A couple of days ago
some of you suggested what Condi might pick as her top ten musical works today -- the day she plays the role of music critic for one day for
The Independent.
Her picks are below the fold.
1 Mozart
Piano Concerto in D minor
"I won my first piano competition at the age of 15, playing this work."
2 Cream
'Sunshine of Your Love'
"I love to work out to this song," says Rice. "Believe it or not, I loved acid rock in college - and I still do."
3 Aretha Franklin
'Respect'
"The Queen of Soul's anthem", in Rice's opinion.
4 Kool and the Gang
'Celebration'
Rice loves this upbeat track, saying: "It's just such a great song."
5 Brahms
Piano Concerto No 2
This is considered one of the most difficult piano works to learn, but Rice isn't fazed. "It's a stormy, difficult piece, but I'm going to learn to play it before I leave this earth!"
6 Brahms
Piano Quintet in F minor
This piece by Johannes Brahms is "passionate without being sentimental", Rice says. The work, composed in 1864, is the piece she most loves to play with her quintet.
7 U2
Anything
Founded in 1976, U2 have regularly topped the record charts since the late 1980s. The band have sold 130 million albums and had six No 1 albums in the US and nine in the UK. One of the most successful groups of all time. Rice, a big fan, is happy to listen to any of their tunes.
8 Elton John
'Rocket Man'
This pop ballad was co-written by Bernie Taupin. It first appeared on John's 1972 album Honky Château and became a hit single. For Rice - and many children of the 1970s - this song is a blast from the past: "It brings back memories of college, friends, my first boyfriend."
9 Beethoven
Symphony No 7
"Quite simply the greatest symphony of all time," is how Rice describes Beethoven's Seventh.
10 Mussorgsky
Boris Godunov
"The greatest opera of all time," Rice says. "If you love Russia, you have to love Godunov." The composer, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, was one of five Russian composers who became known as The Mighty Handful, and were the chief innovators of Russian music in the 19th century.
Maybe she and George start their workout every morning to No. 2.
One hopes that she doesn't get much older before she can find enough time to devote to No. 5.
She probably should have dedicated No. 10 to Cheney, who loves Russia so much.