Yeah, these works are a bit obscure in popularity. But they are generally agreed upon to be among the ranks of the most depressing and introspective classical music evah. Which befits Holmes when he’s moody, although he does seem to like happy music as well. I tend to think of him as mostly moody.

Moonlight Sonata is indeed the only piano song and does not fit in. It cannot really be done on a violin family instrument, or even a multitude of violins/violas/cellos/what-have-you (arrangements for violin accompanying piano exist). As such, it’s questionable if this would be favored of Holmes, since he seems to like a) solo violin and b) opera, which tends not to feature piano.

But he might appreciate Moonlight Sonata for its own virtues, since it is indeed one of the best pieces in classical music.

There is one other song that qualifies for not fitting in, if only because it would be an anachronism in Holmes’ time: Shostakovich was not born until 1906 and did not compose his String Quartet No. 8 until nearly the end of his life, in 1960.

Then again, the iPod’s also an anachronism. ;)

I just wanted to say that while I pride myself on my classical collection on my iTunes, I don’t have half of these songs xD The only two I recollect in particular in those above would be Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, which is heavenly, and Mozart’s Requiem, which will be forever branded in my mind by that movie, Amadeus.

So, I will make a random guess. Does the Moonlight Sonata not fit because it is a piano song?