Classical music fans...

[nitish]

 

[MrWright]

Oh my god I think I just died and went to heaven. Ok so hear it goes:

Bach's mass in B minor
Bach's 'Well-Tempered' Clavier
Bach's Goldberg Variations (amazing!)
Vivaldi 'Four Seasons'
Mozart's 25th, 40th, and 41st Symphonies
Mozart's Requiem
Beethoven - any sonata I love 3 and 1 and of course 14 and 8 and any piano concerto
Beethoven - Symphony no.7 (and the obligatory 3,5,9)
Tchaikovsky - symphonies 4-6 and the manfred (my favorite is no.6 and I have a tattoo for it - it's in fact my favorite piece of all time)
Brahms - all symphonies (but I'm not too much in love with his second) and his German Requiem
Verdi - Requiem
Lizst - piano sonata
Grieg - Elegiac Melodies
Wagner - prelude and liebestod from Tristan (if you went all out all of the ring and Tristan und Isolde)
Berlioz- Symphonie Fantastique
Dvorak's 7th and 9th Symphonies
Sibelius - 7th Symphony and Finlandia
Bruckner's 8th and 9th
Chopin - anything really but I love nocturnes especially
Pucinni - Turandot
Mahler - I have an obsession with his 2nd, 6th, and 9th symphonies
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 2 (everyone loves 3 but 2 is where I'm at)
Scriabin - Prometheus and Poem of Ecstasy and Sonata No. 1
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Shostakovich - Symphony no. 6 and 13 and string quartets 7 and 8
Richard Strauss - Alpine Symphony, Thus Spake Zarathustra (symphonic poem), and Metamorphosin
Berg - Piano Sonata No. 1
Bernstein - Candide Finale (a little bit bordering broadway but amazing)
Rochberg - Symphony No. 5 and Transcendental Variations
Barber Adagio for Strings

P.S. Debussy is not Romantic - he's Impressionist.

 

[teadrinker]

There's so much fantastic classical music out there - why don't you find out for yourself what you like? Start listening to classical music radio stations, on line if need be, and going to a few concerts. Buy some "taster" CD's: the sort called something like "100 Favorite Classics" are sure to have something which floats your boat, and then you can start experimenting more.

Do you find you like: solo instrumental music? small (chamber) ensembles? full orchestras? rich soupy sounds? or more wiry sounds? solo voice? etc etc.

Go to

http://musicovery.com/

click the "Classical" button and start exploring!

-T.

 

[gsdx]

You can't really go wrong with Mozart, but I enjoy Maurice Ravel as well. Everyone knows his Bolero, but I like Daphnis and Cloe, Suite #2, Pavane for a Dead Princess, his orchestral arrangement of Musourgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and his wonderful Introduction and Allegro.

For a bit of variety in one piece, try Holst's The Planets.

Soft and mellow? Albinoni' Adagio in G Minor or Pachelbel's Canon in D or the Adagio from Schubert's String Quintet in C.

There's just too much to recommend, really.

 

[gsdx]

If you are stressed out just lie back and listen to Lark Ascending - Vaughn Williams.

Ooooooo! Sublime! How could I have forgot that one!

 

[operafan]

Well, there certainly hasn't been enough Beethoven mentioned, although the "Ode to Joy" was mentioned - the 9th symphony. So, as per custom, I would have to have all of the odd numbered symphonies at the top of the list (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) followed by the evens (2, 4, and 6).

There are reasons why the big three piano sonatas are so heavily recorded: "Moonlight," "Appassionata," and "Pathétique."

And if you like piano music and the "Ode to Joy" you might enjoy Beethoven's first attempt at the music that would be come the "Ode," "Fantasia for Piano, Chorus & Orchestra in C minor": "Chorfantasie" (Choral Fantasy).

 

[G-Lexington]

Wow - thanks everybody! I've moved all of your suggestions (yes, ALL of them) to a WordPad file. I'm working on sorting them into some sort of order, and then I'll start giving them a listen.

As for some of the random comments...

I did not include Evanescence or Dethklok on the list. I'm not dissing them, I don't think I'm "above" them, but right now, I'm looking for straight-up classical. No matter how great those songs are, they aren't going to end up in the classical music folder on the iPod, and that's pretty much the point of the exercise here.

I actually do listen to classical radio quite a bit. Both the local public station and two Sirius channels - one for "pops", one for more orchestral works. My problem is I tend not to notice which ones I'm listening to, or remember which ones I liked. I've got a crappy memory for that sort of thing.

I have gotten a couple of "sampler" CDs - I do quite like one called One Hit Wonders. But I do prefer getting recommendations from real live human beings. I obviously won't end up getting everything suggested, but I'd rather you share your passion than ask a computer.

And yes, FT, here go the white people thinking they invented music again. I do have quite a bit of Segovia, however, if that makes up for it.

...and yes, more suggestions are welcome.

Lex

 

[G-Lexington]

I do.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no overreaching term to cover all composers from (say) Vivaldi through Vaughn-Williams. Yes, there are vast differences as music progressed. The generic term usually applied to these styles of music is "classical". Yes, that actually refers to a specific era of the music's development, but it's the term that's used, probably because there doesn't seem to be a better one. Radio stations that play Bach are not referred to (here) as "baroque" stations - they're "classical" stations.

Is that silly? I don't know. A catchy song with a hook-y chorus is still called "pop" even if only three people hear it - should we not call it "pop" because it's not popular? The usual term for bands like Green Day in the 90s was "alternative" - was that a silly designation for albums that sold millions of copies? Now they call it "modern rock" - will Coldplay still be "modern rock" in twenty years, when it's not so modern?

As far as "chill out" Mozart goes, hey, it's music. Despite what some might have you believe, there is no protocol for getting interested in it, or how to listen to it. You don't need to pass a test in music history in order to listen to Mozart. (I'm proof of that - Mr Impressionist-Not-Romantic.) Everybody is welcome to it. Some people insist on listening to it live, staring intently at the orchestra or conductor. Fine, if that's how you like to approach it. Others might insist you have to listen to it on SACD on a $3000 stereo with $1000 headphones. Others might just toss it on their iPod. And listen to it while jogging, or "chilling", or masturbating. Doesn't matter - they're still welcome to it. I know a thousand and one things about the Beatles, their recordings and whatnot, but I have no problem if someone just wants to toss on "She Loves You" so they can sing the "yeah yeah yeah" part out loud.

Lex

 

[Aflute04]

Mkay, next are the concerti (solo works, typically with some sort of orchestra)...

Hmmm Vivaldi has some really good Concertos if you are looking for a real... Apparent baroque style. Some that come to mind are:
-Any Trumpet concerto
-Any Oboe Concerto (my favorite is the A minor)
-Any Piccolo Concerto (the C major is good and you'll be able to find it fairly easy as it is a standard in the flute/piccolo world).


Mozart has made a few stand out Concerti that I can think of off the top of my head.
-Bassoon Concerto in Bb
-Flute Concerto in Gmajor and Dmajor
-Oboe Concerto in Cmajor (sounds a lot like the Dmajor flute concerto... But I think the oboe one was made first)

Haydn has a few trumpet concerti and oboe concerti worth listening to... I believe they are Eb major and... C major.

I'm rather ignorant when it comes to string concerti but, I'll look into it for ya.

 

[gsdx]

Once upon a time this was a fun thread to read.

It has now gone to total shit.

 

[Aflute04]

Just like most other threads... Some self righteous ass get's on his high horse and ruins what was a fun thread.

Ah, such is life I suppose?

 

[Chalchalero]

You can't really go wrong with Mozart, but I enjoy Maurice Ravel as well. Everyone knows his Bolero, but I like Daphnis and Cloe, Suite #2, Pavane for a Dead Princess, his orchestral arrangement of Musourgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and his wonderful Introduction and Allegro.

For a bit of variety in one piece, try Holst's The Planets.

Soft and mellow? Albinoni' Adagio in G Minor or Pachelbel's Canon in D or the Adagio from Schubert's String Quintet in C.

There's just too much to recommend, really.

Albinoni's Adagio is one of my all time favourites! I still get all teary-eyed when I hear it...

 

[Chalchalero]

You said you were interested in Baroque, so my suggestions for some of my particular favourites would be almost anything by Corelli, (except for his Violin Sonatas, they are a bit dry...), Boccherini, Scarlatti, Telemann, and Locatelli.

If you are a fan of French Court music of Versailles from that period, you might try my favourites Lully (Jean-Baptiste Père...the sons are mediocre at best), Charpentier, and Couperin. I warn you, though, if you are not accustomed to such music, it is an acquired taste. But it does grow on you eventually.

With Corelli, I would start with the Concerti grossi.

With Lully, I would start with Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, a ballet he wrote for Louis XIV (and danced with the King, no less!), based on the comedy of Molière.

If these do not make you a fan of the respective composers, then you will simply be bored by the rest of their works.

 

[Chalchalero]

There's a great, indian-loungey version of it by Nash Didan on the Buddha Bar IV album. It's called "Window of My Dreams."

Well that sounds unique! I shall have to search for it, just out of pure curiosity. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Aflute04]

Then there's more "modern" stuff - but some of the most acclaimed works can also be acquired tastes (understatement).

Anyone care to recommend these?


Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

Schoenburg's Pelleas und Melisande

Penderecki's Threnody for the Victim's of Hiroshima

Corigliano's Symphony No. 1 (Of Rage & Remembrance) - in remembrance of those who died of AIDS

anything by Philip Glass (it all sounds the same to me - although I liked the stuff in that Robert De Niro American Express commercial a few years back)

any of Ligeti's organ works

Ah, the rite of spring! I totally forgot about that piece. Along with the firebird suite... Also from Stravinsky. Two good pieces.

 

[greaves]

greaves is fortunate enough to live just down road from the RAH.

But all - yes ALL - the BBC Prom concerts are live on BBC Radio 3. Many are live on TV broadcasts on BBC 4. And lots of televisual highlights on BBC 2.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/

 

[teadrinker]

I don't like most 20th century stuff, but Stravinsky can be very good indeed: Rite of Spring, Violin concerto; as can Shostakovich and Prokofiev.

A great piece, which I don't think has been mentioned before, but which always gets my heart pumping, is the Sinfonietta of Leoš Janaček.

-T.

 

[SwingBoy]

Yeah! Just what I've been looking for. I'm glad there are so many fellow enthusiasts. My suggestion:

Brahms Symphonies, particularly no.3 and 4. But they're all awesome. Nothing as long and pretentious as many of the other late romantic era composers
Brahms Violin concerto: sublime
The German Requiem: vocal with a touch of Brahms
Brahms Piano Concertos no.1 &2: no.2 is the greatest piano concerto ever written
Brahms generally takes time to get into as his music is so refined and mature that the romantic heart is so heavily enshrined in traditional Classical form that it initially recquires effort and familiarising before one can really enjoy it. Those are Brahms' most popular masterworks but there's a wealth of chamber music to be enjoyed if you get into it.

Tchaikovsky:the symphonies 4, 5 &6. the 5th, especially the andante(2nd movement), is a dream
Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty:an absolute jewel, his greatest and my favourite of his ballets and masterworks

Edvard Griegiano Concerto in A minor(?)- well, its the only one. You have to hear the second movement- you won't find a more beautiful piece of music anywhere

Just a few suggestions. Happy listening

 

[Aflute04]

Yes, I'm actually quite fond of most things Joshua Bell plays... I used to have a huge crush on him... It was around the same time that they had that violin prodigy on QAF... I always hoped that maybe there was some comparison between the two... But I don't think that was the case, sadly :-(

 

[Syn]

I believe Joshua Bell made a CD complete with some great Romance pieces for violin. It was stunning. He's be such a great boyfriend.

http://www.amazon.com/Romance-of-th...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219379537&sr=8-1

I love "The Swan" piece by Saint-Saens