[Nightowl217]

I really like classical music, but the only time i get to hear it is when im listening to the Boston Classical station. I really enjoy listening to it, but i wish i could listen to the genre more often. Any recommendations? Thanks!
-NOwl

 

[kmj2587]

Can you give us the names of any pieces you know you like?  Something to use as a jumping off point would make things much easier.  I'd like to help you out, but there is several hundred years worth of music to sort through to try and find a small selection of things you may like.

 

[bigshot]

Here ya go. All good ones.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/132136/ten-cds-to-introduce-new-listeners-to-classical-music

 

[kmj2587]

It's hard to beat those Living Stereo recordings for value per dollar.   They are old recordings, but they still sound pretty good and with Reiner and the CSO you can count on consistently high quality in interpretations and performance.
 
If we're going for general recommendations, I'll throw in some of my own in addition to bigshot's list.
 
Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites, Norwegian Dance, March of the Trolls / Sibelius: Finlandia, Valse Triste, Swan of Tuonella with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic
 
Bizet: Carmen and L'Arlesienne Suites with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic
 
Holst: The Planets with Andre Previn and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
 
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 with Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
 
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 with Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
 
Copland: Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, Rodeo with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony

 

[Asr]

As already pointed out, "classical" is a huge genre spanning hundreds of years and "Classical" per se is just one time period among 4 major ones - Baroque, Classical, Romantic, & Modern. Each time period has a generally distinctive sound and there are countless composers within each one with their own unique style. So it'd help a lot if you were more specific with either a time period or even better a composer.
 
That said, this box set is probably a good overview of classical music in general (I don't own it yet so I can't actually speak for its musical content, but its listed musical works are very diverse): http://www.importcds.com/Music/1974425/Decca-Sound-The-Decca-Sound-CD

 

[calaf]

Quote:

 
That said, this box set is probably a good overview of classical music in general (I don't own it yet so I can't actually speak for its musical content, but its listed musical works are very diverse): http://www.importcds.com/Music/1974425/Decca-Sound-The-Decca-Sound-CD

it is indeed a good introductory collection, as it is heavy on romantic/modern orchestral music. I have listened to about 1/2 of the 50 CDs. So far I have heard excellent and consistent engineering (there was indeed a "Decca sound", and to some extent there still is), many classics from the 50s and 60s, and a couple of good surprises such as Janine Jensen (who?) playing Beethoven and Britten Violin Concerto, the Katchen/Kertesz Bartok/Ravel piano concertos, and the very, very sexy Ute Lemper's CD of cabaret songs from the 30s (not really "classical", but who cares)
 
 

 

[peanuthead]

Somewhat eclectic but good collection.
 
http://www.amazon.com/111-Collectors-2/dp/B003TJY0W8/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331171188&sr=1-3

 

[bigshot]

I have a bunch of classical boxes and the one that I would recommend for newbies is the RCA Living Stereo set. It doesn't have any weird choices and nails the particular area of classical music it's designed to cover.

 

[calaf]

Quote:

I have a bunch of classical boxes and the one that I would recommend for newbies is the RCA Living Stereo set. It doesn't have any weird choices and nails the particular area of classical music it's designed to cover.

the strength of the Living Stereo collection (its musical coherency), is what would make me hesitate recommending it as an introduction to classical music. My point is that the Living Stereo recording provides a snapshot on how classical music was performed in the mid 50s. If you walk into a concert hall today, what you hear (for better or for worse) is very different.
The Decca box, while firmly anchored in the 50s and 60s, also offers you glimpses of how performance has evolved since the "golden age" e.g.
CD 11 - Riccardo Chailly - Messiaen
CD 18 - Nelson Freire - Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 & Schumann Carnaval
CD 20 - Christopher Hogwood - Purcell Dido & Aeneas
CD 21 - Janine Jansen - Beethoven & Britten Violin Concertos  (believe me, this is better than it looks on paper...)
CD 31 - Charles Mackerras - Janácek
CD 32 - Neville Marriner - Tchaikovsky & Grieg
CD 41 - Pascal Rogé - Saint-Saëns Piano Concertos
CD 42 - Christophe Rousset - Pergolesi Stabat Mater
CD 43 - András Schiff - Bach Goldberg Variations
CD 47 - Takács Quartet - Beethoven Late String Quartets
 

 

[stokitw]

I like the Decca collection better for new comers for another reason.
The selected recordings there are even stronger than other boxes in terms of interpretation.
Living Stereo or MLP as a project from one brand in a decade, rely on a relatively narrow list of performers.
For example, I cannot say that I am a big fan of Reiner's rendition besides Beethoven..
 
Decca's selection include more highly regarded performances even when you look back from now.
Ansermet, Argenta, and Larrocha on Spanish music.
Ashkenazy on Russian piano music
Dutoit on Ravel
Haitink's old Shostakovich recordings.
Kertesz's Dvorak
Lupu's Beethoven piano sonatas
Maag's Mendelssohn
Mackerras' Janacek
Solti's Ring and Mahler no.8
Roge's Saint-Saens piano concertos.
Schiff's Bach
Takacs Quartet's Beethoven
Vienna Octet
Cannot really comments on vocal works though..
 
I like the fact that this collection is put together from a wide range of music rather than from audiophile showcases.
 
Quote:

the strength of the Living Stereo collection (its musical coherency), is what would make me hesitate recommending it as an introduction to classical music. My point is that the Living Stereo recording provides a snapshot on how classical music was performed in the mid 50s. If you walk into a concert hall today, what you hear (for better or for worse) is very different.
The Decca box, while firmly anchored in the 50s and 60s, also offers you glimpses of how performance has evolved since the "golden age" e.g.
CD 11 - Riccardo Chailly - Messiaen
CD 18 - Nelson Freire - Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 & Schumann Carnaval
CD 20 - Christopher Hogwood - Purcell Dido & Aeneas
CD 21 - Janine Jansen - Beethoven & Britten Violin Concertos  (believe me, this is better than it looks on paper...)
CD 31 - Charles Mackerras - Janácek
CD 32 - Neville Marriner - Tchaikovsky & Grieg
CD 41 - Pascal Rogé - Saint-Saëns Piano Concertos
CD 42 - Christophe Rousset - Pergolesi Stabat Mater
CD 43 - András Schiff - Bach Goldberg Variations
CD 47 - Takács Quartet - Beethoven Late String Quartets
 

 

 

[vcoheda]

any of these:
 
http://www.amazon.com/The-Decca-Sound-Various-Artists/dp/B005D51II0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331235721&sr=1-1
 
http://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Living-Presence-Boxed-Set/dp/B005XBA9Y8/ref=pd_sim_m_1
 
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Stereo-60-Collection-Box/dp/B003UCPEJ2/ref=pd_sim_m_2
 
http://www.amazon.com/111-Collectors-2/dp/B003TJY0W8/ref=pd_sim_m_3
 
http://www.amazon.com/111-Years-Deutsche-Grammophon-Anthology/dp/B002DZX95I/ref=pd_sim_m_9

 

[Mad Max]

Hijacking this thread!
 
 
Best recording you've heard of The Moldau?
I got my hands on a Karajan-directed one.  What other Smetana works do you guys recommend?