14 Great Songs with Orchestra

A song in its simplest form can be nothing more than words and melody, accompanied by a few chords. Whether a song is simple or complex, the words and music combine together to create something that is more than the sum of its parts. Another way that composers have sought to enhance the expressiveness of a song is by having an orchestral accompaniment. The endless possibilities of orchestral colors and textures have allowed composers to create some powerful and moving vocal works. I have selected 14 compositions for voice and orchestra that I highly recommend.

Berlioz – Les nuits d'été
 
Mahler – Des Knaben Wunderhorn
 
Mahler – Rückert-Lieder
 
Mahler – Kindertotenlieder
 
Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde
 
Delius – Sea Drift
 
Strauss – Four Last Songs
 
Sibelius – Luonnotar
 
Ravel – Sheherazade
 
Canteloube –  Chants d’Auvergne
 
Berg – Altenberg Lieder
 
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 14
 
Barber – Knoxville, Summer of 1915
 
Marc-Andre Dalbavie – Sonnets sur un poeme de Louise Labe

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10 Great Ballet Scores

Ballet tells a story through dance, accompanied by music. Many composers have composed music for the dance stage, and I have selected 10 great ballet scores that I recommend to all classical music listeners. These ballet scores not only help to tell the story of each ballet, but also stand alone as great pieces of music, even without the ballet.

1. Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake

• Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is one of the most performed ballets in the world.

2. Tchaikovsky – Sleeping Beauty

3. Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker

• The Nutcracker is performed each year at Christmas time by many ballet companies throughout the world.

4. Stravinsky – The Firebird 

5. Stravinsky – Petrushka 

6. Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps )

• The shocking choreography and music of the ballet caused an uproar in the audience during the premiere of The Rite of Spring.

7. Ravel – Daphnis et Chloe

8. Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet

9. Aaron Copland – Rodeo  

10. Aaron Copland – Appalachian Spring

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