[neil.belt]

Hello everybody.  I have a decent collection of classical, but I am just getting started on my Hi-fi collection and I am replacing all of my 128k mp3 with flac material.  I don't know much about the different types of classical music.  What is Adagio, or Adante, etc, stuff like that.  I picked up a good collection of Mozart, but the older music that I have, even though it is a horrible bit rate is superior to me.  The new music that I have was possibly recorded by a smaller orchestra or something.  I like more fluid transition in the music, I don't know how to describe this.  It seems like this new cd collection that I picked up has less fluid transition between notes.  Like the note is played, quickly, then fades quickly with a pause between notes.  I really want to find recordings that have a more fluid transition between notes, also of high quality.  If there is a post about the basics of classical music please point me in that direction, and anybody that has some specific recordings that might suit me please pass that along too.  I was wondering about a song I like as well; Adagio for strings.  I though for sure that I had listened to a rendition of this that had a much more say... higher peaking crecendo.  Something like Hans Zimmer would write for a movie, or maybe John Williams.  They seem to have very powerfull music that peaks very quickly. 
 
For other music I know that I love Pachelbel, and I believe the other composer is Henkel... I need to study up a bit and start building my collection.  I would buy the classical collection from Itunes but I really need to figure this out before spending too much there because I want to get better quality music than 128k AAC from Itunes.  What other composers should I look at?  I like strings the most, especially violin and cielo.  I do have Mozart symphonys 1-9, I don't know how much work he did, if that is complete. 
 
I am sorry for sounding like such a newb.  I know I will look back at this post in a year or so and wonder how I could be so blind to the wealth of classical music, but I am just lost right now.  I know that I love this music, I know that it moves me in a way that nothing else does.  I bought a violin, thinking that I could somehow play this music and feel the way that I do when I listen to it, but no luck so far.  I really just need to get some lessons   Oh, I really like the soundtrak from Last of the Mohicans too, kind of a Celtic music type there I would guess.
 
Thanks for any help and direction.
 
Neil
 

 

[fjf]

I usually link the list made by our friend Tyson.  It is a good start:  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/205590/classical-basic-library-recommendations-big-list

 

[pekingduck]

The string quartets and symphonies of Beethoven are a good start.
 
I recommend buying CDs and ripping them to lossless. DG (and probably other labels) offers high quality downloads as well.
 
There's also a "Classical Music for Dummies" book which I found quite useful.
 
Happy listening

 

[dziendobry]

The classical music for dummies is very good, HDTracks.com has a wide variety of great classical recordings, I like to browse through arkivmusic.com when I am looking/researching composers or conducters.  Tonight I am watching Mahler's 2nd symphony: http://mahler.christoph-eschenbach.com/  they are streaming them all free until june 30th.  All the CD music I buy I rip to FLAC.

 

[JIGF]

This might help you understand classical music terminology.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_musical_terminology

 

[radiohlite]

Tyson's list is really excellent.  and Classical Music for Dummies is really good for newbs, lots of information.  Also The Rough guide to Classical Music, and The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection.
 
If you like Adagio for Strings:  I direct you to the "Adagietto" from the 5th symphony by Mahler.
 
Welcome to classical music!  There's nothing like it, eh?   : )