What are the greatest festive, celebratory and triumphant sounding classical music?

Vivaldi Four Seasons.

Start with spring

Brahams’ Academic Overture

Th first few minutes are the warm-up, similar to marching in place. Wait for it.

And the biggest war horse of all times; Mendelssohn’s Wedding March (From Midsummer’s Night Dream)

The runner-up up is Wagner’s Bridal Chorus (from Lohengrin)

The fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth SymphonyC9RPUQ1vwQ&feature=related will get your blood stirring. (_Ode to Joy)

For less-than-subtle, all the stuff of John Phillip Sousa.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Festival Overture

Shostakovich’s Festive Overture

Verdi’s Triumphal March from the opera Aida.

Carl Orff – Carmina Buranan “O fortuna”

You did say celebratory and triumphant sounding (which is subjective). I like this one:

Itzhak Perlman-Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise

edit: Bad link for the Beethoven Ninth. Try this one instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C9RPUQ1vwQ&feature=related

Mozart – Dies Irae

Yey, thanks guys! Keep em coming! : )

Kansas – Point of no return.

@zensky Yes. I do have Perlmann’s Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise. It’s indeed triumphant in a melancholic kind of way. It reminds me of that haunting yet sweet music from Schindler’s list.

Wagner – Die Walkure (ride of the valkyries)

A few more, maybe not as well known:

Delibes’ Marche et Cortege de Bacchus from his ballet Sylvia

Delibes’ Les Chasseresses also from Sylvia

And my personal favorite. It doesn’t get much more triumphant than this:

Respighi’s Pines of the Appian Way from Pines of Rome.

The Triumphant March at the End of Act I from Verdi’s Aida.

Bizet – suite #1 and Les Toreadors From Carmen
Pachelbel – Canon in D
Rossinni – William Tell Overture
Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
Fucik – Entry of the Gladiators
Suppe – Light Cavalry Overture
Williams – Imperial March (you will recognize it when you hear it)

Tchaikovski’s 4th and 5th Symphonies. OMG!
Copland’s Appachian Spring.

Trumpet Fanfare

Oh yes, Appalachian Spring

Procession of Nobles

I forgot Mussorgsky’s _Pictures at an Exhibition

The marching tune is #1) Promenade and # The Great Gate (discordant)

And my favorite, The Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore.