The 77th festival of classical music “Prague Spring” starts today. Traditionally, it’s being opened with “Má Vlast” from Bedřich Smetana (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6jlhLUgER0). The tunes of this piece, especially from the Vltava part (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRF4DruNVwM), are notorious even between people who otherwise do not listen to classics.
It’s pointless to ask whether classical music is popular in your country, of course it’s not. But do you have any classical pieces, which are well-known between general population?
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There are several Italian contenders I’d say.
‘Nessun Dorma’ (Puccini).Also his ‘O mio babbino caro’. The ‘William Tell Overture’ by Rossini.And Vivaldi’s’Four Seasons’.
These may be the pieces I hear most when in other countries.
[Richard Wagner – Ritt der Walküre](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZp7u_Krp8)
[Richard Strauss – Also Sprach Zarathustra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfe8tCcHnKY)
[Johann Sebastian Bach – Cello Suite No. 1 Prélude](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prweT95Mo0)
[Joseph Haydn, August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben – Deutschlandlied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P46fpud7gyU)
Mozart and Beethoven are sometimes also counted as German but I’d say they’re Austrian.
I’d say Dvořák’s [New World Symphony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qut5e3OfCvg) or [Slavonic Dances](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrXpDJ0waC4) are even more internationally popular than Smetana’s Má Vlast, which is primarily used by Czechs in their marketing. Dvořák was quite the pop star, especially when he moved to New York for a while at the start of the 20th century.
[Johann Strauss – An der schönen blauen Donau](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENETOpNpIiI)
Not sure if it’s the most famous per se, but it’s probably the most iconic classical song in Austria itself and somewhat of a second anthem.
For Norway it has to be Grieg’s [In The hall of the Mountain King](https://youtu.be/P01EqXn7mik) (I Dovregubbens hall), or [Morning Mood](https://youtu.be/-rh8gMvzPw0) (Morgenstemning). Two compositions everybody has heard, but nobody seems to know where are from.
Well, we have the most heard artist of all time thanks to the finns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSQzUx3QW2Y
I bet most people will recognize what sounds at 0:11
one of the Chopin pices:
– [Etude Op.10 No.12, Revolutionary ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwoAoII1EkQ)
– [Funeral March](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imeMFLt_eyk)
– [Waltz in C Sharp Minor (Op. 64 No. 2)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUT_0c2QVzo)
Aside from Chopin here’s a bigger list i made some time ago https://old.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/45495h/what_classical_musicians_are_well_known_from_your/czv58w3/
Ode to Joy, the poem is by Friedrich Schiller, the ode is by Beethoven.
I have already seen the discussions below, I don’t care whether we count Beethoven as Austrian or German, there are valid arguments for both. And for that time, the division is nonsensical because there is simply no Austrian or German nation state.
Most people will know it because it is the anthem of the European Union.
And especially in difficult times like these, it conveys a positive message.
https://youtu.be/a23945btJYw
We’re not really known for our classical music (especially compared to France, Germany, Italy and Russia).
Probably the pieces most famous at home are anthems or related to state events, like Handel’s [*Zadok the Priest*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiXgOQ9_-RI) (sung at every coronation since George the 2nds in 1727 and in an awful lot of football adverts), or [*Jerusalem*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sERiPuOQyvo), [*Land of Hope and Glory*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvgl_2JRIUs) and Rule Britannia, all set to music by Edward Elgar. Or [*I Vow to Thee, My Country*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZGUgGrBUE) composed by Gustav Holst.
Not sure does Jean Sibelius count as classical since his work was done in 1900s, but it would be his work. I don’t know that which individual song is most famous abroad. In Finland “Finlandia” hymn is the most known song.
For Hungary it’s definitely Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goeOUTRy2es](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goeOUTRy2es)
‘Hungarian Dances No. 5’ (and the other 20 dances) are probably more popular, but those were composed by a German, Johannes Brahms.
Claude Debussy’s “[Clair de Lune](https://youtu.be/CvFH_6DNRCY)” came to my mind first.
“Carmen” by Georges Bizet must be pretty up there too (both [Prelude to Act 1 Of Carmen](https://youtu.be/cvny0Mssa04) and [Carmen Suite](https://youtu.be/4rwcRQvAiTg), I can’t decide which one is more famous).
We don’t really have any famous one’s.
Most Swedes probably recognize the first movement of [Johan Helmich Roman’s Drottningholmsmusiken](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odN3UcqYY7s) (The Drottningholm music), but most don’t know the title or composer.