In 2015, the Australian radio station ABC Classic FM held the thirteenth of its annual Classic Music countdowns, during which the public votes for 100 favourite pieces. The chosen theme was "Swoon", which refers to a fainting and in this context is used to mean "little parcel of [musical] rapture" or music "that makes [the listeners'] world stand still." The Classic 100 Swoon countdown was broadcast in reverse order from 5 to 8 June.
Countdown results The results of the countdown are as follows: RankComposerWorkGenreDate1Vaughan Williams, RalphThe Lark Ascending Violin, piano19202Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusClarinet Concerto, K. 622 (Adagio) Concerto17913Barber, SamuelAdagio for Strings (orchestral and vocal versions) Orchestra, Choral19364Pärt, ArvoSpiegel im Spiegel Tintinnabuli19785 Allegri, Gregorio Miserere Choral 1630s6Massenet, Jules"Méditation" from Thaïs Orchestral18947Elgar, EdwardEnigma Variations Op. 36 (includes Variation 9, Nimrod) Orchestral1898–998Morricone, EnnioThe Mission (Includes Gabriel's Oboe original version) Film soundtrack19869Fauré, GabrielRequiem Op.48 (includes Introit and Kyrie, Pie Jesu, Agnus Dei et Lux Aeterna, In Paradisum) Choral, mass1887-9010Albinoni, Tomaso/Remo GiazottoAdagio in G minor Strings, organ11Satie, ErikGymnopédies Piano188812Elgar, EdwardCello Concerto in E minor (includes Adagio) Concerto, for cello191913Rachmaninoff, SergeiPiano Concerto No. 2 (includes Adagio sostenuto) Concerto, for piano1900–0114Mahler, GustavSymphony No. 5 (includes Adagietto) Symphony1901–0215Beethoven, Ludwig vanPiano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major Symphony1809–1116Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusAve verum corpus, K. 618 Choral, motet179117Bizet, GeorgesThe Pearl Fishers (Includes "Au fond du temple saint", "Je crois entendre encore") Opera186318Vaughan Williams, RalphFantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Orchestral191019Strauss, RichardFour Last Songs Orchestral, with voice194820Shostakovich, DmitriThe Gadfly Suite Suite, orchestral195521Khachaturan, AramSpartacus (Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia) Ballet score 195422Puccini, GiacomoMadama Butterfly (includes "One Fine Day", "Humming Chorus") Opera190423Rodrigo, JoaquínConcierto de Aranjuez Orchestral, with guitar193924Bruch, MaxViolin Concerto No. 1 in G minor Concerto186625Bach, Johann SebastianSt Matthew Passion BWV 244 Oratorio172726Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusRequiem in D minor K.626 Choral, Mass179127Pachelbel, JohannCanon in D Strings28Bach, Johann SebastianCello Suite No. 1 in G major BWV 1007 (includes Prelude) Suite, cello29Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusPiano Concerto No. 21 in C major K.467 (Includes Andante) Concerto178530Purcell, HenryDido and Aeneas (includes "Dido's Lament") Opera168831Mascagni, PietroCavalleria rusticana Opera189032Delibes, LéoLakmé Opera1881–8133Saint-Saëns, CamilleThe Carnival of the Animals (includes "Aquarium", "The Swan") Suite, chamber188634Rachmaninoff, SergeiRhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Concerto, for piano193435Dvořák, Antonín"O silver moon" from Rusalka Opera, aria190136Westlake, NigelAntarctica Suite Film soundtrack199137Verdi, GiuseppeNabucco Opera184138Bach, Johann SebastianConcerto for two violins in D minor BWV 1043 (includes Allegro ma non-tanto) Concerto, for violin1717–2339Grieg, EdvardPeer Gynt Play incidental music187540Debussy, ClaudeSuite Bergamasque (includes "Clair de Lune"; "Passepied") Suite, piano190541Holst, GustavThe Planets Op.32 Suite, orchestral1914–1642Handel, George FridericMessiah HWV 56 (includes "Comfort Ye"; "I Know that my Redeemer Liveth") Oratorio174143Tallis, ThomasSpem in alium Choralc.157044Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusCosì fan tutte K.588 (includes soave sia il vento) Opera179045Dvořák, AntonínSymphony No. 9 Op. 45 "From the New World" (includes largo) Symphony189346Tchaikovsky, Pyotr IlyichThe Nutcracker Suite (Includes "Waltz of the Snowflakes"; "Danse Arabe"; "Waltz of the Flowers") Suite, ballet score189247Jenkins, KarlThe Armed Man: A Mass for Peace Choral, mass, orchestral199948Canteloube, JosephSongs of the Auvergne (includes Baïlèro) Arranged folksongs1923-3049Kats-Chernin, ElenaWild Swans suite (includes Eliza's Aria and Green Leaf Prelude) Ballet score200350Wagner, RichardTristan and Isolde (includes Prelude and Liebestod) Opera1857–5951Williams, JohnSchindler's List (Main Theme) Film soundtrack199352Edwards, RossDawn Mantras Orchestral, choral199953Beethoven, Ludwig vanSonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 Moonlight (includes I. Adagio sostenuto) Sonata for piano180154Handel, George FridericXerxes, HWV 40 (includes "Ombra Mai Fu" – Largo) Opera173855Debussy, ClaudePrelude to the Afternoon of a Faun Symphonic poem189456Sculthorpe, PeterSmall Town Orchestral197657Pärt, ArvoCantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten Tintinnabuli197758Beethoven, Ludwig vanViolin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 (includes II. Larghetto) Concerto, for violin180659Mendelssohn, FelixThe Hebrides' Overture, Op. 26 (Fingal's Cave) Overture183060Rachmaninoff, SergeiVespers, Op. 37 (All-Night Vigil) Choral191561Mendelssohn, FelixViolin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (includes II. Andante) Concerto for violin184562Bach, JS/Hess, MyraJesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Cantata192663Beethoven, Ludwig vanFür Elise Piano181064Beethoven, Ludwig vanSymphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 Choral (includes III. Adagio molto e cantabile) Symphony, choral182465Ravel, MauricePavane for a Dead Princess Piano189966Mendelssohn, FelixA Midsummer Night's Dream Orchestral1826, 184267Beethoven, Ludwig vanSymphony No. 7 in A major (includes II. Allegretto) Symphony1811–1268Bach, Johann SebastianCantata, BWV 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (includes "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring") Cantata1716, 172369Gluck, Christoph WillibaldOrpheus and Euridice (includes "Dance of the Blessed Spirits") Opera176270Morricone, EnnioCinema Paradiso (includes Main Theme; Love Theme for Nata) Film soundtrack198871Bach, Johann SebastianGoldberg Variations, BWV 988 (includes Aria) Keyboard174172Schubert, FranzImpromptu in G-flat major Piano182773Bach, Johann SebastianMass in B minor, BWV 232 Choral, mass174974Lloyd Webber, AndrewRequiem (includes "Pie Jesu") Choral, mass1984–8575Fauré, GabrielCantique de Jean Racine Choral, with piano1864–6576Handel, George FridericRinaldo (includes "Lascia ch'io pianga") Opera171177Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusPiano Concerto No. 23 in A major (includes II. Adagio) Concerto for piano178678Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusClarinet Quintet, K581 (includes II. Larghetto) Chamber178979Brahms, JohannesA German Requiem, Op. 45 Choral, mass186880Górecki, HenrykSymphony No. 3, Op. 36 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs) Symphony, with voice197681Bach, Johann SebastianBrandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050 Concerto, chamber172182Saint-Saëns, CamilleSamson and Delilah (includes "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix") Opera187783Fauré, GabrielPavane, Op. 50Orchestral, with chorus188784Gershwin, GeorgePorgy and Bess (includes "Summertime") Opera 193485Mozart, Wolfgang AmadeusConcerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra, K. 299 Concerto177886Korngold, Erich WolfgangDie tote Stadt (includes "Glück das mir verblieb") Opera192087Satie, ErikGnossiennes Piano 1890s88Beethoven, Ludwig vanSymphony No. 6, Op. 68 (Pastoral) Symphony180889Chopin, FrédéricPiano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 Concerto for piano183090Schubert, FranzAve Maria Choral182591Sculthorpe, PeterLittle Suite Suite, for strings198392Dvořák, AntonínCello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 Concerto for cello1894–9593Pergolesi, Giovanni BattistaStabat Mater Oratorio173694Tavener, JohnSong for Athene Choral199795Albinoni, TomasoOboe Concerto in D minor, Op. 9, No. 2 Concerto for oboe172296Bellini, VincenzoNorma (includes "Casta diva") Opera183197Strauss, RichardMorgen! Song189498Bach, JS/Gounod, CharlesAve Maria Choral185399Bach, Johann SebastianOrchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 (includes Air on a G string) Suite1730100Puccini, Giacomo"O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi Opera, aria1917–18
By composer The following composers were featured in the countdown: ComposerNationalityWorksAlbinoniItalian2AllegriItalian1JS BachGerman9BarberAmerican1BeethovenGerman7BelliniItalian1BizetFrench1BrahmsGerman1BruchGerman1CanteloubeFrench1ChopinPolish-French1DebussyFrench2DelibesFrench1DvořákCzech3EdwardsAustralian1ElgarEnglish2FauréFrench3GershwinAmerican1GluckGerman1GoreckiPolish1GounodFrench1GriegNorwegian1HandelGerman-British3HessBritish1HolstEnglish1JenkinsWelsh1Kats-CherninAustralian1KhachaturianArmenian1KorngoldCzech1Lloyd WebberEnglish1MahlerAustrian1MascagniItalian1MassenetFrench1MendelssohnGerman3MorriconeItalian2MozartAustrian8PachelbelGerman1PergolesiItalian1PucciniItalian2PurcellEnglish1PärtEstonian2RachmaninoffRussian3RavelFrench1RodrigoSpanish1Saint-SaënsFrench2SatieFrench2SchubertAustrian2SculthorpeAustralian2ShostakovichRussian1StraussGerman2TallisEnglish1TavenerBritish1TchaikovskyRussian1Vaughan WilliamsEnglish2VerdiItalian1WagnerGerman1WestlakeAustralian1WilliamsAmerican1 Note: Bach had 10 entries on the countdown, including Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring as part of Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben and as a separate entry.
See also Classic 100 Countdowns List of classical music composers by era
References