The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works

What defines a great orchestral work? Is it a piece’s enduring expressive impact? Its compositional achievements? Find answers in this lecture, which tracks the evolution of the orchestra from its beginnings in accompanying operas to its flowering as a free-standing artistic medium.

Antonio Vivaldi ranks as one of the great geniuses of concerto writing, and The Four Seasons is one of his most enduring masterpieces. Start by exploring Vivaldi’s life and musical innovations in Baroque-era Venice. Then, delve into the four separate concertos of The Four Seasons, depicting humanity’s relationship to nature.

Follow Bach’s career as he navigates the challenges of musical life in Baroque Germany. Also learn about the writing, loss, and rediscovery of the six beloved Brandenburg Concerti. In the Brandenburg No. 2’s opening movement, discover Bach’s brilliant interpretation of ritornello form, using four solo instruments in complex interactions with each other and the orchestra.

In reviewing contemporary criticism of Bach’s music, reflect on the ways in which the very originality and complexity we prize in Bach made him controversial in his own time. Highlighting the first two movements of the E Major violin concerto, see how Bach pushes the limits of both ritornello and passacaglia forms.

Learn about Haydn’s “on the job” musical education, his illustrious life in the court of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, and the creation of his celebrated “London” symphonies. In his great, final symphony, grasp important elements of Haydn’s masterful symphonic writing. Study his creation of contrast and variety from a minimum of thematic strands.

Consider Mozart’s relationship with the piano concerto, where his urge to self-expressive originality became a prime moving force. Explore the jarring opening theme, Mozart’s use of the piano as an “operatic” character, and the ways in which he breaks the conventions of Classical style.