Heroic themes, bold orchestrations, and manly melodies—perfect antidotes to anyone tempted to think that “classical music” is just sentimental and relaxing. The works on this list go well beyond being simply loud. Yes, you will find a healthy dose of crash/bang (what boy doesn’t like that?), but the music is varied, nuanced, and virtuous (from the Latin vir meaning “man”).

The selections are listed in chronological order based on the date of their composition, but you can take them in any order you wish.

The links are, in most cases, to an entry in our weekly series “Friday Performance Pick” and you will find a short discussion of the piece at the link. Each link includes a video performance that meets our criteria of (1) being well played, (2) being well recorded, and (3) posted by someone who owns the rights to the performance.