25 April 2008

What would be on your list?

As per a recent post about music, I have been trying to make a list of "essential" pieces for my children. It is, of course, subjective and, by no means, meant to be exhaustive. But I'm curious... what would be on your list? What classical music would you want your child to not only hear, but know?
The start of my list...
Bach -- anything and everything, but especially B minor Mass, cello suites, Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations
Barber -- The Hermit Songs, Adagio and Agnus Dei
Beethoven -- anything, especially The Pastoral Symphony #6, piano sonatas
Brahms -- German Requiem
Copland -- Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, El Salon Mexico, Fanfare for the Common Man
Durufle -- Requiem, Four Motets
Dvorak -- New World Symphony
Faure -- Requiem, Pavane
Gershwin -- Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris
Handel -- Largo, Water Music, Royal Fireworks
Holst -- The Planets
Ireland -- Greater Love
Mahler -- Symphony #2
Mendelssohn -- Symphony #3, Midsummer's Night's Dream
Mozart -- anything, especially the Clarinet Concerto in A
Palestrina -- Missa Papae Marcelli, motets
Prokofiev -- Romeo and Juliet, Peter and the Wolf
Rachmaninoff-- Piano Concerto #2, Piano Concerto #3, Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Preludes
Rutter -- Requiem, anything else
Schubert -- assorted lieder
Stravinsky -- The Rite of Spring, The Firebird
Vaughan Williams -- The Lark Ascending, Canon on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, choral works and hymns
Vivaldi -- Four Seasons

7 comments:

Christy Fritz said...

Hi April,
I'm here from Angela's site.
Love this list...couldn't add anything, but I will be stealing this one for my music curricullum. :) Have enjoyed the posts on sacred music.
thanks
christy

Jim and Amy Rennie said...

Jim and I will add "Judy is a Punk" by the Ramones. And the Beatles entire catalog.

April said...

Hee, hee. Yeah, I haven't even tried to figure out what popular music is essential. WAY too hard!

Maria Baker said...

This list makes me feel dumb. Like, I thought I knew alot about music and suddenly realize I know absolutely nothing.

So, I'm going to rip it off and educate myself.
Just when I thought I was done with my education, you pull me back in....thanks....

xo.

A. Lin said...

I do not know very much about classical music. My boys seem to recognize some of it though thanks to the Little Einsteins on Disney.

I wonder if Little Einsteins plans to sell a CD with the full piece of music on it though. I'd be interested in purchasing if that were true.

April said...

Christy ... I realized I didn't say, "hi"! So... hi! Thanks for stopping in!

Maria... you have always blown me away with your knowledge of art. I'll be making that list eventually and I'll definitely need your help.
And when we get ready to study Commander Riker, I'll have you on speed dial. :)

A. Lin... I really like the Little Einstein adaptations, too. I think it is helpful for little ears to hear music in an accessible instrumentation sometimes. I'd buy that collection, too.

Unknown said...

Check your mailbox in the next week.

Luv -
smullens