A beginner's guide to Classical Music

A big thank you to the contributors to this thread, particularly tones for starting it. I, like many others, have always enjoyed the occasional blast of classical, and, when I had a high end valve/horn/turntable setup, I bought quite a few pieces.
Marriage, and a descent into a more domestically acceptable AV setup reduced my music listening, and decimated the percentage that was classical. I enjoyed symphonic stuff, and mid range hifi really doesn't do justice to the dynamic envelope. More recently, I have upgraded to much better kit, re-igniting my enjoyment of all types of music.
However, classical still remained something of a closed book. I just didn't know what to buy, and found classical music departments somewhat daunting, everone seemed so serious.
So it was a joy to see a thread which gave simple, and understandable entry recommendations. And not too many of them either!
I had looked at the Gramophone Guide, but their suggested core repertoire runs to well over 200 pieces!
I also valued the suggestions of specific recordings, as the music can be unenegaging if you pick the wrong version.
For this, I did find the Gramophone guide to be a useful reference.
So I went out and bought a few discs, both via mdt and at HMV, and I really couldn't be happier.
It's early days, but I do feel you have helped me find a way in to music which I will treasure going forward.
It's all symphonic at the moment, but I'll move on to chamber next.
For those who are in a similar position, and those interested, the current purchases are:
Saint Saens 3rd Symphony - CSO Barenboim
Dvorak 7 & 9 Symphonies - Wiener Phil Kubelik
Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony - RPO Gatti (I already had 4, 6 and some Ballet)
Holst The Planets - Orchestra of Montreal Dutoit
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Cleveland Orchestra Knussen
Beethoven 1-9 - Wand

My second batch, which I have yet to listen to are
Orff Carmina Burana - Jochum
Schubert 3.5 & 6 Symphonies - RPO Beecham
Rimsky Korsakov Scheherazade - Kirov Gergiev

I also already had a couple of Rachmaninov, Symphonic Dances and Piano Concertos 1&2

It's all great, and not difficult listening
Thanks very much once again

BTW, any suggestions for String Quartets etc

 

Given what you are liking so far, I'd recommend this disc

The Tchaikovsky and Borodin quartets are lovely romantic pieces, not too heavy but excellent tunes and lovingly played. The Shostakovich piece is modern and more difficult, but it will give you a flavour of this composer and maybe help you decide if you want to explore further. But if you don't like it, its only 18 mins on a disc of over 75 mins, and if you don't like the two other quartets on it then you'd better see a doctor

 

I second that recommendation - I have that exact disc. I've never been a big fan of string quartets but the Borodin is just sublime.

Michael.

 

Schubert.

 

...specifically, of course, No. 14 Death And The Maiden, if I may be so presumptuous. There are plenty of other good things elsewhere in Schubert's quartets, but there aren't any others AFAIK so accessible and yet so rewarding. The last quartet (No. 15, G major) in particular is terrific but rather heavy going.

The standard Romantic string quartet recommendation for "beginners" must surely be a CD of DATM and Dvorak's American, both of which are absolutely essential listening and not at all "difficult".

 

Have been dabling with classical for a couple of months and very much enjoying the journey. After talking with a chap at work He presented me with half a dozen brand new CD's from a series called classical masterpieces that he did not want. These are compilations from Hey Presto. Got home and excitedly loaded the opera CD. I was shocked by the abysmal recording quality. No wonder he didnt want them. Next day i asked if he had played any and he said not and asked me if i had enjoyed them. Time for diplomatic reply and i said there would be an excellent tool for hearing samples and selecting full recordings off anything i like.

 

Most classical sampler discs are 'performer-proof', i.e. you can easily enjoy the composers' musical creations without being distracted by any flawed musicianship on the part of the performers.

However, with opera sampler or compilation discs, especially those issued from a young label with no roster of famous singers in its stable, a lot of things can go wrong.

IME listening to these discs is like being serenaded by nameless ghouls in the dark.

Best avoid your entry into the wonderful world of opera via this route.

 

Interesting advice for serious listening; here in United Kingdom we have "Classic FM" (Note- does DAB radio reach overseas?)...but annoyingly they only play the first movement, or the finale - I liken this to viewing a quarter of a famous painting - (when I want to see the whole thing)....I guess it's a commercial descision.

Incidently can anyone add "Historical notes" for very often there is a Political angle to classical works - usually the patron was celibrating "this or that" so the work reflects some "theme" - we have become used to hearing it and taking the music at the sound-level...yet there are other aspects which could influence our appreciation.
FOR Example
There was an era in Britain when the Kings were German -they spoke no english and would employ German composers - hence most of the music was foreign to the Country where it was performed. It also explains why there were few "English" composers at that time -there was no sponsorship.
Of course there was "Folk" music, but this tends to be unofficial and only written down years later after it has become "anon" -hence the authorship is lost and links (or historic influences) are almost impossible to make...

... and rarely would it involve a full orchestra.

Just a different angle, to consider.

Thanks...

 

Harry, during the period of the Hanoverian kings George I and II (they came to the throne because the last of the Stuarts, Queen Anne, left no descendants), London was actually the musical capital of the world. This was nothing to do with the kings but because it was the first place to have music for a paying public, as opposed to the traditional outlets of court and church. As a result, it attracted top talent from the Continent. Handel was the major import, but Josef Haydn also liked London and was sorry to leave (he wrote the tune of what is now the German national anthem because he was so impressed by "God save the king"!).

The problem wasn't that there weren't good English composers during the period, there were - William Boyce and Thomas "Rule Britannia" Arne for example - but that they weren't a good as Handel (well, apart from Bach and Telemann, who was?). Moreover, the fashion in music was for Italian opera (people tend to forget that something like one-third of Handel's output was such operas - when they went out of fashion, he was in dire straights, until he discovered oratorio).

On the subject of political music, people also forget that Handel's famous "See the conqu'ring hero come" from "Judas Maccabeus" was written in praise of the King's brother, the Duke of Cumberland, who has just butchered the unfortunate Scots at Culloden. The attempt by the Stuarts in the guise of Bonnie Prince Charlie to recover the British throne gave the Hanoverians a nasty shock.

 

More introspective than No.14, not sure I'd agree with "heavy going"

ps

Is this a record for a late reply?

 

Is there a timescale of all the great composers showing when they were alive, when they composed and highlighting the key styles in each 'period'