introduction to classical music?

real_484

hiya

I listen to good deal of music and love all types from reggae, to blues and want to try expanding my listening range. I have no idea what would be a good introduction to classical music and thought about how best to approach this problem, so wanted to see what would people recommend as an introduction,
Their Top ten classical music albums and or
Their Top ten Symphonies you should own?

Giruilla

I have a great album called 'The Greatest Classical Album of the Millenium... ever'. Yeah it's a really cheesy title, but it has most of the best renowned classical music out there. it'd be a good introduction.

EvilGeorge

The term Classical for most people usually covers a range from Renaissance through to 20th Cent. music.
There is a lot of difference - I've studied the lot and some stuff bores the crap out of me!
But try listening to Lyric FM or go to the Classic FM website if your not in the uk - listen via the net - they play a lot of stuff. Its the easiest way to see what you like - then maybe check out other stuff by that composer or find out which genre within the 'Classical World' they write for, well thats how I got started!

The Raspberrier

There is a compilation of Wagner that you should listen to at least once- Twilight of the Gods. It will give you a taste of his music and if nothing else, has got the Ride Of the Valkyries on it to crash the car to.

real_484

Thanks for the advice Giruilla and EvilGeorge, have the radio tuned to Lyric and going to buy a complication of classical to get a favour of diiferent styles and time periods, but do like the continuity amd emotion of whole pieces.

The Raspberrier wrote:

There is a compilation of Wagner that you should listen to at least once- Twilight of the Gods. It will give you a taste of his music and if nothing else, has got the Ride Of the Valkyries on it to crash the car to.

I remember the Ride of the Valkyries from the gun ship scene in Apocalypse Now, powerful. I think Woody Allen put it best, ' Wagner, every time I listen to him I want to invade Poland' funny enough I think Wagner was Hitler’s favourite composer, so I can understand the driving reference, will put on the list. Thanks for that.

I got a Beethoven - Violin Concerto wonderful to listen to so going for more of Ludwig.

I like piano driven music also, any recommendations?

The Raspberrier

Emperor Concerto by Beethoven

Piano concerto no1 by Tchaikovski-highly recommend that

Mussorkski(Spelt wrong)- Pictures at an exhibition-one of my favourites;)

Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin-Jazz/classical-not sure what it is.


(Plus the Wagner-Best of the Ring conducted by Karl Bohm. Im a big Wagner fan. Hopefully you'll get infected.;) )

chupacabra

I began listening to Antonio Vivaldi and some Boticelli, I then got heavily into Beethoven, Bach and Mozart. But now I tend to listen to a very wide range of music from Leroy Anderson to Igor Stravinsky and Carl Orff.

I would advise getting a "best of" type of classical compilation.

funky penguin

real_484 wrote:

I like piano driven music also, any recommendations?

Anything by Chopin. There's not a piece he wrote that didn't include his beloved instrument. Try his noctures for starters.

Listening to Racmaninoffs Piano Concerto no. 3 at the moment, so I'll recomend that.

All of Beethovens Piano Concertos, but especially No. 3 (as already mentioned). Also check out his "waldstein" and "tempest" sonatas. Amazing stuff.

Anything by Mozart.

Ravel's G major Concerto. Good lord, its just.....cool.


Debussy, Satie, Haydn, Gershwin, the Liszt* is endless.

Best thing to do is go buy the cheesiest "BEST CLASSICAL MOOSAK EVA!!!111lol" CD and pick your favourite era/composer to start with.

You have so much to listen to! You lucky person!


EDIT: How could I have forgotten.. Beethovens Ninth Symphony. It's an unbelieveable feat of musical composition. Everyone should own a recording of it.






*Yes, I know. Puns are the devils work!

dino4t3

there is a very good compilation disc series by NAXOS, one is A-Z of Classical Music, and the other is A-Z of Opera. The two disc Cd's include a 562 page book which includes composer biogs, history, glossary, and even a section about classical music used in Movies.. as an introduction to "classical" music, it is excellent , spanning from Gregorian Chant to modern composers like Glass. AND it was cheap. AND the quality of playing is excellent.

JohnnySideburns

"The Only Classical Album You'll Ever Need" might be a good starting point as it contains the most recognisable and catchy classical music that you would be familiar with from TV ads and films. (Not too Arty Farty).

MayoExplosion

The first classical piece I ever liked was Fetes from Debussy's Nocturnes (click the link in my signature). Nuages (the 1st nocturne) is also OK, but Sirenes (the 3rd) is dreadful, if you ask me.

Starts with rhythmic stuff, a very short fanfare, glissando, then lots of nice melodies on oboe, strings, etc. Crescendo, then sudden silence. A march begins playing, as if in the distance (timpani, harp, trumpet), then comes closer (woodwind), then even closer (cymbals, loud brass, etc.) while strings play a variation of the original melody. Swells up, then returns to original atmosphere. Fades away into the distance again.

I still listen to it every day, and it never gets old.

Shostakovitch's Cello Concerto is good too.

Sophs

I think I lot of popular classical music you find on lyric and classical fm is a bit too smoochy and nice. Try Shostakovich, any symphony but I like numbers 5 and 6, or Stravinsky, Rite of Spring or the Firebird. These are early 20th Century composers and the music is very atmospheric, very edgy yet still has some fantastic melodies. They both also were around at interesting times and the music has a lot of history in it and reading up on it makes you view classical music as far more reflective of its times and the people on the streets than is believed today.
Enjoy!

jimmy jailbreak

If i was you i would start with some of the more light stuff e.g early Beethoven, Bach ect...

Remember classical isnt just a bunch of meaningless sounds it all means somthing. You should relax, closes your eyes and listen.

dub45

I notice nobody ever seems to recommend Mahler in these intro threads so here I go! Most people will know at least some Mahler from the film Death in Venice and the use on the soundtrack of the adagio from the fifth symphony.

However I would recommend his first symphony its amazingly accessible and try and hear the version by Leonard Bernstein with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001GAC/104-1750575-8098321?v=glance&n=5174

It has been reissued in various editions so keep an eye out for it - also very beautiful is Mahler's 4th Symphony and there is a classic version available in Sony's essential classics which should be pretty cheap.