The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music

2009 studio album by the London Philharmonic Orchestra

The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music

Studio album by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Released	2009
Recorded	Abbey Road Studios Royal Festival Hall Henry Wood Hall
Genre	Classical
Label	X5 Music Group

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music is a compilation of classical works recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor David Parry.^[2] Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Royal Festival Hall and Henry Wood Hall in London, the compilation was released in digital formats in November, 2009 and as a 4-CD set in 2011.^[3] The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music has sold over 200,000 copies and spent over three days as one of the top 10 classical albums on iTunes.^[4]

Track listing

Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Op. 46: Morning Mood
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, "Fate": I. Allegro con brio
Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, Op. 8, "Spring": Allegro
Samuel Barber – Adagio for Strings
Richard Wagner – The Valkyrie: Ride of the Valkyries
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat major, Op. 9
Johann Pachelbel – Canon in D Major
Carl Orff – Carmina Burana: O fortuna
Johann Sebastian Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068: Air
Gustav Holst – The Planets, Op. 32: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
Claude Debussy – Suite bergamasque, L 75: Clair de lune
Giuseppe Verdi – Nabucco: Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467: II. Andante
Johann Sebastian Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: Allegro
Jules Massenet – Thaïs: Meditation
Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World": II. Largo
Johann Strauss II – On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op. 314
Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20: Scene
Erik Satie – Gymnopédie No. 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Requiem, K. 626: Lacrimosa Dies illa
Ludwig van Beethoven – Bagatelle in A minor, Wo Op. 59, "Für Elise"
Edward Elgar – Pomp and Circumstance, Op. 39: Land of Hope and Glory
Georges Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 2: Habanera
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral": Ode an die Freude
Jacques Offenbach – The Tales of Hoffmann: Barcarolle
Remo Giazotto – Adagio in G minor for Strings and Organ (after T. Albinoni)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, "Eine kleine Nachtmusik": I. Allegro
Gioachino Rossini – The Barber of Seville: Overture
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27:2, "Moonlight Sonata": Adagio sostenuto
Bedřich Smetana – Má Vlast (My Fatherland): Vltava (The Moldau River)
Luigi Boccherini – String Quintet in E major, Op. 13: Minuet (mislabeled – should be Op. 11, No. 5 (G. 275): Minuet)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: I. Allegro Molto
Antonín Dvořák – Slavonic Dance No. 2, Op. 72
Charles Gounod – Ave Maria (after J.S. Bach)
Jean Sibelius – Finlandia, Op. 26
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331: Rondo alla turca
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – The Magic Flute, K. 620: Overture
George Frideric Handel – The Messiah, HWV 56: Hallelujah Chorus
Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: In the Hall of the Mountain King
Gabriel Fauré – Pavane
Johann Sebastian Bach – Double Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043: Vivace
Georges Bizet – L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1: Prelude
Johann Strauss I – Radetzky March, Op. 228
Ludwig van Beethoven – Egmont, Op. 84: Overture
Stanley Myers – Cavatina
Arcangelo Corelli – Concerto Grosso No. 8 in G minor, Op. 6: "Christmas Concerto": Allegro
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Vocalise, Op. 34
Giuseppe Verdi – Messa da Requiem: Dies irae – Tuba mirum
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor: Adagietto

Charts

Chart (2010–16)	Peak position
Australian Catalogue Albums (ARIA)^[5]	36
Belgian Classical Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[6]	16
French Albums (SNEP)^[6]	70
Italian Albums (FIMI)	71
UK Albums (OCC)^[7]	90
UK Classical Artist Albums (OCC)^[8]	1
US Billboard 200^[9]	136
US Classical Albums (Billboard)^[10]	1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)^[11]	21

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)^[12]	Gold	50,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[13]	Gold	100,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
^ Sanderson, Blair (November 23, 2009). "The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
^ "CD: 50 Greatest Classics | LPO". www.lpo.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24.
^ "Searching search engines for the sound of music". 23 February 2012.
^ "ARIA Catalogue Albums Chart". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b "The London Philharmonic Orchestra – The 50 Greatest Pieces Of Classical Music" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ "Chart Log UK – Weekly Updates Sales 2011". zobbel.de. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ "Official Classical Artist Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company Classical Artist Albums Chart. 27 July 2018 – 2 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ "London Philharmonic Orchestra Chart History". Billboard 200. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ "London Philharmonic Orchestra The 50 Greatest Pieces Of Classical Music Chart History". Billboard Top Classical Albums. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ "London Philharmonic Orchestra The 50 Greatest Pieces Of Classical Music Chart History". Billboard Independent Albums. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
^ "French album certifications – London Philharmonic Orchestra – The 50 Greatest Pieces Of Classical Music" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
^ "British album certifications – London Philharmonic Orchestra – The 50 Greatest Pieces Of Classical Music". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 21, 2024.