Brahms' Symphony No. 2

Brahms's Symphony No.2 is generally thought of as his most lighthearted, but it's actually built on the contrasts between light and dark, between sunshine and clouds. Kind of like life.

Debussy's Jeux

Claude Debussy's ballet Jeux was almost completely ignored after its premiere in 1913, but it's now considered one of the fundamental works of 20th-century music.

Dvořák's Symphony No. 7

Considered at first to be a composer of popular music and not a great symphonist, it was Brahms who believed in Dvořák enough to set him up with an important publisher. Written for the London Symphony, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 is a personal catharsis and a masterpiece in tragedy.

Mozart's Symphony No. 29

Even Mozart realized that his 29th Symphony was something special. In many ways, it's the work in which Mozart became "Mozart."