[chroot]

I'm bewildered when I go to record shops to look for classical music. I'm almost afraid that I'll be totally overwhelmed here, as well, but I figure this is a good place to ask my timid, slightly ridiculous, entirely too open-ended question:

I'm new to classical music, but would like to become familiar with it. What pieces/performances should I start with?

- Warren

 

[Duggeh]

Id say start with some of the big loved pieces.

Beethovens 5th and 9th symphonies.

Tchaikovskys 1812 overture and Piano Concerto No.1

Vivaldis The Four Seasons

Holsts Planets Suite

Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D minor.


Youll probably find that some of those pieces are familiar. Great pieces all of them, and dont worry about finding a special audiophile version or anything, almost any version will sound good.

 

[ozz]

you can also listen to a clasical fm be it internet or ota it will give
you some idea of artists and pieces you like.

 

[chroot]

Any suggestions of a good classical internet radio station? (With the composer, title, performance info, etc. provided for each piece of course.)

- Warren

 

[meme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chroot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm bewildered when I go to record shops to look for classical music. I'm almost afraid that I'll be totally overwhelmed here, as well, but I figure this is a good place to ask my timid, slightly ridiculous, entirely too open-ended question: I'm new to classical music, but would like to become familiar with it. What pieces/performances should I start with? - Warren

The answer is simple -- whatever you can get your hands on!

I was pretty lucky,as i was "introduced" to classical music via the radio when i was very young, even though my parents never actually listened to it themselves, so it's pretty much always been there, but i understand that if you are coming to it later it can be daunting. But really you should just grab whatever you can, if you have a classical radio station then that's a good source.
I don't know if you are from the UK or US but BBC Radio 3 was once excellent, it has gone a little off in recent years but still worth a listen, if can you should be able to stream it online. Classic FM is OK but the scope of music is limited, they don't like avant garde or contemporary music at all, unless it is film music or Einaudi and they do tend to play the same stuff over and over....
Yes there is a lot, around 500 years worth! but it's best to keep an open mind and enjoy yourself!

 

[goldenratiophi]

Does anybody have recommendations for individual recordings? I'm familiar with most of what Duggeh mentioned, but there's a million recordings for each work, and I don't know where to start...

 

[meme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chroot /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any suggestions of a good classical internet radio station? (With the composer, title, performance info, etc. provided for each piece of course.) - Warren

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/

 

[justin2net]

must have:
glenn gould 1955 bach goldberg variations
gould italian album
harnoncourt bach brandenburg concertos
berezovsky liszt transcendental etudes
klemperer wagner overtures
shostakovich symphonies
karajan beethoven symphonies.

 

[Sherwood]

You know that general rule of liquor stores -- whatever's on the bottom shelf is the worst and whatever's on the top shelf is the best? Now, obviously, this isn't true, but it's statistically significant enough to be valid to a degree. I have a similar rule for classical music - if presented with multiple arrangements about which you know nothing, choose whichever comes from the biggest city. Quick and dirty, I know, but it has generally served me well.

I take special exception to anything recorded with Jascha Heifetz or Itzhak Perlman, though. wherever they play, it's magic to me.

 

[bigshot]

See this post...

Ten CDs to introduce new listeners to Classical Music
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=134171

Almost all of them are bargain priced, and they are all great performances.

See ya
Steve

 

[meme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenratiophi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anybody have recommendations for individual recordings? I'm familiar with most of what Duggeh mentioned, but there's a million recordings for each work, and I don't know where to start...

The thing is Classical music is interpretive, I don't believe in the definitive or correct version of a certain symphony, quartet or whatever, because every performer has their own way of playing a piece etc, this is what people seem to easily forget. I think mostly, you will find that a great deal of recordings are pretty good, not always outstanding, and there will always be the odd howler, but i think listening to good and bad recordings helps you appreciate it more.

 

[scompton]

Check out your local library. Mine has a lot of classical music. I like the try before you buy approach, especially with music you're not at all familiar with. This will let you know what styles/eras you like without spending a lot of money on music you don't end up liking. I used this approach with opera and 20th century music.

I use the reviews in amazon.com to help guide me in choices of different versions of a piece. Though you need to take some of the nit picking comments with a grain of salt. You can get a lot of fan boy comments on composes with cult followings like Mahler. It's kind of like here on head-fi

Another route to suggest, if your library is lacking, is to buy compilation disks, especially inexpensive multi-disc sets from labels like Vox, Brilliant, or Naxos. The versions on these labels might not be considered the definitive versions, but they're rarely unlistenable and often very good.

 

[meme]

And don't forget the most important thing, go to a few concerts! that is really the best place to listen to classical music.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot /img/forum/go_quote.gif See this post... Ten CDs to introduce new listeners to Classical Music http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=134171 Almost all of them are bargain priced, and they are all great performances. See ya Steve

x2 for that thread. Another good list, although not all are still in print is NPR's PT50.

 

[Lord Chaos]

Go to shoutcast.com and look at the radio station list. There are several playing classical.

For recommendations on specific performances, I've done well with Amazon's user reviews. Once you find a work you want to listen to, read the reviews to find some agreement on a good performance. This has introduced me to some real gems.

The record that got me hooked was Giulini's recording of Beethoven's sixth symphony, the "Pastoral." He has a wonderful delicate touch with this. It's available on CD with the 8th and 9th symphonies.

An unexpected treat was Willi Boskovsky's recordings of Strauss waltzes. Under most orchestras these are performed automatically. Somehow Boskovsky brings the music to life.

Some specific pieces:
Hindemith, "Mathis der Mahler"
Vaughan Williams, "Norfolk Rhapsody," "Toward the Unknown Region," "Dona Nobis Pacem"
Anything by Beethoven and Bach (look for organ recordings of Daniel Chorzempa)

Specific recommendations are hard to remember... I'll have to look through my CDs.