The Top 10 Best Iconic Classical Music Compositions

Estimated reading time 4 minutes

Introduction

Do you want to hear the top classical music pieces? Western classical music has become an international music resource enjoyed by millions around the world. However, your average person on the street may only know the names of a few composers and just a handful of compositions. Keep reading The Top 10 Best Iconic Classical Music Compositions to introduce yourself to the world of classical music.

This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.

The Top 10 Classical Music Compositions #1: What Is Classical Music?

The term classical music can mean more than one thing. In music history, classical music refers to a specific historical period:

Ancient: Before 500 BC
Medieval: 500 BC to 1450 AD
Renaissance: 1450 to 1600 AD
Baroque: 1600 to 1750 AD
Classical: 1750 to 1820 AD
Romantic: 1820 to 1910 AD
Modern: 1910 to 2000 AD
Contemporary: 2000 AD to present

However, in common usage classical music refers to the whole spectrum of Western Art Music:

That is, outside of academic circles, no one refers to the music as “Western Art Music.”
Instead, they just call it “classical music” regardless of which historical period it comes from.
Having said that, the term is most closely associated with the baroque, classical, and romantic periods.

Thus, in this post, the top 10 compositions will be pulled from more than one historical period:

However, all of them will be fun, catchy pieces.
They will be iconic pieces in the sense that most of them you’d probably recognize even if you couldn’t put a name to the music.
Even if you don’t recognize the compositions, they’re all ones you’ll want to know and enjoy.

The Top 10 Classical Music Compositions #2: Baroque Period Music

Canon in D Major (Johann Pachelbel)

While this piece starts slowly, it uses the theme and variation technique to build the counterpoint to its climax. The canon was an obscure piece at the beginning of the 20th century, but has gradually gained in popularity, becoming one of the most recognizable classical music compositions today.

Video: Canon in D Major

Messiah (George Frideric Handel)

Messiah is Handel’s best know oratorio. What’s an oratorio? Basically, it’s a religious opera without the staging or costumes. The Hallelujah Chorus is a musical fixture around Christmas time.

Video: Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah)

The Four Seasons (Antonio Vivaldi)

Winter from The Four Seasons is an excellent example of a baroque concerto. This piece musically depicts the snowiest of seasons with its virtuosic violin runs and flourishes.

Video: Winter (The Four Seasons)

Toccata and Fugue in D minor (Johann Sebastian Bach)

This church organ piece has become associated with vampires, mad scientists, and obsessed submarine captains (i.e., Disney’s version of Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). However, the piece gives you a stunning display of virtuoso organ technique.

Video: Toccata and Fuge in D Minor

The Top 10 Classical Music Compositions #3: Classical Period Music

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

There are so many wonderful Mozart pieces to choose from. However, it’s catchy melody and infectious energy have made Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (“A Little Night Music”) a fan favorite.

Video: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Mvt. 1

Für Elise (Ludwig van Beethoven)

One of the most searched piano pieces on Google, Für Elise has become a rite of passage for budding piano students across the globe.

Video: Für Elise

Symphony No. 5 (Ludwig van Beethoven)

Beethoven’s 5^th symphony takes a modest four-note musical motif and turns it into a musical juggernaut. Beethoven’s use of recurring motifs and expanded musical form were revolutionary in their day.

Video: Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1

The Top 10 Classical Music Compositions #4: Romantic Period Music

1812 Overture (Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky)

Traditionally, an overture is the opening section of a ballet or opera. However, the 1812 Overture is a stand-alone concert piece that musically tells the story of the 1812 battle between Napoleon and Russia (the Russians won). Tchaikovsky is known for his skill at crafting powerful orchestrations.

Video: 1812 Overture

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Richard Strauss)

This piece is instantly recognizable as the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the following video, you get the section used in the film though the complete work is much longer.

Video: 2001 Theme

Ride of the Valkyries (Richard Wagner)

The passage of music known as Ride of the Valkyries comes from the opera Die Walküre. Die Walküre in turn comes from the massive 15-hour long series of operas in the Ring cycle, consisting of:

Das Rheingold
Die Walküre
Siegfried
Götterdämmerung

The bold, brassy sound in Wagner’s music comes from the “Wagner Tubas” that he had commissioned for his works. Ride of the Valkyries entered pop culture when it was featured in the film Apocalypse Now.

Video: Ride of the Valkyries

Final Thoughts

These ten pieces give you a foretaste of the depth and richness of classical music. For a more detailed (but still quick) look at classical music (including more videos):

Have fun listening!

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