Classical Music

Luciano Pavarotti

Joseph Haydn Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, “forced to become original”. He is often called the “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet” because of his important contributions to these genres

Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow

The Ring Cycle/Wagner’s Ring The operas are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied, an epic poem in Middle High German.

Pavarotti, Carraras, Domingo

Carl Orff (1895-1982) It was hugely popular in Nazi Germany after its premiere in Frankfurt in 1937, receiving numerous performances.

Richard Rodney Bennett.

Hoagy Carmichael.

Johann Sebastian Bach Bach’s compositions comprise three of the 27 recordings chosen.

Beethoven.

Messiaen.

Placido Domoingo.

Stephen Sondheim.

Westminster Chimes It was written in 1793 for a new clock in St Mary the Great, the University Church in Cambridge and there is some doubt over exactly who composed it. In the mid-19th century the chime was adopted by the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster (where Big Ben hangs), whence its fame spread. It is now possibly the most commonly used chime for striking clocks.

John Cage.

The 1812 overture

Die.

THOMAS ARNE

RACHMANINOFF

IGOR STRAVINSKY

Leonard Bernstein

Don Quixote.

Topiary

The Elements of Style E.B. White is best known as the author of children’s books Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little.

The U.S. Naval Academy.

GERSHWIN

SERGEY PROKOFIEV (1936)

Opera

The Goldberg Variations published in 1741 It was once seen as a boring technical exercise but is today considered one of the most important examples of its form. Today, the emotional content and range of the work is increasingly realised, and it has become a favorite work of many classical music listeners. The Variations are widely performed and recorded, and have been the subject of many articles, books and analytical studies

4

Arnold Schoenberg

STEPHEN SONDHEIM

FELIX Mendelssohn

Janacek

Carmen

Johann Strouss

He was a school teacher and later an insurance salesman

TCHAIKOVSKY

Wolfgang AMADEUS Mozart

American

Richard Wagner

Luciano Pavarotti

Brother

RING CYCLE

Frederic Chopin

Bathing

Pavarotti, Carraras, Domingo

The viola

George Frederic Handel

VERDI