Famous Classical Music

These are some of the most famous pieces of classical music ever written. There are myriads of interpretations of these compositions and you can hear and watch many of them performed by visiting: www.youtube.com

What constitutes a famous classical music composition? It has certainly nothing to do with live performances of the piece. In fact, the same rules would apply to popular music as well. Let’s face it, if it weren’t for the radio, recording industry, television and the Internet, music, regardless of what type of music it was, would not be circulated enough to be considered “famous” or otherwise. Most people don’t attend enough music concerts, be that of popular or classical music, the recording industry has changed the world like few entertainment medias have before it, or since its inception. If for example, you hear a live performance of the 1812 Overture, how many more times will you hear it again in classical music radio, recordings, television commercials, etc..., this is why the entertainment industry is such a powerful conglomerate today. If someone created a time machine and brought Rossini alive to the present day, and the entertainment industry (movies, television and commercials) was obligated to pay him royalties for every time they’ve used his music, they’d be forced to pay him millions.

Virtually all of the famous classical music compositions mentioned in this article can be heard on You Tube, or any other source, such as recordings, radio, etc. These are famous classical music compositions, so many different recordings abound....

Here are a list of some of the most famous classical music (Semantically speaking, the compositions mentioned in this article are mostly from the Romantic Period, with the exception of one from the Baroque - nothing from the Classical Period) hits of all times.

Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet, composed in 1869
No list of famous classical music would be complete without this work. Tchaikovsky was 28 years old when he wrote this composition. Just like Berlioz, Wagner and Liszt, Tchaikovsky enjoyed literature and theater very much, especially Shakespeare. Although he called the composition an Overture-Fantasy, it was really a Symphonic Poem modelled after Liszt, the creator of that musical genre. In simple terms, a Symphonic Poem is a musical composition depicting a story - Romeo and Juliet in this case. Tchaikovsky became friends with Balakeriv, who suggested that he write Romeo and Juliet. The love theme is one of the most famous classical music melodies of all times, even if the rest of the overture is not. Nevertheless, it’s considered one of Tchaikovsky’s most important compositions.

Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 S.244/2, composed in 1847
Another famous classical music piece - should really be called ridiculously famous classical music. Liszt’s greatness as a composer has been questioned over and over again; nonetheless, his greatness as one of music’s most important innovators has never been questioned. This is one of the most famous piano compositions of all times, even if Liszt did not think much of it himself. This composition is so famous, that people use wrong articles and prepositions when referring to it by calling it “Hungarian Rhapsody” - forget the fact that this is only ‘1’ of ‘19’ Hungarian Rhapsodies that Liszt composed. That said, the correct title is Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C sharp minor.” This piece became infamous after Bugs Bunny started playing it - forget about rabbits playing this piece - few mortals can play this piece correctly. In fact, unless you’re a great concert pianist, you’ll most likely fall short playing this famous finger buster of Liszt.

Chopin - Polonaise in A flat, Op. 53, composed in 1842
This is another composition that people use wrong articles and prepositions when referring to it -”Polonaise.” Chopin wrote 17 polonaises for piano solo, this is only one of them. This piano piece has always been very famous. Liberace performed this piece quite often, in fact, this was his official signature piece, as well as his favorite piano composition of all times. Just as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy are incessantly compared to one another, so are Chopin and Liszt; nonetheless, Chopin and Liszt were as different in their approaches to music, as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy were in their approaches to literature. A famous classical music compositions' list would be incomplete without this famous piano piece....

Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain, composed in 1867 and revised in 1886 by Rimsky Korsakov
This famous composition is from one of Mussorgsky’s 'Gogol' operas: The Fair at Sorochyntsi - a witches’ sabbath is taking place. Mussorgsky is considered to have been one of Russia’s greatest musical talents of the 19th Century. Some say Mussorgsky was even more talented than Tchaikovsky and Korsakov, too bad he was lazy and had a horrible drinking problem at that. It was Korsakov who gave us the final version of this piece, as well as its exceptional orchestration. Just like Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Night on Bald Mountain received a Disco rendition back in the 70’s which made it even more famous than it already was.

Mendelssohn - Wedding March from Shakespeare's A Midsummer’s Night Dream, composed in 1842
Speaking about famous classical music compositions. This is a musical piece that needs little introduction. Many have been married to this piece, which Mendelssohn composed for his incidental music to Shakespeare’s play of that same title.

Schubert - Ave Maria or Ellen’s third Song D839 Op 52 no 6, composed in 1825
This piece was never composed or intended for the church. Nonetheless, it has been associated with the church for a very long time. Schubert is considered the father of the ‘Art Song’ form. The Art Song has a story which the composer sets to music. In Schubert’s time, the concept of a song as we know it today was unheard of. If you wanted to write a song, you would use words by the great poets and writers - Goethe, Shakespeare, Scott. This piece represents a section from Sir Walter Scott’s Epic Poem “The Lady of The Lake,” Ellen Douglas is praying to the Virgin Mary for divine intervention, and it is this section from the poem that Schubert took for the song’s lyrics. The piece is very famous.

Debussy - Clair de Lune from suite Bergamasque, composed between 1890-1905
Much of Debussy's music might not make it to the famous classical music compositions' list, however, this one does. Debussy was inspired by Paul Verlaine’s poem “Clair de Lune,” nevertheless, Clair de Lune is the third, of the four movement suite. Verlaine refers to “bergamasque” in the beginning of the poem, hence the inspiration for Debussy’s title - this is a top classical music hit.

Wagner - Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin - Wedding March, composed in 1850
This is the “Bridal Chorus” from the third act of the opera Lohengrin - a piece that needs little introduction, especially if you were married to its music. Another must in the famous classical music category.

Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565, date unknown
Bach has been given credit for having written this composition, though no one to date is fully certain whom to properly give credit to.

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue, composed in 1924
It’s about time for someone to mention a famous classical music composition that didn’t originate from the European Continent. But really, can this be considered classical music? When this work first appeared, critics considered it a conundrum. It has classical music and jazz material fused into it. It is a great composition nonetheless! It has elements of everyday New York life, not to mention some of most beautiful melodies ever written by an American composer.

There are many other famous classical music compositions - too many to be mentioned in just one short article. However, all of the above are quite famous and have stood the test of time.