John will have to chime in with his own recommendations. First off, we just can't be friends if you can't appreciate Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. But in all seriousness, I don't care how many crappy films chop it up and butcher it to use it in their soundtrack, I love that piece.

You should really listen to Symphony #7 if you haven't had a chance. Gorgeous--very atmospheric. The poetry doesn't hurt either

Also you might be interested in the album The Vagabond by Bryn Terfel. He performs songs by Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Butterworth and Ireland.

Sorry the list is a bit choppy. Migraine + insomnia = lowered levels of lucidity.

Should have included it on my list. It's a radio favourite on the station I listen to (a bit like classical music's greatest hits lol). Not totally sure about Bryn - Finzi's song's are an area of his I have explored the least. But noted! Ditto Symphony #7. I've got them all in a box set, so that's easily done.
Cheers!

[/quote]that was very good. sounds like he is playing one of those jeff linsky guitars

tough choice but went with baroque and romantic.

I voted only for romantic because there's a lot of really great stuff from very different composers throughout the whole time period (special shout outs to Schubert's song cycles, Tchaikovsky's ballets, and some post-romantic stuff by Rachmaninov and Rimsky-Korsakov).

Next ones would've been:
Impressionism (which I only didn't vote for since it's such a small movement but both Debussy and Ravel produced some of the most beautiful music of all time)
Baroque (mainly for Bach, but there's other great stuff, for instance by Händel)
20th century and onward (kind of a mixed bag, but some styles are responsible for some very beautiful and challenging music)
Renaissance (from the little I know, but I love me some Dowland, and what I've heard from others, e.g. Morley, Tallis, is very beautiful as well)
Medieval (some of it can be really chilling from time to time)
Classical (there's some really great stuff, especially things that point towards romanticism but most of what I've heard leaves me relatively cold)

Some of my favorites from the Renaissance

Early Renaissance--John Dunstable, Quam pulchra es


Guillaume Dufay, Resvellies vous


Beginning of the High Renaissance--Heinrich Isaac, Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen. They subbed out three voices for instruments and I really like the effect


Josquin, one of my favorite composers ever. This is a piece some of you are probably familiar with, Ave Maria [virgo serena], famous for very good reason. The last section of this, "O Mater Dei, Memento mei. Amen" or "O Mother of God, remember me. Amen" is achingly beautiful, as if you can hear the sincerity of the plea just dripping into your ears.


ran out of time again and didn't even get to the sweet spot of the Renaissance in Tallis, Palestrina, di Lasso, Byrd, De Victoria, Dowland, and Gibbons.

Keep posting. Haven't gotten a chance to check them out yet but will when I do.

So in love with this right now. Walt Whitman + Vaughan Williams = chills

one of the most glorious pieces of music ever....

(i use it as my alarm tone... so that i wake up feeling like a god!)







there is something that is endlessly enchanting about those parallel harmonies...






now where's that aural orgasm smiley...

Thanks for sharing George, I really enjoyed the Hildegard work. I guess I should listen to more than Ordo virtutum before making a final opinion.