The one-hit wonders of classical music

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skysaw
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31 Jul 2009, 12:15 pm

Lately I have been trying to educate myself about classical music with the help of YouTube. I suspect there are certain pieces that cultured gents (unlike me) should be able to identify in an instant.
Recently I had the idea of compiling a list of the one-hit-wonders of the classical world. But it seems several other people have already had the same idea.

Any comments on the list below would be welcome :-)
(E.g., are there any pieces you would add to the list or take away, and are there any pieces you especially like or dislike.)

I would add Borodin (for the Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor) and Arne (for Rule Britannia) to the list below, but perhaps they are more well-known than I realise!
My favourites would be Borodin, Khachaturian, Barber, Mascagni and Pachelbel

From the CD "25 Classical One Hit Wonders" (available on amazon)

La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts Dance of the Hours
Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli

Entry of the Gladiators (Einzug der Gladiatoren), march for orchestra, Op. 68
Composed by Julius Fucik

Gayane, ballet in 4 acts Sabre Dance
Composed by Aram Khachaturian

Parade of the Tin Soldiers for orchestra (Parade der Zinsoldaten), Op. 123
Composed by Leon Jessel

Trumpet Voluntary
Composed by Jeremiah Clarke

Minuet in A major, arrangements (after String Quintet in E major, Op.11/5 [aka Op. 13/5], G. 275)
Composed by Luigi Boccherini

Work(s) Concerto in D~Excerpt
Composed by Johann Friedrich Fasch

Les Patineurs Valse ("Skater's Waltz"), Op. 183
Composed by Emile Waldteufel

Plaisir d'amour, for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Johann Paul Aegidius Martini

Andantino
Composed by Fabritio Caroso

Ave Maria, for voice & piano (or other vocal arrangements; after Bach's Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1)
Composed by Charles Gounod

Procession of the Sirdar
Composed by Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ippolitov-Ivanov

Ancient Airs and Dances, Set 1, arrangements (4) for orchestra, P. 109 Excerpt
Composed by Ottorino Respighi

Les Patineurs, ballet (arranged by Constant Lambert; music from "Le Prophète," Act 3)
Composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer

Adagio, for violin, strings & organ in G minor, T. Mi 26 (composed by Remo Giazotto; not by Albinoni)
Composed by Tomaso Albinoni

Concerto for 2 oboes, strings & continuo No. 1 in D major, SF. 936 Andante
Composed by Alessandro Marcello

Sarabande, Gigue & Badinerie ("Suite for Strings") (arranged by Ettore Pinelli)
Composed by Arcangelo Corelli

Greensleeves, English folk song
Composed by English Traditional

Méditation, violin & orchestra version and various arrangements (from opera "Thäis")
Composed by Jules Massenet

Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act Excerpt
Composed by Pietro Mascagni

Adagio for strings (or string quartet; arr. from 2nd mvt. of String Quartet), Op. 11
Composed by Samuel Barber

Canon in D major, various arrangements
Composed by Johann Pachelbel

Coppélia, ou La fille aux yeux d'émail, ballet Waltz
Composed by Leo Delibes

Rondeau, for brass, strings & timpani (from Suite of Symphonies No. 1; "Masterpiece Theater" Theme)
Composed by Jean-Joseph Mouret

Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5
Composed by Charles-Marie Widor

And some additions from an article by Glenn Peters here

Carmina burana: Movement 1, O fortuna by Carl Orff

Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell

The Sorcerers Apprentice by Paul Dukas

To a Wild Rose by Edward MacDowell

On the Trail from Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé

Russian Sailors' Dance from The Red Poppy by Reinhold Gliere

Galop from The Comedians Suite by Dmitri Kabalevsky

Swedish Rhapsody no 1 "Midsummer Vigil" by Hugo Alfvén



DocStrange
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01 Aug 2009, 12:38 pm

Yeah, the first two names I thought of when I saw this article were Pachelbel and Orff.


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skysaw
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02 Aug 2009, 1:58 pm

DocStrange wrote:
Yeah, the first two names I thought of when I saw this article were Pachelbel and Orff.


Yup, I'm surprised the Orff piece didn't appear on the 25 one-hit-wonders CD.
It's a great piece, but a bit heavy for me!

I wonder if I should try to be original and start talking about two-hit-wonders instead ...

Like ... I dunno ...

Satie for Gymnopedies and Gnossiennes :)
and Offenbach for the Galop from 'Orpheus in the Underworld' (aka the Can Can) and the Bacarolle from 'Tales of Hoffman'. :)