[Shurenuff]

Hello! I've decided that I'd like to further explore my musical horizons (mainly listen to many variations of rock and hip-hop) with the purchase of a classical music CD. My question for all of you is, what classical album would you recommend for someone new to the genre? I'm looking for something exciting with great sound quality (produced well). If you had to name just one CD, what would it be?

 

[DarkAngel]

For a very first classical CD that has great sound and instantly recognizable melodies:
Tchaikovsky Ballet Suites

If you want more excitement than melodic beauty try good collection of assorted overtures like this:
Misc. Overtures
Thunder & Lightning
Rossini Overtures

Tough question............like someone who has no rock Cds asking what would be 1st CD they should get.

 

[Shurenuff]

I know it's a very general, vague, and difficult question to answer. I'm just looking for something that sounds good, is fun to listen to, and is not overly complex. Something that most would consider a "must have". Of course, this all boils down to personal opinion. BTW, thanks for the recommendation, I'll look into that.

 

[Spent&Bent]

I find mozart to be very easy on the ear... compared to beethoven for example which takes much more of my effort to follow his music.
YMMV ofcourse...

 

[Shurenuff]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spent&Bent I find mozart to be very easy on the ear... compared to beethoven for example which takes much more of my effort to follow his music. YMMV ofcourse...

Anything specific in regards to Mozart?

 

[pcolbeck]

I would go for the Elgar Cello Concerto and the version to get is the Sir John Barbirolli / Jacqueline Du Pre version. As a bonus you get Sea Pictures sung by Dame Janet Baker too. All great performances.

Amazon link

But if you are just starting I would recommend some Naxos CDs as they are really cheap, £4.99 here in the UK and often 5 for £20. So that's 5 CDs for the price you could pay for one full price classical CD. A lot of them are really good and have been Gramaphone Editors choices. Say you were to get three of these instead of one average price CD I would go for:

Holst -The Planets
David Lloyd-Jones and the RSNO
A great Mars, and an all round good recording. Even my seven year old loves it, he says its like Star Wars.

Amazon

Mozart - Symphonies 19 & 20 (+37)
Nicholas Ward and the Northern SO
Not heard this one but is a Penguin Guide 3 star recomendation.

Amazon

Requiem - John Rutter
Timothy Brown and the Choir of Claire College Cambridge
Modern choral work, quite beautifull and a great recording, fantastic on headphones.

Amazon

That would give you three varied pieces to try for not much outlay. Two of them I have myself and would be worth it if they cost three times the amount.

Pat

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally posted by Shurenuff Anything specific in regards to Mozart?

Yes, get late symphonies. Many inexpensive Cds/sets with great performance and sound:
Symphony 40, 41

 

[Shurenuff]

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone!

 

[earful]

the best advice i've seen on these boards is trying your local library - and perhaps starting out with a cd that, tacky as it may sound to some, is a "sampler" of various shorter pieces. not every classical piece pleases even those who swear by classical music. not everyone ends up liking the same thing (example: i prefer chamber music to symphonies, opera to ballet, etc.). a sampler is a way of getting an idea of what exists; from there you go where your hearing leads you. there's so much out there; it would be a shame to be turned off to it all because the first piece you hear is otto klemperer conducting beethoven's 7th, or some such thing.

 

[sleepkyng]

D-Ej etc. etc.,

check out Bela Bartok, he's got some crazy not-so-relaxing but awesome music.

Sibelius and Rochmoninov are my two favs. right now.


Russian Easter Overature...so good.

 

[blessingx]

A few I've mentioned before...

Peter Katin - Chopin: Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus

Mstislav Rostropovich - J.S. Bach: Cello Suites (thanks for the intro shafu)

Van Cliburn - Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 2 and Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5/Emperor

Glenn Gould - A State of Wonder Bach Goldberg Variations

 

[Czilla9000]

While Mozart is great "easy" listening, it can also be very boring (that goes for Haydn too). Keep in mind Mozart wrote a lot of his music to be background music for proper parties. Mozart/Haydn is great for doing math homework to, however.

Since you are used to listening to music that is not so prim and proper (rock and pop) and is emotionally charged, I suggest you begin your classical odyessy by listening to a Romantic composer, like Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky is great for beginners but offers a lot for hardcore classical fans as well. The more I learn about classical music, the more I appreciate his music, and I don't give a damn what the "if it is popular it must be bad" snobs say. (Tchaikovsky's popularity exceeds that of Beethoven)

While it doesn't contain his greatest music, I suggest you buy Telarc's famous 1812 Overture recording for CD/SACD or DVDA. It contains many very good Tchaikovsky military pieces, which I listen to more often than the 1812 Overture itself! When you are done with that, buy a recording of his 5th symphony.

Here are some other recommendations:

Carmina Burana - Orff

Symphony #9 - Dvorak

Enigma Variations - Elgar

Symphonies 5, 7, and 9 - Beethoven

Piano Concerto #3 - Rachmaninoff

Violin Concerto - Barber

Piano Concerto - Tchaikovsky

Piano Concerto #2 - Chopin

Firebird and Rite of Spring - Stravinsky

Romeo and Juliet Suites - Prokoviev
Classical Symphony





EDIT: Bach's Goldberg Variations are great, but are a little hard for a beginner, IMO.

 

[saint.panda]

i'll second dvorak symphony 9 and beethoven 5. add to that beethoven 6.

also try 4 seasons by karajan with mutter on violin

chopin's piano stuff is always good, especially the piano ballads, try piano ballad 1, really nice

mozart's piano concerts are pretty nice as well as betthoven's violin sonatas.