Beethoven's Missa Solemnis

To set about composing his Missa Solemnis, Beethoven looked to the past. He obtained a copy of the score to J.S. Bach’s B Minor Mass, at that time still unpublished, and also studied the sacred music of C.P.E. Bach. After countless sketches and spiritual preparation, Beethoven composed this work for large orchestra and chorus, dedicating more time to it than to any other work he composed. Written simultaneously with the Symphony No. 9, the Missa Solemnis is considered one of the most significant mass settings in classical music.

Ravel's Alborada del gracioso

Ravel's Alborada del gracioso is a jester's song to his lady—a poignant love song surrounded by a miniature musical comedy.

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition

Originally composed for solo piano (and later orchestrated by Ravel), Pictures at an Exhibition was written by Modest Mussorgsky after he visited a retrospective exhibit of the works of his friend Victor Hartmann. The collection of pieces represents a promenade from painting to painting, pausing in front of works called The Gnome, Ancient Castle, and Great Gate of Kiev. Mussorgsky was a member of a nationalistic, anti-conservatory group of young musicians, and he had an unusual ability to interpret visual art in musical expression.

Stravinsky's Pulcinella

When Igor Stravinsky wrote his ballet Pulcinella, he looked to the past for inspiration, but he ended up inspiring his own future.

Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements

Living in Hollywood in the 1940s, Igor Stravinsky couldn't help but be influenced by the movies. His Symphony in Three Movements was almost entirely inspired by films—whether or not he cared to admit it.

Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1

Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony #1 is full of passion and energy, channeling the past on the way to the future.

Bruckner's Symphony No. 8

Anton Bruckner's symphonies are monumental cathedrals of sound, and his Symphony No. 8 is one of his grandest; composer Hugo wolf called it "the absolute victory of light over darkness."