Five Pieces of Music Worth Sitting With

Many of you know that while I was completing my finance degree, I was also studying classical trumpet performance in college. I had the opportunity to study with Michael Tiscione of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and have played professionally for the better part of the last decade. Over that time, I have spent countless hours listening to orchestral music, studying scores, sitting in rehearsals, and simply enjoying the experience of great performances.

With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to share five pieces of music written at least a century ago that I believe are absolutely worth hearing. These are not the obvious ones. I am going to assume most of you have already encountered Beethoven’s Fifth, Beethoven’s Ninth, or Eine kleine Nachtmusik somewhere along the way. Instead, these are what I would call some of the deeper cuts for the average listener. Works that reveal more each time you sit with them.

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1: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection Symphony) | Gustav Mahler

Mahler’s Second Symphony begins in a place of existential weight and gradually unfolds toward a vision of renewal. Over the course of five movements, the music wrestles with questions of life, death, and meaning before arriving at one of the most overwhelming finales ever written for orchestra and choir. When the chorus enters in the final movement, it feels less like a performance and more like something spiritual happening in real time.

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2: Symphony No. 5 | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony revolves around the idea of fate. A recurring theme appears throughout the work, beginning with a dark, almost ominous presence and eventually transforming into something triumphant. The emotional range of the piece is remarkable, and the second movement contains one of the most beautiful melodies ever written for horn and orchestra. It is one of those passages that can stop you in your tracks.‍

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3: Eine Alpensinfonie | Richard Strauss

Strauss’s Alpine Symphony is less a traditional symphony and more a tone poem that follows the experience of climbing a mountain over the course of a full day. It begins before dawn, moves through sunlight and ascent, passes through storms, and ends with sunset and nightfall. The orchestration is massive and incredibly detailed. Strauss uses the entire palette of the orchestra to make the listener feel as though they are physically present in the landscape.

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4: Symphony No. 8 | Anton Bruckner

Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony feels monumental in scale. Listening to it can feel like stepping inside a massive cathedral built entirely of sound. The brass writing is extraordinary, the pacing is patient and expansive, and the final movement gathers themes from across the symphony into a conclusion that feels both cosmic and deeply reflective.‍

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5: Also sprach Zarathustra | Richard Strauss

Inspired by Nietzsche’s philosophical work, this tone poem explores humanity’s search for meaning through a series of large orchestral episodes. Its opening “Sunrise” fanfare has become one of the most recognizable moments in all of orchestral music. Even if you already know that famous opening, the rest of the work is worth exploring. There is far more depth beyond those first few minutes.

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One of the things I love about this music is that it demands patience. These pieces are not meant to be consumed quickly. They unfold over time.

In a world that often feels built for short attention spans and quick clips, there is something refreshing about sitting with something that takes an hour to reveal itself. My encouragement would be simple. Clear an evening. Go hear something live if you can. Or sit down with a good recording, maybe with a friend and a bottle of wine, and give the music the time it deserves.

You might be surprised by how much your attention expands when you allow it to.