Essential Pieces By The Most Prolific Composers Of All Time!

Classical music has endured for a myriad of purposes; its elegance, complexity, and vast expanse of repertoire have all inspired audience members for hundreds of years. Within classical music, there are also several pieces that become iconic due to their use in special occasions, including graduations, wedding receptions, classic films, and sometimes even cartoons! In this list, we’ll take a closer look at just a few of all the many iconic pieces of orchestral music that have been performed throughout history. From Beethoven best symphony to other epic pieces we have listed all down- 

Sergei Rachmaninov

Sergei Rachmaninov is widely regarded as one of Russia’s greatest classical composers. According to the results of the study conducted by such a team of theoretical physicists, he was perhaps the most imaginative composer in the history of classical music.

Piano concerto No. 2 is his most well-known composition, and he is also an accomplished composer and conductor. This piece of classical music has been voted Britain’s favorite piece of orchestral music eight times in Classic FM’s annual poll, the Classic FM Hall of Fame. It’s amongst the most widely known concertos in the classical repertoire – and it also has a fascinating backstory to boot.

Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” by Ludwig van Beethoven

In the course of his 41 symphonies, Mozart converted the genre from its own often-lighthearted origins into a far more tremendous artistic statement, laying the groundwork for Beethoven’s symphonic revolution. It is Beethoven’s best symphony that you must listen to sometime. 

And Mozart saved the best for last. The “Jupiter” Symphony is his longest and also most intense work. We can maybe talk about the first three movements, but it was in the finale that Mozart really lets loose and makes it clear that he’s in charge. In this movement, he doesn’t just compose a five-voice fugue; he also fits this into the limitations of sonata form, never skipping a beat or allowing the energy to sag.

The opera “Messiah” by George Frideric Handel

Putting into words exactly what makes Handel’s Messiah so iconic is a difficult task. This Baroque oratorio, which was originally written to be performed in celebration of the Christian Easter holiday, has become a near-permanent mainstay during the Christmas season, too, though, and its artistic power transcends any particular holiday or religious belief. Messiah, with its enduring melodies and rousing choruses, is a magnificent and radiant demonstration of classical music’s ability to move people and tell stories in a way that no other art form can.

James MacMillan 

Stabat Mater (Our Lady of the Snows) (2016)

The prolific Scottish composer has made an impact on choral music by drawing on his Roman Catholic roots, most recently in his Fifth Symphony, Le grand Inconnu, as well as his Tenebrae Responsories. His Stabat Mater for the chorus as well as string orchestra, premiered & commissioned by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, captured the public’s imagination with its message that was direct, immediate, radiant, as well, and impassioned.

Symphony No. 67, by Beethoven

“This is one of the most well-known pieces in all of classical music.” It begins with a well-known ‘Fate’ motif that, in today’s world, almost everyone is familiar with. Beethoven composed the piece during a period of political upheaval and personal turmoil. “The innovations in the works were heralded as revolutionary’ just at the time,” writes Sebastian.

Max Richter 

The Blue Notebooks (2004)

The Blue Notebooks, written in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is Max Richter’s meditation on violence and war, and it was recorded in three hours. The song cycle is linked together by narration provided by Tilda Swinton, but the most convincing pieces are those that do not require words. Organum is a funeral organ solo, and Shadow Journal is a piece of ambient house. However, the centerpiece is On the Nature of Daylight (which has since been used on countless film and television soundtracks), in which ever-expanding layers of strings have been used to heart-tugging effect. 

You can listen to Beethoven’s best symphony anytime and enjoy the real art of music.