A good classical music CD for a beginner?

[Chickenman]

I'm thinking of purchasing a Classical music CD that will get me introduced to the greats, and the beautiful. I would prefer if the recommendation wasn't a boxed set, or over 30 dollars. I will be listening without an amp and on my MS1.

Thanks, and happy listening! - Jayon

 

[MonolithTMA]

This is a good place to start. It is a boxed set, I know you said you didn't want that, but you can get it very cheap used and it's only four discs.

Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music [BOX SET]

Here's another good one, also available cheap used.

25 Classical Favorites

Once you learn what composers you like, you can start building a collection.

 

[Ham Radio Nut]

Purchase a good classical 'sampler' with various composers. You can't go wrong this way.

 

[Henry Flower]

I'd strongly suggest not a sampler: little chunks of works don't do them justice at all. I'd start with Dvorak's symphony no. 9, which a lot of people seem to find a good introduction to classical. It worked for me.

A good recording is http://www.amazon.com/Dvorak-Symphon...4457301&sr=1-1

 

[MonolithTMA]

But a cheap sampler gives you a taste of a lot of different stuff. I don't buy greatest hit albums, and I don't buy samplers, but either is a good introduction to a genre or artist.

 

[Assorted]

Naxos "Music of [from?] the Baroque Era," "Music of the Classical Era," "Music of the Romantic Era," and see which you like. They're just about 10 bux each

 

[Agent Kang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry Flower /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd strongly suggest not a sampler: little chunks of works don't do them justice at all. I'd start with Dvorak's symphony no. 9, which a lot of people seem to find a good introduction to classical. It worked for me. A good recording is http://www.amazon.com/Dvorak-Symphon...4457301&sr=1-1

Dvorak or Schubert are the 2 composers I would recommend. A symphony may be a little heavy for a beginner though. I would suggest Dvorak's Serenade for strings or Schubert's trout quintet.

 

[yage]

Have you tried checking your local library and seeing if they have a CD collection you can borrow from? That's how I got started.

 

[Davey]

Depends so much on what type of listener you are, how much you get involved in the music, how much passion you like, emotion and depth, nuance, precision, fun, all those things and much more. I've always found Mozart to encompass most of the things I like along those lines, especially the in the 40/41 symphonies. And Bohm is a very good interpreter. But I also really like some of the Neville Marriner recordings too. In any case, buy used and you can buy a lot for very cheap. Check out the Bohm 41 on youtube in 4 parts ... part 1 is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noAPeUlOjfc (and one of the comments also mentions Marriner - good advice).

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Holst's The Planets and Orff's Carmina Burana should be somewhat familiar to anybody who has ever owned a television.

 

[Bizzel]

Oh yes, I second Dvorak's 9th. I picked up the Living Stereo release on Amazon for £5.50 and it's just great. It's a hybrid SACD too if that's your thing.

 

[ramus]

Have look at:

Free Flac download, Brandenburg Concertos:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=255249

I think topic says it all.Great work from Bach also the flac sounds very good and most importantly free

 

[mbhaub]

One disk: Pops Caviar with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops on RCA (SACD). Great fun, great Russian pops music. All lively, upbeat, tuneful -- great stuff for beginners. It was this recording (on LP) among a few others that was responsible for my growing to love the classics. Love this disk!

 

[Chickenman]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I would like to change my preferences so that boxed sets are included, just not over 20 dollars.

 

[DavidMahler]

I would say a "safe" way to introduce yourself to classical music is to try a piece from different eras. You may love Mozart but not Bach, or you may love Bach but not Holst, or Holst but not Beethoven. Chances are you will love all of them. I think its hard to get an appropriate introduction to such a vast and brilliant catalog BUT if I had to recommend a single starting CD the easy choice for me is Beethoven's 5th Symphony conducted by Carlos Kleiber and the Vienna Phil. Not only is this piece the most well known work ever written, but this recording remains amongst the 10 greatest selling single recordings of classical music. It is the standard and most renowned version.

It is a heavy work yes, pieces like the Dvorak 9th or Holst's planets are certainly more tuneful, but Beethoven's 5th remains the most discussed work in classical music history alongside the composer's own 9th symphony. I hope you purchase this and tell us what you think.

It is also handsomely coupled with an equally outstanding version of Beethoven's 7th which is almost as great as the 5th.