Discovering Classical Music: Suggestions Welcome!

In summary: I've never heard of Rachmaninoff. Dooga -Concerto #2 and symphony # 2 will be instantly recognizable to you. They have been popular as movie themes(Groundhog's Day) and even as...pretty good symphonies.
  • #1
Dooga Blackrazor
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I'm starting to listen to a bit of Classical Music. I'm unsure what's good so does anyone have any favorites or a site that lists great songs perhaps?

Right now I have four songs: The Requiem by Mozart, Fur Elise by Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven and Allegro Concerto #3 by Bach. My favorite is The Requiem if that helps determine my listening style any.

Thanks to anyone who helps me out.
 
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  • #2
Beethoven. Sym. #7 Allegretto.
 
  • #3
Bach's 3rd Brandenburg Symphony
 
  • #4
I believe Fur Elize was Beethoven?

Tchaichowsky is my favorite. I like his 4th, 5th, and 6th, Marche Slave, Capricci Italien and 1812 overture.

Beethoven's 9th is probably the one piece of music most often acclaimed as "the best" ever.

Orff's Carmina Buranna is very good.

Bizet's Carmen is the only Opera I like.

Lizst's Hungarian Rhapsody's are good.

I like Mahler's 5th symphony, but most people find it depressing.

Njorl
 
  • #5
Fur Elise was Beethoven. Your correct, my mistake.
 
  • #6
Try Schubert Trout Quintet, Beethoven Violin Concerto, Tchaikovski 4th 5th and 6th Symphonies, Rachmananov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Added. I currently have in my 5-CD player, the Partitas and Sonatas for unaccompanied violin, by J.S. Bach, and the late piano sonatas of Beethoven, played by Afred Brendel. These are old recordings remastered by Phillips. I have been digging into them and have recently been tempted to pay $139 for an online Music Theory class to understand them better and maybe move on to a Beethven Cello Sonata analysis course I also found online. Each of those is two discs. The 5th disc is a suite arranged from Prokofiev's music for the ballet Romeo & Juliet.
 
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  • #7
Nothing heavy for me.

I keep it light with Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.

More often, though, I pull out my Herman's Hermits stuff. :approve:
 
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  • #8
I don't know the Mozart Requiem, but I don't guess it is typical since most of his music is upbeat. I happen to have a collection of all his 21 piano concertos. I never listen to them.

For beginners, you almost can't go wrong with the Beethoven 5th Symphony. It is the ultimate heavy, dramatic piece of music.

Beethoven was considered the greatest symphonist, and I agree with that. The odd numbered ones are the best: 3, 5, 7, and 9. However 6 and 8 are also not to be missed. 1 and 2 are dissapointments by comparison.

Beethoven's piano concertos are also excellent. He only wrote five. The best are 3-5. (Again, 1 + 2 are not so hot by comparison.)

Pachelbel's Canon, I agree, is a great piece for beginners. It is extremely serene and pretty and accessible.

All of the Brandenberg Concertos by Bach are wonderful. Even more accessible, though, is Handel's Water Music - a suite of extremely pleasant, funny, energetic little pieces that gets your toes tapping and brings a smile.


-Zooby
 
  • #9
New World Symphony by Dvorak. It's unbelieveablely good. We played it in marching band my senior year.
 
  • #10
Dvorak's 7th is pretty darned good too. Some of my other favorites that others haven't mentioned are, in no particular order:

Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Dukas
Bacchanale (from Sampson and Delilah), by Saint-Saens
A few of the Slavonic Dances, by Dvorak.
The Planets, by Holst
Symphony #5, by Shostakovich
Symphony #2, by Sibelius
Finlandia, by Sibelius
Symphony #8 (unfinished), by Schubert
Pictures at an Exhibition, by Mussorgsky
Night on Bald Mountain, by Mussorgsky
Romeo and Juliet, by Tchaikovsky

www.classicalarchives.com is a pretty good online source for classical music.
 
  • #11
Hurkyl said:
Dvorak's 7th is pretty darned good too. Some of my other favorites that others haven't mentioned are, in no particular order:

Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Dukas
Bacchanale (from Sampson and Delilah), by Saint-Saens
A few of the Slavonic Dances, by Dvorak.
The Planets, by Holst
Symphony #5, by Shostakovich
Symphony #2, by Sibelius
Finlandia, by Sibelius
Symphony #8 (unfinished), by Schubert
Pictures at an Exhibition, by Mussorgsky
Night on Bald Mountain, by Mussorgsky

I don't know about the rest of y'all but...I say it's time to start downloading.
 
  • #12
Chrono said:
New World Symphony by Dvorak. It's unbelieveablely good. We played it in marching band my senior year.
Hehehehe. Yeah, there's nothing like a transcription of a good symphony for marching band!
 
  • #13
zoobyshoe said:
Hehehehe. Yeah, there's nothing like a transcription of a good symphony for marching band!

Oh, hell yeah, man! I still have the sheet music. If I recall, it was the only year in my six that we've done classical.
 
  • #14
Njorl said:
Bizet's Carmen is the only Opera I like.Njorl
That was my mother's favorite opera, and so I also like it.

I love Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" as done by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in "Kill da Wabbit". :biggrin:

I have always liked Shubert's "Unfinished Symphony".
 
  • #15
Evo said:
I have always liked Shubert's "Unfinished Symphony".
I'm partial to P.D.Q. Bach's "Unbegun Symphony", as well. Consists of a third and fourth movement.
 
  • #16
Zooby! How could you not mention Rachmaninoff! He is our fellow April fool!

Dooga -Concerto #2 and symphony # 2 will be instantly recognizable to you. They have been popular as movie themes(Groundhog's Day) and even as the basis for some pop-music songs. Both are absolutely wonderful.
 
  • #17
Math Is Hard said:
Zooby! How could you not mention Rachmaninoff! He is our fellow April fool!
He betrayed us. Not one funny bagatelle.
 
  • #18
Au Contraire! I believe he ate bagatelles on a regular basis. Didn't he live on France for a while to escape communism?
I have heard he liked his bagatelles with raspberry jam, pickled herring, and swiss cheese. Not funny, mind you, but still amusing.
 
  • #19
I really like Albinoni's funky Adagio. :D
 
  • #20
And oops! sorry, that was Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff that was used in Grounghog day.
When you first put it on it will sound scattered and panicky and angry, but it settles down into a romantic theme.
Rachmaninoff was manic-depressive so I guess that's why that appealed to him.
 
  • #21
Math Is Hard said:
Au Contraire! I believe he ate bagatelles on a regular basis. Didn't he live on France for a while to escape communism?
I have heard he liked his bagatelles with raspberry jam, pickled herring, and swiss cheese. Not funny, mind you, but still amusing.
It sounds quite delicious but I'm still not laughing. Could he not have included some jellyfish on his bagatelle?
 
  • #22
Adam said:
I really like Albinoni's funky Adagio. :D

I love that piece too, but it's like a dirge for a funeral. Good for when you're feeling the blues.
Speaking of the blues, Ravel had some blues and jazz elements going on way before that style of music evolved. Listen to his Pavanne sometime and you'll definitely hear it!
 
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  • #23
zoobyshoe said:
It sounds quite delicious but I'm still not laughing. Could he not have included some jellyfish on his bagatelle?

Definitely not, I'm afraid. Jellyfish are known to interfere with manic-depression medication, so his doctor probably did not allow that in his diet :rofl:
 
  • #24
Math Is Hard said:
Definitely not, I'm afraid. Jellyfish are known to interfere with manic-depression medication, so his doctor probably did not allow that in his diet :rofl:
Hah! Beethoven was manic-depressive and he ate jellyfish all the time. After he wrote the Bagatelle Furry Lisa he wrote that one Jelly Jennie.
 
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  • #25
Math Is Hard said:
I love that piece too, but it's like a dirge for a funeral. Good for when you're feeling the blues.
Speaking of the blues, Ravel had some blues and jazz elements going on way before that style of music evolved. Listen to his Pavanne sometime and you'll definitely hear it!

I like to listen to it when watching storms.
 
  • #26
I envy you, Adam. Australian storms must be magnificent. California storms are weak and puny. Maybe our actor/muscle-man governor will PUMP THEM UP! ha ha

Chopin is nice for rainy days, too.

oh, yeah, Zoobie - I forgot about the 9th symphony, Ode to Jellyfish.
 
  • #27
Ode to Jellyfish is funky.

Also Winter allegro from Vivaldi.
 
  • #28
Adam said:
Ode to Jellyfish is funky.
Ode an die Jellyfische

von Friedrich Jellyfischer

Jellyfishy! Jellyfishy!
Daughter of the briney deep.
Here we flounder,
Drunk and stupid,
Much like cattle,
or like sheep.

Then your magic
Binds together
What old customs
Parted wide.

All mankind
Is reunited
When upon
The waves you ride!
 
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  • #29
I don't to listen to music anymore, but when I did, I was almost exclusively a classical music fan. Almost anything by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler will satisfy. Don't restrict yourself to symphonies, though. Trios, quartets, sonatas, concertos, etc should be the targets of your exploration. And that's another thing: explore. Read a few books about classical music. Learn about the different styles. Then try out 20th century music. Or medieval music. Or renaissance music. There's a lot to learn and enjoy.
 
  • #30
I just got introduced to Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique by a friend, and I think it's definitely a new favorite.

- Warren
 
  • #31
I would suggest buying a lot of cheap crap ;) Er, I mean, there are plenty of "greatest/favorites" collections, and big boxed sets that, though sometimes lacking in other areas, contain a great variety of music and artists. This is the best way to discover what *you* like, and it will help you appreciate the different performances, when you seek them out.

I would also warn against being unduly influenced by other's opinions- Chopin doesn't seem to make the cut around here- but he is one of my favorites. And I don't really enjoy Mozart- sometimes I find him downright annoying. Whatever floats your boat.

You may also want to watch the two Fantasia movies- they can get you to think about the music in different ways. And there are several movies about certain performers or featuring classical music (ex. Immortal Beloved, Red Violin). And watch live performances- PBS features them regularly- another person's passion or care can be inspiring.
Happy listening
Rachel
P.S. "Chopin: Nocturnes" performed by Ivan Moravec is one of my favorite CDs - you can find it on Amazon :)
 
  • #32
honestrosewater said:
I would suggest buying a lot of cheap crap ;) Er, I mean, there are plenty of "greatest/favorites" collections, and big boxed sets that, though sometimes lacking in other areas, contain a great variety of music and artists. This is the best way to discover what *you* like, and it will help you appreciate the different performances, when you seek them out.

Absolutely. This is how I found what I liked and what I didn't. I had nearly forgotten.

So, what orchestras do people like?

I like Philadelphia's under Ormandy. I here they were better under Stokowski, but the recording tech was not as good. I also was suprised at how good the Cleveland orchestra was under Szell. I had never heard of them when I bought my first CD. I must say, I've always been disappointed by Bernstein's orchestra, maybe I had expectations set too high. You have to be careful with "London" orchestras. There are about 30 of them, and I know I can't keep them straight.

Njorl
 
  • #33
zoobyshoe said:
I'm partial to P.D.Q. Bach's "Unbegun Symphony", as well. Consists of a third and fourth movement.

How about a game of "OPERA WHIZ!", or deuling divas!
:biggrin:

Njorl
 
  • #34
IMO:
Classical music is at its best with J.S. Bach.
J.S. Bach is at his best at the piano (Klavier).
No one ever played bach on the piano better than Glen Gould.

You will not be disappointed by getting "The Goldberg Variations" as performed by Mr. Gould. He recorded it twice, 1955 and 1981. A real snob will insist the first recording was more masterful, although I am fond of the latter. I understand it has recently been remastered so that Mr. Gould's annoying habit to "sing along" has been removed.

Also you could try "The Well-tempered Klavier, Book1"

Fun fact:
Remember in "the Silence of the Lambs," the scen where Hannibal is in the cage in the big room, listening to classical music (right before he takes a bite out of the policeman's face)? Hannibal is listening to the 1955 recording of the "Aria" from Goldberg Variations.
 
  • #35
Math Is Hard said:
Zooby! How could you not mention Rachmaninoff! He is our fellow April fool!

He has an amazing piece, I believe it is called Adagio. We played a bit of it in concert band before.
 
<h2>1. What is classical music?</h2><p>Classical music is a genre of music that originated in Western culture during the 11th to 13th centuries. It is characterized by its use of complex musical structures, instrumentation, and written notation.</p><h2>2. How can I start listening to classical music?</h2><p>A great way to start listening to classical music is by exploring different composers and their works. You can also attend live performances or listen to classical music radio stations or streaming services.</p><h2>3. What are some famous classical music pieces?</h2><p>Some well-known classical music pieces include Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Mozart's Symphony No. 40, and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. However, there are countless other beautiful and influential classical music pieces to discover.</p><h2>4. Do I need to have a background in music to appreciate classical music?</h2><p>No, you do not need to have a background in music to appreciate classical music. It is a universal form of art that can be enjoyed by anyone. However, learning about music theory and history can enhance your understanding and appreciation of classical music.</p><h2>5. How has classical music influenced other genres of music?</h2><p>Classical music has had a significant impact on other genres of music, including rock, jazz, and pop. Many modern songs and compositions incorporate elements of classical music, such as complex harmonies and orchestral arrangements.</p>

1. What is classical music?

Classical music is a genre of music that originated in Western culture during the 11th to 13th centuries. It is characterized by its use of complex musical structures, instrumentation, and written notation.

2. How can I start listening to classical music?

A great way to start listening to classical music is by exploring different composers and their works. You can also attend live performances or listen to classical music radio stations or streaming services.

3. What are some famous classical music pieces?

Some well-known classical music pieces include Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Mozart's Symphony No. 40, and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. However, there are countless other beautiful and influential classical music pieces to discover.

4. Do I need to have a background in music to appreciate classical music?

No, you do not need to have a background in music to appreciate classical music. It is a universal form of art that can be enjoyed by anyone. However, learning about music theory and history can enhance your understanding and appreciation of classical music.

5. How has classical music influenced other genres of music?

Classical music has had a significant impact on other genres of music, including rock, jazz, and pop. Many modern songs and compositions incorporate elements of classical music, such as complex harmonies and orchestral arrangements.

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