What Composition do you concider to be the most "Heroic" sounding?

Hello,

A sequal to the "passionately romantic" post, what do you guys concider to be the most "Heroic" piece of music you've ever heard, aside from film or video game scores?

Like, the kind of music that you would listen to get pumped, energized, and hero-ready, if you will?

For example, here's my list:

• Sibelius' "Lemminkaimen's Return."
• Modest Mussorsky's "Great Gates of Kiev"
• Holst's "Second Suite for Military Band."
• Anything by Sousa
  
• Final movement of Shostakovitch's 5th Symphony
  
• and my all-time favorite, the final movement from Respighi's "Pines of Rome"

If those don't get you in the iron-pumping, damsel-saving mindset, I don't know what will :ninja:

Beethoven: Symphony #5 in C minor

Beethoven: Symphony #9 in D minor

Clicheed, I know.

Chopin's Heroic Polonaise?

:ninja:

Elgar, Symphony No. 1

Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra

1812 Overture Finale is quite bold and heroic! Also, the first movement of Holst's first suite for military band. I haven't heard the second suite!

But from that list, Great Gates of Kiev.

Like, the kind of music that you would listen to get pumped, energized, and hero-ready, if you will?

Hmmm, there's definitely some good pieces already mentioned.

Here are a few that I think deserve being mentioned again!

Respighi's Pines of Rome - Mvt IV

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition - Great Gate of Kiev

Elgar - Symphony No. 1

Here's a few more that ought to be on the list:

Bruckner - Symphony No. 8

Mahler - Symphony No. 1 "Titan"

Stravinsky - Conclusion to the The Firebird

Lets not forget Aaron Copland and his:

"Fanfare for the Common Man" - the symphonic version.

"Rodeo"

"Billy the Kid"

"Appalachian Spring"

And his all time heroic masterpiece, "A Lincoln Portrait."

Wow, Aaron Copland really does epitomize in his music the great American hero, eh?

I could swear that the composers for the later incarnations of Star Trek were influenced by "A Lincoln Portrait." I mean, the suspended four chords, the quartal chords, the orchestration, it sounds very much so. Then again, it is about the frontier, eh?

Sorry - by "symphonic version" do you mean the 4th movement of Copland's 3rd Symphony? Because that's where the theme comes from... And I agree.

Symphonies to mention:

Tchaikovsky 5 in Eb - is it just me or does it sound like a rollicking high-seas adventure?

Mahler 8 - The Symphony of 1000 - enough said.

Vaughan Williams 5 in D - written in part to boost morale of blitz-ridden Londoners.

Berlioz: "Apothéose" from the "Grande Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale"

Ending part of the "Fantaisie sur la Tempète de Shakespeare" in "Lélio ou Le Retour à la Vie".

Symphonie Fantastique - "March to The Scaffold".

Ouverture "Les Francs-Juges".

Beethoven: Symphony No.7 - the Vivace after the inicial Poco Sostenuto and the final Allegro Con Brio.

Symphony No.9 - Final Movement.

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - First and last movements.

Stravinsky: Conclusion of the Firebird.

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 in A minor ("Scottish"), conclusion of the last movement.

If you ask me to pick one, it would be Berlioz's "Apothéose" from the "Grande Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale"

Holst's First Military Suite in E-Flat. Oddly enough, it was the very first piece I ever played in a concert band. Although, I must also agree that Copland has some of the most heroic American pieces. Fanfare for the Common Man is certainly heroic, but I don't think I can put Rodeo up there. After all, they are really meant as dance episodes. Don't get me wrong, Rodeo is a wonderful suite: one of the best. However, it just isn't terribly heroic. I do enjoy Hoe Down though.

One more to add:

Wagner - Prelude to "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg"

This is an easy question:

Tchaikovsky symphony #6 third movement

Mahler symphony #1 yes, the entire thing

Mahler Symphony #2 last movement

Mahler symphony #5 third and last movement

Mahler symphony #7 last movement

Mahler Symphony # 8 yes, the entire thing

Beethoven Symphony #5 last movement

Beethoven symphony #9 yes, the entire thing

Shostakovich Symphony #5 yes, the entire thing, although i think the ending is a little more profound than what you might think

Shostakovich symphony #7 first movement

Shostakovich Festive Overture

Schubert Symphony #9 "Great" yes, the entire thing

That's just off the top of my head, I can probably come up with more, but I think these works are pretty heroic, just think late romanticism.

Ya know you love Mahler when...

Copeland - Fanfare for the Common Man...

isn't it obvious?

Now that I've listened to it again... Brahms, Symphony No. 1. The whole thing. I'm feeling a bit inspired by Marin Alsop's recording of it tonight.

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 - finale

I have to reiterate Great Gate (as it's actually on iTunes at the moment :D). Actually the Promenade theme itself to a degree in more of a down to earth way.

For me though, probably the final movement of Tchaikovsky's 5th does 'heroic' best.

I wouldn't say all of Titan sounds heroic... (then again, I'm not a big Mahler person).

Copeland - Fanfare for the Common Man...

isn't it obvious?

Sorry - I can't consider the Fanfare more heroic than the 4th movement of Copland's 3rd Symphony. Yes, it's the same theme, it's just that the symphony does it so much BETTER!

Most Heroic?

Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem

Randall Thompson: Testament of Freedom

Benjamin Britten: Ballad of Little Mussgrave

Bruckner: Symphony No. 8- Movement IV

Igor Stravinsky: Firebird Suite

Gustav Holst: Planets Suite- Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

Verdi: Aida and Falstaff

That's all I can think of right now!

Oh yes!! Bercuse and Finale from the Firebird Suite... how could I forget?!