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Classical music

Are there any classical music aficionados here? I'm fairly ignorant about it...there are certain composers and pieces that I really like (as well as ones I can't stand), but I couldn't tell you about styles or eras, or anything like that.

I guess I'm mostly looking for suggestions for more classical music that I would like.

For instance, I really love Debussy, Paganini, and some Mozart. Vivaldi's Four Seasons is wonderful. Cannot stand what I've heard of Wagner. Is this enough to go on to figure out where my taste lies?

by Anonymousreply 51July 4, 2020 12:11 PM

Based upon your "loves," I would suggest Brahms for you, OP.

by Anonymousreply 1December 20, 2012 6:36 PM

What's the matter? You don't like vocals?

by Anonymousreply 2December 20, 2012 6:38 PM

You should start by branching out using the composers you already like as a starting point. Start listening to other works by those composers, and then to works by other composers of the same era.

For example, re: Debussy--

Get to know a couple of his orchestra pieces ("Nocturnes" and "La Mer"), some chamber music (his trio for flute, viola, and harp), and some piano music (he wrote twenty-four preludes, each one representing something specific; they're all wonderful).

Then branch out to one of his contemporaries, also of the impressionist style, like Ravel. Start with "Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2" (orchestra), his string quartet (chamber), and "Miroirs" (solo piano).

Re: Paganini--

If you're attracted to the virtuosity of his music, look into the music of Liszt, who did much the same thing for the piano as Paganini did for the violin.

Which leads me to--

A lot of composers wrote variations on one particular theme of Paganini's, Liszt included (Brahms and Rachmaninoff also wrote famous sets of variations on this same tune). You could check out some of these pieces, which would serve as good introductions to a few new composers.

Basically, if you find something you don't much care for (like Wagner), don't feel bad. You might come back to it later and find you've begun to like it, and you might not. There is plenty of great music out there to discover; you're not going to run out!

I would also recommend getting to know some music by living American composers. A couple suggestions to start you off:

John Adams "Harmonielehre"

John Corigliano "Symphony No. 1" (written after losing his partner and many friends to AIDS)

George Crumb "Black Angels" (for electric string quartet, in response to the Vietnam War)

Aaron Jay Kernis "Musica Celestis"

by Anonymousreply 3December 20, 2012 6:44 PM

Instead of chasing Philharmonics you should be hooking up with Tebow, Francis. I see it as your destiny.

by Anonymousreply 4December 20, 2012 6:47 PM

The best way to learn about classical music and find out what you like is to find a good (preferably NPR) classical station and start listening to it.

by Anonymousreply 5December 20, 2012 6:49 PM

You can also listen to BBC Radio 3 online, which is frankly smarter than most American classical radio. Lots of live performance, too.

If you like Debussy, do try Ravel, Faure, Vaughan Williams....all different, but related. God knows you could make an intensive study of Vivaldi, who wrote more music than you can imagine, though not all of it might rank as great.

Oh, if you like some Mozart, certainly look into Haydn. Lots of incredible stuff.

by Anonymousreply 6December 20, 2012 6:56 PM

I think I might prefer chamber music to larger symphonic stuff. I checked out some Brahms on iTunes and enjoyed some of the sonatas I found.

by Anonymousreply 7December 20, 2012 8:47 PM

The best way is to buy a few compilation CD's on Amazon. Search 'Bach' or 'Beethoven' and look at the bestselling CD's. Most of the bestsellers are pretty good, that's why they are bestsellers. I'm a classically-trained pianist, and I have them for parties or background music.

Also check out popular opera compilations, like Carmen, Verdi & Puccini.

When you listen to them and find pieces you like, you'll be motivated to learn more and perhaps obtain the full pieces.

by Anonymousreply 8December 21, 2012 12:26 AM

OP, It's refreshing to see an honest post like yours. I am not going to make suggestions. (though I could. I am a musicologist.) I'll let other posters do that. They're already doing a good job. I am just so happy you are here, and interested in serious music. You're in for some great experiences, my friend. You'll explore your emotions on a level you haven't imagined! .. Keep listening. And enjoy!

by Anonymousreply 9December 21, 2012 12:59 AM

Tristan und Isolde is the most incredible, sublime work of art I have ever encountered in my entire life. It's unlike anything that comes before, during, and after. The prelude, the love duet of act II, Isolde's transfiguration (Liebestod), it will send you into states of pure ecstasy and bliss. There is nothing can compare to it. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. Wagner was a genius, no doubt about it.

by Anonymousreply 10December 21, 2012 1:50 AM

Try Poulenc...Music of the utmost charm.

by Anonymousreply 11December 21, 2012 1:53 AM

Ravel is the gay version of Debussy. Mozart's Marriage of Figaro is a really good first opera.

by Anonymousreply 12December 21, 2012 2:01 AM

OP, posters have made some great suggestions here. Also, you might investigate the pieces that have proved most popular over the years, to uncover more composers you like. Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique are widely admired start-up titles. In chamber music, go to Amazon and pick out any CD of Beethoven string quartets--or, in a very common coupling, the Debussy and Ravel quartets, together on a single disc.

by Anonymousreply 13December 21, 2012 3:52 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, especially R3 and R13!

by Anonymousreply 14December 21, 2012 3:33 PM

OP, if you don't like big symphonic stuff, check out melodic classic music from the romantic era,

especially:

- "Kinderszenen" by Schumann (played by Martha Argerich)

- "Forellenquintett" (= trout quintet) by Schubert (played by S. Richter)

- "Nutcracker Suite" by Tchaikovsky

- "Carneval des Animaux" and "Danse Macabre" by Saint-Seans

- "Pavane" by Gabriel Faure

You will love all of them, I'm sure. "Pavane" is the most accessible one, along with the "Nutcracker Suite", an eternal favorite.

by Anonymousreply 15December 21, 2012 3:51 PM

Oh, and of course Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite" -- accessible, romantic, classic, timeless.

by Anonymousreply 16December 21, 2012 3:52 PM

OP,

KLEF is a classical station in Anchorage, AK that streams live, is quite decent and sort of weird, and has the nice habit of providing information about every piece played and the specific recording of the piece. Also, they're usually in the studio so if you hear something and you don't catch it you can call and they'll tell you what it was.

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by Anonymousreply 17December 22, 2012 6:26 AM

Puccini. You will thank me.

by Anonymousreply 18December 22, 2012 6:38 AM

You could start by reading books! I've just started (well, the Kindle sample) what appears to be a great book on 20th century music by the New Yorker music critic Alex Ross, called "The Rest is Noise". He also has a new book on music in general called "Listen to This", "a panoramic view of the musical scene, from Bach to Björk and beyond." Check out his website.

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by Anonymousreply 19December 24, 2012 11:11 AM

Try Haydn and Schubert.

by Anonymousreply 20December 24, 2012 11:45 AM

Also try Alex Ross's reviews and writings at the New Yorker. Even if you're not familiar with all the music he writes in such a wonderful way it's a joy to read. He's gay, too.

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by Anonymousreply 21December 24, 2012 12:30 PM

(Hate that link image embed thing. It's so ugly and the images are almost invariably irrelevant.)

by Anonymousreply 22December 24, 2012 2:31 PM

Never sure which thread to bump, but this is as good as any. Saw a wonderful concert tonight.

Pacific Symphony (Orange County, CA) celebrating 25th anniversary of their music director, Carl St. Clair. St. Clair was a protege of Leonard Bernstein, so it was an all Bernstein celebration. Really wonderful evening. First time seeing the Pacific Symphony and they were fantastic. Almost LA Phil fantastic. Leonard Bernstein's eldest daughter was there and spoke regularly throughout; introducing several of the pieces. There were selections from On the Town, Wonderful Town, West Side Story, Trouble in Tahiti and Candide. But, the absolute highlight for me was Bernstein's Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety" which I'd never heard before. I don't understand why it isn't performed more regularly by American orchestras. It's a fucking masterpiece.

by Anonymousreply 23January 31, 2015 8:31 AM

I'm a whore for big fat orchestral music.

If you like lush, romantic, epic film composers like John Williams, Howard Shore, John Corrigliano etc., then Rachmaninoff (Piano Con 2, Paganini Rhapsody), Mahler (Sym 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 (epic finale!!!), 9), Strauss (Alpine Symphony, Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001 Space Odyssey Opening), Death and Transfiguration (Inspired Superman love theme), Heldenleben, Don Juan), or Sibelius (Symphony 1) are all grand, dramatic and fantastic.

Also, if you like luscious chordage, then Gershiwn (Rhapsody in Blue) or Ravel Piano Con 2 mvmt 2).

For solo piano, some of my favs are:

Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor (Pathetique), 2. Adagio Cantabile

Brahms' Klavierstücke; Op. 76, No. 7 in A minor (Intermezzo)

Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G minor

Chopin's Etude; Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor (Revolutionary)

Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu in C# minor

*Chopin's Mazurka; Op. 17, No. 4 in A minor

Chopin's Nocturne; Op. 9, No. 1 in Bb minor

Chopin's Nocturne; Op. 9, No. 2 in Eb

Chopin's Nocturne; Op. 72, No. 1 in E minor

(check out all of Chopin's catalog for more good stuff, too much to put here)

Chopin's Prelude; Op. 28, No. 4 in E minor (Suffocation)

Chopin's Prelude; Op. 28, No. 15 in Db (Raindrop)

Chopin's Waltz; Op. 34, No. 2 in A minor

Chopin's Waltz; Op. 64, No. 2 in C# minor

Debussy's Arabasque No. 1 in E

*Debussy's Ballade

Debussy's Images; Book I, No. 1 (Reflets dans l'Eau)

Debussy's Nocturne in Db

Debussy's Prélude; Book I, No. 8 (La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin)

Debussy's Rêverie

*Debussy's Suite Bergamasque (not just Clair de Lune, check out the charming prelude too)

Gershwin's Prelude No. 2

Glinka's A Lark

*Grainger's Walking Tune (piano)

Grieg's Lyric Pieces; Op. 47, No. 6 (Springdans)

Joplin's Bethena, A Concert Waltz

*Kapustin's Piano Sonata No. 2, 1. Allegro molto (not too sorrowful, but devastatingly beautiful)

Liszt's Années de Pèlerinage; Troisième Année, Les Jeux d'Eau à la Villa d'Este

Liszt's Etudes d'Exécution Transcendante, No. 4 in D, Mazeppa

Liszt's Etudes d'Exécution Transcendante, No. 11 in Db, Harmonies du Soir

Liszt's Grandes Etudes de Paganini, No. 3 in G# minor (La Campanella)

Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 in Bb

Liszt's Liebesträume, No. 3, Notturno

Liszt's Transcription of Schubert's Ave Maria

Liszt's Transcription of Schubert's Der Müller Und der Bach

Liszt's Transcription of Schubert's Serenade

*Liszt's Transcription of Wagner's Lohengrin, Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral

Liszt's Trois Études de Concert, No. 3 in Db, Un Sospiro

*Mahler's 5 Rückert-Lieder, Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (piano transcription)

Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in C# minor, 4. Adagietto. Sehr Langsam (piano transcription)

Medtner's Nouvelles; Op. 17, No. 3 in E

Medtner's Skazka; Op. 26, No. 3 in F minor

TBC...

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by Anonymousreply 24January 31, 2015 1:07 PM

continued list of some of my piano favs, not all solo tho:

Moszkowski's Etude de Virtuosite; Op. 72, No. 13 in Ab minor

Mozart's Fantasie in D minor

Prokofiev's Etude; Op. 2, No. 1 in E minor

Prokofiev's Etude; Op. 2, No. 2 in C minor

Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 33; No. 5 in D minor, Moderato

*Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39; No. 5 in Eb minor, Appassionato

Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39; No. 8 in D minor, Allegro Moderato

Rachmaninov's Moments Musicaux, No. 5 in Db

*Rachmaninov's Morceaux de Fantaisie, No. 1, Elegie in Eb minor

Rachmaninov's Morceaux de Fantaisie, No. 2, Prélude in C# minor (overplayed but classic)

*Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor

*Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor

Rachmaninov's Prelude, Op. 23; No. 5 in G minor, Alla Marcia

Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Variation 18 (listen to the whole thing though)

Ravel's À la Manière de Borodine

*Ravel's À la Manière de Chabrier

Ravel's Jeux d'Eau

*Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin

Ravel's Menuet sur le Nom d'Haydn

*Ravel's Pavane Pour une Infante Défunte

*Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, 2. Adagio Assai

Ravel's Prelude

Ravel's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, 2. Assez Lent

Satie's Gnossienne No. 1

Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1

Schumann's Kinderszenen, No. 7 (Träumerei)

Scriabin's Etude; Op. 2, No. 1 in C# minor

*Scriabin's Etude; Op. 8, No. 12 in D# minor

Scriabin's Impromptu; Op. 12, No. 2 in Bb minor

*Scriabin's Mazurka; Op. 25, No. 2 in C

*Scriabin's Mazurka; Op. 25, No. 3 in E minor

*Scriabin's Mazurka; Op. 40, No. 2 in F# (Piacevole)

*Scriabin's Piano Sonata No. 2 in G# minor (Sonata-Fantasie), 1. Andante

*Scriabin's Prelude; Op. 11, No. 9 in E

*Scriabin's Prelude; Op. 13, No. 3 in G

Scriabin's Waltz; Op. 38 in Ab (Allegro Agevole)

Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, II. Andante

Piano music can be a great intro to larger ensembles. Check it out...

by Anonymousreply 25January 31, 2015 1:13 PM

OP, I'm a Debussy and Ravel fan. You would also like Ravel, who is paired with Debussy on CDs majority of the time. Also similar are Satie, Delius, and Faure.

I also love Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin. Ligeti is another fav, but he's definitely not for newbies.

by Anonymousreply 26January 31, 2015 2:29 PM

I am surprised people aren't touting the master of them all Beethoven. His string quartets are easily assessable, piano concertos and his symphonies. He was a musical genius that sounds like no other. Brahms is another but I prefer his chamber compositions over his symphonies. There is such a variety it's almost impossible to get bored. The library is good place to start, check out the three B's. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

by Anonymousreply 27July 1, 2020 8:47 PM

The absolute basics to get an overview.

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by Anonymousreply 28July 1, 2020 8:51 PM

A Brief History of 20th Century Classical Music

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by Anonymousreply 29July 1, 2020 8:52 PM

I know next to nothing about classical music but after happening upon this video of Karl Richter conducting and simultaneously playing along with the Munich Bach Orchestra in Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, I’ve come to love all six of them. I even bought vinyl copies by Archiv Produktion and I listen to them all the time. I turn it on and it’s like standing under a musical waterfall of sound. Any recommendations for what to listen to next, music gurus?

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by Anonymousreply 30July 1, 2020 9:11 PM

If you enjoy Mozart and Vivaldi, try Telemann. Wonderful.

by Anonymousreply 31July 1, 2020 9:21 PM

he's got the goods

by Anonymousreply 32July 1, 2020 9:25 PM

If you like Bach, try G. F. Händel.

by Anonymousreply 33July 1, 2020 9:29 PM

For me, it all begins, and ends, with Bach. But I will grant you both Faure and Durufle's Requiems.

by Anonymousreply 34July 1, 2020 11:38 PM

Lately, I've been enamoured with this all-male production of Leonardo Vinci's Artaserse.

I love that they got so many highly talented singers on the stage together, and the countertenors are killing it. (Probably, the best substitute for castrati that we have today.)

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by Anonymousreply 35July 3, 2020 6:07 PM

Here is Franco Fagioli in Händel's Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. I love that Piacere (Pleasure) is played by a man, as intended. (In most productions that I have seen, a woman plays the part.)

Händel reused the aria 'Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa' with different lyrics in his opera Rinaldo.

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by Anonymousreply 36July 3, 2020 6:15 PM

The best of Mahler (according to someone on YT). He's my favorite composer, and if you decide you like this music, you might try buying Leonard Bernstein's box set on Sony. Most are my favorite versions of the symphonies, and it only costs around $30.

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by Anonymousreply 37July 3, 2020 6:20 PM

OP, I don't think it's available on CD, but Ilana Vered playing Mozart Piano Concertos 21 and 23 is something you would really like. The middle movement of #23 starts out breathlessly, nobody has played it that much delicacy.

I was quite the naive rock and roller when I bought the cassette of this back in Summer 1983. The cover photo is Ilana Vered. I thought she was... the singer (if anybody says anything about this I shall chivvy you out like and old stoat!). D'oh!

by Anonymousreply 38July 3, 2020 6:29 PM

OP, by the way, regarding Wagner: I hadn't been a big Wagner fan either before I went to the opera and actually watched his Walküre. After that, I started to 'get' Wagner. His Ring des Nibelungen cycle is really something to be experienced first-hand. Today, I appreciate not only the psychological depth of his work, I've also learned to love his music.

by Anonymousreply 39July 3, 2020 6:35 PM

Finally - A thread worth resurrecting!

Mahler is my personal favorite, but given OP's reaction to Wagner, I wouldn't have him start there. Excellent suggestions from several posters already. For anyone just starting to appreciate classical music I'd suggest starting small, meaning shorter pieces as opposed to huge symphonies or operas. Two that leap to mind are Ralph (pronounced "rafe" btw) Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending" (linked below)and "Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis."

This is an area where YouTube really shines. You can find recordings and concert videos of just about any famous (or not-so-famous) classical piece. Before you buy anything, check it out on YouTube!

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by Anonymousreply 40July 3, 2020 6:55 PM

[quote]Mahler is my personal favorite, but given OP's reaction to Wagner, I wouldn't have him start there.

Why not? Mahler is my favorite, but I can't stand Wagner, except for that one part of "Tristan and Isolde" that everyone likes.

by Anonymousreply 41July 3, 2020 7:01 PM

Well, I can't see why everyone doesn't love Mahler. But [R41] and I are in a minority. When I was in college I hosted a classical music show on the local college station (98% of their playlists were rock/punk/alternative -I was there to keep the community license). I was buried in the first slot early on Saturday mornings. One week I decided to do a Mahler marathon -My favorite movements and songs. I had exactly one caller -One of my music professors who said, "A little Mahler goes a long way."

I did make a Mahler convert -once -When I took a friend to the symphony because they were playing Mahler's 5th. Of course, when they got to the Adagietto she was just sobbing at the beauty of it. She decided that she really hadn't given Mahler a chance...

by Anonymousreply 42July 3, 2020 7:15 PM

R2- Mozart wrote vocals.

by Anonymousreply 43July 3, 2020 7:16 PM

How about something completely different?

Urmas Sisask,the Estonian composer who takes his inspiration from Astronomy.

Try his Starry Sky Cycle for piano.

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by Anonymousreply 44July 3, 2020 8:02 PM

I know that many people cannot stand Minimalist music, and Philip Glass in particular (personally, I love his music, ever since I watched Koyaanisqatsi at the movies), but most people who I showed Glass' Metamorphoses on 'Solo Piano' actually liked it.

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by Anonymousreply 45July 3, 2020 8:21 PM

In the same Minimalist vein...

Once, I drove through the middle of the night, a bit melancholic, listening to the radio, when they played Steve Reich's Proverb. It uses Ludwig Wittgenstein's proverb "How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life!" as lyrics.

It was a very weird experience, but the piece has stayed with me ever since. It's an acquired taste, granted, but it evokes strong feelings in me.

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by Anonymousreply 46July 3, 2020 8:26 PM

I endorse the idea of streaming a classical music station on a regular basis. I listen to WCLV in Cleveland which has varied repertoire and often showcases the excellent Cleveland Orchestra. The local station for me, WETA, is dreadful for trying learning about classical music and is the sort of station to avoid---endless pledge drives and stereotypically German stuff, with lots of harpsichord pieces.

The thing to keep in mind is that classical encompasses a lot of things: Gregorian chants (which predate orchestra work), single instruments (including guitar--Jason Vieaux is worth a listen), various kinds of ensembles, and choral music (not my favorite). Also the European canon includes Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, as well as the more familiar French, Italian, and Central European works. There also is "new music" and not all of it sounds like random notes. There also are relatively modern (i.e., 20th century) works that are accessible because they incorporate other genres (Gershwin, for example) or are recognizable from having influenced popular music (e.g., Copland). There also are African-American composers like George Walker. One of the public radio networks has a running series, Composer's Datebook, which does anniversaries of major pieces and is one way to learn about diverse composers.

You also may find that you like particular conductors. I became a fan of Pierre Boulez, because of hearing various pieces he conducted around the 100th anniversary of his birth. His conducting of the Rite of Spring with the Cleveland Orchestra is widely considered to be a masterwork and it's a very crisp, full orchestration of the piece. Other conductors like Loren Maazel are best suited to certain kinds of music like opera and theatrical music in his case.

by Anonymousreply 47July 3, 2020 8:27 PM

Try some piano concertos (Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Haydn in D major, Beethoven especially the Emperor Concerto) and some violin concertos (Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Bruckner very poignant) for a start if you enjoy piano and violin.

by Anonymousreply 48July 3, 2020 9:29 PM

To keep it simple:

Any of Beethoven's symphonies or piano concertos

Any of Brahms' symphonies or piano concertos

Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4, 5 &6

Schubert Symphonies 8 & 9

Both of Chopin's piano concertos.

Sheherazade by Rimsky Korsakoff

Carmina Burana by Orff

Any of the Mozart's later piano concertos with a K. number over 350ish

Mozart Symphonies 39, 40 & 41

Bach Brandenburg Concertos

These are very easy to love, whatever your experience with classical music.

by Anonymousreply 49July 3, 2020 9:44 PM

By the way, R48, Bruckner never wrote a violin concerto. Some wonderful symphonies though, especially 4, 7, 8, and 9

by Anonymousreply 50July 3, 2020 9:46 PM

R50 you are correct I meant Bruch (oops!) Thanks for correcting :) It really is a lovely concerto (the Bruch).

by Anonymousreply 51July 4, 2020 12:11 PM
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