To follow up on my previous blog post, I wanted to give you some suggestions from my go-to classical music playlist. These are in no particular order because I love them all!
1. Beethoven – Violin Concerto in D Major
Mrs. Salata and I both love this piece. I even played it for some of my college auditions. It is very upbeat and fun to listen to.
2. Rimsky Korsakov – Scheherazade
I love this piece because I was fortunate enough to play the violin solo at camp, and it reminds me of the very rewarding experience.
3. Beethoven – Symphony No. 3
When I was at camp at the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in ninth grade, the adult orchestra played this piece on the first night. Ever since then, this Beethoven symphony has been one of my absolute favorite pieces.
4. Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition
As I mentioned in my first blog post, this was the first classical music piece I ever listened to, and it will always have a special place in my heart.
5. Holtz – The Planets
The Planets sounds a lot like Star Wars, and you can imagine the galaxy morphing around the music as you listen.
6. Saint Saens – Carnival of the Animals
While you listen to this piece, I recommend looking at the titles because they help you understand the way Saint Saens wanted you to picture the various animals.
7. Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E Minor
I played this concerto two years ago and took it out for a few of my college auditions. I actually got to see Hillary Hahn perform this concerto with the NSO at the Kennedy center two years ago. Watching her play the piece live brought the Concerto to life and gave me a new appreciation for the piece. I also got the chance to meet her at the end of the concert, and she signed my music and even gave me pointers for how to practice parts of my cadenza and the third movement.
8. Wagner – Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg Overture
This was the first piece I ever played in my outside-of-school orchestra. It is a grand piece that is perfect to listen to when you need a confidence boost or if you are in a celebratory mood.
9. Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet Overture
This piece perfectly portrays the story of Romeo and Juliet, and it brings back all the good memories I made while performing Act 5 with my English class during the ninth grade MELO week.
10. Respighi – Pines of Rome
I love this piece because it takes you through the four movements that each depicts the different species of pine forests throughout the city of Rome. Watch out for the surprise at the end of the clarinet solo in the third movement!