[LTUCCI1924]

I got the beethoven 9TH symphonies cds. it is a set of 6 cds. I thought that I would try some different music. So I am trying out classical and this in not a judgement of this music just my opion. I listened to the first cd and didnot like it one bit. It seem to me like pointless ravings of high then low then big then soft. It just made no sense to me. I mean give me pink floyd anyday over this stuff. Maby it shows that I am low class or at least have low class tast. I mean I feel like some sort of failer for not likeing this classical mussic. I ordered jazz MILES DAVIS kind of blue that I will get soon. I so far like Easy listening. I ordered a set plus two other cds. This music makes sense to me. It seems balance and constant. I dont know what class this music is in but I like this stuff a lot so far. I fell that my sennheiser 580 are ment for me to enjoy music as best as I can and not confuse me. Not for me to think that I am less than. Pink floyd sounds great and so does this easy listening music out of the 580s. Maby it is just this beethoven stuff because I have heard some classic music that sounded very good and one was beethovens 5th symphonie. So I am bounceing off the wall woundering what is wrong with me?

 

[redshifter]

try beethoven's 3rd and 7th symphonies. if you don't like them:
1) it is a bad recording
2) you're just not a classical guy
if you're not used to classical music your ear needs to be trained a little, that's all. vivaldi is a good place to start, like vivaldi's 4 seasons.

i've never met a beethoven piece i didn't like. beethoven is like a god to me.

 

[dngl]

I would start with his last symphony, his 9th. It is the easiest to enjoy at first and there is lots of depth to it that will be revealed after repeated listenings.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I only really like the 5th's 1st movement, the 7th's 2nd movement, and the 9th's 4th movement, so no, you're not alone. Try just listening to those three. (To everyone else, any recommendations on his best third movement?)

 

[LTUCCI1924]

Thanks a lot guys. I will try what you have toald me. It will make it possible for me to try to listen again. I need some short cuts for I put the set away but will get them out in the morning and try again.

 

[jopi]

Like with all music styles: if you're not used to it, you won't like it in the beginning.

I think you've got off on the wrong foot. Buying a whole set of CDs is not a good idea. You just try to listen through them all and it's too much new stuff to get into all at once.
Buy one CD at a time and listen to it a few times until you can memorize the theme and some variations and you can hum some of that stuff under the shower.

Here's a list of classical music that I think is good for getting used to classical:
Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsodies for Orchestra (don't get the piano only versions, at least not yet)
Mozart, Symphony Nr. 40 & 41 (lots of CDs have these two bundled)
Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
Dvorak, Symphony Nr. 9 (From The New World)
Tchaikovsky, Concerto No. 1
Rachmaninoff, Concerto No. 2

Personally I think Beethoven takes some time before enjoying a whole symphony. No. 3 (Eroica) is to my ears the easiest to get into, but I would save that for later.
After listening to it a couple of time as background music, listen to a whole piece intently without interruption. Now you'll appreciate the softer, quieter passages as much as the parts that have action. Don't forget, all of that stuff was written when no recordings were available. This kind of music was not meant as background music, give it full attention!

After you've done with the list above you'll know better what you like and what you don't. If you like a particular composer, look up when he lived and try a composer who lived around the same time.
What I do to broaden my view is to buy a completely unknown piece for every half a dozen or so pieces I buy on purpose.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

JOPI
I copyed your list. Thanks

 

[shivohum]

I think the interpretation definitely matters when it comes to classical music. Try this CD, which is an acknowledged master interpretation of Beethoven 5th and 7th:

Carlos Kleiber conducts the Vienna Philharmonic

Trust me.

 

[Audio Redneck]

Q. What label, conductor and orchestra are on the Beethoven set you have?

Comment: I want to second Jopi's recommendations. One thing that will help with the Vivaldi is to read the peom notes that go with the music. They're a bit "flowery" but you get better idea of what the composer was picturing. Here's a link:

http://www.bright.net/~hhelser/vivaldi.html

Rachmaninoff (or Rachmaninov - both spellings are correct) is my personal favorite, but I'm a sentimental fool and his music tends toward the sentimental.

Two more to watch for on the "light" side:
Ravel: William Tell Overture
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (be sure to look for a recording that uses real canons

)

(Someone with a CD of the 1812 that uses canons might want to chime in on this one)

 

[john_jcb]

Lately I too have been trying to add some diversity to my listening. I have found our local public library to be a great source of CDs. If I have some spare time I will listen there if not they can be checked out for a week. If I find something that I enjoy I then will buy it.

John

 

[Pierre Lambion]

I completely agree that it requires time to enjoy unfamiliar music. I experienced that for jazz, for classical, even for Phish that I found boring at first (!).

I would add two items to jopi's list:
- Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition
- Mendelssohn, Violin Concert

I think that concerts are easier to "get in" than symphonies. Tchaïkowsky tend to be very widely accepted. Chopin piano pieces are also very well articulated.

P.

 

[jopi]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pierre Lambion I think that concerts are easier to "get in" than symphonies.

Agreed!