Three big-hitting pieces of music. The overture to Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser, Claude Debussy’s depiction of the sea, La mer, and Sergei Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony.

Rachmaninov really threw everything at his Second Symphony. Not only is it a big orchestra, but it’s a BIG piece too – both in length and just how much is going on. Plus it’s got all the feels – it’s sentimental, gushy, suspenseful, dark and mysterious. You name an emotion and it’s here. Debussy’s La mer (the sea) is economical in comparison. It’s a simple idea, a musical depiction of the sea, but done so well you can almost feel the sea spray.