Christmas is a time where you cannot even try to avoid the sound of traditional folksongs and classical pieces inspired by the festive period. Classical music is my favourite genre, and I was wondering if any of the members here take the time to listen to a sonata, symphony, even perhaps a lieder or two? If so, do you have any favourites?
I'm going to recommend Lohengrin's Prelude to Act 1, by the incredibly influential Richard Wagner. He had many faults as a human-being, and I won't refer to his rather alarming opinions on specific subjects. This music had such enormous talent beyond it, and for a moment, you feel transported to a completely different world. Film scoring composition owes a lot to this man. This piece sets the scene to the opening act of his relatively early opera 'Lohengrin'. The story based on The Knight of the Swan, an old German folktale based on the legend and mythology of King Arthur.
For those of you who haven't heard it:
Lohengrin: Prelude to Act One - Conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOETfODf8r4
Any fellow classical lovers willing to share their awesome tastes?