaines. A solo viol piece, not his most typical, but definitely the one that best represents his incredible sensitivity to harmonies and post-Louis XIV melancholy. The version from Spectre de la Rose is my favourite, even though Jordi Savall's is arguably more refined.

John Dowland - Lachrimae Antiquae (from Lachrimae or Seauen Teares). Of course... his Magnum Opus, I particularly like the lute version by Jakob Lindberg, or John Potter's very nice vocal rendition of the corresponding aire ("Flow my Teares"). An excellent consort version would be the one from Fretwork with Jacob Herringman.

Josquin Des Prez: Douleur me bat. A mere chanson, but one that really captures his "refined naivity", much more than the often-cited Milles Regretz, or any other of his many motets and masses. Particularly interesting is the arrangement for recorder consort.

 

[tru blu]

Morton Feldman - "Triadic Memories"

Steve Reich - "Music for 18 Musicians'

Arvo Pārt - "Tabula Rasa"

 

[pekingduck]

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 / Symphony No. 3
Bruckner - Symphony No. 4
Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto
Brahms - Symphony No. 4
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1
Mahler - Symphony No. 9.. I really can't stand this piece but I think it's the most 'Mahlerian' (My fav. is No. 2)