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Orchestral

Orchestral music originated in the late 16th century stage spectacles and 17th century opera orchestras. The word "orchestra" came into common use in the 18th century, when music of the Baroque and Classical eras often was composed for specific occasions. Incidental music to accompany plays was also important in the Classical and early Romantic eras. The Romantics threw off the constraints of pre-established forms and luxuriated in the possibilities offered by the expansion of instruments available. Liszt pioneered the tone poem or symphonic poem. Orchestral dances like "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" have lost none of their popularity. For much of the 20th century, the orchestra stood at the center of community life in classical music, and new works appeared accordingly. The success of pieces like John Adams' "A Short Ride in a Fast Machine," shows that the orchestra remains a vital medium, even in an age of high technology.

Orchestral Song Highlights

Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), ballet in 2 parts for orchestra Igor Stravinsky
Andrés Orozco-Estrada / Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Dante Symphony (Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia), for orchestra, S. 109 (LW G14) Franz Liszt
Martin Haselböck / Wiener Akademie Orchester
Images (3), for orchestra, CD 118 (L. 122) Claude Debussy
Stéphane Denève / Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 Johann Sebastian Bach
Freiburger Barockorchester
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), ballet in 2 parts for orchestra Igor Stravinsky
François-Xavier Roth/Les Siècles
Short Ride in a Fast Machine, fanfare for orchestra John Adams
Michael Tilson Thomas / San Francisco Symphony
Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major ("Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), K. 525 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Anima Musicæ Chamber Orchestra
Appalachian Spring, concert suite for full orchestra Aaron Copland
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Miraculous Mandarin, pantomime in 1 act, Sz. 73, BB 82 (Op. 19) Béla Bartók
Pierre Boulez / New York Philharmonic
Pieces (3) for Small Orchestra (formerly "4 Sketches"; "4 Irish Pieces") Arnold Bax
Philip Dukes / Andrew Davis / BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Diversions, for orchestra André Previn
André Previn
Much Ado about Nothing, suite from the incidental music for chamber orchestra, Op. 11 Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Philippe Quint
The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125 Gustav Holst
Owain Arwel Hughes / Cambridge Singers / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Tabula rasa, concerto for 2 violins (or violin & viola), prepared piano & string orchestra Arvo Pärt
Congress Orchestra
Le carnaval romain (Roman Carnival Overture), ouverture catactéristique for orchestra, H.95 (Op. 9) Hector Berlioz
Andrew Davis/Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046 Johann Sebastian Bach
Jordi Savall
The Unanswered Question (I & II), for trumpet, winds & string orchestra, S. 50 (K. 1C25) Charles Ives
Tai Murray/Orchestre Poitou-Charentes/Jean-François Heisser
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra Igor Stravinsky
Fritz Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Kleine Dreigroschenmusik, suite for wind orchestra (based on "Die Dreigroschenoper") Kurt Weill
The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Concerto Symphonique for piano & orchestra No. 4 in D minor, Op. 102 Henry Litolff
San Francisco Symphony / Michael Tilson Thomas / Yuja Wang
Symphonic Dances (9) from "West Side Story", for orchestra (orchestrated with Ramin & Kostal) Leonard Bernstein
Original Cast
La Mer, symphonic sketches (3) for orchestra, CD 111 (L. 109) Claude Debussy
Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
Fratres, for strings & percussion Arvo Pärt
Viktoria Mullova / Paavo Järvi
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), for orchestra, CD 87 (L. 86) Claude Debussy
André Previn
Pieces (3) in the Olden Style, for string orchestra Henryk Górecki
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 Ludwig van Beethoven
Daniel Barenboim / Otto Klemperer
King Lear Overture (Grande Ouverture du roi Lear), for orchestra, H. 53 (Op. 4) Hector Berlioz
Marek Janowski
Water Music Suite No. 2 for orchestra in D major, HWV 349 George Frederick Handel
Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall
Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069 Johann Sebastian Bach
Freiburger Barockorchester
Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zoroaster), tone poem for orchestra, Op. 30 (TrV 176) Richard Strauss
Gustavo Dudamel / Berliner Philharmoniker
Orchestral Set No. 2, for orchestra (& optional chorus), S. 8 (K. 1A6) Charles Ives
James Sinclair
Water Music Suite No. 3 for orchestra in G major, HWV 350 George Frederick Handel
Hervé Niquet
Divertimento for string quartet (or string orchestra) in B flat major ("Salzburg Symphony No. 2"), K. 137 (K. 125b) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Freiburger Barockorchester
Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, Sz. 106, BB 114 Béla Bartók
Fritz Reiner
Marche troyenne, for orchestra (Les Troyens), H. 133b Hector Berlioz
Paul Paray
Quiet City, for English horn, trumpet & strings (from the incidental music) Aaron Copland
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields / Neville Marriner
Concerto Grosso in G major, Op.6/1, HWV 319 George Frederick Handel
Bernhard Forck / Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin
Clair de lune, for orchestra or other arrangement (from "Suite Bergamasque" for piano), CD 82/3 (L. 75/3) Claude Debussy
Ray Chen
A Descent into the Maelstrom, ballet Philip Glass
Tim Weiss / Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No. 4 (with optional chorus, theremin et alia), S. 4 (K. 1A4) Charles Ives
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet / Melbourne Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Davis
Elegy for violin and String orchestra Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett
Naked Lunch, film score Howard Shore
Howard Shore/Ornette Coleman/London Philharmonic Orchestra
Weaner Mäd'ln Walzer, Op. 388 Carl Michael Ziehrer
Mariss Jansons / Wiener Philharmoniker
Symphony No. 60 in C major ("Il distratto"), H. 1/60 Franz Joseph Haydn
Sir Simon Rattle / London Symphony Orchestra
Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell), for speaker ad lib & orchestra, Op. 34 Benjamin Britten
David Bowie / Eugene Ormandy
Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis Sergey Prokofiev
Riccardo Muti / Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sunset Strip, for orchestra Michael Daugherty
Branford Marsalis / Branford Marsalis Quartet / Grant Llewellyn
The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20 Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
André Previn
An American in Paris, tone poem for orchestra George Gershwin
Michael Tilson Thomas / San Francisco Symphony
Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works, suite from the ballet for narrator, soloists & orchestra Max Richter
Max Richter