Best Melody/Melodist Ever?

Fugue subject from Bach's Fantasia and Fugue in G minor

In rough chronological order...

Pachelbel, Johann - Canon and Gigue in D

Bach, JS - Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme (at the beginning)

Beethoven, Ludvig van - Various themes from Symphony No. 9

Chopin, Frederic - Nocturne in Eb, Op. 9 No. 2 (main theme)

Mendelssohn, Felix - Nocturne from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Mendelssohn, Feliz - Violin Concerto (first movement main theme)

Liszt, Franz - Liebestraume No. 3 (main melody)

Liszt, Franz - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Slow theme after the intro)

Tchaikovsky, Pytor - Piano Concerto No. 1

Dvorak, Antonin - New World Symphony (Going Home)

Elgar, Edward - Land of Hope and Glory

Puccini, Giacomo - Nessun Dorma from Turandot

Debussy, Claude - Clair de Lune

Debussy, Claude - Arabesque No. 1

Holst, Gustav - Jupiter (I vow to thee, my country)

Strauss, Richard - 1st Horn Concerto, Mvt. 2

Copland, Aaron - Fanfare for the Common Man

Copland, Aaron - Hoedown from Rodeo (Beef, It's what's for dinner)

Reed, Alfred - Armenian Dances, (part 1...part 1)

Williams, John - Theme from Schindler's List

Williams, John - Across the Stars

Those are my favorite melodies!!

i would definitely say Testris Theme C. That is by far the coolest song ever.

Oooh, and the Overworld Theme from Mario Bros. (better known as just the Mairo Theme..) just about everyone in the world knows that song.

But on a more serious note, just about everything from William Tell's Overature is my favorite.

OOH!

I remember now!

my favorites theme of all time is definitely Habenera from Carmen (sp?). That's probably the most popular opera and it's the coolest theme ever, and my favorite opera.

I finally see Chopin hidden in one of those lists, and the Ballade.

I don't really think 4'33" has a melody, per se.

Anything John Williams is pretty good. His Jaws theme is about as simple as music gets, and yet look how far it's come. I also love Eric Whitacre's The Stolen Child. The crazy chord and intervals make it so memorable.

In my opinion, though, Toccata and Fugue takes the cake, along with Beethoven's fifth.

There DEFINITELY isn't one. But here are some:

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 (Second Movement)- Simply gorgeous.

Eine Kliene Nachtmusik: All four movements are amazing.

Beethoven: Ode to Joy

Bach: Sheep may safely graze, Double Concerto for Two Violins- Second Movement

Goldberg Variations, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, "Erbarme Dich, mein Gott" from the St. Matthew Passion. It makes me weep even though I'm not particularly religious.

Bedřich Smetana - Vltava.

's just awesome.

A Shocker:

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Mov. 1

Where? 'S a long movement. The subject from the brass fugato? (banking on JT being a trombonist and consequently finding that fugue as awesome as I do)

Where? 'S a long movement. The subject from the brass fugato? (banking on JT being a trombonist and consequently finding that fugue as awesome as I do)

How did you know?! :P

Because it's just so awesome =)

Any brass player who doesn't adore that section isn't a real brass player ;)

"New day for me" from ZEROWING for Genesis & Arcade. That's the second stage (Legrous) if you've played the game. Yes that's the same "all your base" Zerowing, but don't underestimate how much the music kicks donkey.

Oh, btw, composers for Zerowing are Toshiaki Tomizawa and Tatsuya Uemura. But I don't know who wrote that particular one.

Hindemith's Piano Sonata No. 2 Mvmt. 3 has a way of getting stuck in my head, as does the second movement of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms. I love the fugue subject from the fugato movement of Ysaye's Sonata No. 1 for Solo Violin. Others are the melodies of the first and third movements of Hindemith's Clarinet Sonata.

I find that for me, melodies from typical classical/art music (typical meaning like, not Xenakis, who, even though I adore his music, never gets stuck in my head) are more catchy than melodies from popular music. For me, Radiohead and bands like the Pixies are like, the ultimate in not-catchy.

oh yeeeah. I forgot about Hindemith, heh. The rondo theme from Piano Sonata No. 2 finds its way into my head often xD.

There DEFINITELY isn't one. But here are some:

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 (Second Movement)- Simply gorgeous.

Eine Kliene Nachtmusik: All four movements are amazing.

finally someone mentions the piano concerto no 20! :D

but Eine Kleine.....O_O

The thing about Hindemith is that no matter how chromatic or far out his melodies get, they always manage to get stuck in your head. See the Symphony in Bb for Concert Band. Weird, tonally warped melodies that are uncannily infectious.

The theme from Police Squad!!

- The main theme from the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major.

- Thomas Newman's themes for Scent of a Woman and Meet Joe Black.

Recently added, who is the best "melodist" ever?

I've always thought Mahler 5th had some quite nice melodies. Especially in the 2nd movement (7'55'' aand... 8'45''.. those are my favorites :) ).

As for "melodist"... Mahler (again, yes) and Liszt.

For best melodist, I'd say:

Beethoven

Schubert

Mendelssohn

Tchaikovsky

Bruch

out of these,

Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky seem to have the most recognizable melodies.

chopin?

Trane

The first thing that came to my mind was Faure's Pavane...

Mozart's 25th. But my favorite melodist has to be John Murphy.