Average Rating: 3.90 Rating Variance: 0.31 Objectivity Score: 58% (Somewhat Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAntonio Vivaldi The Four SeasonsEqual parts melodic, emotional, and virtuosic - this collection of concertos may not have been Vivaldi's most famous work in his life, but it certainly was what put him back on the map for listeners of the 20th century. Accompanied with texts that described individual scenes in the individual seasons, it's a (perhaps-disconnected, nevertheless-interesting) cool early example of program, narrative-driven music. This narrative inspires Vivaldi to pull out some of his most dynamic and harmonically-diverse pieces ever, which is what helps make it stand out from the other string pieces in his catalog. The opening movement of "Spring" is among the most universally-recognized classical melodies at this point, but it is best heard in-context, when it contrasts with the stormier parts of this collection. All in all, perhaps as close to a Bach-like compositional approach as the Italian redhead would ever reach.Bernart de Ventadorn Can vei la lauzeta moverClaudio Monteverdi L'incoronazione di PoppeaThere are some questions about whether this, Monteverdi's last opera (and last work written during his lifetime), was entirely written by him. Whether or not it was, there's no doubt that it advances the operatic form a considerable distance compared to where it was at the time of L'Orfeo. 28 different vocal parts are featured here, and the radical textual choice (a scandalous love affair that has caused ethical debates to this day) shows how opera was already expanding from the precedents that its theatrical predecessors, the Greek dramatists, had set millennia previously. Quite simply, one of the most daring pieces of music composed to this point, directing the world to the 18th century over 50 years before it had even started.George Frideric Handel Messiah, HWV 56In retrospect, it would be hard for England's (German-imported) greatest composer of oratorios to botch this, an oratorio about the death and rebirth of Jesus. But as unsurprising as it is that this is great, it's worth acknowledging just *how* great it is - dramatic music that doesn't quite reach the darkness of Bach's Passions, for instance, but presents itself as full of life instead. The forthcoming resurrection is but a foregone conclusion here, which makes this story feel more complete than other takes. You get the resolution of the Christ story without having to sit in the dark stuff, and sometimes, particularly around a certain December holiday, that's what people are looking for.Guillaume Dufay Nuper rosarum floresHildegard von Bingen Ordo VirtutumJohann Sebastian Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier I BWV 846-869What is one to say about this, the most influential collection of keyboard pieces ever written? Perhaps nothing more should be said, except that the best testament you could give is how it is equal parts an instructional work and a proving ground - even young Mozart and Beethoven were cutting their teeth on these pieces, and for as rudimentary as they may seem at times, how telling it is that they were so beloved as to stand the test of time and even be performed in concert centuries later. Book I has a stronger set of songs than the collection to come, certainly a product of how insanely productive Bach was at this stage of his career.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565How something so wildly experimental and with so much dissonance could have been composed in the first decade of the 1700s is beyond what I can properly express. The intro to the toccata alone needs no introduction or further clarification - you've heard it, you've seen it used in every scary movie scene imaginable, you've already formulated thoughts on it. The fugue is excellent in its own right, too. The piece stands out from its contemporaries so wildly that it seems almost too good to be true - was the toccata simply better preserved or written down in more detail than others of the era, or was it simply that much more impactful? Impossible to really say, but it's a classic for a reason.Johann Sebastian Bach Mass in B minor, BWV 232If this isn't the pinnacle of Bach's artistic output, it's certainly up there and in fact might yet be the pinnacle of Baroque ideals. Lively and vibrant in places, powerful and somber in others, this work is the true culmination of an as-of-yet, and perhaps always-to-be, unparalleled career. Bach wrote other pieces before his passing, but none could be a more fitting epitaph than this grandiose masterwork, perhaps the definitive settings of the Mass Ordinary there has ever been.Johann Sebastian Bach Goldberg Variations, BWV 988Who would have thought that a collection of keyboard exercises could be this entertaining and influential? Mostly known as a strange curio in the Bach oeuvre until the Glenn Gould recording from 1955 became hugely popular, this is actually a fairly demanding collection of pieces, demanding some serious hand independence skills and occasionally requiring hand-crossing that brings to mind the writing of Scarlatti. The entire work is very Italian in how it approaches phrasing, actually, showing both Bach's ear for trends as well as how much the Scarlattis and Vivaldis of the world were impacting the "scene", if you will.Johann Sebastian Bach The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080No matter the type of ensemble, and rest assured many diverse ensemble types have attempted this work, the music of the Art of Fugue endures. This takes the ideas of Bach's other variation-based works and notches them up to 11, taking its standard theme and morphing it beyond recognition at points, yet still pairing it with fantastic contrapuntal ideas each time around. And it's impossible not to talk about Contrapunctus IV, the unfinished fugue that ends mid-phrase with no resolution - the last gasp of a composer whose light was ebbing out, but had much fire still within him.Johann Sebastian Bach Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244Many call this Bach's greatest work, and it's easy to see why. The piece is an even heavier listen than the St. John Passion, packing a potent emotional wallop despite being even more subdued. Most would say, and I'd agree, that the best way to experience this work is as a live, staged performance - in many senses, it is an opera by everything but name, yet it never feels overly dramatic in the way operatic works do. The drama feels genuine, as does the emotion.Joseph Haydn Die Schopfung (The Creation)Absolutely stunning work - not quite Haydn's compositional epitaph, but it fulfills the function well. There are elements of early Romantic ideas here - perhaps a sign that Haydn was enjoying what his former pupil Beethoven was doing around this time - and the bombastic fire of the orchestration damn near puts to shame even the loudest moments of Haydn's symphonies. A mainstay of the oratorio repertoire, a defining moment in the genre's history, and for very good reason.Josquin Des Prez Missa Pange linguaJosquin Des Prez Ave Maria... Virgo serenaProbably the most famous singular composition of Josquin's, this piece is credited, at least in part, with revitalizing interest in the motet as a genre during the sixteenth century, after the spread in masses' popularity had eclipsed that of shorter pieces. The melody is piercing in its beauty, all four voices playing off each other in canon/canon-like interactions. There is no real question of the mood Josquin is trying to convey: it is ethereal in the most magical sense, without any strings attached and yet all the while carrying a depth, a sense of significance in its harmonies that is indescribable. Not much can be said beyond that: it is perhaps the best starting point for anyone interested in Renaissance choral music, and for as expressive as Josquin is known to get in his writing, this work channels a very spiritual set of emotions that even only a select few of Josquin's masses really came close to accomplishing.Ludwig van Beethoven "Pathétique" Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13Inspired by Mozart's sonata no. 14, this was the work that made Beethoven a force to be reckoned with in the world of Western music - a masterclass in technique and in compositional direction. For being structured in three distinct movements, everything transitions seamlessly together, and the melodies Beethoven uses to stitch these sections are as potent as he would ever write. The cantabile slow movement, especially, is a musical moment for the ages.Perotin Viderunt OmnesWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550A contender for Mozart's greatest orchestral triumph. The opening melody needs no introduction but deserves every ounce of praise it receives, the second movement is tranquil and one of his finest slow movements, the minuet is maybe his angriest "dance" he ever penned, and the finale continues the aggression into a stirring conclusion. Minor-key Mozart is where some of his most personal-sounding music arises, and if one doubts this, point them to the tour de force that is #40. We're a long way from the pablum that the boy wonder was tossing aside in pre-pubescence.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Jupiter" Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551Incredible symphony, with a sort of grave finality to it (as hindsight-laden an opinion as that may be). The slow movement is Mozart's very best slow movement across any piece he ever wrote, and the finale is the best single movement of any of his symphonies, bar none. Everything else is energetic (and bombastic, in the case of the finale), but a fragment of the bounce and positivity from previous symphonies is gone. At the least, it's the work of a man maturing - with context, it's the work of a man whose light was just 3 years away from shutting off for good and had the foresight to create a magnum opus such as this before it did.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die Zauberflote, 'The Magic Flute', K. 620Not surprising with hindsight, but the speed with which this became the most popular opera in history is still remarkable. And how could someone deny it? The whole opera is a proverbial acid-trip, but connected enough to pastoral and human themes alike that the audience is never disconnected from the material. With an engaging collection of music - including "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" (the "Queen of the Night" aria), a soprano feature for the ages - the opera is just stellar, even now a contender for the finest the genre ever produced.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Haffner" Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385Indubitably Mozart's symphonic triumph to this point, a fiery work that contains as fine a sense of dynamics as any of his pieces did. The energy of his operatic compositions seems to translate very directly and completely into his symphonic works of the time, which elevate them into a stratosphere that nobody else was achieving at this point.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491(Probably) Mozart's greatest piano concerto, a masterful display of how much his composing had matured as he entered his 30s. The thematic developments in the first movement are so winding, so ornate that they boggle the mind, and the last two movements mix stillness and serenity (#2) with an eerie creepiness (#3) that takes the listener on a ride through, if not Mozart's mental state (as other pieces of his have done), then through the mind of someone who views the world as through a kaleidoscope. It is vibrant, full of life and intrigue, and as alive as a piece of that era could get. How much more Enlightenment-idealistic could you ask for?Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Don Giovanni K. 527Mozart may have viewed this as simply a comic opera, but the drama plays a plentiful role in here as well, and the characters? Some of the best ever written for an opera - Don Giovanni himself is the larger-than-life role of a lifetime. The music here doesn't leap off the pages in the way other Mozart operas do, choosing instead to reinforce the text and characters. It's a complete package in the way few other operas are.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro, K. 492Comic opera at its finest. Mozart's orchestration and melodies were rarely better displayed than here, and although the characters are given less demanding vocal roles than what's witnessed in other Mozart operas, they're still superbly written. It is also seismic in scope, setting the expectation for many a future German opera - go big or go home, as they say. The highlight, cliched as it is, is the intro music, a superbly attention-gathering moment that has rarely ever been equalled.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457Very probably Mozart's greatest piano composition, a sublime effort that predates Beethoven's early classic works by a decade and change, yet seems clearly linked. The dynamics are tense and fiery, an emotional back-and-forth that may reveal more of Mozart's soul than anything else he ever penned. The second movement, with its soft lilts and pauses, seems particularly inspirational to Beethoven's "Pathetique" sonata from just a few years later.4.5 superbAntonio Vivaldi 6 Cello SonatasSort of a forgotten classic, containing some of Vivaldi's darkest works. Written one year before the composer's death, it certainly has a foreboding air to it at times. Recommended those wishing for a different side of late-period Italian Baroque.Antonio Vivaldi L'estro armonico, Op.3This collection of 12 violin concertos was described by one scholar as the most important instrumental work of the entire eighteenth century. It's hard to disagree, even if it may not be Vivaldi's creative high point. The melodies, as is typical with his work, fly off the page here - no. 5 was the most popular of the era for its speedy virtuosity, no. 6 the most popular today due to its focus on high-register melodies.Antonio Vivaldi Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione, Op.8The first four concertos are the highlights here (commonly recorded individually as "The Four Seasons" - you may have heard of them), but even the less famous material has a sense of dynamism even more prevalent than in any other Vivaldi collection. Fiery, passionate, and as prototypically baroque as you can get.Arcangelo Corelli 12 Concerti Grossi, Op. 6The G minor "Christmas" concerto is the highlight here, as most anyone who knows Corelli's works will tell you, but the rest of it makes substantial and excellent use of the full string ensemble, while the music itself contains a sense of direction that most composed works of the day did not possess.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Keyboard Concerto In D Minor Wq. 23Potent, attacking the norms of the style galant with gusto and a proper fire underneath itself. Piano interpretations of this piece show off how the instrument's dynamics were utilized even in the early days of its existence.Carlo Gesualdo Sesto libro di madrigaliGesualdo's works are interesting in that they raised eyebrows across the scene when they were first published, were promptly forgotten about after his death, then revived over 300 years later by the serialists (Schoenberg and Stravinsky, particularly). Even if these madrigals can't be considered "atonal" per se, they certainly stretch the boundaries of tonality in a manner not seen before and very infrequently seen afterwards until the 20th century. Listen to "Moro, lasso, al mio duolo" (English: "I die, alas, in my suffering") for the end-stage Renaissance version of proto-Schoenberg.Claudio Monteverdi Vespro della Beata VergineIt's still unclear if this work was intended for continuous performance or if the various movements are merely individual pieces considered suitable for Vespers celebrations. Regardless, when taken as a collective, this is one of the most progressive works of the Western classical canon to date, displaying Monteverdi's compositional proficiency over a wide variety of genres and instrumental combos. A grab bag of the best elements from the late Renaissance and early Baroque, in other words.Dietrich Buxtehude Prelude in G minor BuxWV 149A terrific two-hand showcase, perhaps Buxtehude's best in that vein. It's easy to hear the influence on later German composers (read as: Bach) in works like this.George Frideric Handel Wassermusik, Suite nr. 1 in F-dur, HWV 348Movement III may be the highlight of the entire Wassermusik series, a standalone piece in its own right with some bright, prominent French horns that take center stage throughout, and deservedly so. Neither the second nor third suites are quite on par with this first one, but the entire work as a collective is excellent all the same.Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Missa Papae MarcelliGuillaume De Machaut Douce Dame JolieEasily the most famous of Machaut's songs, "Douce Dame Jolie" (English: "sweet, lovely lady") is a prime example of a virelai - one of the three formes fixes that dominated French poetry/music in the fourteenth century. Machaut's usage of "courtly love" imagery is strong here, paired with a beautiful minor-key melody. Pinpointing the performance practices of this music is difficult, but given the piece's secular roots, we can assume that the singer (or singers, as the case may be) was accompanied by at least one instrument, and perhaps an entire ensemble of instrumentalists. Ars Antiqua de Paris (1974): https://open.spotify.com/track/1nnhBhWuPoq9q8Ezt2SM9R? si=J1DBvET1S8iiRhlREDghew&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1Heinrich Isaac Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassenOne of the most famous melodies of the Renaissance era, "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" (English: "Innsbruck, I must leave thee") was likely an early composition of Heinrich Isaac's and would go on to inspire the melodies for numerous other works, including sections of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Lyrically, it is a mournful tale of a wayward traveller, bidding farewell to the town that he loves like a husband would his wife. Amarcord (2006): https://open.spotify.com/track/7cgi6lRggiLAAzsuJOBBeW?si=14432aca957b4e9cHenry Purcell Dido and Aeneas, Z.626A vibrant English opera - well, mini-opera, as there is much less musical material despite sticking to a three-act structure. Purcell's light burnt brightly, if briefly (dying at the young age of 36), and this is a high-point of his career indubitably.Henry Purcell Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, Z.860Beautiful processional music for the funeral of Queen Mary, and later used for Purcell's own funeral just some months later.Jean Richafort Requiem in memoriam Josquin des PrezThe fact that Jean Richafort's most famous work is a tribute to Josquin des Prez is unsurprising; Richafort studied under Josquin for some time, and a lot of his style is heavily indebted to stylistic changes Josquin helped spearhead. But for being relatively forgotten as a composer since his day, Richafort's Requiem mass is an emotional punch in the gut unlike most other pieces you will hear from that era. The piece uses a lot of grand dynamic changes in its contrapuntal settings, as if to imitate the sound of a sea of individuals sobbing, lamenting the loss of a massively significant musical figure. The lamentations are all very individualized, however, as the piece uses very little in the way of homophony in favor of each voice getting its own melodic figures. Just outstanding.Jean-Baptiste Lully ArmideTruly an excellent opera from Lully, including a superb soprano part in that of the titular character. Per Lully's standard, heavy emphasis on instrumental interludes that would have included dancing of some kind.Johann Pachelbel Canon and Gigue in DIt's difficult to call Pachelbel's canon one of the most enduring pieces in classical music's history, because the piece lounged entirely in obscurity until the late 1960s, after which it exploded in popularity. Nevertheless, its simplicity is its virtue, undoubtedly. It builds upon its themes from the ground up, very methodically, and it doesn't waste time getting from place to place, either. A singular piece from Pachelbel both in fame and style, as his keyboard works are much more well-known than his chamber music, generally.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007The best-known of Bach's cello suites thanks to its prelude, one of Bach's most enduring melodic works to date. As a whole, the piece is important for shedding light on a stringed instrument not called a violin or a lute, legitimizing the other members of the string family as feature instruments in their own right.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047A trumpet part for the ages, going up to the instrument's highest register and reaching even further beyond that. While this sort of thing isn't quite a measure of musical *quality* per se, it speaks to its significance that the first movement not made it onto the Voyager Golden Record, but served as its opening track. As Baroque as it gets, and maybe the best moment in the whole collection.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050The other main standout of the Brandenburg works, as it's the most keyboard-focused of the lot and the harpsichord gets to shine in a properly obligato fashion here.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in Bâ™ major, BWV 1051Ending the collection is perhaps the most "complete" concerto of the bunch, typifying the style more than the others which tend to let individual instruments shine through a bit more.Johann Sebastian Bach The Musical Offering, BWV 1079This is Bach spreading his wings and letting loose a bit, showing off his chops at re-arranging and writing variations of a pedestrian melody (supposedly penned by Frederick the Great and handed to Bach himself). Bach's canons never sounded better than here, and he even lets loose with a cheeky trio sonata smack-dab in the middle, which fits in better than one would expect with the keyboard material all around it.Johann Sebastian Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier II BWV 870-893All but inseparable from the first book, despite having been written at least 15 years later. The pieces in this book are somewhat less entrenched in the repertoire than those of the first, but they satisfy the same urges, achieve the same goals, and so on.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 1, BWV 1052A contender for Bach's best harpsichord piece, with the first movement driving itself with a powerful melodic motive played jointly (and occasionally sequentially) by harpsichord and strings alike. The second movement is stately, and the third revises ideas from the first which ix mainly why I struggle to put this among the very upper echelon of Bach's works. A step below Bach's very greatest is many steps above most others', however.Johann Sebastian Bach 6 Violin Sonatas, BWV 1014-1019A very important collection coming out of a fertile creative period, pivotal mainly for the emergence of the harpsichord as an obligato accompaniment to the violin rather than a basso continuo accompaniment - the distinction is basically that the harpsichord is now elevated to similar prominence to the lead instrument rather than as a strict backing piece. The result is a collection of pieces that work more as duets than solos, which leads to some great interplay.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.2 in D minor, BWV 1008More aggressive than the first suite - the menuets feature some savage bowing techniques, and in some ways this suite is more attention-grabbing than the first.Johann Sebastian Bach Johannespassion, BWV 245The earlier of Bach's two passion settings, this work exists in several different versions, and it is generally considered the more scattered, ill-structured of the two. But the emotions are arguably even more turbulently displayed: the sheer anger from the dissonant opening "Herr" syllables transitioning into the melancholy of the closing movements speaks to Bach's abilities as a text painter.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004Seconding what the other person here said - the Chaconne is a masterwork in its own right, and it helps elevate this to be the absolute highlight of the collection. Stunning displays of virtuosity throughout.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540Majestic in its way, not as awe-inspiring as *the* Toccata and Fugue, but attention-grabbing in its stateliness all the same. Not altogether that disjointed, either, given that the two sections may have been composed completely separately from one another.Johann Sebastian Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582Probably Bach's most famous passacaglia (which is, if you don't know, a set of triple-meter keyboard variations pioneered in Spain and elaborated on by Frescobaldi). As with most variation-based compositions, the piece is a steady build-up, but where this work stands out is in how the variations are deployed, as well as in how Bach drops little nods to German Lutheran hymns in the process (very typical of his writing).Johann Sebastian Bach Fugue in G minor A statement piece, coupling one of Bach's most recognizable melodies with an interplay between hands and the minor-key counter-melody that overwhelms you in power and dissonance. Absolutely staggering to think that he was only 22 when he wrote this.Johann Sebastian Bach Great Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542More classic Bach organ writing, believed to have been inspired by a popular Dutch song and written/improvised for an audition. It serves as a reminder that for as complex and intricate as Bach's organ works could be, many of them were improvisations, which only adds to how far removed Bach's work was from those of his contemporaries.Johann Sebastian Bach Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543The fugue part is an absolutely superb bit of build-up, one of his best.Johannes Ockeghem Missa prolationumJohn Dunstable Quam pulchra esThe most famous piece by John Dunstable, the first English composer of note and the one whose embodiment of the so-called "English countenance" (that is, heavily using thirds and sixths in his compositions) kick-started the Burgundian school of thought that ushered in music's Renaissance. "Quam pulchra es" (English: "how beautiful thou art") is a three-part motet with lyrics taken from the Bible's Song of Songs, merging the spiritual with the secular in a gorgeous description of intimacy. One thing worth noting is that despite the increase in triadic harmonies, the strong resolutions of phrases are still open, "perfect" fifths or octaves, a sign that tradition has not been totally rejected in this new English style. Tonus Peregrinus (2005): https://open.spotify.com/track/06MP4B6xucMF98L716Qaae? si=cA_ZwhuqRTKAzAEPjjf6VQ&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1Joseph Haydn String Quartets, Op.76Haydn's final set of string quartets reflect the most mature form of his work - if not his most exciting works melodically, they showcase his trademark balance of the instruments as well as anything he did. Highlights are the second, third and sixth entries - the second movement of the third ("Emperor") quartet is seen as quintessential Haydn voice-leading, justifiably so.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 104 in D MajorA lively ending to the London symphonies (and Haydn's symphonic output overall). Don't let the generic title of "London Symphony" fool you - the final movement especially is explosive, a testament to the aggression Haydn could inject into his writing when it called for it.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.94 in G major, The "surprise" genuinely does catch you off guard, a fortissimo orchestral hit after however many measures of softness. The humor Haydn shows here is enough to make this feel Mozart-esque at times - a highlight of the London symphonies, for sure.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 100 in G major, A symphony of major importance for its second movement primarily. The usage of so-called "Turkish" military instruments adds a huge dynamic contrast - bass drums, triangles and cymbals cut through the higher and lower frequencies alike. (A timpani roll is also added near the end, also unique for the time.)Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 97 in C majorThere is a real driving authority with this Haydn symphony, which makes it a highlight of his London works without any doubt. Somehow it manages to capture that intensity without being *on* all the time, though: even the faster movements give the listener time to breathe and recuperate.Joseph Haydn String Quartet "The Russian" Op.33.No1-6If the Sun quartets show Haydn emerging into his mature era, the Russian quartets are him flexing his muscles. Terrifically eventful musical pieces, showing even more equality among the instruments and really allowing Haydn to imbue personality in the works. Highlights are the second quartet ("The Joke") with its amusing stops and starts, and the third quartet ("The Bird"), evoking natural qualities in a way akin to what Debussy and his ilk would do some 100 years later.Joseph Haydn Missa in Angustiis ("Lord Nelson Mass")In many ways this feels like a finale to the Classical era, tied to the symphonic sounds and formal ideas that typified Haydn's prime. The lack of woodwinds in the original arrangement gives the texture a feel not unlike some early Baroque works, but the vocal harmonies are unmistakably of their own time, and quite exceptionally so.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.101 in D major Very possibly Haydn's most popular symphony, a clever piece that uses motifs and traits of clocks to create musical themes that are infectious and fun. Whether or not it's his best symphony is more debatable, but the final movement does inject a surprising bit of darkness into the proceedings, which may or may not pair with the lightness of everything else.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.44 in E minor "Trauer"Haydn's greatest symphony to this point, a melancholy work that has moments of drama mixed with moments of pure sadness (such that Haydn supposedly wanted the third movement played at his funeral). The minuet bring placed second in the order instead of third is an interesting twist as well.Joseph Haydn String Quartets, Op. 20 ("Sun Quartets")The genre of the string quartet existed before this publication, but the Sun Quartets transformed it into the form that listeners will recognize today. Between a formal structure that promoted clearer development of melodic ideas, and Haydn finding a greater balance in the instruments (making the work sound like a proper ensemble piece), these quartets marked not just the foundation of what Haydn would build off of for his more famous collections, but what Beethoven and his brethren would build off of as well. Personal favorites would be the fourth and fifth quartets in this collection.Josquin Des Prez Missa La sol fa re miA mass based on wordplay, namely a play on the expression "Lascia fare mi" (English: "let me do it"), which was a common Italian expression at the time. Josquin converts the phrase into a motive based on solfege syllables, and that motive repeats itself over 200 times in various different forms (sometimes as-written, sometimes in retrograde, sometimes both in succession). Very mellow, with a "Credo" movement that uses a lot of minor thirds to create a somber sort of atmosphere.Josquin Des Prez Missa L'homme armé super voces musicalesKassiani Hymn to the Fallen WomanLudwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, No. 3And now we hit our first apex, an epic Beethoven sonata longer than almost any other he would put out, with some incredible moments that still pale in comparison to the second movement. The seeds of Romanticism lie in this part alone - listen as the piano transitions from Classical-adjacent chord structures into minor-key arpeggiations as the second theme enters. Stunning.Roland de Lassus Lagrime di San Pietro20 madrigals + one motet, a collection of madrigali spirituali ("spiritual madrigals") that was the last thing Lassus ever worked on before his death. Knowing this, it would seem to make sense that the work feels like a reflection on his composing up to this point, a summary of his history and stylistic changes. Certainly the crowning achievement of his career, it's a helluva way to close, and also very easy to consume both in parts and on its own.Roland de Lassus Psalmi Davidis pÅ“nitentialesA collection of seven motets set to the seven Penitential Psalms of David, the setting of De profundis is easily the most famous piece here, but all of these are fantastic. Very moving polyphony that packs an emotional wallop with its soaring high-register lines, a worthwhile listen either in parts or as a collective.Thomas Tallis Spem in AliumThomas Tallis takes the unwieldy 12-part arrangement of Brumel's Earthquake mass and raises him to a staggering 40 voices - 8 different choirs, each singing 5 distinct parts. It's a remarkable achievement just as much as it is a rather atypical work for Tallis, yet critics both of the time and after the fact have referred to it as among the greatest early English choral works. One would be hard-pressed to disagree with that assessment.Tomas Luis de Victoria Officium Defunctorum (Requiem)Written for his recently-deceased patron, the former Holy Roman Empress Maria, this piece is Victoria's high-water mark, the last he wrote during his lifetime and the summation of his style. Emotionally turbulent, the voices weep and wail with their rising and falling dynamics. It's emblematic of Victoria's mysticism as a composer while never feeling too foreign; it is, unquestionably, a work drenched in humanity.Tomas Luis de Victoria O magnum mysteriumA very warm, beautiful setting of this traditional responsorial chant, this is among Victoria's most famous motets and was used as the basis of a mass composed some 20 years later. The "Alleluia" section at the end is a creative coda to the piece, very staccato and making use of a very nice inner voice suspension on the final chord.William Byrd Mass for Four VoicesA beautiful and elegant initial entry to Byrd's trilogy of masses, using a mixture of textural effects to make it sound almost chameleonic in its styling.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem in D minor, K. 626Famously unfinished, with Mozart dictating pieces of it on his deathbed and his widow commissioning help to finish the skeletal framework her husband had left behind. Evaluating it as a Mozart composition is an act riddled with grey areas as a result of this, but there's no missing the fact that this is a stunning, haunting work, and if Mozart's collaborators composed parts of this as imitations of the late composer's darker style, they did a stellar job of it.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183/173dBThe intro to the first movement is genuinely startling - such an attention-grabbing moment that floors everything else Mozart had done to that point. The rest of the symphony remains his best to date, unique for its minor key melodies and overall promoting a genuinely stunning interpretation of the "Sturm und Drang" movement. Very, very mature.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622One of the classic clarinet works, written specifically for a basset clarinet (an instrument which was never popularized and thus has hecome associated with Mozart's pieces specifically). This was also Mozart's last formally completed piece before his death, making it a rather charming end to his career as a composer (the Requiem serving as his epitaph).Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466The opening movement is one of Mozart's darkest, most foreboding minor-key statements, although the piece does get progressively cheerier from there, ending in the parallel major key. One of his very best concertos of any kind, and just another example cf his proto-Romantic approach here. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quintet in A major for Clarinet and Strings, K. 581Clarinet and strings go together like bread and butter, and Mozart interweaves the two classes together gorgeously. Special praise must be given to the clarinetist countermelodies during string features - hearing it as an accompaniment instrument rather than the feature (like a concerto would do) is a great contrast to the moments where it's featured.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K.525The first and last movements are household melodies, the former being Mozart's most famous. If the middle two movements seem unusually unremarkable by comparison, it's much more a testament to the vibrance they're surrounded by than it is any defects with those (competently done) passages. Mozart's writing never sounded more purely enjoyable than it did here.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467Alright, perhaps *this* is Mozart's best piano concerto. There's something about how the piano lines up with the strings in the second movement that is practically heaven-sent, and the last movement is a tour de force in dexterity as only Mozart could do in those days. Demanding in many ways, an essential work of the period.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488Soft-spoken, with a gorgeous second movement that rivals any of Herr Wolfgang's most tranquil moments. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, K. 384Perhaps the work responsible for first establishing Mozart's reputation as an opera composer. Vivacious in its vitality, some of the widest-ranging vocal parts you would have heard in an opera at that point (the high soprano being a particular favorite of Wolfgang's), and an orchestra that punctuates each measure with such force that only the very best singers could stand out over such a ruckus. But stand out they did, for the young lad could always find himself the very best at what they did. An early triumph during his time in Vienna.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503An exceedingly good listen, more symphonic than many of his other concertos (the orchestra gets quite a lot to do here). Less weighty than no. 24, its minor-key counterpart, which may either hurt or help it depending on your tastes.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No.9 E-flat major, K.271Brilliant, an early example of the expressionist ideals that romanticism would portray some 50 years down the line. A Beethoven precedent in a lot of ways, with its use of dynamics and cadenza patterns to play with tempos.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 39 in Eâ™ major, K. 543The first movement is Mozart exploring tonal waters he had never trodden in the past, and it's a remarkable achievement. If nothing else in here quite lives up to that stunner, it certainly doesn't feel disappointing - the minuet is a folk song melody that translates well, and the finale is a shredder (if you will), with lots of fast-paced work among the strings.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338His best symphony to dare, lots of great melodic ideas paired with a second movement that doesn't meander in its stillness, but plays with it inventively. A must-listen and a very strong starting point for people wanting to familiarize themselves with Mozart's symphonic work.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Prague" Symphony No. 38 in D major, K. 504Known for its heavy emphasis on wind instruments, potentially a conscious nod to the city this symphony is dedicated to/inspired by. The three-movement symphony structure was a dying art at this point, so Mozart resurrecting it for one of his very last symphonies is quite an interesting trick.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No. 19 in C major, K. 465A highlight of the "Haydn" quartets, applying dissonance more liberally than any of the other pieces in that collection, or indeed most other pieces from that era.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quintet No. 4 in G minor, K. 516Excellent overall, but with an absolutely stunning third movement, among the saddest things in his catalog. The starts and stops and the ways the different instruments' registers mingle - more examples of Mozart following Haydn's example and equalling, if not surpassing the great master of string compositions.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quintet in E-flat major, K.452Mozart himself called this one of his greatest works, and it isn't difficult to see why. The wind arrangement here is vibrant, horns and clarinets interweaving while the piano acts as a filling, but not overbearing accompaniment.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Haydn" String Quartets, Op. 10Inspired directly by Haydn's Russian quartets from 4 years previously, and in some ways these quartets feel like the most experimental music of Mozart's entire catalog. Dissonance gets deployed in very unique ways in several of these quartets, the likes of which haven't been seen much since the later madrigals of Gesualdo. Haydn himself is said to have called Mozart "the greatest composer known to me" after hearing these works - hard to find more fitting praise than that.4.0 excellentAntoine Brumel Missa Et ecce terrae motus, "The Earthquake"Most famous of his masses, Antoine Brumel's "Earthquake" mass is written for a staggering 12 voices, which at face value sounds extremely excessive. Maybe so, since it was the perfect time for such things, but the piece avoids being unlistenable because all of the parts work in concert without drawing too much attention to any individual one - one of the most typically "ethereal" works of the era. Huelgas Ensemble (1990): https://open.spotify.com/album/5EVDHcDGfQz2WJw6T6alIu? si=28fx6e0yTQazMxoUXab3qQ&utm_source=copy-linkAntonio Vivaldi La stravaganza, Op.4A quirky set of concertos dedicated to one of Vivaldi's old violin students, we're again seeing progression in the technicality of the writing and what the composer is asking of the musicians. Recommended.Antonio Vivaldi Six Concertos, Op. 11More of Vivaldi's consistently-interesting string output, this time around less melodically distinct and more texturally unique.Antonio Vivaldi Twelve Violin Sonatas, Op. 2A predecessor to Vivaldi's truly great later works - violin + basso continuo accompaniment, per usual, but you can hear his sense of melody coming through early. Highlights are the first three, no. 8 and no. 11.Arnolt Schlick Salve ReginaArnolt Schlick was among the first noteworthy composers for keyboard instruments, at least of whose works have survived. His setting of the Salve Regina hymn, among the most popular Renaissance keyboard works, gives a great insight into how different the writing was back in the day; very choral-like, slow-moving contrapuntal lines that frankly are not "virtuosic" in any sense.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Harpsichord Concerto in A minor, H.430Another great keyboard concerto that shows Bach's emotive tumult in action, magnified compared to his contemporaries'.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Sonata in A, W.55 No. 4The dynamics in this piece are strikingly outside of their time, so much so that you could believe Mr. Bach's first name was Ludwig if you weren't paying enough attention.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Orchester-Sinfonien mit zwölf obligaten StimmenThe most famous of Bach's symphonies, lively things with some truly great wind parts that Bach evidently understood the importance of (hence why they are referred to as "obligaten", or "obligatory").Christoph Willibald Gluck Orfeo ed EuridiceGluck's most famous work, an heir to the tradition of French opera that ended up setting the stage for the German opera of the coming decades. The pastoral dances are some of the liveliest jaunts you'll hear from the era, and the castrati parts are quite difficult and intense in their own regard. Also on the shorter side for operas of the day, which helps its digestibility.Cipriano de Rore Missa Praeter rerum seriemAnother composer more known for madrigals than masses, Cipriano de Rore still allows some of his trademark chromaticism into this work, probably his most famous sacred piece.Claudio Monteverdi L'OrfeoAlready a widely-known composer of madrigals, Claudio Monteverdi wrote his first opera in 1609, and it is a pivotal one in the early history of the genre. The piece modernized the setting of Peri's Euridice, staying truer to the original story and adding a more diverse array of instrumentation to the proceedings, including brass and winds. Such was the vastness of its popularity that it remains semi-regularly performed up to the present day.Comtessa de Dia A chantar m'er de so qu'ieu non volriaThe troubadour tradition was not an exclusively male one, for there were many female troubadours (called "trobairitz") that we know of. As far as surviving works are concerned, however, only one trobairitz song survives: A chantar m'er de so qu'ieu non volria, written by the Comtessa de Dia (Countess of Die). The Comtessa's biographical story is indeterminate, with even her birth name being disputed (although Beatritz seems the likeliest answer), but we can suppose that her status as the member of a wealthy family helped her song outlast any of her contemporaries'. The song itself speaks from the perspective of a confused lover who has been mistreated by her male partner, expressing confusion while also asserting herself and warning him "that too much haughtiness makes many people suffer". Clemencic Consort (1980): https://open.spotify.com/track/53IDumFHPm0UcQbT1uSc0B? si=e9e9d7e982fe41adCristobal de Morales Missa pro defunctisA piece so morose that it moves at a snail's pace, this is probably the most famous work of Spain's original internationally-renowned composer. It demonstrates the homophonic textures that defined late-period Cristobal do much, and performances of it run on the longer wide compared to most pieces of the period, generally in excess of 45 minutes.Denis Gaultier La Rhetorique des dieuxA collection of lute pieces written by Gaultier, one of the preeminent lute composers of the late seventeenth century. There is a clear maturation in the writing of Gaultier compared to what, say, Dowland was doing some 50 years prior - the melancholic melodies are filled in by more intricate finger-picking patterns.Dietrich Buxtehude Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75An atypical work for the typically keyboard-centric Buxtehude, a relatively important work for being the first Lutheran oratorio, a large-scale sacred work featuring orchestra, choirs and soloists alike. Additionally, it just probably the most musically-interesting oratorio of any faith to have been composed during this time, a testament to Buxtehude and his affinity for voice leading/arranging.Dietrich Buxtehude Magnificat Primi Toni BuxWV 203A unique organ piece for Buxtehude in that it is based around sacred texts and thus is structured more like a chorale than anything else.Domenico Scarlatti Essercizi per Gravicembalo K 1- K 30Scarlatti's version of the Well-Tempered Klavier - shorter pieces structured as technical exercises, but open to expressive possibilities. Prime material for any practicing keyboardist.George Frideric Handel Wassermusik, Suite nr. 2 in D-dur, HWV 349Not quite as ear-catching as the first suite, but the one or two prominent oboe solos here are a nice contrast.George Frideric Handel Wassermusik, Suite nr. 3 in G-dur, HWV 350More string-dominated than the other two suites - perhaps the weakest melodically, but there is a section with a lively pipe jig that rates highly on a scale of pure, unabashed whimsy.George Frideric Handel Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351Written for George II as a tribute to yet another English war ending in success (as was the norm in those days), Handel's Fireworks is lumped in with his Water Music more often than not due to them both being outdoor performance pieces. Where the Fireworks stand out is in its usage of militaristic textures, such as a prominent snare drum and timpani - not necessarily a major compositional achievement for Handel, but most definitely a sign of things to come in Western music,George Frideric Handel Saul, HWV 53An exceedingly dramatic oratorio, telling the life of King Saul through the eyes of the Biblical David. Handel's choral music has a ferocity to it unlike most of his other works, although as is common with Handel, the libretto is an English one rather than his native tongue.Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Stabat materPergolesi's epitaph, literally written on his deathbed. Not quite a reinvention of the wheel, and some have criticized the work for its overly dramatic flair, but the opening duet is very affecting.Giovanni Battista Pergolesi La serva padronaInitially intended as intermezzo entertainment for a separate, serious opera of Pergolesi's, this little comedy work ended up becoming insanely popular in Italian theaters, remaining one of Pergolesi's most enduring and popular works. A great display of operatic ideas (specifically, the now-popular opera buffa) in miniature form.Gregorio Allegri MiserereThis work, written for two choirs and by a wide margin the most famous of Allegri's, gained a mythical stature thanks to its only being performed at the Sistine Chapel during the services of Holy Week. A ban on transcriptions of the work existed until the late eighteenth century, and even then certain performance practices unique to the Chapel have been lost to time. Nevertheless, the work is gorgeous, especially the haunting soprano line that peaks at their high C.Guillaume De Machaut Messe De Notre DameGuillaume Dufay Missa se la face ay paleDufay's most famous mass is one based off the motive of an early song of his, "Se la face ay pale" (English: "if my face seems pale"). The piece is Dufay's attempt at experimenting with the cyclical mass format, where that single motive is used as a linkage for each movement of the mass. Early Music Consort of London (1974): https://open.spotify.com/album/0ux604b4BmFNIf3Fbwq6uM? si=aP0XzM73TBq2yMFbKuprVA&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1Guillaume Dufay Missa L'homme armeMass Ordinary settings of the tune "L'homme arme" were common in the 1450s and onwards, and this setting of Dufay's is among the most famous of these. The work allows each voice to move with an elegance that befits the melody, and the "Gloria" section in particular harkens back to the peaks and valleys present in the Aquitanian style of writing. Hilliard Ensemble (1987): https://open.spotify.com/album/5CljeZ3osbKfvusVonwla3? si=S69COAKxQ8eVcoy6YbPfcw&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber Mystery SonatasA lovely collection of sonatas that sounds at least 50 years ahead of its time. Biber was not generally considered among the elite Baroque composers, at least until this work was discovered (around 1905), which leaves him (like Bach to come) as a more contemporary discovery and a more-appreciated composer today than he was in his day.Henry Purcell King Arthur, Z.628Not quite the equal of Dido & Aeneas, but probably the strongest drama Purcell did afterwards, with a captivating plot that takes a left-field look at the Arthur mythos, complete with some fantastic ensemble works.Henry Purcell The Fairy Queen, Z.629A very bright Purcell "semi-opera", and perhaps his most famous, being based off the story of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Very vibrant music, spirited in a way much of Purcell's other works don't match.Henry Purcell Come Ye Sons of Art, Z. 323A grand work written for the birthday of Queen Mary of England, the sixth and final ode of its kind as Mary would die at the end of the year. In its own way, it serves as a forebearer to the composer's own death the following year.Jacob Obrecht Missa Maria zartOne of the longest surviving Renaissance masses, this late-career work of Obrecht's contains 51 subsections in its 5 movements, taking upwards of an hour to perform. Ambitious and admittedly still quite melodic in the midst of that technical ambition, it is nevertheless easy to see how composers began shifting towards a more stripped-back approach following the deaths of Ockeghem, Obrecht and their cohorts. The Tallis Scholars (1986): https://open.spotify.com/album/7p7wlMIOFHwE4nuoxp3idO? si=QdzOUy9DSoCvyrIlihLHQgJacob Obrecht Missa Sub tuum praesidiumOne of Obrecht's most inventive masses, this piece starts off with 3 voices for its "Kyrie" movement and adds a new voice with each new section, culminating in a 7-voice "Agnus Dei". Imitative of Ockeghem in both its expressive and far-reaching technical aspirations, the piece is indicative not just of why Obrecht was popular in his time, but of why his style quickly became outmoded in favor of the next generation of composers. The Clerks' Group (2015): https://open.spotify.com/album/5WPCPw8NJDmIAb2cGofJ2t?si=G- QlqE8VTSSTiO18hVGtYwJean-Baptiste Lully Te DeumAnother stellar Lully motet, this is longer than his usual works of the genre and spends more time in the slower sections than a lot of his other pieces do.Jean-Baptiste Lully Plaude laetare GalliaWritten as a dedication for Louis XIV's first son, this is an exemplary example of Lully's grand motet writing: brash string + brass sections accompanied with a basso continuo, augmented by a vibrant choir.Jean-Philippe Rameau Premier Livre de Pièces de ClavecinA great collection of harpsichord (clavecin) pieces that was important in Rameau making his name as an important harpsichord composer of the time.Johann Pachelbel Hexachordum ApollinisA collection of arias with variations that may have been the most well-known thing Pachelbel put out during his lifetime. Given how certain other keyboard composers would experiment with variations on themes in the future, the importance of this piece should not be lost on anybody.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048Superb string writing, the frenetic bowings in that final movement are what classical fans live for.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049A very beautiful recorder solo in the second movement makes up for a slightly more by-the-numbers opener and closer.Johann Sebastian Bach 6 Partitas, BWV 825–830Workman-like pieces with a sense of thematic exploration about them, all six of them extremely lengthy for the time (averaging over 20 minutes apiece).Johann Sebastian Bach Organ Concerto in D minor, BWV 596More advanced than the previous year's concerto, powerful intro and some nice harmonic ideas in the piece's final movement.Johann Sebastian Bach 6 French Suites, BWV 812-817More excellent, inspired keyboard-writing during perhaps the most creatively fertile period of Bach's career - the fact that none of these suites stand among his very best or most-recognized works of the time is a testament to just how much of a roll he was on.Johann Sebastian Bach Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068The second movement (or "Air on a G String") clearly outclasses everything else here, taking time to slow down and focus on the beauty of the melody. Everything else is really good in its own right (sort of like a triple-meter Lully motet, in some ways), but there's a reason this piece is remembered for *the* one movement.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Partita No.1 in B minor, BWV 1002Some of Bach's trademark dissonance makes its way into this piece, a real tour de force for Herr Bach's violin writing.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Sonata No.1 in G minor, BWV 1001The first (and perhaps most famous) of the sonata-partita collection that makes up BWV 1001-1006.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Sonata No.2 in A minor, BWV 1003The last movement is by some distance the most interesting thing here, although once again the entire piece is nice.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Partita No.3 in E major, BWV 1006Lively piece that closes out this collection nicely.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.3 in C major, BWV 1009A lively second movement and an emotive fourth highlight this very strong third suite of Bach's.Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043Beautiful string work, probably as close to imitating the Italian style of string writing as Bach ever got.Johann Sebastian Bach Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147The source of Bach's most famous melody (transcribed in English as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" in 1926), this is a lively cantata written in 10 movements and originally based off an older Advent cantata.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041A stellar first movement that's as good as anything Vivaldi did paired with a solid, but less remarkable final two movements.Johann Sebastian Bach Triple Concerto in A minor BWV 1044Harpsichord, flute and violin combine for a very interesting concerto - the second movement especially plays with some interesting, sparser textures.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV 1053As with the first concerto in the sequence, the first movement here is a clear high point.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054Based off an extant violin concerto, this work is probably the second-best of the harpsichord concertos, again frontloaded with a terrific, dynamic first movement.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056Easily the best slow movement of the lot, a proper harpsichord feature with the strings doing nothing but sparse, pizzicato plucks. Beautiful stuff.Johann Sebastian Bach Magnificat, BWV 243Bach takes a gander at magnificat-writing - whether he ever attempted it again is unclear, but what we have here is a diverse piece of music that explores much in the way of arrangement and instrumentation, a more dynamic piece compared to his other vocal and instrumental works from the period.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto BWV 1042 in E MajorAn Italian-style 3-movement concerto, and a noticeably longer, more-evolving work than most concertos at that time. The first movement especially is a lengthy tour de force with some arresting melodies.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564A little bit more drawn-out and much less abrasive than BWV 565, but its meandering nature is kind of nice because it allows Bach to play with space in his arrangements a bit. Not to be slept on.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No.1 in F-sharp minor, BWV 910This early Bach toccata is one of his quickest-paced, spme difficult hand patterns and intriguing harmonic choices being played in a relatively unusual key signature for him.Johann Stamitz Sinfonia a 8 in E-flat, Op. 11, No. 3The second movement's lengthy runtime grabs your attention at first, but the true star is the first movement, with its stormy crescendos that have since been dubbed "Mannheim steamrollers", after the Mannheim school of compositional thought that Stamitz is said to have founded. Indeed, this is already a fantastic improvement on Sammartini's embryonic symphony structure - the addition of a fourth movement helps with that sense of development significantly.Johannes Ockeghem Missa Mi-MiOne of the stand-outs from Ockeghem's oeuvre, this shorter mass setting is based off of a chanson the composer had written some years prior, "Presque transi". The bass part is a clear standout here, getting moments to shine such as a counterpoint feature with the melody in the Agnus Dei section. Ockeghem's expressiveness in his usage of dynamics is very pronounced in each movement. Hilliard Ensemble (1985): https://open.spotify.com/album/7e6VZeeGFOe74KT78DAM85? si=Zk6dkd0PRTyNS_z564-YXQJoseph Haydn Symphony No.88 in G majorPopular Haydn symphony despite not being among his classic bunches (neither Parisian nor London-originated). The slow movement is among his darker pieces, while the final movement is Mozart levels of cheerful.Joseph Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E flat MajorProbably the most famous Haydn concerto, with a terrific melody in the first movement that has made it a mainstay for trumpet recitals ever since.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 102 in B-flat MajorRock-solid later effort from Haydn that was the genesis for the "Miracle" nickname later applied (incorrectly) to symphony #96 - a chandelier nearly falling on the audience midway through the premiere. Less flashy than other works of the period.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 93 in D MajorA strong first entry in the list of Haydn's London symphonies, with a few winks and nudges such as a reference to Don Giovanni in the symphony's last movement.Joseph Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 101Haydn's approach to writing for the cello and giving it equal stature to the other string instruments is to be lauded. This work may be his best feature of the instrument as a soloist.Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in E-flat, Hob.XVI/52Staccato, charging sonata, very intense piece. As fiery as you will hear from the old man.Joseph Haydn Variations in F minor, Hob.XVII:6Great theme and variations set from Haydn - his later career shows a proclivity for piano-writing that isn't present in his earlier music. A shame that it didn't emerge until the twilight of his career.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 98 in Bâ™ majorIn part a tribute to Mozart, who has multiple pieces quoted and referenced during this symphony. The finale is as sprawling a movement as Haydn gets.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 96 in D major, "The Miracle"Unusually, the best thing here may actually be the third movement, a soaring melody of Haydn's that could easily get confused with Mozart if you're not paying attention.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 92 in G major, Gets more interesting as it goes along, developing the piece's principal theme across multiple different settings and arrangements. The last movement is quite frenetic for Haydn, a real shock to the system given his usual output.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 82 in C major, "The Bear"Great first movement to this one, but the kicker is the final movement, featuring cello/bass accents that, when paired with the horns/winds, are meant to replicate the sound of bagpipes. Absolutely delightful number.Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in E-flat major, Hob. XVI/49Not a grand slam, but at minimum a ground rule double for Haydn - easily his best piano work, standing above some of the later-period Mozart sonatas even. Lots of tonal shifts in this piece that make it feel like more than a simple exercise set.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.6 in D major "Le Matin"Virtuosic in a way that most symphonies of the day weren't - in particular, the flutes have some adept staccato solos that require a great deal of technical ability to pull off properly.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.22 in E-flat major "The Philosopher"A magisterial first movement is the true calling card of this symphony, which otherwise features a lot of flashy playing and faster tempos.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.43 in E-flat major "Mercury"A lot of motion in this work, which is made all the better for it. Perhaps the most mature and elaborate of his symphonies to date, with a long introductory movement and another dosage of Mannheim inspiration at the very end.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.45 in F-sharp minor "Farewell"On the longer side for symphonies of the day, this thing was very popular for its strong melodic development and the curious usage of specially modified horns that allowed players greater range and versatility.Josquin Des Prez Missa L'homme armé sexti toniSubtitled for the six tones that represent the Guidonian hexachord (the foundations of sight-singing and modern choral performance generally), this is generally the less-regarded of the two L'homme arme masses, much more straight-forward in its construction and less interesting dynamically. Even still, it's a worthwhile listen for the sake of contrasting those two masses, and Josquin loves his canons so those are always a given, enjoyable to hear.Josquin Des Prez Missa de Beata VirgineFor a long while, this was the most famous of Josquin's late-career masses, full of contrapuntal harmonic lines and curiously-administered arrangings of the voices. Despite its somber tone, moments in this piece are unusually bombastic for Josquin, and each movement is based on a traditional plainsong melody - perhaps more of a callback than a look to the future.Leonin Viderunt OmnesOf the two named members of the Notre Dame school of polyphony, Leonin is the elder of the two and, perhaps by necessity, the one whose influence has lasted least of all. Before Perotin opted to add additional voices into his arrangements of chant, however, Leonin's arrangements were the most complex bits of Western two-part polyphony that have survived to this day. In this, his setting of the hymn Viderunt omnes, the two voices draw out the titular line for what seems like an eternity, switching registers and, in the case of the upper voice, singing some gorgeous melismas. Organum existed before Leonin's time, but his contemporaries claim that he perfected the style, and it is difficult to disagree after hearing this work. Tonus Peregrinus (2005): https://open.spotify.com/track/1TCx5p8MDtp71mOsVpHIQG?si=bb2110b24c7b45bcLudwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1There's already a uniqueness to Beethoven's approach here, specifically his left-hand parts which are on another planet compared to those of Mozart and Haydn. His development of ideas hasn't matured quite as much, but this is still a very impressive early effort.Ludwig van Beethoven "Grand" Piano Sonata No. 4 in Eâ™ major, Op. 7Beethoven's longest sonata to this point, not quite to the point where the term "tour de force" feels appropriate - it feels like a predecessor to what would become increasingly mature works - but excellent all the same.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10, No. 3The final movement in this sonata is one of Beethoven's finest to date, balancing between sparseness and speedier passages alike. The rest is strong in its own right.Ludwig van Beethoven Three String Trios, Op. 9Beethoven said this was his best work up to this point in his career. Even if you don't agree, he certainly uses this space to lay some pretty incredible groundwork for his future string pieces (most of them quartets). Best of these might be the C minor trio (No. 5).Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 3 in Eâ™ major, Op.12, 3The strongest of the first trio of sonatas, carried by some great dynamics in the first movement and the most tonally interesting second movement of the bunch.Luigi Boccherini String Quintet in E major, op. 11The third movement is the standout of course, with its sublime violin melody and how the other parts fit in to complement it. The rest of the composition is more straightforward, giving other instruments time in the spotlight while never really overstaying its welcome.Marc-Antoine Charpentier Te Deum, H. 146The most famous piece by France's most chameleonic composer of the time, even including Lully. Contains dramatic contrasts in a way that Lully's grand motets sorely lack.Nicolas Gombert Magnificat primi toniGombert's first Magnificat is a splendid piece - probably the most famous of his as well, and for good reason. As is typical of the magnificat format, the piece is written as a collection of short motets, the last of which builds up to a truly overwhelming climax.Pierre de la Rue RequiemAnother early example of a Requiem mass, this one more complete than Ockeghem's and arguably more befitting of the darkness that the text represents. la Rue's trademark contrabass lines are in evidence here, bottoming out at around a low B (B1) which was an absurdly low range for the time and very difficult to replicate even today. Ensemble Clement Janequin (2007): https://open.spotify.com/album/671XvAIqX82tGvKfgrZEDx? si=Bm0hmwvYRJqMlR6U5KbbXQRoland de Lassus Missa osculetur meA generally strong Lassus mass written for two separate choirs, this piece has a rather unique Credo section that sticks out noticeably compared to all the other movements - parts of it seem almost isorhythmic, a sort of throwback to medieval polyphony. It's a credit to Lassus's compositional versatility that he can pull off such an imitation as well as he does.Thomas Tallis Tunes for Archbishop Parker's PsalterA collection of nine brief Psalm settings intended for publication in a psalter (psalm collection) written by English theologian Matthew Parker. The settings are all very brief, but the melodies included are rich, ranking among the most popular English melodies from this period.Thomas Tallis Lamentations of Jeremiah the ProphetOne of the most popular works of the most popular composer of the Elizabethan era, this setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah features some of the hallmarks of the era: very syllabic, punchy singing, enunciated to a fine degree and rarely pairing more than one note to a syllable. What florid sections there are exist sparingly, as clear contrasts to the main body of the work. Textually dense, these English compositions were.Tomas Luis de Victoria Missa Surge properaVery dynamic, this mass feels significantly more matured compared to Victoria's earlier works - there's a crushing solemnity to the work, especially in the closing Agnus Dei movement that tugs at the listener's heartstrings.Tomas Luis de Victoria Tenebrae ResponsoriesA set of 18 four-voice motets written for the Matins traditions of Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the Catholic Holy Week.Tomaso Albinoni Adagio in G minorA beautiful piece regardless of its questionable origins - if not Baroque in creation, it's certainly Baroque in spirit.Unknown Composer Missa caputThe earliest-known setting of the Mass Ordinary to be arranged in a "cyclical" format - that is, each section of the mass shares the same underlying melody part, called a "cantus firmus". Attributed at times to Guillaume Dufay and John Dunstable, it's likely this was composed by an Englishman whose name has been lost to the sands of time, yet evidently possessed some notoriety in his day as the piece spawned a large quantity of imitators very quickly. Capella Cordina (1972): https://open.spotify.com/album/3GNGAJ3fcVDxRpgq8cI7mr? si=oJocajITQIGK69YOTT-LwQ&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1&nd=1William Byrd Mass for Five VoicesFive voices isn't necessarily better than four, but this is still a nice piece with some technically challenging lines (although, like the three-voice mass, the Kyrie section feels rushed).Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Paris" Symphony No. 31 in D major, K. 297/300aA popular symphony of Mozart's, one that seems to have garnered him a lot of praise. It's for good reason, too: the scope of his works is becoming increasingly epic, and this piece has some ear-catching moments with aggressive melodies.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201A very grim-sounding work for this era of Mozart's career - the slow movement is a high water mark, but the finale is so clustered-sounding, so laden with discomfort, that it might pack the strongest emotional punch of anything here.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 in Bâ™ Major, K. 595Mozart's last piano concerto is a beautiful thing, lots of lovely flourishes as well as thematic integration - different themes being revised in the various movements, something Mozart uses in his bigger orchestral works and incorporates in this piece as well.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto For Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299One of two double concertos Mozart wrote in his lifetime, the harp part especially is rather unique in its likeness to keyboard pieces. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 11 in F major, K. 413Adore the slow movement of this piece, tranquil and meditative without being especially complex.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310/300dTerrific melody in the opening movement, really lovely slow movement, and then a final movement so short it feels like a coda.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425Reminiscent of some mid-career Mozart symphonies in its structure, not as forward-pushing as his other works of the period (a symptom of this being composed in several days, perhaps). Energetic and fiery in the composer's own unique way, nonetheless.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330More subdued even in its faster moments. Among Mozart's most elegant, mature piano sonatas that he ever wrote.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332A twinkly little thing, lots of trills and right-hand fireworks make this sparkle more than most.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, KV. 453The final movement of the piano concerto is based on birdsong - that is, a melody sung by the starling Mozart had just bought as a pet. A fun, ear-catching concerto all the way through.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Great Mass in C minor, K. 427Incomplete in that it's missing a portion of the Credo (which was thus never included in period performances), but it nevertheless remains an important work of Mozart's on a grand scale. It foreshadows the Requiem, handling its grandiosity with a certain elegance rather than leaning into its more bombastic traits.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Horn Concertos No. 1-4 K.412/417/447/495A lovely, stately collection of concertos. Aside from the first, which is short to the point of being incomplete (it was written just before the composer's passing), everything else zips by breezily and pleasantly.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Cosi fan tutte, K.588Certainly great, but it does get rather forgotten about when compared to his other operas of the day, with a less compelling plot and a more general set of music. But not being up to the level of some of the greatest operas ever written is hardly something to be ashamed of, either.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Divertimento in E flat major, K. 563This was a time when string trios were hardly ever composed, so Mozart composing a work that entered the canon was an unlikely accomplishment (perhaps one of his more unlikely ones). Accomplish it he did, though; this piece is quite gorgeous, full-sounding despite the small ensemble size.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 22, K. 482There's a lightweight charm to the final movement that exceeds even Mozart's standards for lightweight charm. That said, this is not a small sampling of Wolfgang: it's one of his very longest concertos, although it doesn't feel its length at all, really.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 6 in D major K. 284 / K. 205bThe final movement is a work unto itself, a theme with a dozen subsequent variations that dominates the piece's entire performance time (pretty much). Elaborate structurally for a sonata of its time.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 18 in D, K576Mozart's last sonata is a pleasant close to this genre of his output, brassy at times in its sound (hence why it is sometimes called the "Trumpet Sonata").Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.1 in C, K279Really dig the slow movement here, plays with space in a way that his piano concertos really weren't doing at the time.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No.21 in D major, K.575Another Haydn-inspired quartet, but more tranquil overall than the previous "Haydn quartets". The second and fourth movements rate as highlights, with some stunning counterpoint going on in the last movement especially.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.19 in E-flat major, K.132Lovely slow movement and a French-inspired closing movement make this one of young Mozart's most elegant works.3.5 greatAdam de la Halle Jeu de Robin et MarionAdam de la Halle (1240 - 1287) was the most famous of the trouveres -- troubadours who spread the Occitan lyrical tradition to the various dialects of northern France. His writings were notable for spanning an unusually broad set of genres for a lyrical poet. In addition to his songs (chansons), Adam wrote polyphonic music, such as motets, and became one of the first composers on record to experiment with more complex sets of poetic forms: ballades, rondeaux, and virelais, which start to become more prominent in French music during the coming decades. His most famous piece, Le jeu de Robin et Marion ("Robin and Marion, A Play with Music"), is a long-form play based around a secular love story, with featherweight, dancing melodies that may have invoked folk music traditions of the day. The play differs greatly from the theme of fin' amors, however; instead, it is an extension of the pastourelle form of poetry, in which the love in question is not unattainable, but is extant and threatened by an outside force, a rogue knight who wishes to kidnap the female love interest. Tonus Peregrinus (2006): https://open.spotify.com/album/7dmIdo5biRHkicdEusfaTW? si=7po7PxWmSLStNdGUa1l3GQ&dl_branch=1Adrian Willaert Missa Christus resurgensOne of the great early writers of madrigals, Adrian Willaert's mastery seems to have been with shorter compositional forms as opposed to masses - this, his most famous mass (based off a Richafort melody), doesn't stand out particularly, despite having some beautiful melodic parts.Antonio Vivaldi Gloria, RV 589Solid late-career sacred work of Vivaldi's - sort of the last vestiges of a Baroque era that is starting to really fall by the wayside at this point.Antonio Vivaldi Six Flute Concertos, Op. 10A lot of these concertos feel taken straight out of the vernacular dances from the age - a lively and entertaining collection of pieces, indeed.Antonio Vivaldi Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV 425A bit of a trifle, but interesting in how it differs instrumentally (if not necessarily in spirit) from the rest of Vivaldi's work.Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Magnificat in D major, Wq.215Very inspired by his father's Magnificat, and potentially composed as an audition for his father's old job. CPE didn't carry on many of his father's attributes in his own music generally, so to hear an out-and-out homage like what this appears to be is kind of nice.Cipriano de Rore PassioAn early choral setting of the St. John Passion. More important in the context of the genre than it is indicative of Cipriano's other work.Cristobal de Morales Officium defunctorumA nice setting of the Office of the Dead, with lots of homophonic chord movements used in a way that seems to be present in a lot of Spanish Renaissance compositions.Francesco Landini Ecco la primaveraThe Trecento period of Italian history was one defined by the region's destruction and subsequent rebirth in the fourteenth century, thanks to the catastrophic effects of the bubonic plague. The music of this era, while inspired in part by the music of the troubadours, generally entered a sphere unto itself by the later part of the century. Spearheading this was Francesco Landini (c. 1325 - 2 September 1397), a blind Florentine organist whose melodies were so beautiful that, as contemporary commenters stated, "hearts burst from [listeners'] bosoms". "Ecco la primavera" (trans.: "Behold, spring has come") is one of his most enduring pieces, a two-part ballata (a popular genre of music at the time) that makes use of some lovely contrasts and deploying of non- "perfect" intervals, such as thirds and sixths. Anonymous 4 (2001): https://open.spotify.com/track/5YYaveMPfeUClulJB6ON9e?si=0608768ca8c74270Georg Philipp Telemann Concerto for 2 Horns in D major, TWV 52:D2A lively early example of a horn concerto. Georg Philipp Telemann Concerto for Recorder, Flute, Strings and ContinuoSchoolteachers everywhere lament Telemann's normalization of the recorder, even if they don't know it. Nevertheless, the instrument is rather nice when played well, and the flute duets here are certainly examples of that.George Frideric Handel 6 Grand Concertos, Op. 3 / HWV 312-317Nice music, although somewhat strangely assembled (and likely published without Handel's knowledge). As a mish-mash of Handel's concertos, it's quite nice.Giovanni Battista Sammartini Symphony in F Major, J-C 32A very primitive example of the symphony as a genre, very Baroque in its roots with a vibrant string melody in the first movement.Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Missa sine nomine a 6Bit of a nondescript mass overall apart from a lively Credo, yet historically important for being an inspiration for Bach's Mass in B minor.Heinrich Isaac Missa de ApostolisIsaac's main success seems to have been in his motets and shorter pieces, but this is a nice mass setting all the same, contrapuntal without exercising itself too unnecessarily in that regard.Heinrich Schutz Musikalische Exequien, Op. 7A requiem in all but name, the first of its kind to be published in the German language (using predominantly Lutheran texts).Henry Purcell Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen MaryAn early tune of Purcell's that he turned into a sort of song cycle dedicated to Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians.Henry Purcell The Gordian Knot Untied, Z.597Terrific overture to this one, another of the myriad incidental musics Purcell would compose.Henry Purcell The Married Beau, Z.60More incidental music, in this case incidental and nothing but.Henry Purcell The Virtuous Wife, Z.611Strong later-career arranging from Mr. Purcell here.Jacopo Peri EuridicePerhaps time has rendered this, the earliest-surviving complete opera, a bit ham-fisted in its thematic treatments. But credit must go to Peri, a prolific composer despite his style growing out-of-fashion quickly, for helping establish operatic tropes like the contrast between recitative (speech-like singing) and arias (dramatic singing) and the soloist/ensemble contrast so early on.Jean-Baptiste Lully AtysLully's operas, despite nearly always being based off tragedies, retain a brightness about them that sets them apart from Italian styles like opera seria that were growing so popular in the day. Unfortunately, this leaves Lully as more of a sidenote to operatic development rather than a leader, but his stuff is worth listening to all the same.Johann Sebastian Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046Originally intended as the introduction to a cantata, this is easily among the weakest of the Brandenburg concertos, if not the absolute weakest. This is still to say it's a very good listen, but the brightness doesn't quite *pop* as much here.Johann Sebastian Bach Clavier-Ãœbung III, BWV 669-689A bit of a plodder, collecting a bunch of good, rarely great organ works under a single banner. It is nice to hear Bach sound so reserved with this instrument, though, and some of the harmonic ideas are very nice indeed.Johann Sebastian Bach 6 English Suites, BWV 806-811Being honest: this is a bit of an odd collection, much more French than it is English in terms of style. Having said that, it's an important work for his development as a keyboard composer specifically, and thus is worth seeking out over some of his other works from the period.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No.2 in C minor, BWV 911Somewhat more pedestrian compared to the other stuff he was writing at the time, but an interesting final movement makes up for that somewhat.Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Sonata No.3 in C major, BWV 1005Not one of his standout violin works as a whole, but there's some cool dissonance at work in the first movement which is interesting.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.4 in E-flat major, BWV 1010Indeed, it's a bit direction-less compared to the other suites in this collection, but still enjoyable all the same.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.5 in C minor, BWV 1011The very excellent, extended first movement makes everything else pale in comparison a bit here, although as ever, it's a very nice listen.Johann Sebastian Bach Organ Concerto in G, BWV 592Nice first organ concerto, albeit a bit restrained compared to his other works for the same instrument.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055At times, the strings dominate the texture over the harpsichord, which is the greatest blemish on what is otherwise the most hierarchically alanced of the concertos to date, at least in terms of structure.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata/Fugue in Dmin Perhaps the least interesting toccata/fugue pairing, and by leaps and bounds not as compelling as the other D minor composition. The fugue still has some nice ideas with the voicings and how the theme works its way Nick into the flow, however.Johann Sebastian Bach Aria variata in A minor, BWV 989Nice theme and variations for keyboard, often paired with the Goldberg Variations despite not being at all from the same era of his career.Johann Sebastian Bach Capriccio in B-flat major, BWV 992Fledgling Bach here - 19 years old at the time of writing this, supposedly as a tribute to his brother who had left the country. A nice listen, more interesting than one might expect a teenager's compositions to sound like.Johann Sebastian Bach Overture in the French style, BWV 831This and the Italian Concerto are considered companion pieces to the partita collections from the same timeframe - and indeed, they fit into that sound like a glove, despite being more drawn out and longer-form.Johann Sebastian Bach Lute Suite in E minor, BWV 996An odd little piece likely written for a lute-harpsichord rather than a lute, and it shows in the writing - it sounds much more like a lute playing a keyboard piece than something written explicitly for the lute itself.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No.4 in D minor, BWV 913Third movement is the most interesting here, very spacey and playing with some interesting harmonic choices.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No.5 in E minor, BWV 914Short but sweet toccata, very energetic if questionably-paced (fourth movement is almost as long as the previous three combined).Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No. 6 in G minor, BWV 915An extended final movement is the highlight of this early Bach toccata, prime for virtuosic improvisation.Johann Sebastian Bach Harpsichord Concerto No.6 in F major, BWV 1057A reworking of the 4th Brandenburg Concerto - Bach covering Bach is not the most inspired concept, and this is one of the weaker concertos in this collection (buoyed by the 4th Brandenburg being a very good work in its own right).Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto No.7 in G Minor, BMV 1058Another concerto where the emphasis is on the slow movement - not quite as strong a slow movement as the 5th, however.Johannes Ockeghem RequiemThe earliest polyphonic setting of the Requiem mass on record (a possible earlier mass by Dufay is lost), this mass (also known as the Missa pro defunctis) is an early example of a burgeoning late-15th century style of writing called "paraphrase masses". In these masses, the cantus firmus is taken from an existing sacred source, often from traditional plainsong chants, and the melody is embellished substantially. Ockeghem's requiem is believed to be incomplete, but one can still find unique elements in what does exist - namely, a melancholy found in little other polyphonic music of the time, accentuated by the occasional chromaticism and florid lower voices. Hilliard Ensemble (1985): https://open.spotify.com/album/7e6VZeeGFOe74KT78DAM85? si=Zk6dkd0PRTyNS_z564-YXQJohannes Prioris RequiemThe only especially noteworthy composition of Johannes Prioris, this early Requiem betrays a strong influence from Italian choral writing. Much of the harmonies are written as block chords, moving in unison rather than each voice working at its own pace, which was found more often in the Burgundian writings of the day.John Taverner Missa Gloria tibi TrinitasA strong English mass from the period, this is John Taverner's best-known work, notable for featuring no Kyrie section. Instead, the Kyrie is "troped", added in as its own melismatic phrase without any added harmonies; in effect, it relegates the Kyrie to an introductory role amidst the greater piece.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 85 in B-flat MajorNot a highlight of Haydn's symphonies, of this era or any other, but a good one nonetheless with plenty of enjoyable melodies to go around.Joseph Haydn Piano Trio E-flat major, Hob.XV:10 Op.27Rating applies for the Op. 27 trio collection as a whole - slight, but Haydn makes the sparser instrumentation work well.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 103 in Eâ™ major Called the "drumroll" symphony for the timpani rolls that bookend the first movement, this is a solid, if occasionally long-winded entry in the Haydn catalog.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 99 in Eâ™ majorEchoing another sound-off here...the final movement us excellent, although everything else drags somewhat and renders this one of the lesser London works.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 95 in C minorThe only minor-key work of the 12 London symphonies, although not a standout among the bunch in any other way.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 90 in C majorHaydn having fun with some of the writing here - a fake ending to the final movement, in this case. A rather bombastic work for "Papa".Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 89 in F majorMore wind-focued than some of his other symphonies, but compared to his other output around this time, it's a little bit plain.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 56 in C majorThe first movement of this is great, positively (dare we say it) Mozart-like in its jovial bounce.Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI/50A pretty epic first movement is the highlight of this late-period Haydn sonata.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.7 in D major "Le Midi"The anthemic opening is a fine start, but the second movement, a grandiose thing in itself, is the main attraction here.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.31 in D major "Hornsignal"A horn feature, as the name implies, with themes related to hunting calls sprinkled across each movement.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.39 in G minor "Tempesta di mare"Highlighted by the last movement - tempestuous indeed, not quite a Mannheim sound but close.Joseph Haydn 4 Piano Sonatas Hob XVI/34/35/36/37Among the best piano sonatas in Haydn's catalog, which is to say "decent, if not as inventive in their execution as Mozart's were in his, and theirs".Josquin Des Prez Missa Hercules dux FerrariaeAn early example of a technique called soggetto cavato (English: "carved-out subject"), where the music is based on a cantus firmus based on individual solfege symbols, this piece is a quirky exercise based on the name of the then-Duke of Ferrara, Josquin's patron at the time.Josquin Des Prez Missa Malheur me batA relatively minor Josquin mass, this one (English translation: "misfortune beats me") has a particularly florid Agnus Dei section and is one of the rare masses of his that contains six individual parts - more of the subtle complexities that define his style.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2, No. 2It peters out a bit as it goes along, but the first movement alone is quite worthwhile, and the slow movement plays with these staccato ideas that contrast a lot with everything else.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10, No. 1The first movement is as close as we get to a proper Beethoven sound, the rest of it being somewhat more aggressive takes on Mozartean ideas. Still nice though.Ludwig van Beethoven Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2, Op. 5Early cello sonatas from the young Beethoven, full of piano accompaniments that end up stealing the show more often than not.rLudwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10, No. 2Slight, but an oddity in Beethoven's catalog as a result, allowing the composer to have a bit more fun than he's accustomed to.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Trio No. 1-2-3, Op.1Not the beginning for Beethoven, but the first work he took any sort of long-lasting pride in. Plenty of Haydn influence in this work, although he already plays with space and pauses more than most (if not all) of his contemporaries.Ludwig van Beethoven Three piano quartets, WoO 36The first quartet is easily the adolescent Beethoven's greatest accomplishment to this point, an early sign of his expressiveness and emotive writing style.Ludwig van Beethoven String Trio No. 1 in Eâ™ major Op. 3Pleasant first string trio from Beethoven, though the worn still feels like that of a composer trying to find his footing a bit.Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12, No. 1Pleasant early violin sonata, very Mozart-like in its structure.Ludwig van Beethoven Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16There's a lot of activity in this work, so much so that it can feel like Beethoven gets too caught up in the extracurriculars rather than letting the heart of the piece speak out. Still an enjoyable and fun work.Ludwig van Beethoven Rage Over a Lost Penny in G Major, Op. 129A lark, but a well-written one, a rondo written in a Hungarian style (as opposed to the Turkish style of Mozart's Rondo alla turca).Ludwig van Beethoven Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, WoO 87A never-performed piece of Beethoven's that didn't see the light of day for about 100 years after its composition. Predictably funereal and dirge-like, a smaller-scale requiem with scattered arias thrown in as well.Manuel Cardoso RequiemThe Portugese equivalent to Palestrina, this is a very nice Requiem that falls under the radar compared to more popular versions.Robert de Visee Suite No. 9 in D MinorNice guitar suite from one of Baroque-era France's premiere composers of the style.Roland de Lassus Requiem for 5 VoicesA strong, if perhaps not a stand-out Requiem setting.Tomas Luis de Victoria Missa De Beata Maria VirgineAnother pleasant early Victoria mass with more than a shade of melancholy to it.Tomas Luis de Victoria Missa pro defunctisSort of a dry run for what's to come, a four-voice Requiem that Victoria would revisit and rearrange 20 years later in six-voice form.Tomas Luis de Victoria Missa gaudeamusA somewhat early Victoria mass that has a bit of a stilted flow to it, but balances this with many lovely minor-key passages.William Byrd Mass for Three VoicesProbably the least of Byrd's mass trilogy, not just because it has less parts to work with, but because the overall structure is thrown off-kilter by a confusingly brief Kyrie. Still gorgeous at its peaks, though.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet no. 2 in D major, K. 155Distinct from Mozart's other string works of the period for its distinctive modulations in the first movement.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331The full-length sonata isn't one of Mozart's strongest, but the last movement ("Rondo alla turca", or "Rondo in the Turkish style") is a triumph - one of Mozart's very best piano melodies, if not his best, and a mainstay of children's classical compilations ever since.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 18 in Bâ™ major, K. 456The slow movement is the highlight with this concerto, a theme and variations that's meditative in its own pleasant way.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 28 in C major, K. 200/189kSimilar to #25 in its use of declarative statements (such as the opening movement), but weaker in some ways, and the slow movement is probably the strongest part here.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 30 in D major, K. 202/186bBrassier than some of the other symphonies, although there is a certain dance-like quality that imbues both the slower and more upbeat movements.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 32 in G major, K. 318Miniature work inspired by the Italian overture style (not Mozart's first attempt in that vein, although perhaps his best).Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 33 in Bâ™ Major, K. 319Solid work that hints at more to come rather than standing out on its own - a weaker one of his "mature" symphonies.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545The childlike, innocent melody in the first movement is another classic Mozart moment. Again, it's not up to his best work in the genre, but quite pleasant all around.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major, K. 537Strong, but incomplete concerto - the left-hand part famously has bits that the composer never added or wrote in.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414Nice lightweight work, intended for a smaller ensemble which causes it to stand out from his other, more grandiose works of the period.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata in F-major No. 15, K. 533Rock-solid piano sonata, with some great hand coordination in that first movement. Not among his absolute best from the period though, admittedly.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 5 in G major K. 283 / 189hThe first movement is a mainstay of intermediate piano repertoire, and for good reason - it's simple enough with a really lovely melody, and it's often described as a classic example of the base structure of sonata form.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 7 in C major K. 309 / K. 284bA spritely opening movement dominates what is otherwise a relatively interchangeable late '70s Mozart piano sonata.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No. 9 in D major K. 311 / K. 284cCadenzas in the last movement are perhaps the most outlandish aspect of this piece, but otherwise it is a fine example of formal development, and a mainstay of music theory curriculums as a result.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quintet No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 174Inspired by the works of Michael Haydn (Joseph's younger brother), this piece has the energy of a symphony at times, although the highlight is probably the slower second movement.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.17 B-flat major, K.570Middle-class Mozart sonata, one of the most rudimentary-sounding melodies he was writing around this time.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.13 in B flat, K333Perfectly nice, stately sonata that epitomizes this era of Mozart's piano-writing without standing out from the crowd much.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.2 in F, K280The last movement's little minor-major oscillations are quite quirky and fun, making this one of Mozart's more lightweight piano sonatas.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.3 in B flat, K281Technically very challenging, with some really dexterous two-hand interplay throughout its runtime. Loses some melodic intrigue as a result, but not to an off-putting degree.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No.4 in D major, K.218Supposedly a concerto Mozart composed for himself to play, but then reassigned to someone else after realizing it was too difficult for him to play. Fun story, fun piece.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major, K. 37While a lot of the material on here is taken from other composers of the day (these seem to have been exercises for Mozart rather than being intended for publication), the highlight is the major-minor transitions of the second movement, the part that is believed to have been composed by Mozart himself. Some of his best writing from this era.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ein musikalischer Spaß) K. 522A lark of a piece, meant to break rules but as a means of poking fun at rule-breakers rather than pushing forward. Some of the jokes are about formal development which may fly over the heads of those unfamiliar with the forms of the period, but hearing the out-of-tune horns in movement 2 will amuse even the less familiar listener.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No.20 in D major, K.499The "Hoffmeister" quartet, so called, is not quite at the level of what Mozart was doing with other string quartets during this period, although the counterpoint in parts is certainly unique for the era.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No.22 B-flat major, K.589Written for the King of Prussia, a cellist himself, it should be no surprise that the cello has a major role in this late-period Mozart quartet.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No.23 in F major, K.590The last, and probably the least-exciting of the Prussian quartets. Still a pleasant listen though, with some of Haydn's trademark stops and starts thrown in as a little nod to the elder.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.6 in F major, K.43The first 4 movement symphony from young Mozart. Movement #2 is an especially nice highlight from this work.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.12 in G major, K.110/75bThe works are growing more complex now...movement #1 is a miniature tour de force.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.14 in A major, K.114More Italian-inspired work from the young Austrian - the influence of J.C. Bach is especially apparent here.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.18 in F major, K.130Adventurous and tumultuous last movement is the clear highlight - unusually long for a Mozart symphony movement of this time.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.17 in G major, K.129The second movement is possibly Mozart's first big triumph as a melodist - absolutely gorgeous stuff. Everything else is nice, but closer in quality to his other work from the period.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.20 in D major, K.133A brassier instrumentation this time around, with more than a little influence from the French Baroque grand concertos by the sounds of it.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.27 in G major, K.199/161bThe last movement is very nice and energetic, although the rest of it is a bit too close to Mozart's typical style for the period.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.26 in E-flat major, K.184/161aMuch closer to his pre-25 output than no. 25 itself, but still nice and vivacious.3.0 goodAlexander Agricola Missa In myne zynAnother of the late-period Burgundian composers, Alexander Agricola is also remembered for the elaborate structures of his compositions. The Missa in myne zyn is especially brim-filled with motion, to the point where it begins to suffocate under its own complexity. It is also an incomplete mass setting, with no "Kyrie" section having survived. A:N:S Chorus (2014): https://open.spotify.com/album/6Gv3xNwDpOPERySEk7bAn2?si=nXYr94h8QNa- 0AGb_szJ-wHenry Purcell Dioclesian, Z.627Incidental music composed in a way that garnered this play the label "semi-opera" - any singing is done only by supporting cast members, with the main characters only speaking. Not one of Purcell's better works in that realm, his melodies get more interesting later on.Henry Purcell The Indian Queen, Z.630Only a partially complete semi-opera, which makes it sound like there's hardly any music to speak of. It's not quite true, and at any rate, the music that's there is quite nice, actually.Henry Purcell Abdelazer, Z.570More incidental music - interesting that contemporary recordings choose to include some of the spoken text.Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suite No.6 in D major, BWV 1012Although interesting in the sense that it may have been composed for a smaller version of the cello, called a violoncello piccolo, this is a pretty inessential Bach piece and the weakest of the cello suites by a fair margin.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No.3 in D major, BWV 912A slower toccata that doesn't offer much of special interest given his other works.Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata No.7 in G major, BWV 916As Bach works go, this one positively lumbers along, and I don't mean that in an especially kind way. Perhaps the weakest of this earliest set of toccatas.Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in C minor, Hob. XVI/20Piano works are not Haydn's strength, but there are still nice moments to be had here.Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 91 in Eâ™ majorHarmless and nice, but on the bland side admittedly.Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in B minor, Hob. XVI/32A master of the piano sonata form, Haydn was not, but this is still nice...you can hear some very strong Mozart influence at this point.Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in G major, Hob. XVI/40Only 2 movements to this sonata, making it even slighter than many of his other works.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.8 in D major "Le Soir"Mostly unremarkable apart from the last movement, straight out of the Mannheim school with its fast runs and turbulent dynamics. The slower sections are meant to represent rainfall, the faster ones presumably to portray a storm.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.26 in E-flat major "Lamentatione"Slight Haydn, very much so, although there is a nice lilt to it at times.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.30 in C major "Alleluia"Simplistic melodies, centered around the "Alleluia" motif taken straight out of Roman chant.Joseph Haydn Symphony No.38 in D major "The Echo"The emphasis on back-and-forth ostinatos (especially in movement #2) make this symphony feel especially repetitive at times, although the oboe feature in the last movement is exceptional.Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Trio, Op. 11Interchangeably a trio with strings and a trio with woodwinds, as the piece was written to accommodate both, but it's a milquetoast piece of melody and formal development.Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata for Piano, Four Hands in D major Op. 6An educational work to be played between teacher and student, and not much more than this.Ludwig van Beethoven String Trio No.2 in D major, Op.8Perfectly pleasant classical-like piece from Beethoven, though a bit more reductive than even his other works from this era.Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Sonata No.2 A Major, Op.12, No.2Probably a more overt classical influence in this than his first violin sonata, which makes it feel a bit more "regressive".Ludwig van Beethoven Three Early Piano Sonatas, WoO 47, There are elements of the young Beethoven understanding dynamic contrasts at this point, which is quite interesting, but ultimately these works are as minor as you'd expect.Ludwig van Beethoven WoO 88: Cantata - Accession of Emperor Leopold IIPaired with the Joseph II death cantata, this one doesn't sound celebratory so much as...funereal, like its predecessor. An odd musical choice for sure.Ludwig van Beethoven WoO 43/44: Sonatina for mandolin and harpsichordA quaint curiosity, sounding at times like a throwback to early Baroque-style writing.Walther von der Vogelweide PalastinaliedGermany's form of courtly love emerged in the form of a genre called Minnesang ("love song"), believed to have originally evolved independently of the troubadour tradition but fell under its influence at some point in the late 12th century. The most famous practitioner of Minnesang, or "Minnesanger", was Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170 - c. 1230), from whom approximately 100 lyrics survive. Only one of his melodies is known, however: "Nu alrest lebe ich mir werde", also known as the Palastinalied, which is not even a love song at all, but rather new sacred lyrics that were likely set to an existing troubadour melody. As such, it is rather difficult to evaluate Walther's abilities as a composer, and as his are by far the most prominent Minnesang compositions, the musical genre itself remains somewhat a mystery. Early Music Consort of London (1971): https://open.spotify.com/track/7xSRVPjj7WfO2GYNontpeZ? si=c67707dca99c4b26Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 21 in A major, K. 134By-the-numbers compared to some of the other '72 symphonies, but take notice of some of his string writing here: sophisticated in a way it wasn't even 3 years prior.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Sonata No.4 in E flat, K282The Adagio movement starts this sonata out pleasantly enough, although the rest of it isn't one of his top-flight works.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.1 in Eâ™ major, K.16Not bad as symphonies penned by 8-year-olds go. Actually quite a good first movement even if the melody is rudimentary.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.4 in D major, K.19Technically his second symphony (#2 and #3 being authored by different people entirely; adults, no less), ND a mite more interesting overall than his first.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.7 in D major, K.45Mostly a slight symphony, but the last movement plays around with dynamics in an interesting manner.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.8 in D major, K.48Strange ending to this symphony, sort of petering out rather than concluding conclusively. Nice first movement though.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.11 in D major, K.84/73qThe last movement is a nice 6/8 romp, although this is still a bit before Mozart begins maturing as a composer.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.13 in F major, K.112A step down from the promise of #12, though pleasant still.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.15 in G major, K.124Copy-paste "solid early Mozart symphony" here.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.16 in C major, K.128Jaunty 3 movement symphony, the first and last being written in a triple meter that makes this a very danceable work for the young lad.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.22 in C major, K.162Primitive melodies that wouldn't be out of place in the earliest Mozart works, but again, the maturing arranging saves them from complete banality.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.23 in D major, K.181/162bStrong first movement with some aggressive string work.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.24 in Bâ™ major, K.182/173dAOne of his briefest symphonies, with a spirited final movement that keeps the piece racing all the way to the finish line.2.5 averageLudwig van Beethoven Nine Variations on a March by Dressler, WoO 63There are certainly worse places to start. Basic theme and variations stuff here, more rudimentary than a lot of Mozart's fare at this age, but prescient enough nevertheless.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 37 in G major, K. 444Not a Mozart symphony at all, but a Michael Haydn symphony (no. 25, specifically) featuring a Mozart-penned intro. Inoffensive, but dull and obviously impossible to evaluate in the context of Mozart's career.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.5 in Bâ™ major, K.22The slightest of the early symphonies, so brief that even the upbeat melody barely registers.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.9 in C major, K.73/75aPleasant, yet among the child's most non-descript works to date.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.10 in G major, K.74Difficult to evaluate as it's structured in 3 parts over 2 movements (an Italian structure of the day), so performances often don't even cross the 10 minute mark.
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