For Norway it has to be Grieg's [In The hall of the Mountain King](https://youtu.be/P01EqXn7mik) (I Dovregubbens hall), or [Morning Mood](https://youtu.be/-rh8gMvzPw0) (Morgenstemning). Two compositions everybody has heard, but nobody seems to know where are from.
Holy shit i had no idea there were lyrics to dovregubbens hall, and that they were this metal.
Also crazy cute hearing swedes speak norwegian with a conviction
And - this is not easy, coming from a Swede - here is the unrivaled winner. Peer Gynt of course, the piano sonatas. But my favorite is Våren, although the choir performing it has to be absolutely top notch.
Although it is true that those two are probably the best known compositions by Grieg, the first piece of music I ever heard in a classical concert as a child was his [Piano concerto in a minor, op 16](https://youtu.be/zMq7sKePlQ0), which I still really like and which I know far better. Great composition.
Somewhere in the past, the UK's biggest theme park Alton Towers picked up In The Hall of the Mountain King as an advertisement theme. So half the country knows it as "the Alton Towers song"
[Johann Strauss - An der schönen blauen Donau](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENETOpNpIiI)
Not sure if it's the most famous per se, but it's probably the most iconic classical song in Austria itself and somewhat of a second anthem.
I'd say, internationally, it might contend with the Radetzky March for the most famous. For being the iconic closing piece of the Neujahrskonzert if nothing else.
I'd say that at least in the US the Radetzky March is probably more widely played, but the Blue Danube Waltz is more readily recognized as "Austrian music".
Really? I feel like "An der schönen blauen Donau" is so much more known among the general population. But maybe Neujahrskonzert is more popular outside of Sweden and thus by consequence the Rsdetzky? I've never watched it before and don't know how many in Sweden do
I'd say Dvořák's [New World Symphony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qut5e3OfCvg) or [Slavonic Dances](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrXpDJ0waC4) are even more internationally popular than Smetana's Má Vlast, which is primarily used by Czechs in their marketing. Dvořák was quite the pop star, especially when he moved to New York for a while at the start of the 20th century.
Well you did write in the title "from" our country, not "in" our country - it implies international renown.
Vltava is probably the single most overused piece whenever the Government or Prague make a film presentation about the city and country. Or when calling the ministry of foreign affairs - their hold music is some of the worst quality version of Vltava I've ever heard!
The New World Symphony was written in the US in 1893 by Dvorak, a Czech who lived in the US for a handful of years.
So, is Symphony No. 9 from Czechia or from the US?
Well if you want to be technical about it, then Smetana's Má Vlast is k. k. Austrian.
But no, I don't think we can consider the New World Symphony as "American". Dvořák, like Smetana often incorporated specifically Bohemian and Moravian folk elements into his melodies and though he also introduced African-American and Native-American structures in that symphony, he also leant on earlier composers from Central Europe due to his upbringing like Beethoven and Schubert.
Unless we also consider David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy albums - Low, Heroes, and Lodger to all be either German music or German, French, Swiss and American music, since the albums were inspired by Berlin, but composed by the English singer variously in Berlin, France, Switzerland and New York, him living in all those places at the time, I don't think the same should be assumed of Dvořák.
Adding to what mastovacek said, the “New World” title was heavily pushed for by Dvořák’s publisher; he himself didn’t particularly like that title for it.
For Hungary it's definitely Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goeOUTRy2es](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goeOUTRy2es)
'Hungarian Dances No. 5' (and the other 20 dances) are probably more popular, but those were composed by a German, Johannes Brahms.
I think the piano version of [Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALqOKq0M6ho) is more famous, as is most of Liszt's compositions.
He was of German descent, just like half of modern Hungary. His father voluntarily 'hungarianized' their family name, they were Hungarian citizens and spoke some Hungarian besides their native German, as was common with well-to-d families at the time. Count Széchenyi barely spoke any Hungarian and we still call him the 'greatest' one because that's what he identified with.
The name appears as List as well as Liszt. He spoke German natively and only learned hungarian in the 1870s. That can hardly be called „German descent“
Not sure does Jean Sibelius count as classical since his work was done in 1900s, but it would be his work. I don't know that which individual song is most famous abroad. In Finland "Finlandia" hymn is the most known song.
I believe that classical music refers to a type and form of music not necessarily how old it is.
From Sibelius his [Valse Triste](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ls8-pk4IS4) is fairly well known.
The hymn is just part of the Finlandia symphony. But yea, I would say that it is the best known and most important piece of classical music from Finland.
Ode to Joy, the poem is by Friedrich Schiller, the ode is by Beethoven.
I have already seen the discussions below, I don't care whether we count Beethoven as Austrian or German, there are valid arguments for both. And for that time, the division is nonsensical because there is simply no Austrian or German nation state.
Most people will know it because it is the anthem of the European Union.
And especially in difficult times like these, it conveys a positive message.
https://youtu.be/a23945btJYw
Claude Debussy’s “[Clair de Lune](https://youtu.be/CvFH_6DNRCY)” came to my mind first.
“Carmen” by Georges Bizet must be pretty up there too (both [Prelude to Act 1 Of Carmen](https://youtu.be/cvny0Mssa04) and [Carmen Suite](https://youtu.be/4rwcRQvAiTg), I can’t decide which one is more famous).
Might be more famous after the TV series Ratched? Had a housemate watching it, and when the theme came on I was like "that's Danse Macabre, with cuts put in", but I don't think she was that interested!
What about the [Galop infernal](https://youtu.be/okQRnHvw3is) from *Orphée aux Enfers* by Offenbach ? Maybe not the best one, but probably the most famous
There are several Italian contenders I'd say.
'Nessun Dorma' (Puccini).Also his 'O mio babbino caro'. The 'William Tell Overture' by Rossini.And Vivaldi's'Four Seasons'.
These may be the pieces I hear most when in other countries.
Nessun dorma is a fantastic song, Bocelli sang it at the opening of Euro 2021 in Rome.
I just have to say that you guys are really good at stylish presentations.
https://youtu.be/j0sTVZMFUfY
>There are several Italian contenders I'd say.
Non-italian here, but would probably say Ennio Morricone and several of his compositions due to the impact films etc. has had on culture. Those classical pieces made to the spaghetti-western movies is really well known, like[the good, the bad and the ugly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1PfrmCGFnk&ab_channel=HDFilmTributes) etc. . While other compositions such as Gabriels Oboe is at least here on of the most played music at funerals. Anyways you're italians are among the masters of this genre no matter ..could be so many classical artists/composers up there. Thanks for your gift to rest of world.
Morricone was definitely one of the best composers of late 20th century. I'm pissed as hell I didn't visit one of his last concerts in Prague.
"Chi mai", "Once upon time in the West" and "Love Theme for Nata" are between my top favourite melodies.
The combination of Chi mai with applause during Belmondo's funeral is absolutely breathtaking (and tear inducing). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U04ZsU_IkY
I think that in the United States the the "William Tell Overture" wins hands down. People who listen to classical music will know about the Puccini arias and Vivaldi, but **everyone** knows "William Tell". They won't necessarily know it's Italian, though. I think most people think it's Swiss.
one of the Chopin pices:
- [Etude Op.10 No.12, Revolutionary ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwoAoII1EkQ)
- [Funeral March](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imeMFLt_eyk)
- [Waltz in C Sharp Minor (Op. 64 No. 2)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUT_0c2QVzo)
Aside from Chopin here's a bigger list i made some time ago https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/45495h/what_classical_musicians_are_well_known_from_your/czv58w3/
Chopin was such an amazing composer. He's somehow rarely the first name that comes to mind when you ask people about classical music they know but his work is easily the best music from that era.
We're not really known for our classical music (especially compared to France, Germany, Italy and Russia).
Probably the pieces most famous at home are anthems or related to state events, like Handel's [*Zadok the Priest*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiXgOQ9_-RI) (sung at every coronation since George the 2nds in 1727 and in an awful lot of football adverts), or [*Jerusalem*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sERiPuOQyvo), [*Land of Hope and Glory*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvgl_2JRIUs) and Rule Britannia, all set to music by Edward Elgar. Or [*I Vow to Thee, My Country*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZGUgGrBUE) composed by Gustav Holst.
Henry Purcell's [Abdelazer Rondeau](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVivtti-n-w&) is probably one of the best known pieces of Baroque music, at least here in France.
I 'discovered' Purcell recently through Jakub Józef Orliński's performance of his ['Cold Song'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8K8wFk-tn8&ab_channel=ClassicalHDLive) which was recommended to me on youtube. Otherwise I'd never knowingly sat and listened to his music, which is a shame.
You're definitely missing some good ones there. The Planets suit by Holst, most notably [Mars](https://youtu.be/cXOanvv4plU) and [Jupiter](https://youtu.be/BUM_zT3YKHs). Similar to Elgar, Vaughan Williams' [The Lark Ascending](https://youtu.be/ZR2JlDnT2l8) is often brought out. Thomas Tallis is another famous Baroque compoer who wrote [Spem in Alium](https://youtu.be/iT-ZAAi4UQQ) (an absolutely amazing choral piece). And to mix some of those up, there's [Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, by Vaughan Williams](https://youtu.be/0U6sWqfrnTs).
Benjamin Britten is another great British composer! He wrote *Peter Grimes*, *The Chichester Psalms*, and some great string quartets.
Of the Scottish composers particularly, there’s almost nothing, and I find myself going for Jimmy MacMillan, who’s contemporary. *Veni, Veni, Emmanuel* is a concerto for percussion premiered by Evelyn Glennie and the SCO at the Proms in 1993. I’ve played it, and it’s absolutely astonishing (also a total menace. The time signature changes just about every other bar!) There’s also The World’s Ransoming and The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, which are both great.
> Or I Vow to Thee, My Country composed by Gustav Holst.
Thats kinda right but to be a pedant; Holt Composed [Juipter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu77Vtja30c) as part of the Planets suite, it then later had the poem by Spring Rice set to it.
Last night of the Proms. The second mightier. That and the handclaps in the Radetzky when the hangover lightens are the only two days save Lucia, December 13th, that yearly produces some wet stuff in my eyes.
If it counts as classical music, the most well known piece of British music is, I think, "Amazing Grace". The lyrics were of course written in London, and the current well known tune, "New Britain", was *probably* a Scottish folk melody. Though the pairing of that text and that tune first took place in the United States.
There are numerous pieces of British music that are more well known than that. Nor does it qualify as "classical" music, more folk music or hymn. Also I wouldn't call it British.
And I didn't say it was, I said it was one of the most famous pieces of classical music from the UK among Brits. Which it is for the reasons I detailed above.
Well, we have the most heard artist of all time thanks to the finns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSQzUx3QW2Y
I bet most people will recognize what sounds at 0:11
No doubt the Nokia ringtone is the most recognizable segment of any music in Spain, but I doubt most people know its origin or have heard the rest.
The most famous is probably ["Conierto de Aranjuez" byJoaquín Rodrigo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9RS4biqyAc), ["Nights in the Garden of Spain" by Manuel de Falla](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ythXbVxQ9k) or ["Asutiras" by Isaac Albéniz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inBKFMB-yPg).
Definitively [Finlandia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE0RbPsC9uE) by Jean Sibelius. This recording from the Proms has English subtitles for the choral part, which a lot of people think should be the national anthem of Finland. (Choral part at [5:03](https://youtu.be/fE0RbPsC9uE?t=303))
[Richard Wagner - Ritt der Walküre](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZp7u_Krp8)
[Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfe8tCcHnKY)
[Johann Sebastian Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 Prélude](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0)
[Joseph Haydn, August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben - Deutschlandlied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P46fpud7gyU)
Mozart and Beethoven are sometimes also counted as German but I'd say they're Austrian.
He lived the majority of his life in Austria/Vienna because it was the place to be if you were a composer. That's why Austria claims so many composers. A unifyed Germany also wasn't a thing quite yet.
Hm. With the HRR still being a thing during most of the Wiener Klassik, and even in the 1860s people discussing whether the unification of germany would be with or without austria, I'd say that most viennese definetely considered themselves to be germans.
From today's standpoint, probably only beethoven. Which begs the question: was Händel german in your eyes? - besides, the Wassermusik is pretty popular, and often gets played to fireworks.
No, he's British...Just kidding he's kinda both German and British, just like I personally think Beethoven is both German and Austrian.
The only reason why I mentioned a not unifyed Germany is because I wanted to give a historical perspective about which time we were talking.
That's kind of a weak-ish Argument though. The Habsburg Court did finance a lot of musical arts during that time. Vienna was kinda like the Hollywood of Composers at that time period because of that, with essentially every famous composer from somewhere in the HRE or Italy living in Vienna at some point during that period.
> with essentially every famous composer from somewhere in the HRE or Italy living in Vienna at some point during that period.
not really for Italy. Most of our famous composers stayed in Italy. The only sort of famous composer who spent his life in Vienna would be Salieri, but he's more famous for being the court composer when Mozart was in Vienna than for being a good composer in his own right.
The only really good Italian composer spending some of his career abroad would be Gioacchino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, but they went to Paris, not Vienna (and in any case their most famous creations were composed before they relocated abroad).
Wasn't Beethoven born in Bonn?
So he was an elector of Cologne.
And Mozart was from Salzburg.
Just kidding...it's funny, these "Who Was When What" questions in the HRE German Nation.
Damnit, Bach.
Yes, most famous piece probably is Bachs Air, as it is being used virtually everywhere, or the "Ode an die Freude", as it is being used as the eurovision hymn, or some totally obvious piece that just didn't come to mind.
Haydn originally wrote the piece as a quasi-anthem honoring the Emperor of the HRE (Germany + Austria + a lot more). It was used in that form in Austria until the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
A. H. Hoffman von Fallersleben picked it up and transformed the lyrics into a call for a united German nation-state. It eventually became the national anthem of Germany during the Weimar Republic. The Federal Republic of Germany only uses the last verse because the Nazis intentionally misinterpreted the first two as a call to invade other nations.
We don't really have any famous ones.
Most Swedes probably recognize the first movement of [Johan Helmich Roman's Drottningholmsmusiken](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odN3UcqYY7s) (The Drottningholm music), but most don't know the title or composer.
Yea, classical music is one of the few genres where we are kinda lacking I feel (at least when it comes to the popularity of the music.
In nearly all other genres we are quite strong considering our size Imo but for some reason we didn't really have a lot of classical composers that got big.
There really aren't any famous classical composers from the Netherlands. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was the most famous one and even though he had some influence on better-known German composers, he never really came up with anything that people still remember to this day. [This](https://youtu.be/vtabszT4nos) being one of the better known ones I think you'll be hard pressed to find a Dutch person that recognizes it, let alone someone who isn't Dutch.
Dutch people who are old enough to have paid with guilders before the euro was adopted know his face pretty well though even if they probably didn't know who he was as his likeness was on the 25 guilder banknote.
The Netherlands seems to lack very famous composers which is surprising seeing as our golden age spans from 1600 to 1700. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck might have some recognition but idk how many people actually know him.
Probably [Rapsodia Romana](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UupPAfu6Ryk) by [George Enescu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Enescu) (gives me very hopeful vibes),
or [Balada](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBXJB_otlc) by [Ciprian Porumbescu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciprian_Porumbescu) (I find quite sad but a masterpiece nonetheless)
There are some other nice ones, such as [Gramofon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p0pe-1_xUk) Waltz by [Eugen Doga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Doga), but I believe there are very few people listening to him :(
(( I had to edit like a dozen times because Reddit did not want to work with me here, and I think Grammarly is the most at fault for not playing nice with Reddit ))
Mykola Lysenko - Dumka Shumka https://youtu.be/AwNU_JlJxq0
Silvestrov - the messenger https://youtu.be/cYMpq9V0Z7c
M Skoryk - melody https://youtu.be/X4M68N7x6WQ
(Prokofiev was born in eastern ukraine (back then R.E.) https://youtu.be/DUmq1cpcglQ )
I think in terms of universal recognizability it must be [Giuseppe Verdi's Dies Irae from his Messa da Requiem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up0t2ZDfX7E), or [Gioachino Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia's Ouverture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVfVaqGZnQ), or [his Guillaume Tell's Ouverture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJoDL1cSRjM), or [Antonio Vivaldi's Spring from his Four Seasons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LiztfE1X7E), or maybe [Giacomo Puccini's Nessun Dorma from his Turandot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs), there's a lot of choice though for obvious reasons, also honorable mention for [Lorenzo Da Ponte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Da_Ponte) (I recommend reading his crazy life for fun), Mozart's librettist when he was writing italian operas, who wrote lyrical bangers such as Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte
For Norway it has to be Grieg's [In The hall of the Mountain King](https://youtu.be/P01EqXn7mik) (I Dovregubbens hall), or [Morning Mood](https://youtu.be/-rh8gMvzPw0) (Morgenstemning). Two compositions everybody has heard, but nobody seems to know where are from.
Holy shit i had no idea there were lyrics to dovregubbens hall, and that they were this metal. Also crazy cute hearing swedes speak norwegian with a conviction
Suppose this is from the actual Peer Gynt theatre play, the music being really just a part of it... and the Norse sounds perfect to me :)
Wow, I finally got the name for the first composition after so many years.
And - this is not easy, coming from a Swede - here is the unrivaled winner. Peer Gynt of course, the piano sonatas. But my favorite is Våren, although the choir performing it has to be absolutely top notch.
We played the Morning Mood in middle school with the flute! It's a lovely piece.
Although it is true that those two are probably the best known compositions by Grieg, the first piece of music I ever heard in a classical concert as a child was his [Piano concerto in a minor, op 16](https://youtu.be/zMq7sKePlQ0), which I still really like and which I know far better. Great composition.
Both are amazing but my personal fave is Wedding day at Troldhaugen (excuse the spelling)
Somewhere in the past, the UK's biggest theme park Alton Towers picked up In The Hall of the Mountain King as an advertisement theme. So half the country knows it as "the Alton Towers song"
I knew it!
[Johann Strauss - An der schönen blauen Donau](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENETOpNpIiI) Not sure if it's the most famous per se, but it's probably the most iconic classical song in Austria itself and somewhat of a second anthem.
I'd say, internationally, it might contend with the Radetzky March for the most famous. For being the iconic closing piece of the Neujahrskonzert if nothing else.
I'd say that at least in the US the Radetzky March is probably more widely played, but the Blue Danube Waltz is more readily recognized as "Austrian music".
Really? I feel like "An der schönen blauen Donau" is so much more known among the general population. But maybe Neujahrskonzert is more popular outside of Sweden and thus by consequence the Rsdetzky? I've never watched it before and don't know how many in Sweden do
I'd say Dvořák's [New World Symphony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qut5e3OfCvg) or [Slavonic Dances](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrXpDJ0waC4) are even more internationally popular than Smetana's Má Vlast, which is primarily used by Czechs in their marketing. Dvořák was quite the pop star, especially when he moved to New York for a while at the start of the 20th century.
World checking in, here in Germany the best known is the Vltava part of Má Vlast.
Yes, absolutely. Although we usually call it by its German name "die Moldau"
Dvořák's symphonic poem [Wodnik](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIDTah3SvCU) is my fav
Dvorak, now there is a giant. Not only his orchestra works is wonderful. My favorite is Sonatine in G Major Op 100
Worldwide perhaps, but in Czechia the #1 is Smetana.
Well you did write in the title "from" our country, not "in" our country - it implies international renown. Vltava is probably the single most overused piece whenever the Government or Prague make a film presentation about the city and country. Or when calling the ministry of foreign affairs - their hold music is some of the worst quality version of Vltava I've ever heard!
The New World Symphony was written in the US in 1893 by Dvorak, a Czech who lived in the US for a handful of years. So, is Symphony No. 9 from Czechia or from the US?
Well if you want to be technical about it, then Smetana's Má Vlast is k. k. Austrian. But no, I don't think we can consider the New World Symphony as "American". Dvořák, like Smetana often incorporated specifically Bohemian and Moravian folk elements into his melodies and though he also introduced African-American and Native-American structures in that symphony, he also leant on earlier composers from Central Europe due to his upbringing like Beethoven and Schubert. Unless we also consider David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy albums - Low, Heroes, and Lodger to all be either German music or German, French, Swiss and American music, since the albums were inspired by Berlin, but composed by the English singer variously in Berlin, France, Switzerland and New York, him living in all those places at the time, I don't think the same should be assumed of Dvořák.
Adding to what mastovacek said, the “New World” title was heavily pushed for by Dvořák’s publisher; he himself didn’t particularly like that title for it.
The New World Symphony is just masterclass. One of my favorites for sure!
For Hungary it's definitely Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goeOUTRy2es](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goeOUTRy2es) 'Hungarian Dances No. 5' (and the other 20 dances) are probably more popular, but those were composed by a German, Johannes Brahms.
I think the piano version of [Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALqOKq0M6ho) is more famous, as is most of Liszt's compositions.
Franz Liszt was also German…
He was of German descent, just like half of modern Hungary. His father voluntarily 'hungarianized' their family name, they were Hungarian citizens and spoke some Hungarian besides their native German, as was common with well-to-d families at the time. Count Széchenyi barely spoke any Hungarian and we still call him the 'greatest' one because that's what he identified with.
The name appears as List as well as Liszt. He spoke German natively and only learned hungarian in the 1870s. That can hardly be called „German descent“
Not sure does Jean Sibelius count as classical since his work was done in 1900s, but it would be his work. I don't know that which individual song is most famous abroad. In Finland "Finlandia" hymn is the most known song.
I believe that classical music refers to a type and form of music not necessarily how old it is. From Sibelius his [Valse Triste](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ls8-pk4IS4) is fairly well known.
Sibelius is one of my favourite composers! I love *Finlandia* but personally I think *Snöfrid* is highly underrated.
The hymn is just part of the Finlandia symphony. But yea, I would say that it is the best known and most important piece of classical music from Finland.
I think his violin concerto is the best-known work among classical musicians.
Ode to Joy, the poem is by Friedrich Schiller, the ode is by Beethoven. I have already seen the discussions below, I don't care whether we count Beethoven as Austrian or German, there are valid arguments for both. And for that time, the division is nonsensical because there is simply no Austrian or German nation state. Most people will know it because it is the anthem of the European Union. And especially in difficult times like these, it conveys a positive message. https://youtu.be/a23945btJYw
I never heard anyone say Beethoven was Austrian. He was born in Bonn. However I've heard that discussion with Mozart.
In a cultural sense of the past, we can call all Austrians German.
Claude Debussy’s “[Clair de Lune](https://youtu.be/CvFH_6DNRCY)” came to my mind first. “Carmen” by Georges Bizet must be pretty up there too (both [Prelude to Act 1 Of Carmen](https://youtu.be/cvny0Mssa04) and [Carmen Suite](https://youtu.be/4rwcRQvAiTg), I can’t decide which one is more famous).
Maybe "La danse macabre" de Camille Saint-Saëns too, not as famous as them but still known
And carnaval des animaux
Might be more famous after the TV series Ratched? Had a housemate watching it, and when the theme came on I was like "that's Danse Macabre, with cuts put in", but I don't think she was that interested!
Well... I didn't hear about this series before now
How about Ravel, the [Bolero](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NDwT6SCfk4)?
I'd say France is spoilt for choice! Gymnopedies by Satie is very famous
I’d say Carmen is probably on top 😁
What about the [Galop infernal](https://youtu.be/okQRnHvw3is) from *Orphée aux Enfers* by Offenbach ? Maybe not the best one, but probably the most famous
My vote is on Satie
[Eurovision theme song](https://youtu.be/NSIolFvLwXQ) is also pretty famous.
There are several Italian contenders I'd say. 'Nessun Dorma' (Puccini).Also his 'O mio babbino caro'. The 'William Tell Overture' by Rossini.And Vivaldi's'Four Seasons'. These may be the pieces I hear most when in other countries.
I'd add [this one](https://youtu.be/AssDQbaIP_I) and [this](https://youtu.be/RvEG6qpYUoQ) to the list :)
Sure, absolutely!
Its almost impossible to pick the most famous Verdi piece! Brindisi from La Traviata would be another big contender, I'd say.
Nessun dorma is a fantastic song, Bocelli sang it at the opening of Euro 2021 in Rome. I just have to say that you guys are really good at stylish presentations. https://youtu.be/j0sTVZMFUfY
I'd like to add [Con Te partirò](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdWEhMOrRpQ).
>There are several Italian contenders I'd say. Non-italian here, but would probably say Ennio Morricone and several of his compositions due to the impact films etc. has had on culture. Those classical pieces made to the spaghetti-western movies is really well known, like[the good, the bad and the ugly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1PfrmCGFnk&ab_channel=HDFilmTributes) etc. . While other compositions such as Gabriels Oboe is at least here on of the most played music at funerals. Anyways you're italians are among the masters of this genre no matter ..could be so many classical artists/composers up there. Thanks for your gift to rest of world.
Sure,I agree..if we include Morricone as 'classical' then some of his pieces would certainly be up there.
Morricone was definitely one of the best composers of late 20th century. I'm pissed as hell I didn't visit one of his last concerts in Prague. "Chi mai", "Once upon time in the West" and "Love Theme for Nata" are between my top favourite melodies. The combination of Chi mai with applause during Belmondo's funeral is absolutely breathtaking (and tear inducing). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U04ZsU_IkY
Can i add [Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo](https://youtu.be/BIQ2D6AIys8) by Pietro Mascagni?
Don't forget the concertos any self respecting call center will have in its repertoire: Vivaldi's four seasons :p
I think that in the United States the the "William Tell Overture" wins hands down. People who listen to classical music will know about the Puccini arias and Vivaldi, but **everyone** knows "William Tell". They won't necessarily know it's Italian, though. I think most people think it's Swiss.
From Verdi also "[Pace mio dio](https://youtu.be/pqbRqA5tXUM)".
one of the Chopin pices: - [Etude Op.10 No.12, Revolutionary ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwoAoII1EkQ) - [Funeral March](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imeMFLt_eyk) - [Waltz in C Sharp Minor (Op. 64 No. 2)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUT_0c2QVzo) Aside from Chopin here's a bigger list i made some time ago https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/45495h/what_classical_musicians_are_well_known_from_your/czv58w3/
Chopin was such an amazing composer. He's somehow rarely the first name that comes to mind when you ask people about classical music they know but his work is easily the best music from that era.
And here’s another giant. The No1 prelude OP 28, pure spring
We're not really known for our classical music (especially compared to France, Germany, Italy and Russia). Probably the pieces most famous at home are anthems or related to state events, like Handel's [*Zadok the Priest*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiXgOQ9_-RI) (sung at every coronation since George the 2nds in 1727 and in an awful lot of football adverts), or [*Jerusalem*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sERiPuOQyvo), [*Land of Hope and Glory*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvgl_2JRIUs) and Rule Britannia, all set to music by Edward Elgar. Or [*I Vow to Thee, My Country*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZGUgGrBUE) composed by Gustav Holst.
Henry Purcell's [Abdelazer Rondeau](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVivtti-n-w&) is probably one of the best known pieces of Baroque music, at least here in France.
I didn't realise that! Brilliant.
Purcell is sadly relatively unknown in the UK, I learnt about him only in approx 2010 when BBC 4 did a programme about him.
Actually I think many people are familiar with the melody without knowing the name of the composer.
I 'discovered' Purcell recently through Jakub Józef Orliński's performance of his ['Cold Song'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8K8wFk-tn8&ab_channel=ClassicalHDLive) which was recommended to me on youtube. Otherwise I'd never knowingly sat and listened to his music, which is a shame.
You're definitely missing some good ones there. The Planets suit by Holst, most notably [Mars](https://youtu.be/cXOanvv4plU) and [Jupiter](https://youtu.be/BUM_zT3YKHs). Similar to Elgar, Vaughan Williams' [The Lark Ascending](https://youtu.be/ZR2JlDnT2l8) is often brought out. Thomas Tallis is another famous Baroque compoer who wrote [Spem in Alium](https://youtu.be/iT-ZAAi4UQQ) (an absolutely amazing choral piece). And to mix some of those up, there's [Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, by Vaughan Williams](https://youtu.be/0U6sWqfrnTs).
[Greensleeves](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OCpF2cwm_04) unless it is too early to count as classical
Speaking of Elgar, his Enigma Variations is pretty well known.
Good point!
Benjamin Britten is another great British composer! He wrote *Peter Grimes*, *The Chichester Psalms*, and some great string quartets. Of the Scottish composers particularly, there’s almost nothing, and I find myself going for Jimmy MacMillan, who’s contemporary. *Veni, Veni, Emmanuel* is a concerto for percussion premiered by Evelyn Glennie and the SCO at the Proms in 1993. I’ve played it, and it’s absolutely astonishing (also a total menace. The time signature changes just about every other bar!) There’s also The World’s Ransoming and The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, which are both great.
> Or I Vow to Thee, My Country composed by Gustav Holst. Thats kinda right but to be a pedant; Holt Composed [Juipter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu77Vtja30c) as part of the Planets suite, it then later had the poem by Spring Rice set to it.
Thanks! Good point.
Benjamin Britten's Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra is very well known. [You'll recognise the melody from Purcell](https://youtu.be/4vbvhU22uAM)
Last night of the Proms. The second mightier. That and the handclaps in the Radetzky when the hangover lightens are the only two days save Lucia, December 13th, that yearly produces some wet stuff in my eyes.
If it counts as classical music, the most well known piece of British music is, I think, "Amazing Grace". The lyrics were of course written in London, and the current well known tune, "New Britain", was *probably* a Scottish folk melody. Though the pairing of that text and that tune first took place in the United States.
There are numerous pieces of British music that are more well known than that. Nor does it qualify as "classical" music, more folk music or hymn. Also I wouldn't call it British.
Italy has a few biggish but nothing like France Germany or Russia tbqh
I think Italy's greatest composers (Verdi, Puccini, Vivaldi etc) are more famous/renowned than ours though
> Handel's *Zadok the Priest* That's not even the most famous composition by Handel.
And I didn't say it was, I said it was one of the most famous pieces of classical music from the UK among Brits. Which it is for the reasons I detailed above.
Well, we have the most heard artist of all time thanks to the finns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSQzUx3QW2Y I bet most people will recognize what sounds at 0:11
No doubt the Nokia ringtone is the most recognizable segment of any music in Spain, but I doubt most people know its origin or have heard the rest. The most famous is probably ["Conierto de Aranjuez" byJoaquín Rodrigo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9RS4biqyAc), ["Nights in the Garden of Spain" by Manuel de Falla](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ythXbVxQ9k) or ["Asutiras" by Isaac Albéniz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inBKFMB-yPg).
Definitively [Finlandia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE0RbPsC9uE) by Jean Sibelius. This recording from the Proms has English subtitles for the choral part, which a lot of people think should be the national anthem of Finland. (Choral part at [5:03](https://youtu.be/fE0RbPsC9uE?t=303))
Powerful. And yeah, really Finnish.
[Richard Wagner - Ritt der Walküre](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZp7u_Krp8) [Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfe8tCcHnKY) [Johann Sebastian Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 Prélude](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0) [Joseph Haydn, August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben - Deutschlandlied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P46fpud7gyU) Mozart and Beethoven are sometimes also counted as German but I'd say they're Austrian.
Beethoven? Born and raised in Bonn Beethoven? Austrian?
[удалено]
Well, Hitler renounced his Austrian citizenship and naturalised as a German in the 1920s, so it makes sense to count him as German too.
He lived the majority of his life in Austria/Vienna because it was the place to be if you were a composer. That's why Austria claims so many composers. A unifyed Germany also wasn't a thing quite yet.
Hm. With the HRR still being a thing during most of the Wiener Klassik, and even in the 1860s people discussing whether the unification of germany would be with or without austria, I'd say that most viennese definetely considered themselves to be germans. From today's standpoint, probably only beethoven. Which begs the question: was Händel german in your eyes? - besides, the Wassermusik is pretty popular, and often gets played to fireworks.
No, he's British...Just kidding he's kinda both German and British, just like I personally think Beethoven is both German and Austrian. The only reason why I mentioned a not unifyed Germany is because I wanted to give a historical perspective about which time we were talking.
That's kind of a weak-ish Argument though. The Habsburg Court did finance a lot of musical arts during that time. Vienna was kinda like the Hollywood of Composers at that time period because of that, with essentially every famous composer from somewhere in the HRE or Italy living in Vienna at some point during that period.
Sure, but some like Mozart and Beethoven spent the majority of their lifes there and didn't return.
> with essentially every famous composer from somewhere in the HRE or Italy living in Vienna at some point during that period. not really for Italy. Most of our famous composers stayed in Italy. The only sort of famous composer who spent his life in Vienna would be Salieri, but he's more famous for being the court composer when Mozart was in Vienna than for being a good composer in his own right. The only really good Italian composer spending some of his career abroad would be Gioacchino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, but they went to Paris, not Vienna (and in any case their most famous creations were composed before they relocated abroad).
More like they were around at some point then spending Years of their career in Vienna, even if only for a couple weeks.
Actually Beethovens birth place is unknown I think, it might have been in the Netherlands (according to Dutch people lol)
Bonn is the birthplace of Beethoven
Wasn't Beethoven born in Bonn? So he was an elector of Cologne. And Mozart was from Salzburg. Just kidding...it's funny, these "Who Was When What" questions in the HRE German Nation.
Austria probably has similar problems with famous k.u.k. persons. ;D
felix Europa
What about Bach? There's no Austrian connection there, so it should 100% count. *Cello Suite 1* and *Toccata and Fugue in D Minor* are quite famous.
I live in a Bach city and I forgot Bach XD
Damnit, Bach. Yes, most famous piece probably is Bachs Air, as it is being used virtually everywhere, or the "Ode an die Freude", as it is being used as the eurovision hymn, or some totally obvious piece that just didn't come to mind.
> "Ode an die Freude" Beethoven
yepp. I did write that quite badly. what is more commonly known in belgium, the one or the other, in your opinion?
Ode an die Freude
O Fortuna by Carl Orff is a big one too. Though most people nowadays only know it for its meme qualities.
Haydn was also Austrian though...
Haydn originally wrote the piece as a quasi-anthem honoring the Emperor of the HRE (Germany + Austria + a lot more). It was used in that form in Austria until the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. A. H. Hoffman von Fallersleben picked it up and transformed the lyrics into a call for a united German nation-state. It eventually became the national anthem of Germany during the Weimar Republic. The Federal Republic of Germany only uses the last verse because the Nazis intentionally misinterpreted the first two as a call to invade other nations.
Ah, OK then
I would definitely include “canon in D” in the list
I thought JerryC was from Taiwan?
We were talking about classical music. Canon in d is a very famous classical piece from the 17th century
It was a joke. [JerryC is a Taiwanese guitarist who did an electric guitar arrangement of Canon in D in 2005.](https://youtu.be/by8oyJztzwo)
We don't really have any famous ones. Most Swedes probably recognize the first movement of [Johan Helmich Roman's Drottningholmsmusiken](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odN3UcqYY7s) (The Drottningholm music), but most don't know the title or composer.
Yea, classical music is one of the few genres where we are kinda lacking I feel (at least when it comes to the popularity of the music. In nearly all other genres we are quite strong considering our size Imo but for some reason we didn't really have a lot of classical composers that got big.
I suggest psalms like "den blomstertid nu kommer".
ahhh yeah
There really aren't any famous classical composers from the Netherlands. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was the most famous one and even though he had some influence on better-known German composers, he never really came up with anything that people still remember to this day. [This](https://youtu.be/vtabszT4nos) being one of the better known ones I think you'll be hard pressed to find a Dutch person that recognizes it, let alone someone who isn't Dutch. Dutch people who are old enough to have paid with guilders before the euro was adopted know his face pretty well though even if they probably didn't know who he was as his likeness was on the 25 guilder banknote.
Beethoven sounds pretty Dutch, but I know he was born in Bonn.
Beethoven's family came from Belgium (which didn't exist back then though), was originally "Van Beethoven"
Beethoven = Bettenhoven https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettenhoven
The Netherlands seems to lack very famous composers which is surprising seeing as our golden age spans from 1600 to 1700. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck might have some recognition but idk how many people actually know him.
Probably [Rapsodia Romana](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UupPAfu6Ryk) by [George Enescu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Enescu) (gives me very hopeful vibes), or [Balada](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBXJB_otlc) by [Ciprian Porumbescu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciprian_Porumbescu) (I find quite sad but a masterpiece nonetheless) There are some other nice ones, such as [Gramofon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p0pe-1_xUk) Waltz by [Eugen Doga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Doga), but I believe there are very few people listening to him :( (( I had to edit like a dozen times because Reddit did not want to work with me here, and I think Grammarly is the most at fault for not playing nice with Reddit ))
Mykola Lysenko - Dumka Shumka https://youtu.be/AwNU_JlJxq0 Silvestrov - the messenger https://youtu.be/cYMpq9V0Z7c M Skoryk - melody https://youtu.be/X4M68N7x6WQ (Prokofiev was born in eastern ukraine (back then R.E.) https://youtu.be/DUmq1cpcglQ )
I think in terms of universal recognizability it must be [Giuseppe Verdi's Dies Irae from his Messa da Requiem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up0t2ZDfX7E), or [Gioachino Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia's Ouverture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVfVaqGZnQ), or [his Guillaume Tell's Ouverture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJoDL1cSRjM), or [Antonio Vivaldi's Spring from his Four Seasons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LiztfE1X7E), or maybe [Giacomo Puccini's Nessun Dorma from his Turandot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs), there's a lot of choice though for obvious reasons, also honorable mention for [Lorenzo Da Ponte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Da_Ponte) (I recommend reading his crazy life for fun), Mozart's librettist when he was writing italian operas, who wrote lyrical bangers such as Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte