Favorite orchestral music

Gershwins for me. Love the jazz they infuse into the music.

 

Jesus, where to begin. but here are a few symphonies:

Brahms Symphony #1: the last movement is particularly compelling (and famous). sometimes described as "Beethoven's Tenth." the early Berlin recordings with Karajan, from the 60s on DG, are fantastic, sound great, and are real bargins.

Rachmaninov Symphony #2: one of the greatest "romantic" symphonies, in both senses of that word. put on the 3rd movement, pour a glass of cognac...i like the Baltimore/Zinman recording (although there are many good alternatives.)

Sibelius Symphony #4: the 2nd and 4th are probably better known, but the 5th remains my favorite, with its "swinging 5ths" big tune, and cryptic ending (you have to hear it) Karajan again, on EMI in Berlin, is great, although the CD is out of print (you can download an MP3 here), and there's also a great new recording with Osmo Vänska and the Minnesota Orchestra, coupled with the 2nd, a great combination.

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Not sure this falls, it has strings at the end.
Pachelbel meets U2 - Jon Schmidt
Glory Soundtrack theme - Hanz Zimmer? Can't remember
The Patriot Soundtrack theme
Gladiator Soundtrack (the whole soundtrack) - Lisa Gerard and Hanz Zimmer, I believe
Jupiter/Mars - Gustav Holst

off the top off my head that's all I can think of
oh anything John Williams...I have a John Williams megacd, 1 song 1 hr and 17 minutes, so epicly epic it's not even epic anymore.

 

I'm going to put some soundtrack music here that I really love:

Basil Poledouris's soundtrack for 'Conan the Barbarian' is simple and beautiful.

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Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" gives me ****ing goosebumps every time. (This is actually Morricone conducting as well).

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Non-soundtrack:

One of my favorite composers, Modest Mussorgsky. This is the end of 'Pictures at an Exhibition.' If you're not into orchestral music, give this song cycle a few spins (you can find the entire thing online) and I bet you'll like it.

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Camille Saint-Saens, Danse Macabre. Very colorful orchestration that really grabs your ear.

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I'm gonna stop here.

 

Pictures is not a "song cycle." Mussorgsky wrote it for piano, and the version you posted is orchestrated by Ravel. Shostakovich, among others, has also done an orchestration.

 

Thanks for 'educating' me basso (you're a true expert), but I'm writing for a general audience and I know everything you just told me.

If you'd like, I can give you lessons in shaping your writing for particular audiences. I don't think you'd like that though because it would rob you of the option of talking down to your readers.

 

move to D&D?

 

I think this is the first time I've laughed non-derisively at one of your posts.

 

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony. It's under-appreciated compared to all the odd-numbered symphonies but is truly a gem.

 

Way too many for me to choose just one. I really like Transfigured Night. Arnold Schoenberg is a personal of a hero of mine. Five pieces for Orchestra by Webern is great too. Ok... I'm a sucker for Serialist composers....

On orchestration alone, its hard to beat Ravel though. I'm surprised no one has mentioned Stravinsky's Rite of Spring or Firebird, although those aren't strictly orchestral works. I would think maybe Vivaldi-4 seasons would be an obvious choice for many here? Just way too many to choose from. I feel bad even singling out a few composers when there are so many great works for Orchestra.

An modern arrangement for symphony that I find intriguing is the reworked arrangement of J Dilla's suite for ma dukes.

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i like ElO


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Damn it you beat me to it! repped.

 

Mahler 4, 2nd movement:

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Prokofiev 5, 2nd movement:

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Vaughan Williams, English Folk Song Suite:

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Gilbert & Sullivan Pirates of Penzance Overture:

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Shostakovich 5, 4th movement:

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two excellent British options:

Tippet's Concerto for Double String Orchestra. the adagio is particularly lovely:

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and the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Vaughn Williams.

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Really, not one fan of Beethoven's Symphony #9? I'll be the first I guess.
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I am a fan. Used to love the 4th movement the most but I think I might love the 2nd one now more (thanks to Kubrick!).

Too many others to name but would have to include Bach's Mass in B Minor which, IMO, is probably the greatest work by anyone in the history of western civilization. Also, Pictures at an Exhibition (the Ravel orchestrated version), as well as Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe Suite #2 and pretty much everything done by Debussy, especially La Mer and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Finally got to show some love for this whole symphony (clip is for the last movement):

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