Classical Top Ten

I know it's self indulgent, but what the heck. You only live once. Since we did our pop/jazz top ten, here's my classical top ten (again, in no apparent order):

• BWV 1009, Prelude to the 3rd Suite for Cello by JS Bach. Far more introspective than a great deal of his other works, the cello suites always conjured up a picture, to me, of a deeply religious man speaking to contemplating the Creation.
• BWV 1047, the Second Brandenberg. It's all trumpet, baby.
• Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, K492 by Mozart. This is the only piece I ever wanted to conduct. The Opera itself of the great achievements of human history.
• Adagio for Strings, Op 11 no 1 by Samuel Barber. Gut wrenchingly beautiful.
• Ein deutsches Requiem, op 45 by Johannes Brahms. Written not as a prayer for the dead but as a comfort for those who grieve.
• Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 by Franz Schubert. Text by Goethe from Faust Part I. Gretchen is sitting at the spinning wheel. Listen to the piano accompanyment and you'll hear it spinning.
• Egmont Overture, Op 84 by Ludwig van Beethoven. You have to hear this.
• Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59 by Richard Strauss (the final trio and then the final duo). Check out the words.
• 4:33 by John Cage. You can perform this one yourself.
• Symphony 9, Op 125 by Ludwig van Beethoven. This is the big one. Hamlet, the Sistine Chapel, The David all rolled into one.

Again, subject to change at any moment.