I`m curious to know what orchestral pieces here have touched people or shaped them into the people they are? Is there a sentimental favourite for you guys?

I just want to know cause there are six pieces that have shaped who I am and why I play the clarinet and I feel weird cause they aren`t specifically clarinet works.

1. Peter and The Wolf - Prokofiev: I listened to this when I was just 6 years old (I`m now 25) and the delightfully innocent story and ingenius depiction of the characters through instrument (the woodwinds particularly) are awesome.
2. Enigma Variations - Elgar. I get tears in my eyes from this. I don`t know why but it gives me tingles.
3. Concerto for Orchestra - Bartok. This piece is just so clever and so enchanting even though its full of dissonance and enharmonic movement, I can`t help but love it. I can`t wait to have a chance to play it.
4. Cello Concerto no 1 - Dvorak. I have never heard a concerto that is just so perfect in its orchestration, melodic line. I heard this when I was 10, a recording by the awesome Mstilav Rostropovich and the Berlin Phil with Von Karajan. The way that Rostropovich sings that melodic line gives me butterflies.
5. The Planets - Holst. This is a glorious suite which doesn`t let you down. I loved this when I was so young and it hasn`t lost its appeal. I particularly love Mercury, Saturn (with that old person plodding of the basses) and Mars.
6. Scheherazade - Rimsky-Korsakov. This symphonic suite is so vivid in its depiction of the unnarrated story that its riveting! And in this case, I love the woodwind lines and melodies.

Beethoven`s 9th Symphony was the first orchestral work I ever remember sitting down to listen to when I was REALLY young. Its why I love classical music so much.

I agree with Peter and the Wolf, Alyssa. I love the depictions of all the characters and it helps explain the tone and life of all the instruments in a way that children will understand. I personally love the oboe bits (surprise, surprise, a duck).

Hello, Alissa. Thank you for your kind contribution which deserves more attention. The orchestal works I love are mainly liric and dramatic ones, such as:
Sibelius: 1st Symphony
Mahler: 1st Symphony
Beethoven: 6th Symphony
Dvorak: Serenade for Strings, it makes me to sink in calm melancholy
Rachmaninoff: 2nd Symphony, exquisite, long and elegant melodies; pure velvet.
Tchaikovsky: 6th Symphony, it seems incredible such a music had been made by a human being. There is no other music like this one.
Brahms: 3rd Symphony, 3rd movement`s theme is gorgeus. I`m looking for the piano reduction to play it some day.

Best regards.

Thanks Rafael I agree with you on both the Beethoven and Tchaik 6th Symphonies. The `Pathetique` is glorious and of course, Beethoven`s `Pastoral` has its poignant moments (of mostly clarinet solos )

I really liked the following:

1. Swan lake - Tchickovsky
2. 1812 overture (cool fireworks in most performances!)-Tchickovsky
3. Beethovens 5th - Beethoven
4. Danse des ler miltons (something like that, anyway!)- Tchickovsky
5. Morning (from Peer gynt) - Edward Grieg
6. New world symphony - Dvorak

You can see I like Tchickovsky!

Oh my goodness........ there are so many amazing orchestral works!
I agree with a lot of you in loving Tchaikovsky`s 6th Symphony. It is so full of sadness. I love the second movement and the way it`s in 5/4 and sort of `limps along` as one conductor I had put it. On the surface it sounds like any other cheesy waltz but when you listen to it there`s that sense of a kind of deformity- a twisted happiness. Oh, I love it so much and I`m rambling now....
Anyway, I also love Nielsen`s 4th Symphony- the `Inextinguishable`. It`s really little-known and a piece that is seriously under-valued. I heard the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland play it at Christmas and it was amazing. Everyone reading this- go out and listen to it!! In complete contrast to the Tchaik, it really is about the vitality and power of life, it is `inextinguishable`. It`s just such a happy piece of music!
I also love Shostakovich 5, Dvorak 9 (New World) and all of Beethoven`s Symphonies, particularly the Eroica, Pastoral and Choral, as well as the last movement from Symphony no.5. All of these pieces have really changed my perspective on life- they`ve made me love music even more!

Probably the orchestra work that made me love music the way i do is Beethoven`s 5th. The piece just gives off power and emotion like no other piece i have ever listened to.

The ones that I really like are:
1.Adagio for strings-Samuel Barber(just beautiful)
2.Water Music-Handel
3.5th Symphony-Beethoven
4.The Four Seasons-Vivaldi
5.Canon in D-Pachabel
6.Violin Romance No.2-Beethoven

1. Bloch Concerto Grosso for Piano and Orchestra No. 1. I fell in love with this piece when I played it in my high school orchestra.
2. Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings. I`ve never heard a descneding scale painted as elegantly as in this work.
3. Beethoven Symphony No. 7, 2nd Movement. A beautiful, yet sorrowful melody, that has such underpinning motion. It defines the second, slow movement of a symphony. It was also the first orchestral work I played.
4. Dvorak New World Symphony: I haven`t found anyone who doesn`t love something about this work.

The planets Holst
Violin Concerto 2nd Movt Samuel Barber
Elgar Cello Concerto
Haydn Cello Concerto in D Major
Dvorack Cello Concerto
Vivaldi four seasons mainly Winter and Summer
Chopin piano concerto in Em
Brahms Acedemic Festival Overture- (We played it in our orchestra!!)
Pyre Gynt Suite-Also in our orchestra
Barber of Seville-Orchestra
The Cowboys by Aaron Copland-orchesta
Toy symphony
All Beethoven symphonys-orchestra
Adadgio for strings- Barber-orchestra

Ooooh so many to choose from. My current favorites are

Dvorak 7th Symphony. Everyone who has mentioned 9 - I urge you to listen or try to play this symphony if you don`t know it. In my opinion it is much better than 9.

Ravel La Valse - The textures that Ravel managed to create in his orchestral works are simply stunning and this is one of the best examples.

Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances - Rachmaninov rules when it comes to melodies.

Prokoviev Classical Symphony - played this years ago and the shivers that i got from playing it have just never gone. Amazing

There are loads more and they change all the time but these are the ones that came to mind today !!

I think that La Mer and Prélude à l`après-midi d`un faune are near the top of my list. The Symphonie fantastique of Berlioz and the Organ Symphony of Saint-Saëns were very formative for me, I must admit. As were Beethoven`s symphonies.
The first thing that really got me, though, was Verdi`s Requiem (I don`t know if this counts - perhaps it`s too choral/vocal?).

im confused how can ppl really choose what piece of music has changed them etc. there are so many that i could tell u that has changed me it would take too long.nearly every day i hear something that inspires me or make me look at life differently.however, saying all that i do agree that there are some particular pieces that do effect me better than others!also it is a very deep question!sorry for contradicting myself!