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Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 3:34 pm
by tubainty
I saw that there was a topic about favorite band pieces so it only seemed appropriate to start one for favorite orchestra pieces.


Holst- The Planets

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:51 pm
by Ken Herrick
Elgar "Enigma Variations"has long been one of my favourites to play or hear. Sym Fantastique is good fun along with Bartok Concerto for orchestra. The the P.I.T symph #4 the tuba concerto.

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:02 pm
by The Jackson
I have so many, but John Adams's "Harmonielehre" is right there at the top.

I'll also put down Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring", Copland's "Rodeo" suite and Adams's "Dharma at Big Sur". They are all magical in their own ways and I couldn't stop enjoying them if I tried.

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:38 pm
by bort
tubainty wrote:I saw that there was a topic about favorite band pieces so...
Oy. Too many "rainy day" topics for one day. (Even for me and it's raining where I am! :))

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 11:33 pm
by Bob Kolada
Prokofiev's 3rd piano concerto.


No tuba (sorry!), but the most fun for the fewest notes on bass trombone I've ever, ever, EVER had! 3 octave B's in the 1st movement (?, bass at least has a low B), low slow solo around low D in the 1st movement as well, the bottomless ocean the string basses are pulling up in the middle of the 3rd movement like some sort of giant ship hauling in miles upon miles of fishing net bringing in the sea itself,.....
Once the chainsaw joins in with the basses on that line descending to low C in the 3rd movement after it gets kicked from 3 to 1,..... man oh man! That is the closest to musical magic I have ever experienced. By far the piece I most want to play again!
I was sitting next to the basses for this piece. There wasn't a lot of them, but wow- what a sound! I don't know if any recording can capture the depth of that. I have not yet been able to find any on youtube,... that has not made me want to smack my computer for falling short.

This was THE most sublime piece I have ever played. Ever. We were originally only going to play the 1st movement backing some junior piano wizard, but played all of it during rehearsals and ended up playing the 3rd movement for the concert.
My biggest regret is not complimenting the basses (more? I don't remember!), or "calling them out" in a rehearsal or the rehearsal after the concert. They deserved it!
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The Prok. 5 recording by the CSO where the B natural at the very end creates a new universe is also quite nice, though I've never played that outside of my living room (1 octave down on my 3 valve Eb along with the recording...). :D

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 1:22 pm
by ZNC Dandy
Most difficult question that has EVER been asked on this BBS.

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 1:31 pm
by tclements
Sensamaya
Prokovieff 6
Shostokovich 5 & 9
Mahler 1
Pictures (Yes, I play Bydlo!)
Death & Transfiguration
Star Wars
Prelude to Act III of Loengrin
Rite of Spring
Romeo & Juliette (Prokovieff)

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:56 pm
by MartyNeilan
The one with the big tuba part.

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 10:45 am
by itai
Symphonie Fantastique,
Die Meistersinger!! Although sadly Wagner isn't played in Israel due to him being antisemetic..

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:53 pm
by hbcrandy
My favorites are as follows:

- Prokofiev 5
- Bruckner 4 and 7
- Strauss, Ein Heldenleben, Til & Alpine Symphony
- Vaughn-Williams, Sea Symphony, London Symphony
-Tchiakowsky 4, 5 and 6
- Franck, Symphony in D Minor
- Mahler 1, 5 and 6
- Sebelius 1 and 2

Re: Favorite Piece(s) for orchestra?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:13 pm
by tubaman1019
Here are my top choices (not in order)

Pictures at an Exhibition
Die Meistersinger
Saint-Saens Symphony no 3
The Planets
1812 Overture
Die Walkure
Scheherazade
.....and the list goes on and on but these are my top picks