Symphonic Essentials

Symphonic Essentials

Apple Music Orchestral Music

From stirring openings to flourishing finales and all the beautiful themes in between, this playlist will guide you through the evolution of the symphony from its beginnings in 18th-century Germany to today. Drawing on themes as diverse as love and war—and inspired by everything from travel to grief—the symphony is an enduringly fascinating musical form. As the great symphonist Gustav Mahler said to another master of the genre, Jean Sibelius, “A symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.”

I. Molto allegro

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras

7:05

I. Allegro con brio

Vienna Philharmonic, Carlos Kleiber

7:21

III. Poco allegretto

Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer

6:39

IV. Adagietto (Sehr langsam)

Leonard Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic

11:18

II. Largo

Berlin Philharmonic, Rafael Kubelík

13:04

I. Allegro moderato

Vienna Philharmonic, Carlos Kleiber

13:53

I. Mars, the Bringer of War

Sir Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic

7:25

II. Vltava

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

12:13

III. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen - Sehr einfach und schlicht wie eine Volksweise - Wieder etwas bewegter, wie im Anfang

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt

10:47

I. Allegro ma non troppo

Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

13:08

IV. Molto allegro

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien

11:39

II. Abdul Majid

American Composers Orchestra, Dennis Russell Davies

8:53

I. Allegro vivace

Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala

10:00

II. Andante con moto

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini

16:43

Overture "Coriolan", Op. 62

Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

8:56

II. Allegretto (2021 Remastered Version)

Staatskapelle Dresden, Jeffrey Tate

10:45

II. The Tale of Prince Kalendar

Osmo Vänskä, Curtis Symphony Orchestra

12:49

Finlandia, Op. 26, No. 7

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

9:25

Night on Bald Mountain (Orch. N. Rimsky-Korsakov)

The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel

10:29

The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29

Sinfonia of London, John Wilson

20:41

I. Prelude. Sonnenaufgang

William Steinberg, Boston Symphony Orchestra

2:00

V. Songe d'une nuit du sabbat

Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

9:47

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor

RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski

8:41

I. Lebhaft

Munich Philharmonic, Sergiu Celibidache

10:49

II. Marcia funebre (Adagio assai)

John Barbirolli, BBC Symphony Orchestra

18:14

I. Adagio - Allegro

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras

17:43

I. Adagio

Barbara Hannigan, Ludwig Orchestra

14:17

I. Adagio - Allegro

Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini

5:52

I. Allegro

Musica Viva Chamber Orchestra, Alexander Rudin

4:09

Andante moderato

Franzjosef Maier, θollegium Aʊreum

6:05

I. Allegro non troppo

Vienna Philharmonic, Carlos Kleiber

12:50

I. Adagio - Allegro molto

Gustavo Dudamel, Los Angeles Philharmonic

12:33

III. Vivacissimo

Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

6:09

IV. Allegro moderato

Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

14:56

I. Allegro moderato (Live at Philharmonie am Gasteig, 1994)

Munich Philharmonic, Sergiu Celibidache

24:20

I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo

Munich Philharmonic, Sergiu Celibidache

25:44

IV. Presto - Allegro assai

Helen Watts, London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Young, Leopold Stokowski, London Symphony Chorus, Heather Harper, Donald McIntyre

26:09

IV. Adagio - Allegro Non Troppo Ma Con Brio

Sergiu Celibidache, Munich Philharmonic

19:47

VI. Langsam, Ruhevoll. Empfunden

New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

25:09

II. Adagio

John Wilson, Sinfonia of London

11:55

I. Moderato

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

22:35

II. Affannoso. Un poco più affannato

NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, Tõnu Kaljuste

11:47

II. Adagio (Piu tosto andantino)

Hanspeter Gmür, Budapest Failoni Chamber Orchestra

9:18

103, "Drum Roll": I. Adagio - Allegro con spirito

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugen Jochum

9:54

I. Allegro con spirito

Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

5:43

Music To Goethe's Tragedy "Egmont", Op. 84

Ferenc Fricsay, Berlin Philharmonic

9:00

The Hebrides, Op. 26 "Fingal's Cave"

John Eliot Gardiner, London Symphony Orchestra

10:01

III. Scherzo

Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic

5:51

IV. Langsam - Lebhaft - Schneller - Presto

Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

8:53

II. a. Allegro moderato - Presto - Allegro moderato

Daniel Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

7:26

I. Andante - Allegro con anima

Philharmonia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski

15:51

I. Allegro

Thomas Dausgaard, Seattle Symphony

11:02

Der Held

Lorin Maazel, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Röhn

4:27

III. the Swan of Tuonela

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif Segerstam

9:56

Les préludes, S. 97

The Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti

16:38

L'Apprenti sorcier

Orchestre De Paris, Daniel Barenboim

11:29

No. 1 in D Major

Philharmonia Orchestra, John Barbirolli

6:40

Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis (Sinfonia of London) [Remastered 2022, Version 1962]

Sinfonia of London, John Barbirolli, Hallé

16:06

Marche slave, Op. 31, TH 45 [Live]

José Serebrier, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra

10:14

An American in Paris

New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

18:27

III. Allegro non troppo

Mstislav Rostropovich, London Symphony Orchestra

7:07

I. Lento - Allegro risoluto

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink, David Nolan

15:21

1. Andante moderato

Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

6:16

IV. Allegro

Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

8:20

IV. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace

Sir Simon Rattle, Vienna Philharmonic

5:43

II. Andante con moto

Leonard Bernstein, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

11:12

IV. Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (1881 Version) [Live at Philharmonie am Gasteig, Munich, 1988]

Sergiu Celibidache, Munich Philharmonic

27:52

I. Allegro maestoso

New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

23:38

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit, Timothy Hutchins

10:43

II. (Adagio) Sehr langsam

Jakub Hrůša, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra

10:52

III. Finale. Langsam

Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Paavo Järvi

13:22

II. Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Mäkelä

10:42

II. Vivace non troppo

Svenska Kammarorkestern, Thomas Dausgaard

4:22

III. Allegretto grazioso - Molto vivace

Gustavo Dudamel, Los Angeles Philharmonic

5:50

III. Adagio. Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend

Munich Philharmonic, Sergiu Celibidache

35:07

III. Andante moderato (Live)

Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

16:18

I. Adagio sostenuto

Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Kirill Gerstein

6:32

III. Adagio: Lento

André Previn, London Symphony Orchestra

16:09

Fantastic Scherzo, Op. 35

Sir Charles Mackerras, Czech Philharmonic

14:53

Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24, TrV 158

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

27:08

III. Spiritoso

Milan Classical Chamber Orchestra

5:40

II. Largo

Vienna Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

7:20

I. Allegro

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien, Franz Joseph Haydn

7:22

I. Adagio - Allegro vivace

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

9:56

III. Scherzo. Vivace - Poco meno mosso

Marin Alsop, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

7:37

Polovtsian Dances

Royal Philharmonic Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Welsh National Opera Chorus, Leopold Stokowski

11:16

Andante non tanto quasi moderato - Allegro giusto - Moderato assai

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan

22:04

II. Jeux de vagues

Sir Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic

6:46

I. The Poem of Ecstasy, Op. 54 (Live)

Seattle Symphony, Thomas Dausgaard

20:17

IV. Allegro Molto - Misterioso - un Pochettino Largamente - Largamente Assai

Leonard Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic

10:14

3. Moderato

Czech Philharmonic, Jiří Bělohlávek

5:01

II. Allegro marcato

André Previn, Los Angeles Philharmonic

8:42

III. Adagio (Live)

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein

19:25

I. Lacrymosa

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

9:29

I. Nacht

Berlin Philharmonic, David Bell, Herbert von Karajan

3:04

II. Sonnenaufgang

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, David Bell

1:28

Saga Drøm Op. 39

Jascha Horenstein, Philharmonia Orchestra

8:41

I. Andante sostenuto

Sir Charles Mackerras, Czech Philharmonic

14:56

I. Largo - Allegro moderato

London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn

19:08

II. On the Beach at Night Alone

Heather Harper, André Previn, London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, John Shirley-Quirk

10:46