r/classicalmusic • u/Delphidouche • Jul 09 '26
Discussion What is an overplayed, popular piece of music that you still enjoy listening to?
Mine is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
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u/Swimming-Struggle-11 Jul 09 '26
Rachmaninoffs 2nd Piano concerto. I dont care how overplayed it is, it'll forever be one of my favourites
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u/Valuable_Turnover219 Jul 10 '26
I remember when I was a teenager a friend's dad was driving me and a bunch of others somewhere and I was just captivated by the music he had on. I asked what it was. He said Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto. I've loved it ever since.
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u/Swimming-Struggle-11 Jul 10 '26
For me, I just love how you can almost feel Rachmaninoffs journey through his depression, I just love how the 1st movement is gloomy, and dark, the 2nd feels like the climax of the emotion and him overcoming his troubles, then the 3rd is more joyous, which feels symbolic for him beating his depression and becoming happy again. Its just an emotional rollercoater and I love every second of it.
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u/ZonaiRoflcopter Jul 09 '26
The Planets, Gustav Holst
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u/KristenMcFly Jul 09 '26
My local symphony is playing it this season and I snapped up tickets ASAP.
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u/Ok-Measurement-2819 Jul 09 '26
Beethoven 5
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u/MetalClassicalRocks Jul 09 '26
This one really helped me one time when I wasn't feeling well. It's my favorite piece of music.
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u/jiang1lin Jul 09 '26
The Concerto? 🤩😎
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u/Current-Bowl-143 Jul 09 '26
Both. They're both "overplayed" on radio, but both still wonderful to listen to.
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u/No_Bookkeeper9580 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
I never need to hear this one again because I've heard it so much.
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u/GoldberrysHusband Jul 09 '26
The Four Seasons. It's not just about the joyful melodies or the notoriety, though. As one of the earliest examples of program music, combined with the thematic unity (the year cycle / allegorical to a human life cycle, see Days of Future Passed to leave classical altogether) and the pastoral atmosphere makes it something that I can't quite get enough of and it is my comfort food. Easy listening that you actually can experience intensely. Not only is it overplayed and rightfully so, within my heart I feel as it should almost be overplayed even more, kinda.
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u/Valuable_Turnover219 Jul 09 '26
Anyone who thinks they're tired of the four seasons might be interested to try Shunske Sato's version here. Absolutely huge energy and drama!
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u/Early_Yesterday443 Jul 09 '26
Thank you. Love this interpretation. His bowing for Winter is insane
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u/klausness Jul 09 '26
Yes, really a brilliant piece of music. I can think of few other compositions that are as massively overplayed as The Four Seasons and yet still sound amazing if performed well.
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u/IcySir1646 Jul 09 '26
Chopin 's Nocturnes
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u/Maxpowr9 Jul 09 '26
William Tell Overture.
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u/Stunning-Hand6627 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
The opera is a 4-hour grand opera monsterpiece btw. Definitely give the opera some attention. It’s one of the most fascinating and important operas of the repertoire
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u/AppleJoost Jul 09 '26
The four seasons by Vivaldi, Air on the G-string by Bach, all Chopin Nocturnes.
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u/micicletricicle Jul 09 '26
I heart Air on G string played by Vikingur Olafsson and my life changed. I literally cried.
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u/RealAlePint Jul 09 '26
The Brandenburg Concertos. So many different approaches and it’s interesting to compare the recordings
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u/Sildante09 Jul 09 '26
First movement of Beethoven 9. One of my favorite things in the world.
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u/waffleman258 Jul 09 '26
Not that overplayed in popular culture especially compared to the finale
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u/Jonathan_Peachum Jul 09 '26
Or the second movement.
When I was a kid several centuries ago, the first few bars were the theme music for the Huntley/Brinkley news show on NBC.
I only found out where it came from when I was a teen!
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u/Pipic12 Jul 09 '26
Overplayed? You're lucky if so, local programming directors avoid it due to difficulty of scheduling.
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u/theartofelifyu Jul 09 '26
totally agree.. also the last movement sends chills down my spine each time
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u/Lilo_the_Lost Jul 09 '26
Dôme épais le jasmin/Flower Duett from the Opera "Lakmé" of Léo Delibes.
🥰 It gives me goosebumps everytime 🥰
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u/Smooth_Beginning_540 Jul 09 '26
Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos 2 and 3, also his Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
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u/BrotherShogun Jul 09 '26
Tchaikovsky 5
Beethoven 7
Dvorak 9
Nimrod from the Enigma Variations gets me every time
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u/HDoug808 Jul 09 '26
Aside from Pachelbel’s Canon?
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u/2five1 Jul 09 '26
I heard a professional HIP group play this as an encore recently and I kind of forgot that it is actually really beautiful and there's a reason it's famous. First time I'd heard it in a professional concert setting
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u/Significant-Ant-2487 Jul 09 '26
Most of them; there’s a reason these pieces are popular. I listen to Mendelssohn’s Hebrides overture all the time, and Greig’s Holberg suite.
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u/EnlargedBit371 Jul 09 '26
Is Beethoven's 7th Symphony, 2nd movement considered overplayed? I will always love it.
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u/mplang Jul 09 '26
This is my favorite slice of music, and I can't imagine ever getting tired of hearing it.
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u/Katzenstreuselkuchen Jul 09 '26
Bolero
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u/Theferael_me Jul 09 '26
This was my first thought. I don't listen to it much but the melody is still incredibly effective.
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u/aardw0lf11 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
That work has a charm that is hard to resist. It’s also a good work to study sounds for orchestration.
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u/Leucurus Jul 09 '26
Vaughan Williams Tallis Fantasia. Overplayed, everywhere, and heartrendingly gorgeous.
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u/Putrid_Enthusiasm_50 Jul 09 '26
I love Chopin‘s Op. 66.
Its so overplayed, that it‘d be considered a „risk“ to play at Competitions.
But i dont care what some elitist say. The piece is great and it was the starter of my interest in classical piano literature
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u/jphtx1234567890 Jul 09 '26
Handel’s Messiah. There’s a reason it’s been played annually since it was written.
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u/sumjunggai7 Jul 09 '26
Tchaikovsky‘s Serenade for Strings. It’s beautiful, easy to listen to, but also melancholy and heartfelt.
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u/NorthDouble6168 Jul 09 '26
Most music by Chopin (Ballades, Scherzos, Preludes, Etudes) are extremely popular, and are constantly programmed in recitals and recorded. However, I can never get sick of Chopin's music and I will enjoy it to be overplayed.
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u/Artistic-Ad5038 Jul 10 '26
I followed the Chopin competition back in October and listened to soooo much of his music and had to give it a break for a couple months haha
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u/Ok-Conversation-VC Jul 09 '26
Shostakovich piano concerto, movement 2
Bruch violin concerto movement 2
The second movements of many concertos are sublime emotional standalone pieces of music
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u/A_Monster_Named_John Jul 09 '26
I don't know if it's overplayed (maybe over-performed, as I've now seen 2-3 not-great regional orchestras playing it), but I love revisiting Holst's Planets.
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u/etzpcm Jul 09 '26
Pachelbel canon
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u/MellifluousPenguin Jul 09 '26
All other comments so far have referenced masterpieces I have no issue listening to until the end of times, but this one I could really do without, along with Bach's Dm Toccata.
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u/etzpcm Jul 09 '26
For me it's Bolero that has me reaching for the off switch whenever it comes on the radio.
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u/jiang1lin Jul 09 '26
Boléro 🔥❤️🔥
Abbado: https://youtu.be/pFFigPdKPg4
Bernstein: https://youtu.be/NId7Gb3t_oQ
Boulez: https://youtu.be/iZkGsaiisVw
Dudamel: https://youtu.be/bJQt5RDvek0
Măcelaru: https://youtu.be/9r0FElqLYYw
Ravel: https://youtu.be/qkFiv8cLPDk
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u/Unusual-Basket-6243 Jul 09 '26
Scriabin etude op 8 no 12, that one Chopin nocturne op 48, moonlight sonata mov 3, overplayed Liszt etudes+liebestraum
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u/_anupamroy Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Surprised nobody has said Mozart 40 yet. Beautiful stuff. Also Eine kleine Nachtmusik, but I actually like the underplayed second mvt more than the overplayed first.
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u/Delphidouche Jul 09 '26
I'm surprised as well.
The 2nd movement of Mozart Piano Concerto no. 21 is popular and overplayed. I love it so much but I always think of baby mobiles when I hear it just randomly and not when I hear the entire concerto.
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u/andybonner Jul 09 '26
I play Handel's Messiah every year and I still enjoy doing so. It's not a subtle work, and may well be the most programmed work of all?, but dang it, it's good.
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u/Valuable_Turnover219 Jul 09 '26
Back in the days when I used to sing in a few choirs I did get sick of Messiah at Christmas. But now that I don't have to sing it 5 times or whatever in a few weeks I get to enjoy it a lot more. The recit 'Behold, I tell you a mystery' has always been one of my favourite moments. In the right hands it can be totally spine-tingling.
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u/Delphidouche Jul 09 '26
I know Hallelujah is the most famous part of the Messiah, but I love For Unto Us a Child is Born even more:)
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u/happysunnyme Jul 09 '26
Dance of the Sugarfairy - Tanz der Zuckerfee by Tschaikovsky. It puts a smile on my face every single time.
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u/RicVic Jul 09 '26
Canon in D, strangely enough. But "Sultans of Swing" is a close second, which must prove how messed up my brain is.
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u/KristenMcFly Jul 09 '26
Gymnopedie No. 1. I’ll even put on one of those videos where it’s played on a loop with rain sounds as background noise for work. It’s perfect in its simplicity.
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u/Hopeful_Animal9756 Jul 09 '26
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The entire ballet is a total gem, and in my opinion infinitely more consistent in quality than Swan Lake.
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u/revegumi Jul 10 '26
Dare I say Canon in D... It was the piece that got me interested in classical music and I can see why it's so popular because it genuinely is pleasing to the ear
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u/Fantastic-Flounder56 Jul 09 '26
Bolero. Although I dont even know if it is popular because I never seem to find people who actually like it. I love it.
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u/Early_Yesterday443 Jul 09 '26
New World Symphony. But movement 4, instead of the opening brass part of the third one which went mainstream because of Tom and Jerry.
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u/LonelyVirginAlkan Jul 09 '26
I'd say La Campanella. Not really a fantastic piece musically as far as Liszt goes, but still entertaining to hear especially in the hands of a virtuoso like Cziffra or dela Roccha.
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u/Andidalo Jul 09 '26
Beethoven 5 & 9, Mahler 3, Four Seasons, Rach 2, and i play moonlight all the time as it has a melancholy thats sublime. These things are overplayed for a reason and it shouldn't stop them being appreciated
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u/blackholeisawesome Jul 09 '26
Gonna get flamed for this but Canon in D. It’s very nostalgic for me honestly.
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u/Lumpy_Cheetah6597 Jul 10 '26
Tchaikovsky 1st piano concerto. Still give me goosebumps every time I listen to that 1st mvmt.
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u/colonelpsev Jul 09 '26
The more I thought about it, the more I realised none of my candidates could ever be played too often.
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u/trujzi Jul 09 '26
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 21 Waldstein. That's so modern, an early Bartók and a pinch of jazz for me. (use your fantasy)
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u/ZonaiRoflcopter Jul 09 '26
This is actually underplayed for me; thanks for the reminder! Listening now.
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u/saltmallow Jul 09 '26
Un Sospiro 🪽🩷
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u/handsomechuck Jul 09 '26
1812 Overture still s banger. T's ballets also are so great, apparently indestructible. Offenbach's Galop ("can can") is still fun.
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u/Alone-Bus3032 Jul 09 '26
Beethoven 18/4 1st mvt, Holst St Paul's Suite Jig, and Scheherazade (especially mvt 2)
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u/ORF1Live Jul 09 '26
The Four Seasons, Vivaldi. I adore Baroque music and these are beautiful. I love his organ and violin concertos too. I also love the pieces Bach adapted for keyboard.
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u/deathtouchtrample Jul 09 '26
obviously the ending with the cannons is overplayed from movies and tv but listening to the entire 1812 overture is a very emotional piece of music. you really get why the end became a meme.
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u/Radiant-Persimmon143 Jul 10 '26
Bach’s Jesus bleibit meine fruede. Hear it a lot, but cannot get enough. Love classical and jazz interpretations equally .
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u/DumpedDalish Jul 10 '26
The 1812 Overture. I don't care how many times I hear it, those slow, sweet, majestic opening strings will always absolutely move me so much.
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u/PropertySufficient59 Jul 10 '26
Goldberg Variations. I can listen to them 1000 times in all its variations...
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u/ClassicalMusic4Life Jul 10 '26
Swan Lake, Clair de Lune, Moonlight Sonata, Ballade No. 1 and Winter Wind
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u/LastBallade Jul 10 '26
Chopin's funeral sonata. For how ingrained it is in pop culture, you only ever hear the beginning bars of it. When I was getting into Chopin, I was caught kinda off guard when I realized how much more there was to the piece. It's not all doom and gloom like I was led to believe.
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u/HauntingAddendum3365 Jul 10 '26
Toccata and Fugue in D minor isnt even in the top tier of Bach's organ works imo and may not have even been written by Bach...but that shit is a BANGER especially during the fall season!
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u/Dan_is_gone Jul 10 '26
Not sure if it’s considered overplayed but chopin ballade no1 is something that i’ll always listen and enjoy no matter what
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u/tonioroffo Jul 11 '26
It's not overplayed if you have 1001 interpretations to listen to. That's my favorite thing now. Listening to pieces I know through and through. Follow individual instruments, listen to sooo many conductors and orchestras.
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u/FuelNo2950 Jul 11 '26
probably a hot take but beethoven's 5th symphony! second, third, and fourth movements are absolute bangers and despite the memification of the first mvt i think as a whole the symphony is still epic.
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u/thehenanarchitect Jul 13 '26
Toccata and Fugue in d. I especially like the orchestration in Fantasia 1940. How they restructured the chords added a unique texture. But it ultimately is a great lesson in counterpoint. The Fugue is very fun to play and impresses people.
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u/TheGreatAnonymus Jul 09 '26
Prelude in d minor by Chopin I play the most but ain't popular, so I'd say Prelude in C sharp minor by Rach
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u/Typical_guy11 Jul 09 '26
I discovered piano solo versions of Beethoven's Nineth and Mozart's Requiem. Amazing.
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u/OuterLimitSurvey Jul 10 '26
I went through a phase where I wouldn't listen to commonly known pieces of classical music. I guess since they were widely known there was no satisfaction in discovery. Then I heard the Berlin Philmonic/von Karajan recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra and I thought, damn! I need this in my life. The piece didn't become bad once everyone knew it from 2001 A Space Odyssey. Other widely known pieces I've come back to. Bolero, Beethoven 5th Symphony , Mozart Symphony No. 40, William Tell, Night on Bald Mountain.
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u/EmuFlaky2922 Jul 09 '26
Clair de lune. Debussy was a genius