List your choice of the top ten greatest movements ever composed.

I know everyone's choices would inevitably be subjective to some extent. So I think there is great room for variety and little room for argument over which are indeed the ten greatest movements ever composed.

I hope that this will at least serve for each of you as an occasion to revisit the classical music that you love and consider the greatest, as it has been for me.

Here are my choices in no particular order:

1. Beethoven String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131, last movement "Presto". This is the one that inspired me with the idea for this thread. So I think that this IS the greatest movement of music ever composed. For me, it constitutes the powerful victory of the human spirit over hardship and evil. I think there is no more victorious music ever composed.

2. Mozart Symphony No. 40, last movement "Allegro", a dramatic movement that forges ahead despite every hardship.

3. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, 1st movement "Allegro con brio".

4. Mozart String Quartet K. 421, 1st movement "Allegro"

5. Schubert String Quartet No. 14, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden", 1st movement "Allegro"

6. Brahms String Quartet No. 1, Op. 51, No. 1, 1st movement "Allegro"

7. Mozart Requiem K. 626, 7th movement "Confutatis"

8. Handel Messiah Oratorio, "Hallelujah Chorus"

9. Bach Partita No. 2, last movement "Ciaccona"

10. Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 29 "Hammerklavier", last movement "Largo Allegro Risoluto"

OK, in no order and talking about composers (not particular works, although I give some examples):

1. Philip Glass: Piano studies 5 & 6, and his operas (Akhnaten is the best for me).

2. Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen, and operas.

3. Wagner: Love duet from Tristan.

4. Brahms: Violin concerto op. 77.

5. Haendel: Giulio Cesare.

6. Verdi: Traviata end of Act I.

7. Bellini: I Puritani First Act.

8. Brian Eno (?): The sinking of the Titanic.

9. Shostakovich: everything (Symphony. 5)

10. Chopin: the NOcturnes.

Sorry, I'm into opera.

15 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

OK, in no order and talking about composers (not particular works, although I give some examples):

1. Philip Glass: Piano studies, and his operas (Akhnaten is the best for me).

2. Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen, and operas.

3. Wagner.

4. Brahms: Violin concerto op. 77.

5. Haendel: Giulio Cesare.

6. Verdi.

7. Bellini: I Puritani.

8. Brian Eno (?): The sinking of the Titanic.

9. Shostakovich: everything.

10. Chopin.

 

Sorry, I'm into opera.

 

I agree with the Brahms Violin Concerto! It is one of the greatest violin concertos. The third movement in particular stands out for me.

If I had to choose the greatest movement from Wagner, it would have to be the prelude to the opera Parsifal. It is unique music and among the rare pieces of music that is unmistakable from the first note(s)!

Wow, you cast the net wide if you include any movement in any type of work.  That being said, here's my list:

1. Beethoven, Symphony no. 7, 2nd Movement

2. Mozart, Great Mass in C minor, "Kyrie"

3. Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 27 in F minor "Appasionata," 3rd movement

4. Schubert, String Quartet in D minor, No. 14, "Death and the Maiden," 1st movement

5. Mozart, Requiem in D minor, "Lacrimosa"

6. Bach, Chaconne from Partita in D minor for solo violin

7. Schubert, Mass no. 6 in Eb major, "Et incarnatus est"

8. Cherubini, Requiem in C minor, "Sequentia"

9. Sibelius, Violin Concerto in D minor, 1st movement

10. Dvorak, Symphony no. 7, 3rd movement

Oh, this is a toughie! So many good musical works out there. Here is my arbitrary list...no particular order:

1. Beethoven, Violin Concerto in D Major, 1st movement 

2. Mozart, Great Mass in C Minor, Kyrie

3. Brahms, Symphony No. 4, 4th Movement (any movement in this work is just wonderful actually)

4. Mahler, Symphony No. 9, 1st Movement

5. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6, 1st Movement

6. Corigliano, Violin Concerto ("The Red Violin"), Chaconne

7. Mahler, Symphony No. 2, 1st Movement

8. Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No. 1, 4th Movement

9. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4, 2nd Movement

10. Ades, Asyla, 3rd Movement ("Ecstasio")

I'm so glad this this is a post. I love a lot of pieces in their entirety but specific parts are really the great things to discuss sometimes! These are in no particular order except for my number 1 choice!

10. Shostakovich Piano Trio #2 in E minor, 4th movement

9. Lutoslawski, Cello Concerto, end of Cantalina and Finale (reh. 77) 

8. Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, 10th movement (The Great Gate of Kiev)

7. Britten, Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Fugue

6. Barber, Violin Concerto, 2nd movement

5. Prokofiev, Violin Concerto #1 in D major, 1st movement  

4. Haydn, Symphony 97, 1st movement

3. Shostakovich, Piano Concerto #2 in F major, 1st movement

2. Dvorak, Symphony 8, 1st movement

1. Respighi, The Pines of Rome, 4th movement (The Pines of the Appian Way)

28 minutes ago, danishali903 said:

...

3. Brahms, Symphony No. 4, 4th Movement (any movement in this work is just wonderful actually)

...

5. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6, 1st Movement

 

 

I personally never liked the Brahms 4th symphony. When I played it in Symphony it seemed kind of bland compared to his second symphony. 

But the 6th symphony by Tchaikovsky I totally agree with, pretty much the whole piece (emphasis on 3rd and 4th movement), but my list had too many things to put on it :( I wish I had like 100 spots!

Now, this is hell of a challenge to pick... My top ten movements are constantly flowing back and forth, but there are a handful that always remain around the top. Of course, you'll quickly figure out what I tend to favor the most: Romantic and post-Romantic composers, Russians, orchestral pieces... And you'll be able to quickly point out what particular trends have carried on into my own music.

So I'm first listing the honorable mentions...

Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2, 1st movement.

Haendel: Messiah, "Unto Us a Child is Born".

Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exposition, 10th movement ("The Great Gate of Kiev").

Bach, Orchestral Suite No. 3, 2nd movement ("Air"). Especially the non-historically-informed performances I grew up to love.

Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, 1st and 3rd movements.

Tchaikovsky, The Maid of Orleans, Act III, Scene 2, "March". Rivalling Verdi's better known march from Aida.

Tchaikovsky, Eugene Onegin, Act I, Letter Scene.

Tchaikovsky, The Maid of Orleans, Act I, Hymn.

Rachmaninov, Symphony No. 2, 1st movement.

Elgar, Enigma Variations, "Nimrod".

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4, 1st movement.

Tchaikovsky, Manfred Symphony, 2nd movement.

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5, 2nd movement.

Mahler, Symphony No. 1, 1st and 4th movements.

Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto in E minor, 1st movement.

Dvorak, Symphony No. 7, 3rd movement.

Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty, Act I (Rose Adagio) and Act III (March, Polonaise and Pas de Quattre).

Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet, Act I, "Dance of the Knights".

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, 1st movement.

Mozart, Great Mass in C Minor, "Kyrie".

Shostakovich, The Gadfly, "Romance".

Morricone, Cinema Paradiso, "Love Theme".

Brahms, Symphony No. 1, 4th movement.

And now, the top ten, in (some sort of) descending order, with a few extra comments...

10) Borodin, String Quartet No. 2 in D, 2nd movement. What a lovely nocturne!

9) Mozart, Symphony No. 41 in C, 4th movement. Ah, that five-theme fugue...

8) Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 1 in Db, 1st movement. Has blown me away every time since I first heard it.

7) Beethoven, Symphony No. 7, 1st movement. It always gets me bouncing in my seat with its infectious rhythms.

6) Delius, Florida Suite, 1st movement ("Daybreak")

5) Mahler, Symphony No. 4, 1st movement. Couldn't avoid falling in love with it at once.

4) Grofe, Grand Canyon Suite, 4th movement, ("Sunset"). Rather than the more famous "On the Trail".

3) Tchaikovsky, The Queen of Spades, Act III, Scene 2. I just love the way the drama is enhanced by the music in this passage.

2) Mahler, Symphony No. 2, 1st movement. An epic, gigantic funeral march.

1) Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique), 3rd movement. It... just brings the house down!

That's a lot of work! I'll give you one. Dance of the Flowers from the Nutcracker. @ 54:30

I especially love the dancing. George Balanchine was brilliant.