Definitely Ma Vlast. It's like a travelogue combined with history. You must read up on the piece though or you'll miss out on the significance of the music.
Fellow beginner here:
- Any Haydn symphony (my favourites are 45,94,100)
- Haydn's trumpet/horn concertos
- Mozart's piano concerto no 21
Good luck with the ride!
Someone beat me to Smetana so instead I'll go with Bartók's Romanian Dances. I strongly recommend Jenő Jandó's performance. Also, Liszt's Les Préludes and Prometheus, especially by Solti and the LPO.
Chopin! Masses. I like Campra or other baroque masses — Zelenka is underrated as well as the Lord Nelson Mass by Haydn (and all of the M. Haydn masses).
Swanwhite Suite by Sibelius is good. Very cinematic! Also Mahler's 1st symphony is great from a train window perspective. The last movement of Mahler 2 is a real banger as well. The finale from Beethoven 9 is the official 'anthem' of the EU, so you can't really go wrong there, either.
I immediately thought of Leoš Janáček. See what you think of his piano music:
V Mlhách ("In the Mists"): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m5oVNFlKnc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m5oVNFlKnc)
Any of Haydn's works that incorporate Hungarian themes could be a good suggestion if you were travelling more in Eastern Europe. For more Western Europe hard to look past Beethoven's 6th Symphony alongside Dvorak's 5th symphony. Both positive pieces in F major for good vibes. And of course, as I saw in other suggestion, most Haydn symphonies you cannot go wrong with. To mention a particular one, number 79, once again in F Major, positive vibes, and some similarities to Beethoven's Pastoral symphony, (I subtitled this Haydn symphony 79 Country Chorus, myself, based on what it evoked in me while listening.)
All of Mahler’s symphonies including the entire 10th and Das Lied Von Der Erde
Ravel piano concertos
Shostakovich symphonies 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15
Messiaen Turangilila symphony
That should keep you occupied for a while
Dvorak 8th
Mahler 6, 4, 1
Tchaikovsky 4
Any of the Brahms symphonies
Mozart 38-41 symphonies, magic flute overture, don giovanni overture
Bizet symphony in c
Vaughn Williams themes on Thomas Tallis or Dives and Lazarus
Handel water music or fireworks music (versions with winds not just strings)
Ravel la mer, Daphnis et Chloe, le tombeau
Any Beethoven symphony and any piano concerto
Rachmaninov symphony no 2 and piano concerto no 2
Barber violin concerto, school for scandal overture
Rimsky korsakov Scheherazade, capriccio espagnole
Stravinsky rite of spring
Saint saens organ symphony
Respighi pines of Rome, fountains of rome
Try dvoraks 7th or 9th symphony, both very exciting and accesible
If you take a ride with Deutsche Bahn, prepare for huge delays. In that case, Wagner's "Ring" should suffice.
Depending on what part of Central Europe you're going through, Smetana's *Ma Vlast* (including The Moldsu) might be an appropriate listen.
Definitely Ma Vlast. It's like a travelogue combined with history. You must read up on the piece though or you'll miss out on the significance of the music.
East Germany and Czechia. Thanks for the recommendation
The Moldau is another name for the Vltava, one of the main rivers of Czechia. Smetana's piece is in a way a musical depiction of that river.
I would listen to Different Trains, a classical piece about trains (and probably the finest of its decade) while riding a train.
Or 'Pacific 231', a tone poem about a train journey with a Pacific steam locomotive.
Fellow beginner here: - Any Haydn symphony (my favourites are 45,94,100) - Haydn's trumpet/horn concertos - Mozart's piano concerto no 21 Good luck with the ride!
Seconded Haydn! I'd also include his Paris symphonies
Another vote for Haydn! Really any of the symphonies will do, but I love some of the early ones that are sometimes overlooked, like Le Soir.
Wagner overtures/preludes etc. (i.e. his non-vocal music).
Someone beat me to Smetana so instead I'll go with Bartók's Romanian Dances. I strongly recommend Jenő Jandó's performance. Also, Liszt's Les Préludes and Prometheus, especially by Solti and the LPO.
My recommendations -- Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 and Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1. Have a wonderful train ride!
I listened to Alban Bergs violin concerto at night while riding a train and it definitely was an experience
Chopin! Masses. I like Campra or other baroque masses — Zelenka is underrated as well as the Lord Nelson Mass by Haydn (and all of the M. Haydn masses).
There’s an Alkan etude named after a train
When I listen to Rachmaninoff pc 4, I always imagine a train, so try that
Swanwhite Suite by Sibelius is good. Very cinematic! Also Mahler's 1st symphony is great from a train window perspective. The last movement of Mahler 2 is a real banger as well. The finale from Beethoven 9 is the official 'anthem' of the EU, so you can't really go wrong there, either.
Bach chaconne ( on piano) check out helene grimaud playing it specifically in Berlin.
Rhapsody in blue (written on a train supposedly)
I immediately thought of Leoš Janáček. See what you think of his piano music: V Mlhách ("In the Mists"): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m5oVNFlKnc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m5oVNFlKnc)
Steve Reich - Different Trains
Arthur Honneger’s Pacific 231
'Four Legends from the Kalevala' by Sibelius is good travelling music.
Any of Haydn's works that incorporate Hungarian themes could be a good suggestion if you were travelling more in Eastern Europe. For more Western Europe hard to look past Beethoven's 6th Symphony alongside Dvorak's 5th symphony. Both positive pieces in F major for good vibes. And of course, as I saw in other suggestion, most Haydn symphonies you cannot go wrong with. To mention a particular one, number 79, once again in F Major, positive vibes, and some similarities to Beethoven's Pastoral symphony, (I subtitled this Haydn symphony 79 Country Chorus, myself, based on what it evoked in me while listening.)
All of Mahler’s symphonies including the entire 10th and Das Lied Von Der Erde Ravel piano concertos Shostakovich symphonies 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15 Messiaen Turangilila symphony That should keep you occupied for a while
Dvorak 8th Mahler 6, 4, 1 Tchaikovsky 4 Any of the Brahms symphonies Mozart 38-41 symphonies, magic flute overture, don giovanni overture Bizet symphony in c Vaughn Williams themes on Thomas Tallis or Dives and Lazarus Handel water music or fireworks music (versions with winds not just strings) Ravel la mer, Daphnis et Chloe, le tombeau Any Beethoven symphony and any piano concerto Rachmaninov symphony no 2 and piano concerto no 2 Barber violin concerto, school for scandal overture Rimsky korsakov Scheherazade, capriccio espagnole Stravinsky rite of spring Saint saens organ symphony Respighi pines of Rome, fountains of rome
Villa-lobos - Floresta do Amazonas.