I want to get into Classical music. Where do I start?

soundmig said:
I find it interesting to listen to recordings of pieces with the instrumentation intended by the composer - played on period instruments. Sometimes we forget that these genius writers (or their employers) didn't always have gigantic symphonies available and (depending on the period) the instruments were not necessarily as advanced as some of today's refined tools. Reference Recordings has a beautiful recording of Copland's Appalachian Spring using the original score (smaller ensemble) recorded using a wonderful Bosendorfer piano that is really interesting to listen to. Telarc also has a recording of Bach Brandenburg Concerto's performed by the Boston Baroque Orchestra (playing period instruments) that gives interesting view into these very popular works. There are many other examples of such recordings and they are fun to seek out and enjoy.
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You just made me realize that I need to find this Brandenburg on original instruments in another format besides cassette!

Yes, great point, love this performance on original instruments.

I’m going to look for that Copland, thanks.

To the OP,

Find a great copy and enjoy!

630ED45C-7BD8-463D-B22A-D18CC53A7ED9.jpeg 9CC4338D-FAA1-4EBD-A7DD-20A146E3E7C0.jpeg

 
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stevo137 said:
Great option and you don’t need to buy anything!
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Hi Steve. That's true. It's a very cheap way of homing in on stuff that you are prepared to spend money on.

There's another aspect to classical that I don't think has been covered here. Classical has inspired many of our greatest rock bands, and a look at what Emerson Lake and Palmer (and others) have done with some of the classics is both entertaining and educational.

I like your point about the box sets. The quality of the RD and TimeLife sets is outstanding in terms of both content and manufacture. My own particular favourite comes up on fleabay occasionally; the Franklin Mint 100 greatest recordings of all time. I'd recommend getting a hold of that, bearing in mind you need 4 feet of very substantial shelf space to store the boxes.
 
KevinJS said:
Hi Steve. That's true. It's a very cheap way of homing in on stuff that you are prepared to spend money on.

There's another aspect to classical that I don't think has been covered here. Classical has inspired many of our greatest rock bands, and a look at what Emerson Lake and Palmer (and others) have done with some of the classics is both entertaining and educational.

I like your point about the box sets. The quality of the RD and TimeLife sets is outstanding in terms of both content and manufacture. My own particular favourite comes up on fleabay occasionally; the Franklin Mint 100 greatest recordings of all time. I'd recommend getting a hold of that, bearing in mind you need 4 feet of very substantial shelf space to store the boxes.
Click to expand...

Great points Kevin!
 
21st Vinyl said:
I've heard some beautiful Classical music recently (for example and from another thread: Duetto in D Major: I. Allegro" by Rolf Döhler). I've also been a fan of Debussy.

So, I'd like to start exploring Classical, just not sure where to start. I don't own any, but I'm open to picking up some vinyl or CDs. I guess my preference is vinyl.

Any suggestions?
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If you like Debussy, I would suggest few works by him:
- La Mer (recommended recording: Munch, Boston Symphony, RCA - on vinyl if possible)
- L'Apres Midi d'un Faun
- String Quartet
- Sonata for Flute, Harp and Viola

Debussy really influenced Stravinsky, so you might like his early works: Firebird, Petrushka, and the Rite of Spring (TRIGGER WARNING: this last piece is beginning of LOUD and DISSONANT modern music - created a riot and brawl when it premiered in Paris in 1913)

Ravel was another French impressionist. I like: Bolero, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, his orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, string quartet.

Shostakovich is amazing on a good stereo system. Epic symphonies include Nos. 5 and 8. His older Soviet comrade, Prokofiev, wrote some of my favourite music: Symphonies No. 1, 5, 6 (I love 2, but it is harsh and LOUD!); Lt. Kije Suite, Violin Concertos no. 1 and 2 (so beautiful!), Piano Sonata No. 7, Violin Sonata No. 1 in f minor, String Quartet No. 2, Romeo and Juliet.
 
If you want an entertaining but thought-provoking and concentration-demanding history of the anarchy that is Classical Music (in terms of composers trying and succeeding in destroying the rules of tonality), then Bernstein's Harvard lecture "The Unanswered Question", is a must-see.

 
Great information/reminders/suggestions...thanks to the OP for starting this thread.
Since all my LPs were stolen a while back, I have not made much progress on replacing the classical ones (maybe 300 of 1000?)...
Anyway, two things that haven't been mentioned before, for vinyl folks:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_Heritage_Society
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/musical-heritage-society-lp-quality.231994/
Also, AR sold a series of (mostly avante-gard?) classical LPs back in the 70s...couldn't find any links, but seem to recall they all came in black LP covers. Some of those were very interesting, some were excellent, many were, uh, too much for me. :)
Anyone else recall those?
Also came across a review of this recently, and may DL the flac 5.1 version to see if I can rekindle my love of depressing chamber music:
https://www.audite.de/en/product/CD/97734-dvoak_cello_concerto_klid_bloch_schelomo.html
See also Faure Op.45 and Bloch's Concerto Grosso
Ah...THAT one gets the blood going again - yay!
:)
 
Congratulations for starting this thread. You will of course get a wide range of suggestions that reflect the tastes and ideas of the respondents and will have to pick your way through them. You may be interested to go to the thread on "classical music" in this forum where I have just posted some background on how I became so involved in classical music.

I certainly agree with some of the suggestions offered above, especially starting with similarities to music you have already found you enjoy. For example, if you enjoy Debussy, then do a Google search to find YouTube recordings for other pieces by that composer, but also for Faure, Cesar Frank, Saint Saens and move on from there to say, Elgar, Scriabin, Gliere etc from which you will have expanded your interests considerably. This will not only give you an initial appreciation of these composers, but it will potentially lead you to the better performances and will cost you nothing to hear them. The danger of spending money to buy recordings when you are not too familiar with the works is that you may get fairly inferior versions (Naxos is the exception - mostly superb playing at very reasonable prices) or if you buy second hand, damaged pressings. Contrary to the advice of other, I would avoid the "compilations" designed as "introductions to great music" I find many of these pretty turgid!

I also agree that listening to Classical FM can be very rewarding, but you will only get what they decide to play and you may find much of it actually off-putting. For my tastes, even though wide ranging, a hour of Ligetti, Stockhausen or even later Bartok would have me looking for strong drink, if not escape!

Good listening and welcome to the most rewarding music you could ever imagine
 
alanl said:
Congratulations for starting this thread. You will of course get a wide range of suggestions that reflect the tastes and ideas of the respondents and will have to pick your way through them. You may be interested to go to the thread on "classical music" in this forum where I have just posted some background on how I became so involved in classical music.

I certainly agree with some of the suggestions offered above, especially starting with similarities to music you have already found you enjoy. For example, if you enjoy Debussy, then do a Google search to find YouTube recordings for other pieces by that composer, but also for Faure, Cesar Frank, Saint Saens and move on from there to say, Elgar, Scriabin, Gliere etc from which you will have expanded your interests considerably. This will not only give you an initial appreciation of these composers, but it will potentially lead you to the better performances and will cost you nothing to hear them. The danger of spending money to buy recordings when you are not too familiar with the works is that you may get fairly inferior versions (Naxos is the exception - mostly superb playing at very reasonable prices) or if you buy second hand, damaged pressings. Contrary to the advice of other, I would avoid the "compilations" designed as "introductions to great music" I find many of these pretty turgid!

I also agree that listening to Classical FM can be very rewarding, but you will only get what they decide to play and you may find much of it actually off-putting. For my tastes, even though wide ranging, a hour of Ligetti, Stockhausen or even later Bartok would have me looking for strong drink, if not escape!

Good listening and welcome to the most rewarding music you could ever imagine
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Well said, Alan.

But I can't leave well enough alone: late Bartok is pretty accessible (3rd Piano Concerto, Concerto for Orchestra, Viola Concerto, 6th string quartet, even the 2nd Violin Concerto - arguable the transition between middle and late periods - with its 12 tone second subject, is pretty darned exciting even to diatonic ears!). It's the middle period that drives many men to drink.
Totally agree that this music is VERY rewarding, even on multiple listens over a lifetime.
 
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