Classical Music: Your 10 most fierce "start-offs"*

I'd really appreciate to know what are the Classical (Art Music) pieces you elect as bursting with the most roaring and striking bombastic start-offs. The only requisite I'd like you to respect is:
For the pieces with multiple movements only the first movement is allowed.

And I'd appreciate even more if the central bombast elements that I'm refering to have to be accompanied by a powerfully cathalistic melodic line(s), harmonically arranged within the whole in such a strong way that the piece starts off bursting with such a thundering fierce, ferocious or glorious or even dramatic spirit. Well... personally, that was pretty much one reason for just limiting myself to Classical pieces, besides turning out easier for me to select this music form.

Anyway I think it would be also a great idea someone come up with a new thread topic applying this subject matter to other music forms and/or eras, probably for pop rock, hard rock or heavy metal, etc. , why not?


These are my 10 elected classical pieces featuring the most bombastic beginnings amongst those I know and can recall now:

Beethoven - Symphony No.5, In C Minor Op.67 (1. Allegro con brio)


Beethoven - Symphony No.8, In F Major Op.93 (1. Allegro vivace e con brio)
Beethoven : Symphonie No. 8 (Complete)

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat Major Op.73 (1.Allegro)
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 'Emperor' - Furtwangler, Fischer 1951 (I. Allegro)

Brahms Rhapsody G Minor Op.79 No 2
Brahms, Rhapsody in G minor, Op. 79, No. 2

Mozart - Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV 525
Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV 525 Karl Bohm, Wiener Philharmoniker

Louis Moreau Gottschalk - Grande Fantasie Triumphale
Gottschalk: Grande Fantasia Triunfal sobre o Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Bizet - Carmen Suite No.1, Prélude
Bizet / Herbert von Karajan, 1958: Carmen, Suite No. 1 - Prelude, Act 1

Tchaikovsky - Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No.1 In B-flat Minor, Op.23 (1.Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso con spirito)
Tchaikovsky / S. Richter, 1962: Piano Concerto 1 in B flat Minor - Von Karajan, VSO - Complete

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No.4 In F Minor, Op.36 (1. andante sostenuto_moderato con anima_moderato assai_quasi andante)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4 / Bernstein New York Philharmonic (1975 Movie Live)

Liszt - Concierto para piano y orquesta n. 1 en Mi bemol mayor (I. Allegro maestoso)
Liszt - Piano Concerto No. 1 (Martha Argerich)


P.S.:
A point worth of note about my picks is the predominance of pieces from the Early Romantic / Romantic Eras. Not really surprising, since as a matter of fact it's the Era when the bombast elements - as well as the non-economic or even the (alledged) excessive amount of emphasizing musical notes - were seen more frequently and strongly present, to the point that they became some of the characteristical aspects of that Era of Art Music compositions.

I admit that I adore the Romantic Era, but have been aware that those same aspects I described above have quite a few times contributed to put off a fair amount of today's Art Music fans from appreciating this music, alas. Yeah okay, fair enough, but ...anyway
.

 

Only one I can think of is Orff's Carmina Burana (O Fortuna starts off in quite bombastic fashion imho). But I'm disgracefully lacking in classical music knowledge.

 

Yeah good call, that is such a well-known masterpiece that sure deserves to be squeezed into my selection .

 

Thanks! First time I've ever been complimented on my classical music knowledge!

 

^You're very welcome aboard!

 

Beethoven's Eroica Symphony.

 

Shame it's become so overused on sports promos and similar - when I hear it now in that context, I just kind of sigh. It's also become a staple of college marching bands.

Good live classical music is pretty damn sparse around here, but I did get a chance to see and record an attempt at Carmina Burana and as poor as some of the performance was, it was still thrilling to experience that beginning at full volume in a nice hall.

Good thread - I look forward to all the responses. Thank you OP

 

Well, it's one of my VERY fave Beethoven's symphonies, it incredibly manages to start off with one of the most dark and eerie atmospheres I've encountered without ever making use of thundering ferocious bombastic elements 'till its 5th minute ... incredible!

 

Thanks, and you're welcome

Well, just think that around here in my hometown the space given for Classical music is even worse ,unfortunately.

 

Hell yeah great call! Been on an old debt with digging Shostakovich's music. And I know, his symphonies are a must!

 

Shostakovich's 11th symphony is my favorite. However I couldn't post it as it doesn't have a bombastic 1st movement (rather the opposite!).

 

I would most certainly nominate this intro as being most forceful and full of suggestion that "time is of the essence"!

 

I thought of this one, but to me it feels more like a big swelling ocean wave gathering strength and headed my way. Part of this might be the performances I've heard - it certainly could be played ferociously if that's what the conductor is aiming for.

 

Maybe we have a winner here indeed, and perhaps the most forcefully roaring Brahms' start-off, it's awesome, thanks
Oh and I loved that Brahms' interpretation, that conductor is quite something indeed. I cherish one really special Paavo Järvi's recording of Beethoven's 5th Piano Ckncerto with the great Hélène Grimaud at the piano, she was pretty younger back then. Järvi was conducting the Frankfort Symphony Orchestra, it's on youtube:

Hélène Grimaud plays BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto # 5 / Paavo Järvi -Frankfort Symphony

 

This is a bit OT but I used to blame Ozzy Osbourne for being the first to devalue Carmina Burana because he used it as the intro music to his live shows for years back in the early 80s.

But now I've found out that there are some other early culprits to blame for first rendering this powerful music somewhat meaningless to the masses. Here are the earliest examples I've found:

Early 1970s: Ending used throughout 30-second British TV adverts for Old Spice aftershave lotion.

1978: In James Burke's BBC series Connections in several episodes.

1981: In the film Excalibur, when King Arthur and his knights ride into battle.

1981-1991: In the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, whenever Rodney sees his nephew Damien, who was named after the child in The Omen.

Of course there are hundreds of later examples.

According to Wikipedia: "O Fortuna" has been called "the most overused piece of music in film history", and Harper's Magazine columnist Scott Horton has commented that "Orff’s setting may have been spoiled by its popularization" and its use "in movies and commercials often as a jingle, detached in any meaningful way from its powerful message. Its contemporary usage is often joking or satirical in nature, owing to its oversaturation in popular culture."

Sad.

 

I think these several instances of its use give us a good notion of the endless power of this music form... I reckon that Orff's piece won't ever get spoiled.

I'm recalling now that ELP featured their own live version of Carmina Burana, I think as an attempt at making their own tribute to Orff.

 

I honestly don't mind ELP's or Ray Manzarek's versions of Carmina Burana as they have artistic merit. What I do mind is using this powerful music as a joke to sell aftershave.

 

Come to think of it again, that's a very interesting point you've made here, and it's SO true that pretty much what the conductor is aiming for is reflected to any extent in the performance by the orchestra. That's one of the main reasons why a good conductor is also essential for any outstanding recording. And, even more when they specialise in some composers, there are decisive variations in their interpretations that appeals to different tastes indeed.

 

I think it was instant coffee here.

 

First one I thought of was Lou Harrison's Piano Concerto, but I think I can do better.

 

Ah yes. John Adams’s Harmonielehre will take some beating.

 

Thanks for that, great intro indeed. And from the few I listened from that tube so far, if I'm not wrong he's a contemporanean composer strongly influenced by the Romantic Era, cool that