Classical music recommendations

[Lucky]

Been listening to this a bunch recently:

[youtube]yJdb-bNZokA[/youtube]

[Idioteque Stalker]

I'll second Mahler and Shostakovich.


In particular, I really like Shostakovich's String Quartet #8. The balance of Romantic feeling and Modern tonality is just right for me.

[youtube]h_cjmF749MM[/youtube]

[Spaceman Spiff]

Boring answer maybe, but Beethoven is the best for me.

Although lately I've been feeling a little melancholy, and no other piece of work evokes longing and acceptance more than Satie's Trois Gymnopédies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7DBoiyBoJ8

[Lucky]

This is a popular finding on "most difficult piano pieces" lists...

[youtube]94SrLeiKJ-0[/youtube]

It's based on a poem about a water fairy trying to seduce a mortal man.