Classical Music for newbies!

[Meshugger]

Well, recently listened to Gustav Holst's 'The Planets', conducted by Tadajiro Iimori, and i had a smaller revelation. No wonder that most music (especially metal and movie soundtracks) is influenced from this incredible piece of art. For me, it was like a whole new world has opened to me, call it maturity or the walls of ignorance beeing crushed, but it is really a sublime experience.

 

Now, i came to like the 'bombastic' (is that even a word?) undertone to the whole 'The Planets' composition, and i would like to find something alike, atleast to start with. From there, i would like to continue to expand my horizon into different types of sub-genres that exists.

 

At the moment, i am thinking about some Wagner, i recon that 'The flight of the Valkyries' in Apocalypse Now! was his composition, and maybe Mozart's 'Requiem'. The problem is, is that there are hundreds of different versions out there conducted under different orchestras. Anyone with some experience care to recommend any particular piece? It would be really appreciated.

[Monte Carlo]

I'm not an expert, just a layman who likes classical music.

 

So I won't say "try this, try that."

 

What I will say is that classical music is such a ridiculously large genre that you might think about what you like and why (which, with Holst, you're well on the way to doing). Holst is a fairly modern 'classical' composer. I like Pachebel and Vivaldi, find Wagner just a bit too hysterically muscular but love Mozart and Beethoven. OTOH, I find Russian classical music a bit too funereal.

 

And all of these composers span a massive swathe of history. The Renaissance to the turn of the 19th century.

 

My advice is to buy a classical compilation CD or two (they invariably cost pennies) of the classics and use it as a bit of a tasting course, like you'd get in an up-market restaurant. Use that as a recce to see where your taste takes you.

 

Enjoy, because I'm sure you will!

 

Cheers

MC

[Pidesco]

First, I'd like to echo MC's post. Do that.

 

Also, if your looking for bombastic stuff, do a search for "Dies Irae" or "Requiem" on youtube, and you might find some stuff you'd like. Verdi's and Mozart's are particularly famous. Personnally, I have a special liking for Berlioz's Dies Irae, from the Fantastical Symphony. Anyway, everyone and their mother has done a Requiem, including your own Sibelius, so you just have to pick and choose.

[samm]

Wagner did a lot of this bombastic stuff. Me doesn't like this I prefer the detailed, more subtle tones in classical music, but as the previous posters said: Buy a compliation, or better yet: Go to your local classical CD store (assuming there is indeed such a thing where you live), take your time and listen. You'll begin to notice that it's not only the piece but also the interpretation that makes a huge difference.

[Moatilliatta]

OTOH, I find Russian classical music a bit too funereal.

Tchaikovsky as well? What do you even mean by funeral?

 

 

I personally find most (if not all) of those classical music collections absolutely awful, but I guess that they are in general well suited to finding composers that you like.

 

How much of The Planets did you listen to?

 

Edit: Tchaikovsky can be rather "bombastic" by the way.

 

Edit2: Emphasized can.

Edited July 20, 2008 by Moatilliatta

[Meshugger]

OTOH, I find Russian classical music a bit too funereal.

Tchaikovsky as well? What do you even mean by funeral?

 

 

I personally find most (if not all) of those classical music collections absolutely awful, but I guess that they are in general well suited to finding composers that you like.

 

How much of The Planets did you listen to?

 

Edit: Tchaikovsky can be rather "bombastic" by the way.

 

Edit2: Emphasized can.

 

I listened through the whole thing, it's on youtube after all. Judgning from the comments, I understand why many would choose "Jupiter" as their favourite. Mine however, is definately "Mars: The Bringer of War". Very cold, almost non-human rythm and with an incredible climax half-way through, Holst really knew what he was doing when he wanted to describe the epithome of war, IMO.

 

For the rest who replied, i have some difficulties on which compilation to pick, since there are like 5000 different compilations out there, and several are almost indentical. Is there a notable difference to be found there? Like the venue, orchestra, etc?

[Moatilliatta]

I listened through the whole thing, it's on youtube after all. Judgning from the comments, I understand why many would choose "Jupiter" as their favourite. Mine however, is definately "Mars: The Bringer of War". Very cold, almost non-human rythm and with an incredible climax half-way through, Holst really knew what he was doing when he wanted to describe the epithome of war, IMO.

I had an inkling that you preffered mars. There are probably people who prefer Jupiter but I highly doubt that most people do as that is a very personal thing, I'm not too fond of it myself.

For the rest who replied, i have some difficulties on which compilation to pick, since there are like 5000 different compilations out there, and several are almost indentical. Is there a notable difference to be found there? Like the venue, orchestra, etc?

There are always differences and the differences are always important, but you're new to classical music and should start out small by finding something you like. Flip a coin.

 

fall in love first geek out later.

 

That's how I did it at least.

[SteveThaiBinh]

This is a great time of year to discover classical music, as the BBC Proms have just started. For those who don't know, the Proms is a series of concerts most nights for the next two months or so, all broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and all available to listen to again for the following 7 days. I notice tomorrow night (Monday) there's Saint-Saen's organ symphony, which has the odd moment of bombast.

 

Holst's Mars is interesting because it seems to depict the horrors of mechanised warfare of World War One, but was written before the war began. If you liked his depiction of war through music, you should probably check out the two great 'war' symphonies of the twentieth century, Carl Nielsen's 5th. Symphony and Dmitri Shostakovich's 7th. Symphony. I'd also strongly recommend Nielsen's 4th. Symphony because it's probably my favourite piece of music ever.

[Star Monkey]

Classical music is broken up in periods such as baroque, classical, romantic, early 20th century etc. Very difficult to recommend when you don't know what period you prefer, but here's some you should try:

 

 

-Saint-saens/ Danse Macabre.

-Grieg/ Pier Gynt Suites 1 and 2; piano concerto

-Borodin/ Symphony no.2

-Dvorak/ Slavonic Dances

-Mahler/ Symphony no.4

-Mozart/ Symphonyno.41

-Debussy/ La Mer; Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune

-Tchaikovsky/ Piano Concerto no.1

-Prokofiev/ Romeo and Juliet suite 1-3

-Sibelius/ Finlandia Overture(He never wrote a requiem BTW)

-Rimsky-Korsakov/ Scheherazade, Capricco Espagnol

-Vivaldi/ 4 Seasons

Edited July 21, 2008 by Star Monkey

[Musopticon?]

Classical music is broken up in periods such as baroque, classical, romantic, early 20th century etc. Very difficult to recommend when you don't know what period you prefer, but here's some you should try:

 

-Grieg/ Peer G

Edited July 21, 2008 by Musopticon?

[Meshugger]

Classical music is broken up in periods such as baroque, classical, romantic, early 20th century etc. Very difficult to recommend when you don't know what period you prefer, but here's some you should try:

 

 

-Saint-saens/ Danse Macabre.

-Grieg/ Pier Gynt Suites 1 and 2; piano concerto

-Borodin/ Symphony no.2

-Dvorak/ Slavonic Dances

-Mahler/ Symphony no.4

-Mozart/ Symphonyno.41

-Debussy/ La Mer; Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune

-Tchaikovsky/ Piano Concerto no.1

-Prokofiev/ Romeo and Juliet suite 1-3

-Sibelius/ Finlandia Overture(He never wrote a requiem BTW)

-Rimsky-Korsakov/ Scheherazade, Capricco Espagnol

-Vivaldi/ 4 Seasons

 

Arigato gozaimasu!

[Walsingham]

If you like classical with bags of energy you can do a lot worse than Verdi. My favourite opera is Nabucco. I recommend a German performance. For some reason they do Verdi better than any Italians.

 

I recommend Verdi because it is truly possible to enjoy a whole opera at one sitting, unlike others.

[random n00b]

Yes, Verdi is indeed awesome.

 

Seriously though, great thread. Some of the pieces mentioned I knew, most I didn't. I'm going to have a lot of listening to do!

[Pidesco]

Classical music is broken up in periods such as baroque, classical, romantic, early 20th century etc. Very difficult to recommend when you don't know what period you prefer, but here's some you should try:

 

 

-Saint-saens/ Danse Macabre.

-Grieg/ Pier Gynt Suites 1 and 2; piano concerto

-Borodin/ Symphony no.2

-Dvorak/ Slavonic Dances

-Mahler/ Symphony no.4

-Mozart/ Symphonyno.41

-Debussy/ La Mer; Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune

-Tchaikovsky/ Piano Concerto no.1

-Prokofiev/ Romeo and Juliet suite 1-3

-Sibelius/ Finlandia Overture(He never wrote a requiem BTW)

-Rimsky-Korsakov/ Scheherazade, Capricco Espagnol

-Vivaldi/ 4 Seasons

 

 

I was under the impression the Lemmink

[Walsingham]

Yes, Verdi is indeed awesome.

 

Seriously though, great thread. Some of the pieces mentioned I knew, most I didn't. I'm going to have a lot of listening to do!

 

True. This is the piece I was referring to. But the whole opera is superb, as I say. (Well, most of it. It is an opera after all.)

 

I am also going to have to look up those bits and bobs on Napster.

[Star Monkey]

name='Pidesco' date='Jul 21 2008, 10:22 AM' post='872355'

 

I was under the impression the Lemmink

[Meshugger]

Update: I went to my grandparents today and look what i found, Dvorak's 9th Symphony. Too bad it was an LP-record and i don't an LP-player at home

 

Anyhoo, i did some searching (again, thank you Youtube) and found many recommending Von Karajan's intepretations of the Beethoven symphonies, and i have to admit i really like them; Very passionate and dramatic. Apparantly, there's a recording of symponies 1-9 to be found somewhere. I can personally highly recommend it.

[Oerwinde]

I went through a classical phase where I established a decent collection of CDs. I got Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Holst's the Planets, Beethoven's symphonies(4 disc set), and Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung (7 disc set).

[Rosbjerg]

I have to mention Claude Debussy - he uses pianos alot! but it's amazing stuff.

 

When anyone mentions Tchaikovsky I can't help thinking of the Monty Python sketch

[Walsingham]

I've been re-listening to Lucia di Lammermoor. I hated it a few years ago, but it's grown on me.

[Shryke]

i've always been fond of Vivaldi's Four Seasons

[Tel Aviv]

Everything I know about classical music comes from Eternal Sonata. That said, Fantaisie-Impromptu kicks so much arse that it's my ring tone.

[Jaesun]

Krzysztof Penderecki is my favorite classical composer. Pure. Brilliance.

[Walsingham]

Krzysztof Penderecki is my favorite classical composer. Pure. Brilliance.

 

Took this advice, and am listening to the Te Deum. Bloody sinister. Should use in a movie if not already.

[Rosbjerg]

his music was used in The Shining I believe..