Being familiar with the classics in any genre is a factor in one's overall cultural awareness. In jazz, there's Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight. In country, Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. Notorious B. Classical music is a tougher nut to crack, not only because it has centuries of history behind it, but also because it seems classical music lovers belong to an exclusive club, throwing around terms like partita, singspiel and von Karajan. For the classical curious, cutting through the mystique may be a challenge, but we're here to help. Get to know the following works, and build your classical music foundation. Everyone should know at least one work by J. Bach, considered by many to be the greatest composer in history. The Suite No.

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 by J.S. Bach


City Noir (2009)
Schubert is credited with the first verse-chorus structure song we know so well, and the origins of jazz can be traced back to Bach pun intended. Playing Classical music will not only widen your knowledge of different styles, it will improve your playing drastically. This would be blasphemy to any music academic, but is an easy shortcut to start you off. Here is a selection of 14 pieces from the Baroque era to the Romantic period. If you are returning to playing after learning as a child, many of these will be familiar to you.
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Your browser is not using Javascript. Some features will not work correctly. Classical music has stood the test of time for many reasons, its beauty, complexity, and the vastness of repertoire have inspired audiences for hundreds of years. Within classical music, there are several pieces that have become iconic through use in special events such as graduations, weddings, classic films, and even cartoons! It has become associated with intense or even scary moments in film and popular culture, perhaps because it famously made an appearance in the opening credits of Dr.
Fear not — here are some of the most famous tunes from the history of music, complete with all the background information you need. The official name of this piece is the Serenade No. Mozart himself gave the piece its nickname, when he jotted this name down in the log book he kept detailing all the music he wrote.