New to classical music: advice please

[Guest]

Hi! I am very new to classical music and have only started listening to Radio 3 in the last week. I wondered if anyone could recommend a list of cds that I could start my collection with please?

I want to get a broad introduction to the genre and would also like to hear of any books that would be of use to me.

Thanks for this wonderful forum by the way! :)

John

[french frank]

Hello, John - and welcome .

The range of classical music is huge (it must be bewildering to start off with). There's big orchestral stuff, small ensemble chamber music (string quartets &c), choral, medieval to modern - and you'll find you like some things more than others. If you're listening to Radio 3, the best thing is to decide which works or composers you like and buy something like that.

On the whole the big names get played most: Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Beethoven, Schumann and so on. Not always 100% accurate, and not as good coverage of classical music than of pop, but Wikipedia is somewhere to start to find out what each composer particularly 'specialised' in. And there's Youtube where you can listen/watch and check whether something appeals. I started out with Teach Yourself Classical Music - a bit of research will save you money!

(Btw, we don't allow links in signatures - sorry)

[Three]

Hi! Thanks for the advice and sorry about my signature. Apologies.

[umslopogaas]

Hi Three, I am sure I and many other posters will be delighted to offer suggestions for CDs, but can you give us a few clues about the music that has particularly taken your fancy? For example, any particular composer, type of music (symphonic, chamber, instrumental, opera, songs, electronic), or period (eg, baroque, romantic, twentieth century)?

Others may dispute this, but in my experience, its always worth buying secondhand, since CDs dont wear out. I have bought several hundred secondhand over the years and never had a dud. Of course, it does mean that you have to choose from what the dealers have in stock, but if you're just starting out and have a wide range of interests, you can always find something to buy. I have bought most of mine from Ben's Collectors Records in Guildford (Tunsgate) and Fine Records in Hove (George Street): both a long way from you, but worth a visit if you are ever in the south-east.

There are so many books, but two that are well worth having in my opinion are the Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music (mine is the 2010 edition, I dont know if there is a 2011 version) and the Rough Guide to Classical Music (which contains potted biographies of composers and also recommendations for recordings). If you are keen on opera, the Rough Guide to Opera is very good. The Penguin Guide is a bit pricy at £40, but it does contain an enormous amount of detailed information.

Some other books that I have enjoyed are:

Maestros, Masterpieces and Madness by Norman Lebrecht (Penguin, 2008) Opinionated, and I dont agree with all of it, but a good read.

Testimony: The Memoirs of Dimitri Shostakovich, as related to and edited by Solomon Volkov (Faber, 1987, first issued 1979). Highly controversial, but none the less worth reading for all that.

The Rest Is Noise by Alex Ross (Harper Perennial 2009). Very readable account of twentieth century classical music.

Books about individual composers in the Master Musician series, published by JM Dent. I've got the ones on Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Wagner. Bit dry, but very informative.

A series published by Phaidon on 20th century composers. I dont know how far they got, I've only got the one on Sibelius.

[Nick Armstrong]

I'd have two suggestions off the top of my head, I think.

For mainstream classical way in, I'd get hold of any or all of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos 17 - 23 inclusive (the Murray Perahia performances would be a good place to start - just put 'perahia mozart' into the amazon search box).

But I'd also commend the piece that first made me 'get' classical music - Shostakovich's last symphony from 1972, the 15th. Sounds daunting but just have a listen to the first movement. This was the performance that 'did it' for me, v good value indeed here: http://www.cdwow.com/CD/eugene-orman...o-15/dp/773837 I found the first movement funny and exciting; and the last movement incredibly beautiful, especially the last few minutes. Made me realise what an orchestra can do. (There's a Shostakovich piano sonata filling up the disc too).

Happy listening!!!

[johnb]

John (aka Three),

My advice would be to ignore all the suggestions. Listen to Radio 3 and, when you hear some pieces that really interest you, start exploring around those pieces. Say works by the same composers, by composers writing in similar styles, etc, and slowly expand.

Musical tastes are very personal indeed and change and develop over time, so what I might think is a good idea might leave you stone cold.

Many people advise newcomers to start with such a list as that French Frank gave but I totally disagree! It's not for nothing that Clive Gillinson (one time Musical Director of the LSO) used to say that the LSO had more return visits from people whose first concert was a Shostakovich symphony than for any other composer.

I also disagree that Shostakovich's 15 symphony is a good start. I love the work but it is very much a valedictory statement from a great composer who knew death was quickly approaching and it isn't at all typical of his work. His Symphony No 5 is reputed to be the most often performed twentieth century symphony.

But, although it's fine to have a listen to some of the music other people like or think that you might like - explore and find what interests you.

Once you find a composer, etc who you want to explore you always investigate further using something Spotify, which is free if you don't mind the adverts between tracks.

[DracoM]

Totally agree with johnb.
BUT
ask yourself: what turns me on? is it rich orchestral going flat out, big tunes, driving rhythms, intense melancholy of a brooding nature, high-spirited fizz? Etc etc etc.
I raise this because classical music has so many faces for as many moods as you like, and as jhnb says, what YOU want can only be sussed by YOU listening and ticking the like box.

Here are a random series of suggestions FWTAW:

If it is rich orchestral, then try Sibelius: the symphones are generally short, have mystery and a huge variety of moods and tones.
If you like infectious rhythms, then try Bernstein /
If you like intriguingly languid but subtle and big orchestral, try Ravel
If you like high-spirited, beautifully crafted with a variety of moods, try Mozart late synphonies.

And voice? And religious music? Small scale instrumental? See what I mean......and as FF was saying above - the field is massive, but......

The thrill is that now, ou're into a whole new ball game.

[MrGongGong]

I would listen to as much as possible
and completely ignore anyone who says that certain composers are "difficult"

So (using Draco's system )

If you like big gestures : Xenakis, Messiaen
Delicate and beautiful moments: Crumb, Cage, Feldman
The feeling of time suspended : Reich , Adams
Small but intense : (espresso stylee) Bartok or Ligeti quartets


and the rest of the usual suspects

[amateur51]

Welcome Three! Glad you've found us & I hope that your stay is enjoyable, useful, informative and fun!

I agree about buying second-hand and amazon often has some startling offers in its pages. Umslopogaas mentioned some second-hand shops. There's a very useful one much nearer to you at Bishop's Castle called Yarborough House

http://www.yarboroughhouse.com/

They do masses of second-hand books, LPs and CDs and their stock turns over well, lots of new stuff most of the time. They do a good coffee and light meals/snacks too so you can make a half-day of it . Just make a note of their opening times as they're a bit idiosyncratic.

Once you've made some discoveries about your own tastes, do let us all know about them & the good folk here will be able to come up with 'next steps', I'm sure.

[amateur51]

I would listen to as much as possible
and completely ignore anyone who says that certain composers are "difficult"

So (using Draco's system )

If you like big gestures : Xenakis, Messiaen
Delicate and beautiful moments: Crumb, Cage, Feldman
The feeling of time suspended : Reich , Adams
Small but intense : (espresso stylee) Bartok or Ligeti quartets


and the rest of the usual suspects

That's a brilliant characterisation, MrGG!

[Chris Newman]

Hi Three,
welcome to the wonderful world of classical music. My advice is listen to the Proms which are currently on Radio 3 every evening and quite often televised on BBC4. If you live near London try to get to a few. For a fiver you can stand in the arena with the Promenaders. You have to queue but that becomes a social event in itself. Bon voyage

Best wishes
Chris.

[french frank]

Many people advise newcomers to start with such a list as that French Frank gave but I totally disagree!

Actually, my advice was what you've just said: "you'll find you like some things more than others. If you're listening to Radio 3, the best thing is to decide which works or composers you like and buy something like that."

I simply mentioned the big names that get played most often and are therefore hard to avoid. There are signs that Three might already be interested in Beethoven!

[Nick Armstrong]

...the LSO had more return visits from people whose first concert was a Shostakovich symphony than for any other composer.

I also disagree that Shostakovich's 15 symphony is a good start. I love the work but it is very much a valedictory statement from a great composer who knew death was quickly approaching and it isn't at all typical of his work. His Symphony No 5 is reputed to be the most often performed twentieth century symphony.

I agree it would be more obvious to start with the Fifth in terms of approaching things in a linear way.

But I have found (in several decades of getting people interested in classical music) that this is not always the most fruitful approach. Starting with 'late works' that are distillations of a composer's style, and often have a degree of subtlety, simplicity and beauty that is immediately moving and engaging, is in my experience a good way to go for the new explorer. Strauss's Four Last Songs, Mozart's Requiem and Schubert's String Quintet are other examples which immediately spring to mind.

[MrGongGong]

Absolutely Caliban

when people say they are interested in something they are often much more adventurous
someone who has mostly listened to and loved rock music will instantly "get" Xenakis (for example)
tentative approaches often fall flat

most people are used to hearing the sonic palette of Mahler in film music
so its hardly a shock to them !

[prokkyshosty]

Tchaikovsky. You already know a lot of the tunes (no matter who you are, you know 'em!), and you'll be able to sample what each of the major musical forms sound like -- symphonies, concertos, ballet music, sting quartets, chamber music, etc.