Arvo Pärt

Arvo Pärt (1935-present) [Estonian. Modern.]
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_P%C3%A4rt

Orchestral Music. Pärt's music is intense and haunting in its simplicity. (Simplicity as in minimalism, not simplicity as in simplistic...) He once said "I could compare my music to white light which contains all colors. Only a prism can divide the colors and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener."

Summa for Strings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzSlmWQuHFw (Favorite! So beautiful.)

Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUcazplAc58

Pärt composed much music for film early in his career, though he dismisses that work now. One of his later works, though, has been used in a handful of movies, and might be familiar.

Fratres for Violin and Piano: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrnFF_WPg7A

Choral Music.

Pärt also wrote some choral music; it took me quite a few times through this one before I enjoyed it, but it's now one of my favorite pieces of his...

De Profundis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eSz2J3nS2o

See also Nunc Dimittis, Da Pacem Domine, Stabat Mater...

Extra Credit.

Spiegel im Spiegel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFPdBUl7XQ (Warning: cheesy slideshow as background for this...)

Tabula Rasa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuFJout0j6c

There are so many other pieces, including Fur Alina, Te Deum, Magnificat...

Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) [Norwegian. Romantic period.]
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Grieg

Grieg is another composer who's probably not on the radar of most people, though some of his tunes are very widely known:

Orchestral Music.

Incidental music to Peer Gynt

First, two pieces everyone will recognize:
In the Hall of the Mountain King: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPLXNmKvLBQ
Morning Mood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRTLiLLjkFE

Second, two other Peer Gynt pieces that are amazing:
Solveig's Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snpr7xlF9Sw
Aase's Death: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB4m885sTeE

Grieg was also an excellent pianist, himself, and did compose one piano concerto, the first few bars of which are also recognizable.

Piano Conerto in A Minor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EMtzFrSRtQ (Leif Ove Andsnes)

Smaller Works.

Most of what Grieg's compositions, though, did not take large symphonic form, but were part of a larger nationalistic trend, and included many smaller works inspired by Norwegian folk music. (Starting in the later romantic period, many composers started to incorporate folk-inspired elements: Chopin, Dvořák, Sibelius, Elgar & Vaughn Williams, and Copland.)

Below, a few short pieces from Grieg's large number of Lyric Pieces (including the one I played during graduation weekend festivities at the end of my senior year of high school):

Arietta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TbQftYOKms
Wedding Day At Troldhaugen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eMFuTpchns
Butterfly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzh593azkIc
March of the Trolls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_gv7n2Uxoo

Ralph Vaughn Williams

Vaughn Williams (1872-1958) [English. Modern period.]
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Vaughn_Williams

Orchestral Music. Ralph Vaughn Williams' nine symphonies are probably the most celebrated cycle of symphonies by a British composer. Check them out.

One of his best-known and most beautiful works is called Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

Why Fum'th in Fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVVRHjQ5Vd4
(the psalm setting by Tallis which inspired the piece)

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxdOYgTXtH8

Concerto Grosso: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZhxa1VAxc
Lark Ascending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmT2jkKCEsg

Also check out Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus...


Choral Music.
Mass in G Minor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I45vri18Lxc

I actually have loved getting to know RVW's music - there's so much more, and it's all so beautiful, and I'm sad to move on to a new composer.

Domenico Scarlatti

Scarlatti (1685-1757) [Italian. Baroque period.]
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domenico_Scarlatti

At this point, Scarlatti is mostly remembered for the huge body of keyboard work he created, which includes a whopping 555 sonatas.

Piano & Harpsichord Music.

Piano sonatas composed during D Scarlatti's time were different from the current standard format, which evolved later. Here are a few of his harpsichord pieces:

Sonata L33: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lmqDOjHx70 (Vladimir Horowitz, considered by many to be one of the 20th century's greatest pianists)
Sonata K141: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjghYFgt8Zk (Martha Argerich's astounding artistry on display)
Fuge in G Minor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbW1nNBqVnI (Elaine Comparone on harpsichord)
Sonata L23: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaHMdDjNnZ8 (Horowitz again)

Choral Music.

Stabat Mater: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24F2ritnZ9I

Edward Elgar

Elgar (1857-1934) [British. Modern period.]
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Elgar

If you're not a big fan of classical music, Elgar is not one of the names you'll probably think of if someone asks you to name 10 classical composers. Lots of people haven't heard of him at all. But most everyone's familiar with at least one of his works -- Pomp and Circumstance, which is played at countless graduation ceremonies every year.

Orchestral Music.

Most of Elgar's well-known works are orchestral in nature... His Variations on an Original Theme (also called the Enigma Variations) consists of a theme and fourteen variations which represent people in Elgar's life. The most famous (called Nimrod) is very moving:

Enigma Variations, Variation IX (Nimrod): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUgoBb8m1eE

Another famous work of Elgar's is his Cello Concerto in E Minor, which was featured in the movie Hilary and Jackie, a story about the famous cellist Jacqueline du Pre from her sister Hilary's point of view.

Cello Concerto in E Minor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUgdbqt2ON0

Other Music.

Salut d'Amour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bisdQUm9N2E
Serenade for Strings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXkry3n-wew
Violin Sonata: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQL2wh-o69U

Sergei Rachmaninoff (Сергей Васильевич Рахманиновъ)

I've always loved classical music, but recently I decided that I needed to know more about different kinds of music, rather than just the few large classical choral works I was really familiar with. A web search (composer of the day... classical music of the week...) turned up no easy electronic learning aids, so I decided I'd need to teach myself. And I also decided to share/document. Onward.

Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) [Russian. Modern period.]
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff

Piano Music.

He was an extremely gifted pianist, and he composed some amazing music for piano -- four concertos (the third of which was featured in the movie Shine) and this piece...

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ULVzT7a3Q

Choral Music.

Beautiful.

Vocalise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gERptKVcxTM
Vespers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMmO0Gyfthg & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTH0pcu_t_8

Orchestral Music.

Isle of the Dead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N10YZ2Sk3Kg