Music I Can't Live Without: A Violin Teacher's Playlist

If you are just discovering the joys of classical music, you might be wondering where to start. There are literally centuries worth of wonderful music. Symphonies, concerti, sonatas. It can be quite overwhelming. 

For a while now, I’ve been compiling my list of music I could never live without out. My guide to the classical music world. It’s a project that never ends because I keep discovering more music I can’t live without. It’s not exhaustive, by any means. And don’t think that just because I wrote down the second movement of one symphony, that the whole symphony is not worth listening to. It definitely is! Scroll down for my favorite pieces (classical and otherwise).

Music I Can’t Live Without

MVT=Movement (Symphonies have 4 movements, concertos have 3, for the most part)

Bold= fun and exciting, easy to listen to for young people

Underlined= quiet and relaxing

Bold, underlined, and italicized- breathtakingly gorgeous!

* Stars for my extra, extra favorites.

Bach

Violin Partita in E major, Preludio, Loure, Gavotte

Violin Sonata in A minor, Andante

Violin Double Concerto (All movements are great but especially mvt 2 and 3)

Brandenburg Concerti 1-6

Barber

*Violin Concerto mvt 1 and 2*

Beethoven

Egmont Overture

Violin Concerto, mvt 2

Piano Concerto No. 1, mvt 2

Piano Concerto No. 4, mvt. 1

Piano Concerto No. 5 mvt 3 “Emperor”

*Symphony 5, mvt 2*

Symphony 3 “Eroica”

Symphony 8 mvt 4

Symphony 7-this whole symphony is wonderful. My favorites are the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movements.

Symphony 6-especially the mvt 3 and mvt 4

Symphony 9

Choral Fantasy—Just wait for the end.

String Quartet Opus 130 Finale: Allegro

Violin Romance No. 2

Bizet

L'arlesienne Suite No. 1 and No. 2

Brahms

*B minor Piano Trio in B major, mvt 1 and 2*

Violin Concerto (especially mvt 3)

Symphony No. 4 (all the symphonies are great)

Copeland

Fanfare for A Common Man

Billy the Kid Suite

Danish String Quartet

This is a chamber group, but their arrangements of Danish folk songs are amazing.

Woodworks

Last Leaf (especially Shine You No More)

Dvorak

*American String Quartet (No. 12)*

New World Symphony No. 9 *(especially Mvt. 4)* (watch Dudamel conducting) All movements of this symphony are great!

Elgar

Enigma Variations, Nimrod

Symphony 2, (esp. mvt 2)

Hansen

*Symphony No. 2*

Holst

*Planets: Mars, Jupiter, Neptune (all movements are great)*

Gershwin

Rhapsody in Blue

Golijov

Tenebrae

Korngold

Violin Concerto

Mendelssohn

Hebrides Overture

Mozart

Requeim

Symphony 25 

Great Mass in C minor

Violin Concerto No. 5

Violin Concerto No. 4 (especially MVT. 2)

*Sinfonia Concertante (perhaps one of my absolute favorites)*

Piano Concerto No. 22, mvt 3

Piano Concerto No. 20, mvt 2

Serenade for Winds No. 10, Adagio

Ah Tutti Contenti (from Marriage of Figaro)

Clarinet Concerto in A major, mvt. 2 (yes, with a Gypsy Moth!)

Prokofiev

Violin Concerto No. 2

Montagues and Capulets

Ravel

*Piano Concerto, mvt 2*

Pavane for a Dead Princess

Violin No. 2 Sonata, MVT 1 and MVT 2 “The Blues” starts at 8:03

String Quartet in F major

Saint-Saens

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso

Havanaise

Organ Symphony, MVT 2, MVT. 4

Shubert

Death and the Maiden

Sibelius

*Symphony 5, Finale*

*Symphony 2, Mvt 1 and Mvt 3*

*Violin Concerto*

Tchaikovsky

Serenade for Strings

*Souvenir de Florence, Mvt 3 and Mvt 4*-The 3rd movement begins at 21:00. I melt every time I hear that double cello solo...

Vaughan Williams

The Lark Ascending

Ysaye

Sonata No. 5 “L’Aurore”

Check back often as this list will get update frequently! What are your favorite pieces from classical music? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy…listening!