Best Opening
Beethoven's String Quartet in C-sharp minor Op. 131 (1826) opens with a slow, grave fugue and unfolds across seven continuous movements, considered among the most profound works in the chamber repertoire.
The 'Carousel Waltz' serves as the orchestral opening number for Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1945 musical 'Carousel,' their second collaboration following 'Oklahoma!' The instrumental piece uniquely replaces dialogue to establish the New England coastal setting and introduce the carnival atmosphere ce...
"The Bacchae" is an ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, first performed posthumously around 405 BC. The play opens with a prologue in which the god Dionysus arrives in Thebes to announce his divine identity and punish the city for denying his godhood. He has driven the local women, including his cou...
