I’ve been getting some CD box sets lately. I got the George Szell one, for example. That was after I purchased the Vladimir Ashkenazy one. We are talking about classical music here. George Szell was a conductor who directed the Cleveland Symphonic Orchestra, and Ashkenazy is a pianist whose taste and interpretation happen to coincide a lot with mine. As a piano and drum lessons in Chicago teacher, I always appreciate listening to musicians whose artistry influences my own.
Where I am going with this is here: although both of these sets contain pieces by other composers, the three big ones dominate the field. Here they are: Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. The work from these three has been done and redone by all the greats, and their music is often taught and performed in piano and drum lessons in Chicago to give students a foundation in classical technique and interpretation.
Now, of course, you get a lot of exceptions, that’s why I said maybe four. In orchestral music, the fourth one could be Schubert or Haydn. For the piano, the fourth one is definitely Chopin. The Polish pianist didn’t write much for orchestra; there are no symphonies in his output, for example, but his piano works are staples in piano lessons in Chicago.
You also get quite a bit of Wagner if you have a symphonic orchestra. I haven’t dived into that composer just yet, but he’s very present in the collection. Honorable mentions go to Mahler or Dvorak—great composers who don’t belong among the big three but are still greatly represented. As for piano, I could say Liszt, Schubert (yes, I know, I mentioned him earlier as one of the big ones), or Rachmaninoff. These composers also influence many students in piano and drum lessons in Chicago, helping them explore different musical styles and techniques.
Anyway, my point is this: the big three, to this day, are played in overwhelming quantities compared to the others. I understand why: the audience demands it, and orchestras have to eat, just like everybody else. In fact, many of the greatest pieces by these composers are often included in the curriculum for piano and drum lessons in Chicago to help students appreciate and master classical works.
Now, for the super famous Beethoven symphonies, my favorite conductor is Gunter Wand, followed closely by Otto Klemperer. Check it out!
