Me and the wife listen pretty much every night to Jazz or slow blues to relax but i am ready to try some Classical.I have no idea where to start so i would like some ideas on what CD purchases i should make.Basically i am looking for something that is very laid back with some Cello or Violin and some Woodwinds.I want something that will make my Cornwalls sing.I will be using my Jolida tube amp with my Cornwalls if that makes a difference in suggestions.Any ideas for a Classical Neophyte?

Some that come to mind for me that are not too heavy:
Vivaldi-The Seasons
Richard Strauss-Alpine Symphony
Saintsaens-Organ Symphony

And then if your just starting out there is a lot of Tchaichovsky out there.
(hope I didn't misspell any of these)

Okay, here's a few recommendations for starters. Go get them from your local library for a first listen.

Beethoven - 5th, 9th symphonies
Mozart - Requiem
Dvorak - Symphony #9 - "The New World"

The rest of the list is much more expansive, so report back after you've listened to these. Get ready for a deep immersion if these four twirl your beanie. Scotch is a recommended accompaniment, BTW.

With some help from my friends I got into some very good cello music. But you might want to save the Apocalyptica for later though... :)

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=127954

It's hard to go wrong with anything from Beethoven or Mozart.

Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
Vivaldi - Violin Concertos
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Like Radar once said "Ahhh Bach!"

I would say it is most important to get a good performance in reasonably good sound. Do not buy 99 cent CDs at your local bargain outlet.

You might want to try some of the more melodic composers, such as Mozart, Dvorak, and Tchaikovsky.

If you told us what kind of jazz you like, we might be able to guide you better.

Dvorak Cello Concerto with Janos Starker playing.

Try some Chopin if you are in the mood for piano. Very mellow and expressive.

Me and the wife listen pretty much every night to Jazz or slow blues to relax but i am ready to try some Classical.I have no idea where to start so i would like some ideas on what CD purchases i should make.Basically i am looking for something that is very laid back with some Cello or Violin and some Woodwinds.I want something that will make my Cornwalls sing.I will be using my Jolida tube amp with my Cornwalls if that makes a difference in suggestions.Any ideas for a Classical Neophyte?

There are several things you can do. First, if you have a classical radio station in your area, you might want to start listening to it to give you ideas about what you like and what you don't like. Second, many libraries will let you check out CDs, so you can go and listen to many different things, again, to see what you like. Third, you can seek professional advice, such as:

http://www.amazon.com/NPR-Guide-Building-Classical-Collection/dp/0761104879/

I really like that book, though I don't always agree with the author about which works are essential, or which performances are best. Still, it has gotten me to try things that I would not otherwise have found, and none of the recommended performances that I have tried from it are bad. Also, the book is well laid out and easier to read than most such books, which matters if you are actually going to read it.

It can be bewildering trying to figure out which recording to buy, particularly if it is a popular piece. If you want Beethoven's symphonies, for example, you will have so many choices that it is ridiculous. Some of them are pretty poorly performed, though there are quite a few good options. This is where looking at something like the book above can come in handy, as the author has probably listened to more recordings of these works than most regular people, so he should be able to give more informed opinions. Of course, your taste may or may not coincide with his, but his choices are generally fairly well regarded (you can, if you go to a bookstore and compare, find that many performances are recommended by more than one music critic).

Also, 2 good sources to try out classical music are pandora.com and wcrb.com.

Brahms and Schubert both come to mind, in terms of cello, violin and woodwinds. Look for quartet ensembles.

Like Vinyl1 said, stay away from "budget CDs" until you know more about the performers.

Barbara Bonney http://www.amazon.com/Franz-Schubert-Lieder-Bonney-Parsons/dp/B000000SJI
Maria Callas http://www.amazon.com/Maria-Callas-100-Best-Classics/dp/B000LPR4VW
Ennio Morricone http://www.amazon.com/Ennio-Morricone-1966-1987-2CD-Set/dp/B0000072C6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234402394&sr=1-1
Zamfir http://www.amazon.com/Zamfir-The-Lonely-Shepherd/dp/B000001F9H/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234402497&sr=1-1
Paul Mauriat, Frausto Papetti, Andre Rieu, Pan Pipes, Bach, Mozart

I like the suggestion of a previous post to listen to your local classical radio, if you have one. Through this you will over time realise what floats your boat.

When I was just getting into classical music these worked for me:

Handel: Water Music

Dvorak: Symphony No. 8
: Serenade for strings

Mendelssohn: A midsummer night's dream

I am great fonder of music. I always live in music but I didn't remember any songs.
I love all songs singing by Jennifer Lopez , Shakira, Enrique, Ekon .

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.I have found a couple of pieces that i like.The first one that is a good example of what i am looking for is by Verdi (The Sicilian Vespers).This to me is very relaxing and it sounds very good on my system.The second piece that i like is by Albinoni (Adagio).One thing that i do not want is a piece that starts out very laid back and then builds to a fast pace and both of these have a pace that i like.With that in mind are there any suggestions for pieces that are similar.Thanks again.

jeckmartin-???????:scratch2:

How about 'Greatest hits of 1720'

Here are a couple of suggestions to help get you into "Classical Music."

http://www.amazon.com/Mad-about-Cartoons/dp/B000001GKU
Musical selections from your favorite cartoons, Bugs Bunny being the most obvious. You will be surprised by how many of the pieces that you are familiar with. Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Verdi, Wagner, conducted by the biggies: Von Karajan, Levine and Masur.

Bach's Greatest Hits: http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?r=1&EAN=90266082827&ourl=Bach%2DGreatest%2DHits
This RCA Victor series is a great introduction to the master composers, this is just one example. Top flight orchestras from RCA's vaults.

And then there is the ever popular "Only Classical cd You Will Ever Need." http://www.amazon.com/Only-Classical-Youll-Ever-Need/dp/B000003FQD

Some good suggestions here so far, I will second or third: Water Music by Handel, The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, 5th, 8th & 9th by Beethoven etc..
My wife and I enjoy listening to this style of music on Sunday mornings with coffee and the paper. An excellent way to start out your day and stretch out your speakers a little bit. :music:

Yo-Yo Ma plays cello with a wide range of collaborators, you might find something you like: http://www.yo-yoma.com/music

The second piece that i like is by Albinoni (Adagio).

When you said you liked 'laid back', I figured that you weren't looking for the Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, but I posted it anyway. That was the lively party music of their time. Now that you've posted the Adagio preference, try this and see if anything grabs ya.

http://www.amazon.com/Baroque-Adagios/dp/B00005UWKY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234470550&sr=1-5

If you liked the Albinoni adagio von Karajan has three CDs out with nothing but adagios.

I doubt that I could be of any help to you. I love classical music; but I'm partial to the kind that starts loud, gets soft, ends loud, and gives me goosebumps. Brass to the fore!

Infinitoid-I will probably at some point experiment with some more aggresive Classical if there is such a thing.For now i am mainly looking for relaxing just before bedtime music.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.I have found a couple of pieces that i like.The first one that is a good example of what i am looking for is by Verdi (The Sicilian Vespers).This to me is very relaxing and it sounds very good on my system.The second piece that i like is by Albinoni (Adagio).One thing that i do not want is a piece that starts out very laid back and then builds to a fast pace and both of these have a pace that i like.With that in mind are there any suggestions for pieces that are similar.Thanks again.

You might like compositions by Resphigi.

jeckmartin-???????:scratch2:
Apparently English is the second language.

I am great fonder of music. I always live in music but I didn't remember any songs.
I love all songs singing by Jennifer Lopez , Shakira, Enrique, Ekon .

I am a great lover of music. I listen music a lot but I do not remember the names of the songs. I love the songs of Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Enrique, Ekon.

Infinitoid-I will probably at some point experiment with some more aggresive Classical if there is such a thing.

You want aggressive Classical? I've got it right here. Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No.6 in E minor. I recommend Sir Adrian Boult conducting the New Philharmonia (Angel/EMI).

As for your initial request, get this (http://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Williams-Fantasia-Strings-Grainger/dp/B000003CSO/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234497839&sr=1-36).

I think you'll like Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.

I'm just getting into classical myself. Been more of a
Pat Metheny, Blues or vintage rock kind of guy.

I'm liking Baroque best. Picked up great great download on HDTracks.com. Vivladi for Diverse Instruments. I'm finding I like most Vivaldi other than the "seasons" - I guess just cause I've heard them ad nauseum.

The Cello Concerto Merrylander suggested looks very interesting.

I don't like a lot of brass in my classical - at least not yet. Baroque is so calming. I remember reading that Baroque is perfect for relaxing as it has ~ 60 beats per minute which is close to our heart rate.

Some of my favorite music to relax to is classical organ works:

For ultimate relaxation, I recommend the work of Anton Heiller, (j/k)

Try Debussy for bedtime music. Very dreamlike.

www.beethoven.com When we are in our study we usually have this going over a Tivoli Model 2 with the subwoofer. Excellent sound. Got me hooked on classical about a year ago.

Like the man says "If it ain't baroque - fix it"

...Basically i am looking for something that is very laid back with some Cello or Violin and some Woodwinds....

Prior to Yo Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich was THE world-class cellist, for decades. He made many recordings as a cellist, and also as a conductor. This link includes a short mp3 file from one of his performances.

http://www.downloads.nl/results/mp3/1/Rostropovich