School me on Classical Music

beed84

I've been meaning to explore classical music properly for a while now, but because there is such a wealth of it, and also because the famous composers have a bounty of compositions to their name, I really don't know where to start.  Although I have heard some famous pieces from Beethoven and Mozart for example, my knowledge is very limited and I could do with a beginners guide.

Anyone got any good suggestions?

DulcetJones

I would suggest exploring anything from from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Vivaldi for a while at first.  Bach and Vivaldi have some music that features classical guitar.  I think if you look up "Best of Bach" and "Best of" albums by all of these composers you will get a list of what is considered by many to be their best works.  You will probably recognize several of the pieces from these albums.

Fuzzdog

I'm quite partial to a bit of Sibelius, personally - his stuff is generally quite accessible for new classical listeners as well, with quite 'hooky' melodies which tend to repeat and evolve.  It's almost rock and roll, just without the rock and missing the roll.

DulcetJones

This is kinda freaky, about an hour after posting the above "Best of Bach" thing I went to my Youtube page and what do you know, in the "recommended for you" section is "The Best of Bach" plus several other prominent classical composers.  I have never once searched for or watched a video there by any classical composer.  Paranoid?  maybe.....

xSkarloey

You could do worse than listen to Classic FM to get a broad idea. They're quite good at playing extended works in the evening. If you hear a tune you like, Spotify's your friend for chasing up other works by the same composer.

Megii

I'd suggest buying a helpful book - maybe the Rough Guide to Classical Music, or something like that. Useful to get some background knowledge and also such a book will list the major works for each composer. Just gives you a base to work from if you like - somewhere to start from. And then with the internet, and Youtube, it should be possible to get a feel for the music, and perhaps invest in CDs of things you find yourself being drawn to.

beed84

Thanks guys, I'll work on those suggestions.  I should probably have mentioned that I've been playing classical guitar for a year (not that it's completely relevant) and wanted to broaden my knowledge on the style of music I'm playing.  At the moment, bar a few exceptions, I'm mostly familiar with the stuff I'm playing.  But yes, Classic Fm, Best Ofs, and a classical music guide seem like logical solutions to me problem.

DulcetJones

Here's a fun take, I don't know this guitarist but his rendition of Bach's Bourree is a good representation and has no ads.  Watch it and then watch the Jethro Tull video and see what happens at the 1:28 mark.  Genuis.  

beed84

That would be Per Olov Kindgren.  He's a great player!  I love his version of Pachelbel's Canon in D.

I quite enjoyed that Jethro Tull performance. Certainly different to the original!

ICBM

I would also suggest browsing some charity shops and buying pretty much all the classical music CDs. You typically get them for £1-£2 each, and although most of it will be things like the "Great Composers" series which is all the big names, these are all popular for a reason - and you'll probably find some more interesting stuff you've never even heard of.

If you're going to do this more than a couple of times, make a note of what you've bought and carry it with you, or you'll end up buying the same stuff over and over . (I did!)

Bucket

I realise this is totally subjective, but for pure listening pleasure I would suggest listening to later stuff - 19th and 20th century. I find it so much more interesting and enjoyable to listen to than earlier composers. I like Mozart and Beethoven, but stuff like Bach generally does very little for me. Debussy, Chopin, Grieg etc. are more my thing.

These more recent composers weren't as tied down by rules and forms, and were far more open to experimentation, so the ideas were in free flow and some of the stuff that resulted was just wonderful. They were also moving away from working to briefs, as was common in the 16th and 17th century, so they were able to write more for themselves. I think the music sounds far more sincere as a result.

Debussy's my fave.

I know this is a clichéd piece now, it's heard all the time, everyone knows it and a lot of people are probably sick of hearing it, but this is still one of the best pieces of music ever written as far as I'm concerned. There's not a single way it could be better.

richardhomer

Mozart's Clarinet Concerto is one of the most beautiful pieces of music you will ever hear.

robinbowes

I think @bucket called it right - just like "rock" or "popular" music, there are many flavours of "classical" music and you may not like it all. Not only that, but your taste may vary with your mood. I love all of the music I list below, but on any given day, I might not feel like a particular piece.

Anyway, here are a few of my favourites:

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Flute Concerto in D minor Wq..22 - James Galway (f.)

Mozart - La Nozze Di Figaro, Overture (don't know who this is, but it's a great version)

Mozart - Symphony No. 40 - Sir Charles Mackerras
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathétique" - Sviatoslav Richter

Beethoven - Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 - Karlos Kleiber

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - Norrington

Brahms - Violin Concerto - David Oistrakh

Tchaikovsky - String Quartet No. 1 - Borodin Quartet

Sibelius - Symphony No. 5 - from the proms 2014

Debussy - La Mer, Nocturnes, etc. - Pierre Boulez

Elgar - Cello Concerto - Jacqueline du Pré

Ralph Vaughan WIlliams - Symphony No.2 "A London Symphony"

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 6 - Sir Adrian Boult

Shostakovich - Symphony No. 10 - Gergiev

Shostakovich - String Quartet No.8 - Borodin Quartet

R.

beed84

^ Thanks for the further recommendations.  A non-threatening bunch of tunes that I'll soon work through.  Much appreciated!

Phil_aka_Pip

'Classical' music is often sub-categorised into 'eras'. Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc.

Renaissance = 1450-1600, Baroque = 1600-1750, Classical = 1750-1800, Romantic 1800+ I'm sure wikipaedia will have more accurate definitions

It's not strictly true that you will like one particular era, but I have to say that I lurve the Renaissance and the Baroque, I can tolerate the Classical in small doses, and to be honest don't really like anything later.

Grunfeld

I started listening to classical music about six years ago because my classical nerdy gf was totally into it so I wanted to see if I could get into it too. 

I listen to Radio 3 and classic fm, and as per what @Skarloey said, I Spotify anything that I want to listen to again. 

It took a while but classical music has grown on me.  I've spent the afternoon listening to stuff I love and it's got to the point now where I know what I like about some performances better than others.  Which is cool because at first I had no idea -- pretty much like my gf who would not have heard the real difference between say Thin Lizzy or Metallica doing "Whiskey In The Jar" or what have you.  All it takes is familiarity with the music, and a bit of time to let it seep in.

EDIT:  just listening again tonight to Maxim Vengerov playing Saint-Saens, "Intro and Rondo Capriccioso" -- every time I hear something new.  Love this piece!

Nomad

Bucket said:

I know this is a clichéd piece now, it's heard all the time, everyone knows it and a lot of people are probably sick of hearing it, but this is still one of the best pieces of music ever written as far as I'm concerned. There's not a single way it could be better.

I like it on the harp...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evI-sCxYM3Y

robinbowes

Grunfeld said:

EDIT:  just listening again tonight to Maxim Vengerov playing Saint-Saens, "Intro and Rondo Capriccioso" -- every time I hear something new.  Love this piece!

Vengerov is a great player - one of the current best alive, IHMO.

R.

Nomad

This tune led to me getting a piano...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXMVkQ70I88

Basically broken chords all the way through - quite easy to play once the notes are worked out, and a lovely progression.

Last time I was trying this one, I was able to do about the first 10 bars...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk

robinbowes

Both lovely pieces. I can just about play the same as you, with big pauses.

viz

robinbowes said:

Grunfeld said:

EDIT:  just listening again tonight to Maxim Vengerov playing Saint-Saens, "Intro and Rondo Capriccioso" -- every time I hear something new.  Love this piece!

Vengerov is a great player - one of the current best alive, IHMO.

R.

And is a lovely bloke, and gives AMAZING masterclasses which you can find on ewe-chewb. He helps students not by telling them how to move their fingers but how to understand the composer's intent and translate that into the performance. Well worth watching even if you're not into classical music per se.