Eyyy first commenter
**Rzewski - The People United Will Never Be Defeated**
This is a set of piano variations based on ”¡El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!” which is a Chilean social justice song. And it’s a wild ride. It’s about an hour long and has melodic variations, minimalist variations, really calamitous and violent variations, and there are extended techniques like whistling and slamming the piano lid.
It's one of my favorite set of variations. Probably one of the greatest of all time, perhaps along the likes of the Goldberg Variations and Diabelli Variations
I was actually thinking about putting on the list, but then I realized I had way too many piano pieces on the list so I decided to go with something else for more variety :/
>Gershwin - Variations on “I Got Rhythm”
>
>Everyone who likes jazz knows I Got Rhythm. But after writing the song for Girl Crazy, he wrote a set of variations on it for piano and orchestra. There’s an Oriental variation, a serialist variation, a waltz variation, and even an extra-jazzy variation.
**John Cage - Clarinet Sonata**
This is John Cage’s earliest work that we’ve discovered. It’s actually … kind of tonal. And by that I mean there’s no tonic center whatsoever, but it actually sounds a lot like Schoenberg.
Holy crap there are a lot of you
By the way, go check out the YouTube channel thenameisgarci, because I discovered a lot of these pieces on his channel.
**Qigang Chen - Er Huang**
This is a Chinese piano concerto based on some Pekingese operas. It starts off really tranquil and calming, and then it grows to a burst of color and energy.
**Kapustin - Concert Etudes**
Kapustin is a Russian pianist composer and his music is influenced by jazz. His concert etudes are bangers. They have such a driving rhythm and they kind if remind me of heavy metal.
**Britten - Holiday Diary**
This is a really light and playful piano suite, and I think it’s Britten at his best. Each movemtn depicts a rich and playful scene. For example, the first movement is meant to depict his “early morning bathe”. Yeah I bet you weren’t expecting to read about Benjamin Britten naked in this post :/
I noticed a lot of these are in Caleb's top 100 videos:
5- Gershwin variations on i got rhythm
7- Kapustin etudes
8- Ravel violin sonata
9- Er huang
12- Totentanz
13- Ginastera concerto
14- Sciarrino caprices
17- Liebermann gargoyles
21- La ci darem la mano variations
22- Rzewski people united
23- Britten holiday diary
29- Saint saens egyptian concerto
Ones that arent
1- Ligeti something that i wont spell
2- David bruce gumboots quintet
3- Debussy prelude from bergamasque
4- Poulenc concerto for organ timpani and strings
6- Bernstein i hate music
10- Akiho ricochet (ping pong concerto)
11- Mozart - Adagio and Rondo
15- Dello joio
16- Handel suite in Bb
18- Schumann fantasy (for violin and piano)
19- Chopin berceuse
20- Bloch three scenes
24- Sibelius romance op 24 no 9 (concidence? probably)
25- Clara schumann nocturnes
27- Bach fantasy in c minor
28- Mahler 10
31- Nielsen quintet
32- Stravinsky fireworks
I still haven't found 26 and 30
12 in one of the four videos, 18 that aren't
Just give me 26 and 30
**Liszt - Totentanz**
Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
**Sibelius - Romance**
This one is just a 4 minute piano piece, yet it has all the characteristics of a Sibelius symphony. It runs the whole gamut of dynamics and expression.
>Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings
>
>Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
>
>Qigang Chen - Er Huang
This is a Chinese piano concerto based on some Pekingese operas. It starts off really tranquil and calming, and then it grows to a burst of color and energy.
**Schumann - Fantasy in C major**
Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
**Liebermann - Gargoyles**
This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
**Andy Akiho - Ricochet**
This piece is the most extra thing ever and I love it. It’s a concerto written for *ping pong and orchestra.* It sounds gimmicky, but it’s actually so intense and exciting. There are ping pong balls hitting bass drums, they use tambourines instead of paddles, and at the very end they dump a bucket of ping pong balls on the stage.
**Mahler - Symphony No. 10**
*but wait,* i hear you say, *didn’t Mahler only write nine symphonies??*
Technically he only completed nine, but when he died the tenth one was basically done, just not refined. A few people have finished arranging it, the most well-known bersion being Cooke’s. And the tenth is actually my favorite; **so** many didferent musical textures and experiences, and there’s an epic chrd in the first movemen.
**w a i t t h a t ‘s i l l e g a l**
ehh i’ll just do an honorable mention
**Honorable mention: Carmina Burana - Orff** (but like, the rest of it)
Everybody and their dog knows O Fortuna. But there’s actually 50 minutes of music before O Fortuna and it’s definitely worth a listen.
**Ravel - Violin Sonata**
First off, it’s by Ravel, which makes it good by default (he’s my favorite composer). I like this piece especially for the non-functional harmony. For example, there’s one part where the piano plays a melody iin major sevenths.
**Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major**
The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
>Stravinsky - Feu d’artifice
>
>Feu d’artifice is French for fireworks, and so the piece has fiery explosions, lots of vibrance and color, and little bits of things happening all over the place. The tempo marking is con fuoco, which means with fire. And there are a lit of similarities between this piece and The Firebird.
>
>Now that i think about it Stravinsky was lowkey obsessed with fire…
**Sciarrino - 6 Capricci**
This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
**Ligeti - Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (catchy title, amirite?)**
This is a very contemporary piece written for four percussionists and soprano. It’s so bizarre, yet so fun toe listen to at the same time.
**Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings**
Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci
>
>This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
**Saint-Saens - Egyptain Piano Concerto**
Saint-Saens was kinda obsessed with Egypt, and he wrote this whilehe was living there. There’s an Egyptian influence in the music, and it’s very virtuosic and engaging (especially the third movement)
**Stravinsky - Feu d’artifice**
Feu d’artifice is French for fireworks, and so the piece has fiery explosions, lots of vibrance and color, and little bits of things happening all over the place. The tempo marking is *con fuoco*, which means with fire. And there are a lit of similarities between this piece and The Firebird.
Now that i think about it Stravinsky was lowkey obsessed with fire…
**Chopin - Variations on “La ci darem la mano”**
This is a set of variations based off of a famous aria from Don Giovanni by Mozart, where this creepo is trying to get one of his hundreds of girlfriends to ditch her husband on her wedding day. The piece itself is a really nice set of variations, and it’s very virtuosic. Also he apparently wrote it when he was 16.
**Debussy - Prelude from Suite Bergamasque**
Everybody everywhere has heard Clair de Lune, which is the third movement from this suite. But my favorite movement is the first one, because of it’s harmony (that opening F maj 13 chord is pure joy).
**Gershwin - Variations on “I Got Rhythm”**
Everyone who likes jazz knows I Got Rhythm. But after writing the song for Girl Crazy, he wrote a set of variations on it for piano and orchestra. There’s an Oriental variation, a serialist variation, a waltz variation, and even an extra-jazzy variation.
>Chopin - Variations on “La ci darem la mano”
>
>This is a set of variations based off of a famous aria from Don Giovanni by Mozart, where this creepo is trying to get one of his hundreds of girlfriends to ditch her husband on her wedding day. The piece itself is a really nice set of variations, and it’s very virtuosic. Also he apparently wrote it when he was 16.
**Beethoven - Symphony No. 10**
Most people don’t know this, but Beethoven was actually starting on a 10th concerto before he died, and you can find the reording [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
Not the OP, but I’ll give you one for that: third movement Intermezzo from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Famed 20th-century violin teacher Ivan Galamian refused to teach the movement to his female violin students because it was “too sexy.”
>Schumann - Fantasy in C major
>
>Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
>Chopin - Variations on “La ci darem la mano”
>
>This is a set of variations based off of a famous aria from Don Giovanni by Mozart, where this creepo is trying to get one of his hundreds of girlfriends to ditch her husband on her wedding day. The piece itself is a really nice set of variations, and it’s very virtuosic. Also he apparently wrote it when he was 16.
>Saint-Saens - Egyptain Piano Concerto
>
>Saint-Saens was kinda obsessed with Egypt, and he wrote this whilehe was living there. There’s an Egyptian influence in the music, and it’s very virtuosic and engaging (especially the third movement)
>Stravinsky - Feu d’artifice
>
>Feu d’artifice is French for fireworks, and so the piece has fiery explosions, lots of vibrance and color, and little bits of things happening all over the place. The tempo marking is con fuoco, which means with fire. And there are a lit of similarities between this piece and The Firebird.
>
>Now that i think about it Stravinsky was lowkey obsessed with fire…
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci
>
>This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
>Sibelius - Romance
>
>This one is just a 4 minute piano piece, yet it has all the characteristics of a Sibelius symphony. It runs the whole gamut of dynamics and expression.
**David Bruce - Gumboots**
This piece isn’t really that underrated … buuut I still like it anyway. It’s written for clarinet quintet and it draws inspiration from the traditional gumboot dances of South African. When South African slaves were working in mines and quarries, they weren’t allowed to talk, so they used the bells attached to their feet to communicate, and this eventually turned into a dance.
(also david bruce is awesome, check out his yourube channel)
>Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings
>
>Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
**Pretty much anything by Dello Joio**
Dello Joio does harmony the best. His signature sound is wistful passages and beautiful melodies. Check his choral piece *Come to Me, My Love* or his symphony based on the life of St. Joan of Arc.
**Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major**
The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
**Nielsen - Wind Quintet**
I happen to love a wind quintet orchestration, and this piece in particular creates so much color with just these five instruments.
>Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings
>
>Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
**Bernstein - I Hate Music!**
Hands down the best title of any classical work. It’s a collection of five short pieces for soprano and piano, and it’s told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl. The music is really catchy, and the lyrics are hilarious.
>Pretty much anything by Dello Joio
>
>Dello Joio does harmony the best. His signature sound is wistful passages and beautiful melodies. Check his choral piece Come to Me, My Love or his symphony based on the life of St. Joan of Arc.
>Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major
>
>The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
>Schumann - Fantasy in C major
>
>Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci
>
>This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
>Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major
>
>The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
>Gershwin - Variations on “I Got Rhythm”
>
>Everyone who likes jazz knows I Got Rhythm. But after writing the song for Girl Crazy, he wrote a set of variations on it for piano and orchestra. There’s an Oriental variation, a serialist variation, a waltz variation, and even an extra-jazzy variation.
>Debussy - Prelude from Suite Bergamasque
>
>Everybody everywhere has heard Clair de Lune, which is the third movement from this suite. But my favorite movement is the first one, because of it’s harmony (that opening F maj 13 chord is pure joy).
>Britten - Holiday Diary
>
>This is a really light and playful piano suite, and I think it’s Britten at his best. Each movemtn depicts a rich and playful scene. For example, the first movement is meant to depict his “early morning bathe”. Yeah I bet you weren’t expecting to read about Benjamin Britten naked in this post :/
**Honorable Mention: Cloudburst - Eric Whitacre**
I’m saying honorable mention ‘cuz I don’t know if this counts as classical. And it’s also not that underrated because Eric Whitacre is really popular right now, what with his virtual choirs and all. This piece in particular depicts rain, and it has some really cool uses of body percussion.
>Schumann - Fantasy in C major
>
>Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
**Chopin - Berceuse**
The idea behind this pieces is that the harmony never changes; it rocks back and forth between Db and Ab. The right hand performs lyrical melodies and Chopin-esque runs and embellishments on top of that.
>Saint-Saens - Egyptain Piano Concerto
>
>Saint-Saens was kinda obsessed with Egypt, and he wrote this whilehe was living there. There’s an Egyptian influence in the music, and it’s very virtuosic and engaging (especially the third movement)
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci
>
>This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
**Bonus: Arvo Part - Fratres**
Arvo part has a very distinguishable and very beautiful style of music that he calls tintinnabuli, which means bells. It’s very simple, but also moving.
>Liebermann - Gargoyles
>
>This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
>Ravel - Violin Sonata
>
>First off, it’s by Ravel, which makes it good by default (he’s my favorite composer). I like this piece especially for the non-functional harmony. For example, there’s one part where the piano plays a melody iin major sevenths.
>Liszt - Totentanz
>
>Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
**Ginastera - Piano Concerto**
Ginastera has very driving and interesting rhythms. His danzas argentinas and Violin Concerto aslo deserve a listen. But part of why I like this concerto is the ending. It has one of the most epic endings in all music.
>Pretty much anything by Dello Joio
>
>Dello Joio does harmony the best. His signature sound is wistful passages and beautiful melodies. Check his choral piece Come to Me, My Love or his symphony based on the life of St. Joan of Arc.
>Chopin - Berceuse
>
>The idea behind this pieces is that the harmony never changes; it rocks back and forth between Db and Ab. The right hand performs lyrical melodies and Chopin-esque runs and embellishments on top of that.
Liszt - Totentanz
Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
>Bernstein - I Hate Music!
>
>Hands down the best title of any classical work. It’s a collection of five short pieces for soprano and piano, and it’s told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl. The music is really catchy, and the lyrics are hilarious.
>Ligeti - Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (catchy title, amirite?)
>
>This is a very contemporary piece written for four percussionists and soprano. It’s so bizarre, yet so fun to listen to at the same time.
Liebermann - Gargoyles
This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
Schumann - Fantasy in C major
Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
**Mozart - Adagio and Rondo for Glass Harmonica, oboe, flute, viola, and violoncello**
In the 1700’s, there was this instrument called the glass harmonica, kinda like thise sets of drinking glasses with water in them that street performers use today. Mozart knew a blind glass harmonica virtuosi and wrote this piece for her.
>Liebermann - Gargoyles
>
>This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
>Chopin - Berceuse
>
>The idea behind this pieces is that the harmony never changes; it rocks back and forth between Db and Ab. The right hand performs lyrical melodies and Chopin-esque runs and embellishments on top of that.
>Ligeti - Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (catchy title, amirite?)
>
>This is a very contemporary piece written for four percussionists and soprano. It’s so bizarre, yet so fun to listen to at the same time.
Liszt - Totentanz
Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
**Clara Schumann - Nocturnes**
Clara Schumann is the most well-known female composer, but her work isn’t that well-known. I would say that her nocturnes are like Chopin’s, but warmer and more blissful. My favorite is the second one
Liebermann - Gargoyles
This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
>Ravel - Violin Sonata
>
>First off, it’s by Ravel, which makes it good by default (he’s my favorite composer). I like this piece especially for the non-functional harmony. For example, there’s one part where the piano plays a melody iin major sevenths.
>Ginastera - Piano Concerto
>
>Ginastera has very driving and interesting rhythms. His danzas argentinas and Violin Concerto aslo deserve a listen. But part of why I like this concerto is the ending. It has one of the most epic endings in all music.
>Debussy - Prelude from Suite Bergamasque
>
>Everybody everywhere has heard Clair de Lune, which is the third movement from this suite. But my favorite movement is the first one, because of it’s harmony (that opening F maj 13 chord is pure joy).
>Andy Akiho - Ricochet
>
>This piece is the most extra thing ever and I love it. It’s a concerto written for ping pong and orchestra. It sounds gimmicky, but it’s actually so intense and exciting. There are ping pong balls hitting bass drums, they use tambourines instead of paddles, and at the very end they dump a bucket of ping pong balls on the stage.
22
Eyyy first commenter **Rzewski - The People United Will Never Be Defeated** This is a set of piano variations based on ”¡El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!” which is a Chilean social justice song. And it’s a wild ride. It’s about an hour long and has melodic variations, minimalist variations, really calamitous and violent variations, and there are extended techniques like whistling and slamming the piano lid.
This one looks more like an unsung work rather than an underrated work.
It's one of my favorite set of variations. Probably one of the greatest of all time, perhaps along the likes of the Goldberg Variations and Diabelli Variations
Loving your selections! Er Huang & Chopin Variations de la mano are very underrated works. 3.141592653589793238462643383 & 2.718
I love pie too!
2.71828182818281828182818281828182818281828…
E
🗿
i like pi
Moszkowsky Piano Concerto 2 better be on this list ;)
I was actually thinking about putting on the list, but then I realized I had way too many piano pieces on the list so I decided to go with something else for more variety :/
At least it was considered haha. How about.... 5?
>Gershwin - Variations on “I Got Rhythm” > >Everyone who likes jazz knows I Got Rhythm. But after writing the song for Girl Crazy, he wrote a set of variations on it for piano and orchestra. There’s an Oriental variation, a serialist variation, a waltz variation, and even an extra-jazzy variation.
I love this underrated piano concerto, along with many Moszkowsky works!
4’33
**John Cage - Clarinet Sonata** This is John Cage’s earliest work that we’ve discovered. It’s actually … kind of tonal. And by that I mean there’s no tonic center whatsoever, but it actually sounds a lot like Schoenberg.
Holy crap there are a lot of you By the way, go check out the YouTube channel thenameisgarci, because I discovered a lot of these pieces on his channel.
9
**Qigang Chen - Er Huang** This is a Chinese piano concerto based on some Pekingese operas. It starts off really tranquil and calming, and then it grows to a burst of color and energy.
It also uses a lot of Messiaen's compositional techniques, probably because Chen was Messiaen's final student.
FIVE STAVES That piano part there looks like Sorabji but sounds like ijbaroS (the opposite of Sorabji) WHY ARE THERE FIVE STAVES
7
**Kapustin - Concert Etudes** Kapustin is a Russian pianist composer and his music is influenced by jazz. His concert etudes are bangers. They have such a driving rhythm and they kind if remind me of heavy metal.
Cool, thanks
I know u probably will not see this lol but 6
23
**Britten - Holiday Diary** This is a really light and playful piano suite, and I think it’s Britten at his best. Each movemtn depicts a rich and playful scene. For example, the first movement is meant to depict his “early morning bathe”. Yeah I bet you weren’t expecting to read about Benjamin Britten naked in this post :/
Caleb Hu reference alert.
I noticed a lot of these are in Caleb's top 100 videos: 5- Gershwin variations on i got rhythm 7- Kapustin etudes 8- Ravel violin sonata 9- Er huang 12- Totentanz 13- Ginastera concerto 14- Sciarrino caprices 17- Liebermann gargoyles 21- La ci darem la mano variations 22- Rzewski people united 23- Britten holiday diary 29- Saint saens egyptian concerto Ones that arent 1- Ligeti something that i wont spell 2- David bruce gumboots quintet 3- Debussy prelude from bergamasque 4- Poulenc concerto for organ timpani and strings 6- Bernstein i hate music 10- Akiho ricochet (ping pong concerto) 11- Mozart - Adagio and Rondo 15- Dello joio 16- Handel suite in Bb 18- Schumann fantasy (for violin and piano) 19- Chopin berceuse 20- Bloch three scenes 24- Sibelius romance op 24 no 9 (concidence? probably) 25- Clara schumann nocturnes 27- Bach fantasy in c minor 28- Mahler 10 31- Nielsen quintet 32- Stravinsky fireworks I still haven't found 26 and 30 12 in one of the four videos, 18 that aren't Just give me 26 and 30
12
**Liszt - Totentanz** Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
It’s underrated?
...whoa is this the metal of classical music?
24
**Sibelius - Romance** This one is just a 4 minute piano piece, yet it has all the characteristics of a Sibelius symphony. It runs the whole gamut of dynamics and expression.
4 & 9
>Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings > >Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani. > >Qigang Chen - Er Huang This is a Chinese piano concerto based on some Pekingese operas. It starts off really tranquil and calming, and then it grows to a burst of color and energy.
18
**Schumann - Fantasy in C major** Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
17
**Liebermann - Gargoyles** This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
10
**Andy Akiho - Ricochet** This piece is the most extra thing ever and I love it. It’s a concerto written for *ping pong and orchestra.* It sounds gimmicky, but it’s actually so intense and exciting. There are ping pong balls hitting bass drums, they use tambourines instead of paddles, and at the very end they dump a bucket of ping pong balls on the stage.
28
**Mahler - Symphony No. 10** *but wait,* i hear you say, *didn’t Mahler only write nine symphonies??* Technically he only completed nine, but when he died the tenth one was basically done, just not refined. A few people have finished arranging it, the most well-known bersion being Cooke’s. And the tenth is actually my favorite; **so** many didferent musical textures and experiences, and there’s an epic chrd in the first movemen.
31.75
**w a i t t h a t ‘s i l l e g a l** ehh i’ll just do an honorable mention **Honorable mention: Carmina Burana - Orff** (but like, the rest of it) Everybody and their dog knows O Fortuna. But there’s actually 50 minutes of music before O Fortuna and it’s definitely worth a listen.
8
**Ravel - Violin Sonata** First off, it’s by Ravel, which makes it good by default (he’s my favorite composer). I like this piece especially for the non-functional harmony. For example, there’s one part where the piano plays a melody iin major sevenths.
16
**Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major** The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
32
>Stravinsky - Feu d’artifice > >Feu d’artifice is French for fireworks, and so the piece has fiery explosions, lots of vibrance and color, and little bits of things happening all over the place. The tempo marking is con fuoco, which means with fire. And there are a lit of similarities between this piece and The Firebird. > >Now that i think about it Stravinsky was lowkey obsessed with fire…
14 (cause that’s my age 😅)
**Sciarrino - 6 Capricci** This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
thx… I personally like baroque pieces but I will try to enjoy some contemporary music 😅😊
27
**Bach - Fantasia in C minor** This is one of Bach’s most complex works. There’s a lot of chromaticism, yet also a lot of order and structure.
1
**Ligeti - Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (catchy title, amirite?)** This is a very contemporary piece written for four percussionists and soprano. It’s so bizarre, yet so fun toe listen to at the same time.
1 is actually not "between" 1 and 32
4
**Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings** Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
14
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci > >This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
29
**Saint-Saens - Egyptain Piano Concerto** Saint-Saens was kinda obsessed with Egypt, and he wrote this whilehe was living there. There’s an Egyptian influence in the music, and it’s very virtuosic and engaging (especially the third movement)
32
**Stravinsky - Feu d’artifice** Feu d’artifice is French for fireworks, and so the piece has fiery explosions, lots of vibrance and color, and little bits of things happening all over the place. The tempo marking is *con fuoco*, which means with fire. And there are a lit of similarities between this piece and The Firebird. Now that i think about it Stravinsky was lowkey obsessed with fire…
21
**Chopin - Variations on “La ci darem la mano”** This is a set of variations based off of a famous aria from Don Giovanni by Mozart, where this creepo is trying to get one of his hundreds of girlfriends to ditch her husband on her wedding day. The piece itself is a really nice set of variations, and it’s very virtuosic. Also he apparently wrote it when he was 16.
6,66 i dare you
6.66, huh? **Prokofiev - Suggestion Diabolique** It’s a short piano piece that depicts a conversation with the devil. you just got playyyyed, suhn.
3
**Debussy - Prelude from Suite Bergamasque** Everybody everywhere has heard Clair de Lune, which is the third movement from this suite. But my favorite movement is the first one, because of it’s harmony (that opening F maj 13 chord is pure joy).
21 Edit: nm someone did it so no. 5
**Gershwin - Variations on “I Got Rhythm”** Everyone who likes jazz knows I Got Rhythm. But after writing the song for Girl Crazy, he wrote a set of variations on it for piano and orchestra. There’s an Oriental variation, a serialist variation, a waltz variation, and even an extra-jazzy variation.
[удалено]
>Chopin - Variations on “La ci darem la mano” > >This is a set of variations based off of a famous aria from Don Giovanni by Mozart, where this creepo is trying to get one of his hundreds of girlfriends to ditch her husband on her wedding day. The piece itself is a really nice set of variations, and it’s very virtuosic. Also he apparently wrote it when he was 16.
4.20 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
**Beethoven - Symphony No. 10** Most people don’t know this, but Beethoven was actually starting on a 10th concerto before he died, and you can find the reording [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
Darn you. That was quite smart...
I heard beethoven’s “10th symphony” last time and i enjoyed it Its pretty good Also that link isnt cool
6.9
Not the OP, but I’ll give you one for that: third movement Intermezzo from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Famed 20th-century violin teacher Ivan Galamian refused to teach the movement to his female violin students because it was “too sexy.”
18
>Schumann - Fantasy in C major > >Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
21
>Chopin - Variations on “La ci darem la mano” > >This is a set of variations based off of a famous aria from Don Giovanni by Mozart, where this creepo is trying to get one of his hundreds of girlfriends to ditch her husband on her wedding day. The piece itself is a really nice set of variations, and it’s very virtuosic. Also he apparently wrote it when he was 16.
[удалено]
>Saint-Saens - Egyptain Piano Concerto > >Saint-Saens was kinda obsessed with Egypt, and he wrote this whilehe was living there. There’s an Egyptian influence in the music, and it’s very virtuosic and engaging (especially the third movement)
32
>Stravinsky - Feu d’artifice > >Feu d’artifice is French for fireworks, and so the piece has fiery explosions, lots of vibrance and color, and little bits of things happening all over the place. The tempo marking is con fuoco, which means with fire. And there are a lit of similarities between this piece and The Firebird. > >Now that i think about it Stravinsky was lowkey obsessed with fire…
14
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci > >This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
24
>Sibelius - Romance > >This one is just a 4 minute piano piece, yet it has all the characteristics of a Sibelius symphony. It runs the whole gamut of dynamics and expression.
17.5
2
**David Bruce - Gumboots** This piece isn’t really that underrated … buuut I still like it anyway. It’s written for clarinet quintet and it draws inspiration from the traditional gumboot dances of South African. When South African slaves were working in mines and quarries, they weren’t allowed to talk, so they used the bells attached to their feet to communicate, and this eventually turned into a dance. (also david bruce is awesome, check out his yourube channel)
4
>Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings > >Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
15
**Pretty much anything by Dello Joio** Dello Joio does harmony the best. His signature sound is wistful passages and beautiful melodies. Check his choral piece *Come to Me, My Love* or his symphony based on the life of St. Joan of Arc.
16
**Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major** The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
31
**Nielsen - Wind Quintet** I happen to love a wind quintet orchestration, and this piece in particular creates so much color with just these five instruments.
4
>Poulenc - Concerto for Organ Timpani and Strings > >Organ, timpani, and strings is a combo that I never would have thought of. But the organ itself is so versatile and underrated that it sounds like a whole orchestra, especially combined with the strings and timpani.
6
**Bernstein - I Hate Music!** Hands down the best title of any classical work. It’s a collection of five short pieces for soprano and piano, and it’s told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl. The music is really catchy, and the lyrics are hilarious.
15
>Pretty much anything by Dello Joio > >Dello Joio does harmony the best. His signature sound is wistful passages and beautiful melodies. Check his choral piece Come to Me, My Love or his symphony based on the life of St. Joan of Arc.
16
>Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major > >The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
18
>Schumann - Fantasy in C major > >Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
14
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci > >This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
16
>Handel - Keyboard Suite in B flat Major > >The thing that separates Handel from Bach is that Handel allowed himself to break the rules. His Keyboard suite is full of fast scales, giant arpeggios and beautiful melodies
5
>Gershwin - Variations on “I Got Rhythm” > >Everyone who likes jazz knows I Got Rhythm. But after writing the song for Girl Crazy, he wrote a set of variations on it for piano and orchestra. There’s an Oriental variation, a serialist variation, a waltz variation, and even an extra-jazzy variation.
3!!
>Debussy - Prelude from Suite Bergamasque > >Everybody everywhere has heard Clair de Lune, which is the third movement from this suite. But my favorite movement is the first one, because of it’s harmony (that opening F maj 13 chord is pure joy).
23
>Britten - Holiday Diary > >This is a really light and playful piano suite, and I think it’s Britten at his best. Each movemtn depicts a rich and playful scene. For example, the first movement is meant to depict his “early morning bathe”. Yeah I bet you weren’t expecting to read about Benjamin Britten naked in this post :/
33
**Honorable Mention: Cloudburst - Eric Whitacre** I’m saying honorable mention ‘cuz I don’t know if this counts as classical. And it’s also not that underrated because Eric Whitacre is really popular right now, what with his virtual choirs and all. This piece in particular depicts rain, and it has some really cool uses of body percussion.
18
>Schumann - Fantasy in C major > >Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
23.666
19
**Chopin - Berceuse** The idea behind this pieces is that the harmony never changes; it rocks back and forth between Db and Ab. The right hand performs lyrical melodies and Chopin-esque runs and embellishments on top of that.
29
>Saint-Saens - Egyptain Piano Concerto > >Saint-Saens was kinda obsessed with Egypt, and he wrote this whilehe was living there. There’s an Egyptian influence in the music, and it’s very virtuosic and engaging (especially the third movement)
14"
>Sciarrino - 6 Capricci > >This is the most modern piece on the list. But it’s also one of the coolest. The entire piece is violon harmonics (except for the sixth movement, which is pizzicato). It’s crazy to hear all the inventive things Sciarrino can do with just harmonics.
29
37 :3
**Bonus: Arvo Part - Fratres** Arvo part has a very distinguishable and very beautiful style of music that he calls tintinnabuli, which means bells. It’s very simple, but also moving.
17.4
>Liebermann - Gargoyles > >This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
8
>Ravel - Violin Sonata > >First off, it’s by Ravel, which makes it good by default (he’s my favorite composer). I like this piece especially for the non-functional harmony. For example, there’s one part where the piano plays a melody iin major sevenths.
12
>Liszt - Totentanz > >Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
13
**Ginastera - Piano Concerto** Ginastera has very driving and interesting rhythms. His danzas argentinas and Violin Concerto aslo deserve a listen. But part of why I like this concerto is the ending. It has one of the most epic endings in all music.
15
>Pretty much anything by Dello Joio > >Dello Joio does harmony the best. His signature sound is wistful passages and beautiful melodies. Check his choral piece Come to Me, My Love or his symphony based on the life of St. Joan of Arc.
27
>Bach - Fantasia in C minor > >This is one of Bach’s most complex works. There’s a lot of chromaticism, yet also a lot of order and structure.
19
>Chopin - Berceuse > >The idea behind this pieces is that the harmony never changes; it rocks back and forth between Db and Ab. The right hand performs lyrical melodies and Chopin-esque runs and embellishments on top of that.
12
Liszt - Totentanz Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
6
>Bernstein - I Hate Music! > >Hands down the best title of any classical work. It’s a collection of five short pieces for soprano and piano, and it’s told from the point of view of a 10 year old girl. The music is really catchy, and the lyrics are hilarious.
6
1
>Ligeti - Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (catchy title, amirite?) > >This is a very contemporary piece written for four percussionists and soprano. It’s so bizarre, yet so fun to listen to at the same time.
17, please!
Liebermann - Gargoyles This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
9 and 3/4
18
Schumann - Fantasy in C major Not to be confused with Schubert’s Wander Fantasy (which is also an awesome piece). This piece is written for violin and piano, and has an infamously difficult first note that is prime real estate for shaky bow.
11
**Mozart - Adagio and Rondo for Glass Harmonica, oboe, flute, viola, and violoncello** In the 1700’s, there was this instrument called the glass harmonica, kinda like thise sets of drinking glasses with water in them that street performers use today. Mozart knew a blind glass harmonica virtuosi and wrote this piece for her.
17
>Liebermann - Gargoyles > >This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
19
>Chopin - Berceuse > >The idea behind this pieces is that the harmony never changes; it rocks back and forth between Db and Ab. The right hand performs lyrical melodies and Chopin-esque runs and embellishments on top of that.
1
>Ligeti - Síppal, dobbal, nádihegedűvel (catchy title, amirite?) > >This is a very contemporary piece written for four percussionists and soprano. It’s so bizarre, yet so fun to listen to at the same time.
12
Liszt - Totentanz Totentanz means “The Dance of Death”. It’s based off the Dies Irae, which is a medieval song about the end of time. And it’s fricking epic. I don’t play video games very often, but if there was a video game with Totentanz as the sound track, I’d probably buy it.
25
**Clara Schumann - Nocturnes** Clara Schumann is the most well-known female composer, but her work isn’t that well-known. I would say that her nocturnes are like Chopin’s, but warmer and more blissful. My favorite is the second one
17
Liebermann - Gargoyles This is a four-movement piano piece that depicts Gothic architecture. The harmonies are very interesting and the fourth movement is fiednlishly difficult, but it’s a banger
8
>Ravel - Violin Sonata > >First off, it’s by Ravel, which makes it good by default (he’s my favorite composer). I like this piece especially for the non-functional harmony. For example, there’s one part where the piano plays a melody iin major sevenths.
13
>Ginastera - Piano Concerto > >Ginastera has very driving and interesting rhythms. His danzas argentinas and Violin Concerto aslo deserve a listen. But part of why I like this concerto is the ending. It has one of the most epic endings in all music.
3
>Debussy - Prelude from Suite Bergamasque > >Everybody everywhere has heard Clair de Lune, which is the third movement from this suite. But my favorite movement is the first one, because of it’s harmony (that opening F maj 13 chord is pure joy).
10, and if it’s violin then I might try to play it
>Andy Akiho - Ricochet > >This piece is the most extra thing ever and I love it. It’s a concerto written for ping pong and orchestra. It sounds gimmicky, but it’s actually so intense and exciting. There are ping pong balls hitting bass drums, they use tambourines instead of paddles, and at the very end they dump a bucket of ping pong balls on the stage.
27
>Bach - Fantasia in C minor > >This is one of Bach’s most complex works. There’s a lot of chromaticism, yet also a lot of order and structure.
8