Welcome to The Great Classical Music myspace page!
This site aims to educate and inform people of classical music, or for people who are already fans, give them a chance to listen to some great music and perhaps read more about its origins, famous composers, and quotations. Suggestions are always appreciated, and I will be updating whenever I can. Thanks for stopping by!
25 Greatest Classical Music Works
1. Symphony No. 9 "Choral" – Ludwig Van Beethoven
2. Mass In B Minor – Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique" – Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
4. Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
5. Rite Of Spring – Igor Stravinsky
6. Symphony No. 9 – Gustav Mahler
7. The Ring of the Nibelungs – Richard Wagner
8. Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" – Ludwig Van Beethoven
9. Pictures At An Exhibition – Modest Mussorgsky (orch. by Maurice Ravel)
10. Symphony No. 5 – Ludwig Van Beethoven
11. Symphony No. 9 "From The New World" – Antonin Dvorak
12. Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" – Ludwig Van Beethoven
13. Also Sprach Zarathustra – Richard Strauss
14. Violin Concerto – Ludwig Van Beethoven
15. St Matthew's Passion – Johann Sebastian Bach
16. Piano Concerto No. 2 – Sergei Rachmaninoff
17. Symphony No. 4 – Johannes Brahms
18. Piano Concerto – Robert Schumann
19. Symphonie Fantastique – Hector Berlioz
20. Piano Sonata No. 2 – Frederic Chopin
21. Symphony No. 9 – Anton Bruckner
22. Piano Concerto No. 1 – Peter Ilitch Tchaikovsky
23. Requiem – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
24. The Planets – Gustav Holst
25. Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" – Franz Schubert
Top 10 Composers
1. Ludwig Van Beethoven
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3. Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Richard Wagner
5. Sergei Rachmaninoff
6. Johannes Brahms
7. Franz Schubert
8. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
9. George Frideric Handel
10. Frédéric Chopin
Madame Butterfly - Giacomo Puccini - 1904
Act One
A wedding is to be celebrated between Pinkerton, a Lieutenant in the US navy, and Cio Cio San, a 15 year old geisha known as Butterfly.
Pinkerton is shown around the house he has rented for his new Japanese bride by the marriage-broker Goro. He has leased it for 999 years, but notes that both deals (the house and and the marriage) can be broken at any time. The American consul, Sharpless, arrives to act as Pinkerton's witness at the wedding. Pinkerton makes it clear he does not take the marriage seriously. Sharpless warns Pinkerton to be careful: it would be wrong to break an utterly trusting heart.
Unknown to her family, Butterfly has visited the Christian Mission, renouncing her own religion - an irreversible decision.
The wedding ceremony takes place but Butterfly's uncle, the Bonze, has learnt of her visit to the Christian Mission. He denounces her, telling Butterfly that she will never be welcomed by the community again. Pinkerton is enraged and orders all the guests to leave. Pinkerton comforts his weeping bride in a tender love duet.
Act Two
Three years have past, and Pinkerton has long gone. Butterfly is convinced he will one day return (The famous Un bel di vedremo ). Sharpless arrives with a letter in which Pinkerton announces his marriage to an American wife, asking Sharpless to tell Butterfly. Before he can do, Goro appears with Prince Yamadori, a man of great wealth, who would like to marry Butterfly. Butterfly shrugs him off, point out that her marriage to Pinkerton is governed by US law, and she is not free to marry. Yamadori leaves and Sharpless tries again to read Pinkerton's letter. Butterfly will not let him tell her the truth, and keeps twisting his words to make them sound like a love letter.
Butterfly shows Sharpless her son with blonde curly hair, who is Pinkerton's child. She sings tenderly of her love and Sharpless departs, deeply moved. A cannon is heard announcing the arrival of Pinkerton's ship. While waiting for him to arrive, Butterfly and her maid Suzuki excitedly decorate the house with flowers to welcome Pinkerton home.
Act Three
A new day dawns and there is still no sign of Pinkerton. Suzuki persuades the exhausted Butterfly to go and rest with her child.
Pinkerton arrives with his new wife, intending to persuade Cio Cio San to hand over their son to him. Suzuki tells him of Butterfly's great love and suffering, and, filled with remorse, Pinkerton hurries away. Butterfly returns to greet her husband but instead finds his new wife. She realises why the couple have come. Kate asks for her forgiveness, whereupon Butterfly tells her there should be no woman on Earth happier than she and not to be saddened over her own plight. She says she will hand over her son if Pinkerton comes to get him personally.
Left alone with her thoughts, Butterfly considers her father's ceremonial sword and prepares for suicide. She bids farewell to her son and strikes the mortal blow. A moment later, Pinkerton arrives, calling her name.
