Classical music with strong hooks

[Zulu Romeo]

Also, if you like your music symphonic and poetic, you can't go far wrong with Smetana's symphonic poem (see what I did there? ) Vltava. Still my all-time favourite orchestral piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49WNphaiwNY

And another vote for Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition - either his original piano composition, or Ravel's famous arrangement for symphony orchestra.

 

[Jadzia]

Listening to this Smetana piece now. It is quite nice, and it seems strikingly familiar, even though I haven't heard this as an orchestral piece before. I'm thinking the melody was used in a childrens tv programme in the 90s... was it The Queen's Nose?

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Listening to this Smetana piece now. It is quite nice, and it seems strikingly familiar, even though I haven't heard this as an orchestral piece before. I'm thinking the melody was used in a childrens tv programme in the 90s... was it The Queen's Nose?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Má_vlast#Vltava

It apparently has similarities with the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.

Personally, I feel it always reminds me of "I'm A Little Teapot..."


Incidentally, am now listening to Ravel's "Bolero". Still his most enjoyable piece, and one that needs a high degree of discipline and stamina to play, especially if you're the unfortunate percussionist on the snare drum.

Thanks for all the suggestions folks. It's going to take me some time to work through these choices; thank goodness for YouTube!

Oh, and Holdfast, thanks for starting this thread too. I've ended up listening to nothing but classical music all evening - even shunning my mashups for one night. The music also brought back cherished and enjoyable memories from childhood and teens of playing in various school and University orchestras, so that was a good move too.

One last before I sleep: a version of "Land of Hope and Glory" (not the one seen in Pomp and Circumstance March no.1, which is the version heard at the Last Night of the Proms) as featured at the end of Elgar's Coronation Ode.
(Incidentally, the Good Bit™ begins at 2:33 in the YouTube link. Personally I like this version better - moar organ. )

 

[D Man]

Saw Elgar mentioned a few times, I'd certainly add his Enigma Variations to the list. If it's got "variations" in the title, you know there's going to be a recognizable theme! And this one's a doozy, going through all sorts of fun transformations, most especially the heart-warmingly/heart-breakingly beautiful (depending on your mood) "Nimrod."

That ending is as rousing as anything Wagner wrote. The Barbirolli/Hallé recording is the definitive one IMO.

Sibelius 2 I'm talking about.

I picked up the Leonard Bernstein Sibelius "Collectors Edition" set (from his later years) a few months ago and his interpretation of the 2nd grew on me almost immediately. The liner notes say how much it was maligned, being "self-indulgent" and so on, but the breathtakingly slow tempo in the second movement especially leave me completely speechless. And of course the finale pulls out more stops than you realized are even available to be pulled out. It's definitely a different and acquired taste, but I'd call it my favorite Sibelius yet.

 

[Kataaran]

Another vote for Holst's Planets here, I'd pick out Jupiter as the standout track.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I've always had a liking for John Barry's works as well, particularly his score for The Black Hole.

 

[LitmusDragon]

It's a shame you're not into the big symphonies - the use of that famous motif throughout Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C minor is quite fascinating.

Glad to see this was mentioned- this was the first thing that came to mind. This just might be the best hook ever written in my opinion. Even someone like me who has only heard classical music in passing can identify it immediately.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Dial A Cliché by Morrissey.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Another vote for Holst's Planets here, I'd pick out Jupiter as the standout track.

I love the Planets Suite too, although I don't really see any stand-out "tracks" - they're all good in their own way. Venus and Saturn in particular are quite jazzy.

It's a shame you're not into the big symphonies - the use of that famous motif throughout Beethoven's 5th Symphony in C minor is quite fascinating.

Glad to see this was mentioned- this was the first thing that came to mind. This just might be the best hook ever written in my opinion. Even someone like me who has only heard classical music in passing can identify it immediately.

Not only merely the best hook ever written, I think Beethoven's 5th is probably the best written symphony of them all - every single note in the work makes sense in a brutally logical yet emotionally turbulent way.

Plus it has the best ending of them all (even better than Dvorak's 9th or Sibelius's 5th - but only just ).

That said, I still prefer Beethoven's 7th - it's just mad, really.

 

[Jadzia]

I don't much like Beethoven's 5th. I find it monotonous, unevolving, and consistently unsurprising. One of his least impressive symphonies. I much prefer his glorious 9th... Especially the second movement. Most inspirational

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I don't much like Beethoven's 5th. I find it monotonous, unevolving, and consistently unsurprising. One of his least impressive symphonies. I much prefer his glorious 9th... Especially the second movement. Most inspirational

Now the problem I have with the 9th is that Beethoven doesn't really know how to end it properly... but then again having built up a fantastic piece of work, it's difficult to know how to take it further, really. Plus it can get overlong and too reliant on its constituent themes at times - which shows in its "let's tie everything together" final movement. (I think Dvorak can be accused of similar things in his famous 9th, only more overtly so - then again, the start of the 3rd movement of Dvorak's 9th is very much a rip-off of the start of the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 9th. )

I like the 9th too. But for some reason it still doesn't connect as well to me as the 5th. (Or the 7th.)

 

[Kegg]

Now the problem I have with the 9th is that Beethoven doesn't really know how to end it properly...

Bah. As far as I'm concerned the Chorale makes the Ninth, it's the climax that justifies the symphony's reputation. Alright, he's self-cribbing a little (the famous theme appeared in his choral fantasia first), but. Yeah.

Freude schoene goetterfunken Tochter aus Elysium!

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Now the problem I have with the 9th is that Beethoven doesn't really know how to end it properly...

Bah. As far as I'm concerned the Chorale makes the Ninth, it's the climax that justifies the symphony's reputation. Alright, he's self-cribbing a little (the famous theme appeared in his choral fantasia first), but. Yeah.

Freude schoene goetterfunken Tochter aus Elysium!

It's the very end of the Chorale itself that I have a problem with, if indeed there is something to be picky about this piece, not the fact that the symphony ends with the Chorale, which of course is epic. It just ends a little oddly, given how much wonderful work Beethoven puts into that movement.

But I'm being picky - I still love that symphony too. Just not as much as I love the 5th. (Or the 7th. )

I love the Choral Fantasy too - just the very idea of combining piano, orchestra and choir is enough to pique my interest in this oft-overlooked work. (Plus our university group played this work for a concert, which went down very well. I was asked to sing one of the solos in it. I can't sing anymore. )




EDIT: oh, oh, oh.... have to mention this overture, one of my favourites, again taken from the traditional Vienna New Year Concerts (usually shown on BBC Two and Radio 4 every New Year's Day - always unmissable stuff):

Johann Strauss II's "Die Fledermaus" Overture (known among some circles as "DIE, Fledermaus!" or "Deflate-A-Mouse" )

 

[Tim]

I don't much like Beethoven's 5th. I find it monotonous, unevolving, and consistently unsurprising. One of his least impressive symphonies. I much prefer his glorious 9th... Especially the second movement. Most inspirational

Now the problem I have with the 9th is that Beethoven doesn't really know how to end it properly... but then again having built up a fantastic piece of work, it's difficult to know how to take it further, really. Plus it can get overlong and too reliant on its constituent themes at times - which shows in its "let's tie everything together" final movement. (I think Dvorak can be accused of similar things in his famous 9th, only more overtly so - then again, the start of the 3rd movement of Dvorak's 9th is very much a rip-off of the start of the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 9th. )

I like the 9th too. But for some reason it still doesn't connect as well to me as the 5th. (Or the 7th.)

My issue with the 9th is that it is just so unabashedly happy. At least with the fifth there is a true struggle between darkness and light, which gives the piece some tension that I think is lacking in the 9th. Another work that has such tension is the familiar Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I don't much like Beethoven's 5th. I find it monotonous, unevolving, and consistently unsurprising. One of his least impressive symphonies. I much prefer his glorious 9th... Especially the second movement. Most inspirational

Now the problem I have with the 9th is that Beethoven doesn't really know how to end it properly... but then again having built up a fantastic piece of work, it's difficult to know how to take it further, really. Plus it can get overlong and too reliant on its constituent themes at times - which shows in its "let's tie everything together" final movement. (I think Dvorak can be accused of similar things in his famous 9th, only more overtly so - then again, the start of the 3rd movement of Dvorak's 9th is very much a rip-off of the start of the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 9th. )

I like the 9th too. But for some reason it still doesn't connect as well to me as the 5th. (Or the 7th.)

My issue with the 9th is that it is just so unabashedly happy. At least with the fifth there is a true struggle between darkness and light, which gives the piece some tension that I think is lacking in the 9th. Another work that has such tension is the familiar Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky.

Our orchestra once tried to rehearse the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, but gave up after the first few pages, as it was just depressing everyone.

But to be fair, I like the 9th. I don't find it embarrassingly happy or mawkish, and I echo its sentiments. But yes, those are my feelings about the 5th completely: tension, struggle, fate, triumph, and the feeling that every note was put on that score for a reason.

Incidentally, your feelings about Beethoven's 9th are exactly my feelings about his 6th (Pastoral). Way too light and bubbly and cloy for me...

One more hook-filled classic, this one from Alexander Borodin's opera "Prince Igor":

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChoRfYn5qP4[/yt]

 

[Kataaran]

I love the Planets Suite too, although I don't really see any stand-out "tracks" - they're all good in their own way. Venus and Saturn in particular are quite jazzy.

"Tracks" is definitely the wrong word (bit too iPod generation).

 

[Jadzia]

I love the Planets Suite too, although I don't really see any stand-out "tracks" - they're all good in their own way. Venus and Saturn in particular are quite jazzy.

"Tracks" is definitely the wrong word (bit too iPod generation).

You mean vinyl generation

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I love the Planets Suite too, although I don't really see any stand-out "tracks" - they're all good in their own way. Venus and Saturn in particular are quite jazzy.

"Tracks" is definitely the wrong word (bit too iPod generation).

You mean vinyl generation

I remember when an old music teacher showed me her CD of Holst's "The Planets" and I remember how horrified I was at first to see each movement corresponding to a "track" on the CD. I was probably 9 at the time. It was my first exposure to this "compact disc" thing.

I find it interesting how classical music has adapted to the popularity of other forms of media-based entertainment from the late 19th Century onwards, such as musical theatre, radio, film, television, vinyl cassette and CD, music files, and internet streaming - usually by using these media to bring themselves to new audiences, or even (particularly with musicals) with works adapted for these media.

 

[Rincewiend]

Camille Saint-Saëns

 

[Tim]

"Tracks" is definitely the wrong word (bit too iPod generation).

You mean vinyl generation

I remember when an old music teacher showed me her CD of Holst's "The Planets" and I remember how horrified I was at first to see each movement corresponding to a "track" on the CD. I was probably 9 at the time. It was my first exposure to this "compact disc" thing.

I find it interesting how classical music has adapted to the popularity of other forms of media-based entertainment from the late 19th Century onwards, such as musical theatre, radio, film, television, vinyl cassette and CD, music files, and internet streaming - usually by using these media to bring themselves to new audiences, or even (particularly with musicals) with works adapted for these media.

Or abridging the pieces so they'd fit on 78's.