I’ve recently started listening to classical music and really enjoying it. Trouble is I know bugger all about it so looking for suggestions for composers / tunes I might like.

I think I prefer some of more dramatic, upbeat music with the brass instruments. Just listened to Holst’s Planets which has a bit of the above and I really enjoyed it.

Please share any recommendations that might fit the above description.

Radio 3 “In Tune” series.

Start with the greatest piece of classical music ever written:
Beethoven’s 9th symphony 2nd movement.

You might enjoy some of William Walton’s film music, such as the Spitfire Prelude and Fugue.

Remember that not all classical music is from hundreds of years ago. There are some cracking modern composers.

Anything by John Barry, Ludovico Einaudi, John Williams.

Stick on Classic FM or Radio 3 and see what you like.

Thanks guys just listened to Beethoven’s 9th symphony 2nd movement and it was great just what I was after. Checking out some of the other suggestions to.

It was Classic FM thats got me interested. I used to listen to Jon Holmes on XFM in the morning but Chris Moyles has taken over now and I can’t stand him. Started station hopping on the radio and found Classic FM who were playing theme tune to Indian Jones so I stayed on and been tuning every morning now as enjoy the music.

I asked almost an identical question here a year or so ago after listening to Holst, The Plantets.

For the big orchestra sound I would say for accessibility

Beethoven (5th or 9th symphony)
John Williams (Anything really, maybe a compilation)
Edvard Grieg (Peer Gynt Suite)
Jean Sibelius (Finlandia)
Johannes Brahms (Any symphony. I think he only did 4).

If you want loud upbeat classical music with lots of brass – Janacek, Sinfonietta.

Listen to Radio 3 too.

jekkyl – Member

Start with the greatest piece of classical music ever written:
Beethoven’s 9th 6th symphony 2nd movement from start to finish.

FTFY.

big and brassy – Janacek as above.
Folk based – Bartok (not as off-putting as you’d imagine).

I picked up the Planets from my dad many moons ago. And that was it for a while, then started to explore the composers mentioned as inspirations for ELP music – hence Bartok, Janacek, Copeland. See also Stravinsky.

Don’t rule out chamber music either. Above composers wrote some first class chamber stuff, happily admit being moved to tears by some (Janacek String Quartets case in point).

Apple Music may be able to help you.

Beethoven – 5th symphony, Piano concerto no5

Rachmaninov piano concerto no2

Mozart, clarinet concerto, Requiem

Stravinsky – the rite of spring

If you want to sit gobsmacked at the abilities of the human voice, listen to some 16th century Venetian choral music. Properly sung with boy trebles it’s simply breathtaking. Google Willaaerts, Giovanni Gabriel , Andrea Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi

then started to explore the composers mentioned as inspirations for ELP music

Yep, my early exposure to classical was through ELP and Nice (hence the Janacek). Then via Zappa to Stravinsky, Varese and Webern.

Anyone with a 20th Century brain should visit Shostakovich.

Bach – Brandenburg Concerto’s or “Toccata and Fugue in F”
Handel – “Zadok the Priest” “The Messiah”
Elgar – “Nimrod”
John Adams – “Short ride in a fast machine”

All Aaron Copeland;
Pictures at an exhibition – Mussorgsky;
Early vocal – Thomas Tallis

Have a listen Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas. Superb English Baroque opera.

Andrea Gabrieli, agree with this he invented quadraphonic sound (sort of).

Gorecki Symphony No 4 opening part http://www.deezer.com/album/12185294

Some of these will bring tears to your eyes, they are so beautiful:

Handel’s Zadok The Priest
The aria “Ombra Mai Fu” from Serse sung by Andreas Scholl. He’s a counter-tenor with a stunning voice. Yes, that’s a man singing!
Almost unknown Russian composer Alexander Glazunov’s Song of the Singers of Psalms from Tsar Ludeyskiy.
O Mio Babbino Caro sung by Kiri te Kanewa.
Mozart: Ave verum Corpus from the Mass in C Minor.
Chanson de Matin played by Nigel Kennedy – amazing.
Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.
Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from the opera Nabucco.

Just a few tasters to get you going. It helps if you look them up on Wiki to get an appreciation of why the piece was written. Zadok for example is all about flattery, sycophancy and egotism and it was written to impress at a time when electrical amplification was still a few centuries away.

A bit basic, but I like ‘Heavy Classics’ the compilation album of lots of the really upbeat stiff – Holst’s ‘Planets (Mars)’, Rider of the Valkyries, stuff like that.

I am not a connoisseur as I am sure you can tell 🙂

Elgar – “Nimrod”

Don’t just go for Nimrod, try all the Enigma variations.

I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Oh and Lieutenant Kijé by Prokofiev

Almost unknown Russian composer Alexander Glazunov’s

Almost unknown? Shirley not?

Oh for a more contemporary composer (i.e only just dead), try Steve Martland. Principia is brilliant (especially very loud).

Concerto for orchestra by Bartok 1955 Chicago symphony orchestra being the most famous version. 40 mins of fun

Mussorsgsky – Pictures in a Museum.

It’s the New Statesmen theme (if you’re old eniugh to remember). Good stuff.

Sibelius 5th Symphony.

Some useful advice from my grandmother, which I feel is worthwhile for anyone embarking on discovering classical music, especially on Radio 3.

I paraphrase her sage words……

When you hear the terms “premiere performance” and/or “conducted by the composer”, change channels. Fast.

She was a wise old owl.

theboyneeds – Member
Mussorsgsky – Pictures in a Museum.

[Pedant]

Pictures at an Exhibition

[/Pedant]

A good choice, however.

Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto, third movement. Always gets the blood going!

Have got more into chamber music as I get older. Now listening to some by Brahms but can’t stop thinking about Mrs Slocombe’s pussy.

Can never go wrong with Stravinsky’s Firebird in general but for the 3 minute single version skip direct to the finale… (I can’t find it now but there used to be a magnificent version on youtube, a very old, very distorted recording where the orchestra just brutalised the recording hardware, mics clipping all over… technically terrible of course but the sheer power of it was ridiculous, too much to trap on vinyl.

When you hear the terms “premiere performance” and/or “conducted by the composer”, change channels. Fast.

Nah. I’ve heard many a fine first performance and one of the best concerts I ever went to was Lutoslawski conducting his own works.

I think I prefer some of more dramatic, upbeat music with the brass instruments. Just listened to Holst’s Planets which has a bit of the above and I really enjoyed it.

And nobody has suggested this! For shame!
[video]http://youtu.be/AdIpoE2LEps[/video]

I like listening to film soundtracks sometimes.
Helps me zone out at work.
Phillip Glass’s “The Hours” is a particular favourite.
Some of Thomas Newman’s are good.

I like listening to film soundtracks sometimes.
Helps me zone out at work.
Phillip Glass’s “The Hours” is a particular favourite.
Some of Thomas Newman’s are good.

Rachmaninov was criticised for writing film scores. Glass’s soundtracks for Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi
are all worth checking out, as are the movies, although Koyaanisqatsi is my favourite of the three.
Not exactly dramatic and upbeat, though…

I never tire of Gorecki Symphony No. 3. AltHough it has a sad feel I love the way it builds and builds.

The Gorecki Symphony No 3 is glorious. New to me and its helping a very slow Thursday in the office.

“premiere performance” and/or “conducted by the composer”

bit harsh considering that would include the likes of Britten among others 🙂
See also Macmillan, Musgrave.

But sometimes, yes, I think think “they’re very brave…”

bit harsh considering that would include the likes of Britten among others
See also Macmillan, Musgrave.

Indeed. Not to mention Bernstein. He was quite good at both. Which remonds me – Prelude, Fugue and Riffs. A great little piece.

I’m a massive fan of Shostakovich.

Stick on Symphony No. 7. Then while listening to it, consider that the symphony was dedicated to the city of Leningrad, and that the first performance in Leningrad was during the siege in WW2. Since the Radio Orchestra barely existed anymore, musicians were put on extra rations and other musicians bused in from the frontline.

Then listen to Symphony No. 5 and consider that Shostakovich wrote this in retaliation to the threat hanging over him of being shipped off to the gulag.

Arvo Part, Fur Alina is a good starting place, but I like everything else too.
Max Richter is very good too, although both these artists are “modern classical”.

For older stuff try Albinoni, the Adagio in G is good if you get on with baroque, and if you find Part’s composition too gloomy.

Have you ventured into Opera yet?

Thats my preferred choice in a Classical vein..

Try a bit of Bruckner.

Nothing you can whistle, it’s all about the dynamics and the tension.
If you like ‘Marquee Moon’ by Television, you’ll probably like Bruckner.
The third symphony will give you an idea, try the seventh if you get it.

In the same vein, The Protecting Veil by John Tavener isn’t a foot tapper, but if you’re in the mood, it’ll blow the top off your head off.

There’s no right or wrong, just try a bit of everything and see what sticks.