Classical CDs
By the end of the millennium (2000), approximately, I had about 5,000 classical CDs in my collection. Though I also love soft jazz, and variety of pop music for easy listening, I doted mainly on the works of the world's greatest classical composers.
My classical CD collection sets out to include what I consider the most important or the best known works of my favourite composers, but I've also included lesser known composers, with the aim of widening new areas of interest. I have my favourite operas in my collection, though I mainly mention samples of arias and choruses.
In time, more CDs will be added to this collection... 6 January 2007
Bach, Johann Sebastian:
Brandenburg Concertos 1, 2 & 3, 4, 5 & 6; "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", Orchestral Suites Nos. 1 & 2, 3 & 4; Violin Concertos; Organ Favourites; three Preludes and Fugues and the great D minor Toccata and Fugue.
Bartok:
Concerto for Orchestra & Music for Strings
Beethoven:
Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" & Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 9 "Choral", Moonlight, Pathetique & Appassionata Sonatas, Emperor Concerto & Piano Concerto No. 2; Eroica Symphony & Symphony No. 8; Violin Concerto & Romances Nos. 1 & 2; Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4; Spring & Kreutzer Violin Sonatas
Bizet:
Suites from L'Arlesienne & Carmen
Boccherini:
Cello Concerto in Bb
Borodin:
In the Steppes of Central Asia & Polovtsian Dances; String Quartet No. 2
Brahms:
Piano Concerto No. 2; Hungarian Dances; Violin Concerto; Symphony No. 1 & 3
Britten:
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Bruch:
Violin Concerto No. 1
Bruchner:
Symphony No. 4 "Romantic"
Chopin:
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Nocturnes & Waltzes; Piano Sonatas nos. 1, 2 & 3
Delibes:
Coppelia, Sylvia
Debussy:
Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, Nocturnes & La mer
Dvořák:
New World Symphony & Symphonic Variations; Cello Concerto; Slavonic Dances; Serenade
Elgar:
Cello Concerto; Dream of Gerontius, Enigma Variations "Nimrod"
Faure:
Requiem
Gershwin:
Rhapsody in Blue, Piano Concerto & An American in Paris
Grieg:
Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 & 2, Piano Concerto
Handel:
Music for the Royal Fireworks & Water Music; Messiah
Haydn:
Surprise, Clock & Hen Symphonies; Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Emperor, Fifths & Sunrise String Quartets
Holst:
The Planets & Suite de Ballet
Janacek:
Sinfonietta, Taras Bulba & Lachlan Dances
Kreisler, F:
Romantic Violin favourites melodies
Liszt:
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Mahler:
Symphony No. 4 & 8
Mendelssohn, Felix:
Violin Concertos; Italian Symphony & A Midsummer Night's Dream; Scottish Symphony, Hebrides, Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage & Ruy Blas Overtures
Mozart, Wolfgang A:
Eine kleine Nachtmusic & Serenata Notturna, Requiem, Bassoon Concerto & Horn Concerto, Oboe Concerto & Clarinet Concerto, Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 5, Adagio & Rondo, Symphonieis Nos. 40 & 41; Coronation Mass, Laudate Dominum, Ave verum corpus & Exsultate, jubilate; Mozart Overtures, ranging from his early Apollo et Hyacinthus to The Magic Flute overtures and La clemenza di Tito; Piano Concertos Nos. 20 & 21, K.466 & K.467
Note: Like any Mozartian, including me, I have my own list of Mozart music I consider my best (or favourites). Here's one list from classicfm.com - The 15 greatest pieces of classical music by Mozart.
Mussorgsky:
Pictures at an Exhibition & Night on the Bare Mountain
Orff:
Carmina Burana
Paganini:
Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Prokofiev:
Peter & the Wolf; The Love for Three Oranges, Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella; Classical Symphony & Symphony No. 5
Rachmaninov:
Piano Concerto No. 2 & 3, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Ravel:
Bolero, Daphnis et Chloe (Suite No. 1)
Respighi:
Symphonic Poems
Rimsky-Korsakov:
Romantic Violin Favourites - Song of the Volga Boatmen, Londonderry Air
Rossini:
Overtures, including William Tell
Saint-Saëns, Camille:
Organ Symphony; Carnival of the Animals
Scarlatti:
Piano Sonatas
Schubert:
Trout Quintet & Adagio, Impromptus, Piano Sonatas D 960 & 958, Rondo Concertante; Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished", Symphony No. 5 & Rosamunde Ballet Music No. 2; String Quartet "Death and the Maiden"
Schumann, Robert:
Piano Concerto; Carnaval, PApillons & Scenes of Childhood
Shostakovich:
Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 Sibelius:
Finlandia, Karelia Suite, The Swan of Tuonela & Valse Triste; Violin Concerto
Strauss, Johann II:
Waltzes
Strauss, Richard:
Also sprach Zarathustra, Salome's Dance & Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalaier
Tchaikovsky:
Piano Concerto No. 1, Symphony No. 5 & 6 "Pathetique", 1812 Overture, Capriccio Italien, Romeo & Juliet; Violin Concertos; Francesca da Rimini; Nutcracker & Swan Lake; Sleeping Beauty
Telemann:
Three Violin Concerto, Viola Concerto, Two Horn Concerto
Verdi:
Opera Choruses - from the chorus of Hebrew slaves in Nabucco to the gypsies of La Traviata and Il Trovatore and the patriotic march & chorus from Aida.
Vivaldi:
The Four Seasons & Concerto alla Rustica
Wagner:
The Flying Dutchman, Tannhauser & Lohengrin
Miscellaneous:
Guitar Concertos - Rodrigo, Tarrega, Villa-lobos, Ponce
Invitation to the Dance - C. M. von Weber's Invitation to the Dance, Adam's Giselle, Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours
(c) January 2007. Updated May 2024. Tel Asiado. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
