Why do so many pieces of classical music have only a technical name (Sonata #5, Concerto 2 in A minor, symphony #4, etc.) instead of a “name” like Fuhr Elise or Eine Kline Nachtmusik?

Question

I can only speak for myself, but this makes it really hard to keep track of the songs I like. I love listening to classical music but if you asked me my favorite artists I would have difficulty telling you specifics.

In: 8720

Answer 1

Classical music was created in a time when the marketing of recorded music was not a consideration, because recorded music did not exist.

Many classical pieces that today are referenced by name, had those names “attached” much later from their creation. In many cases, the name came from reviewers writing much later. Mahler’s “Titan” (1st symphony) and “Resurrection” (2nd symphony) are examples.

For those of us who are really into specific niches of music, the “opus” number are more than sufficient. I’m a nerd for Bach’s organ works, which are catalogued under BWV – *Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis -* an index first published in 1950, revised in 1990. Bach aficionados know that his well known “Halloween” toccata and fugue is BWV 565; one of my favorites is BWV 564, the tocatta, adagio, and fugue in C major, whose conclusion features one of the most pleasing glissandos in all of organ music.