[seals]

I really want to get into classical music. I just have two restrictions on what you should suggest. First, I don't want anything with vocals. Second, I don't want the overplayed stuff. Example: Beethovens 5th and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. That basically pulls Beethoven and Bach out. Recommend me things other than the equivalent of the radio top 40 of classical. THANKS

btw, from my small exposure to classical I have heard Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony and love it

 

[corpse_linguini]

hey, well then you'd LOVE Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony (Pathetique)
just remember that not each version is the same i suggest u look up for Carlo Maria Giulini's version its one of my favorites

I'd also recommended

Brahms' Hungarian Dances
Liszt Piano Concerto3
Stravinsky - Rite of Spring, Petrushka, Violin Concerto in D

they're more but i think those are more accessible for now

 

[seals]

Quote:

Originally Posted by corpse_linguini /img/forum/go_quote.gif hey, well then you'd LOVE Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony (Pathetique) just remember that not each version is the same i suggest u look up for Carlo Maria Giulini's version its one of my favorites I'd also recommended Brahms' Hungarian Dances Liszt Piano Concerto3 Stravinsky - Rite of Spring, Petrushka, Violin Concerto in D they're more but i think those are more accessible for now

Thanks, keep em coming guys!!

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seals /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really want to get into classical music. I just have two restrictions on what you should suggest. First, I don't want anything with vocals. Second, I don't want the overplayed stuff. Example: Beethovens 5th and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. That basically pulls Beethoven and Bach out. Recommend me things other than the equivalent of the radio top 40 of classical. THANKS btw, from my small exposure to classical I have heard Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony and love it

Don't start out by eliminating stuff. Bach and Beethoven wrote hundreds and hundreds of great pieces that I guarantee you haven't heard before.

The key to appreciating classical music is understanding it. You need to do a little research and figure out where you want to start. Russian music is a great place to start, but make an effort to find out about the composer and the piece. Classical music isn't like "top 40". It's like reading books.

See ya
Steve

 

[Publius]

Yeah, I'll have to second giving Beethoven a fair shake. As far as off-the-beaten-path stuff goes, you might try Beethoven's late string quartets , and perhaps the Diabelli variations (for solo piano) too. Extremely deep stuff that was meant more for Beethoven's personal edification than for popular release.

 

[Agent Kang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seals /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really want to get into classical music. I just have two restrictions on what you should suggest. First, I don't want anything with vocals. Second, I don't want the overplayed stuff. Example: Beethovens 5th and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. That basically pulls Beethoven and Bach out. Recommend me things other than the equivalent of the radio top 40 of classical. THANKS btw, from my small exposure to classical I have heard Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony and love it

Beethoven's 5th's is 'popular' and instantly recognizable, but the reason as to why you would exclude his works due to this I cannot comprehend. Beethoven was great composer of orchestral works but when it comes to string quartets and solo piano he's basically untouchable. You may automatically 'dismiss' certain works due to its popularity, but to miss out on Mozart's 40th and Ludwig's 9th, well, that's too bad.

 

[zoomjohn]

I'm going to recommend something that has the typical classical appeal but not heard often other than by those that listen to classical: Beethoven's 3rd and 4th Piano Concertos, they are great works but not played all over the radio like 'The Emporer' 5th, and are just as good.

 

[seals]

I wasn't outting Beethoven and Bach (I was just stating that I thought their stuff wasn't what I was looking for but I guess not). If you want to recommend me something of theirs, just make sure it is something I probably havn't heard.

 

[patalp]

I love the Hebrides Overture by Mendelssohn
Hebrides Overture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[cconnaker]

BOLERO!-- orchestral fireworks, EIJI OUE / MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA
Reference Recordings RR-92 HDCD
"The Absolute Sound Super Disc List"

This is really cool, sounds spectacular and got me into classical.

 

[mbhaub]

Go for the Russian Nationalists: color, excitement, noisy, and great tunes!

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, opera suites
Borodin: Prince Igor, overture and Polovtsian Dances
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)
Glazunov: Symphonies 4 & 5
Rachmaninoff: Piano concerto 2, Paganini Variations
Balakirev: Symphony 1 & Tamara

I envy you get started -- so much wonderful music to discover.

 

[vcoheda]

a list i made. all good stuff.'

Amazon.com: "Start A Basic Classical Music Collection"

 

[zoomjohn]

I think Karajan conducting Pictures at an Exhibition, La Mer, and Bolero is another great album to start. It brings together three classics and has lush orchestra sound.

 

[wower]

I've heard lots of classical music (though I still run a deficit compared to other members on the boards) and continue to come back to the likes of Beethoven and Bach. I won't rehash the good points other's made in this regard but beg you not start by elimination. I'll come back with some suggestions in a bit.

 

[PSmith08]

If you want to listen to Beethoven, and not be bothered by the fact that you've already heard the first two or three minutes of his 5th symphony or maybe five minutes of his 9th, then try out his last four or five piano sonatas. Mitsuko Uchida has discs out of the last five in what, as I recall, is an integrale-in-process. You could expand out from there, there is a fine Schnabel "best-of" set on EMI which has sonatas nos. 21-25, 27, and 30-32. The sound isn't going to win any prizes, but the interpretations are among the great ones.

Still, I think that you should seek out familiar pieces. Why? So you can understand why they're so universally praised and played.