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Beginners Classical Recommendations

Oh I just think you need to listen to Radio 3 and keep experimenting with piles of cheap cds from the charity shop. I found that I liked religious choral music along with many other things by different composers

Keep listening and make a note of what you like. This leads you onto other things. Make a note of the announcement or scrolling RDS information.

Compilation cds are great especially at 3 for a £1 :) Yes some are a bit "pop classics" but what the heck if there are a few gems on there

If you like an organ symphony from St Saens, it will lead you to pick up more from the same composer or other organ works.

Build up your own set of likes, then its easier to fine tune things with specific recommendations on PFM

Set the streamer to random and give it plenty of time.
 
Gerard124 said:
Jack, any specific composer you recommend for the Bach?
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Performers? Conductor?

I like the old English Concert Brandenburgs, and the new Dunedin Consort on Linn is good too! Or the English Chamber Orchestra.

La Petite Band's recent Orchestral Suites is good.

Violin Concertos - Arthur Grumiaux for me. I like his solo and accompanied sonatas and partitas too - all at mid-price on Philips.

If you want to start a row we can discuss the Cello Suites...But I think Tortelier is one of the most even-handed versions I've heard, even though I probably overall prefer Isserlis, with the likes of Wispelwey doing different things...Many versions, many views...
 
Now you're venturing into deep water, due to the works of composers being interpreted differently by different conductors, using different orchestras, often accompanying different soloists. I have four versions of The Four Seasons, and Elgar's Cello Concerto, all slightly different.
Did you like The Lark Ascending, BTW? It's one of my own long-time favourites, and also has several alternative recordings.
Try the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th, another great piece, and Barber's Adagio for strings. Or The Pearl Fishers Duet, sung by Jussi Bjorling and Robert Merrill.
 
Minstrel SE said:
Oh I just think you need to listen to Radio 3 and keep experimenting with piles of cheap cds from the charity shop. I found that I liked religious choral music along with many other things by different composers

Keep listening and make a note of what you like. This leads you onto other things. Make a note of the announcement or scrolling RDS information.

Compilation cds are great especially at 3 for a £1 :) Yes some are a bit "pop classics" but what the heck if there are a few gems on there

If you like an organ symphony from St Saens, it will lead you to pick up more from the same composer or other organ works.

Build up your own set of likes, then its easier to fine tune things with specific recommendations on PFM

Set the streamer to random and give it plenty of time.
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Agree with that.

The first two bits of 'classical' that 'grabbed' me were the first movement of the New World (Dvorak) and the Chopin Polonaise in A (Orchestral version), both of which I heard in school.

I tend to pick up vinyl from the charity shops, although there's no reason it couldn't be CD. For 50p you are into 'Keep it if I like it,.. give it back for resale if I don't', territory.

Heard a few tunes on Classic FM which got me interested, only to find that a far better performance of said tune was available.. which was nice...

It's like any music. Hear something.. like it. investigate.. buy it.. learn.. buy other stuff.

Mull
 
The Bach 48 and Beethoven piano sonatas is classical music in a nutshell (or two box sets).
Personally, my favourites are Gilbert and Brendel's first Phillips set respectively.

For pure pleasure, the Bach cello suites. Fournier first, others include Maisky, Wispelwey, Lipkind, Tunnicliffe, du Pre.

Currently listening to Haydn String Quartet No 27 Op 20/4 from the Angeles set (17cd).

There's a lifetime of music out there. The BBC recommended is a good place to start.
 
Just to join in the fun:
Sviatoslav Richter's 48 is the most convincing IMHO (though I love Gould's too).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000026OHN/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
(£12, wow, I paid £40+ for it when I got it)
Kempf Mono Beethoven on DG for a complete set. (Everytime I hear a "bad" performance of Beethoven on the radio it turns out to be Brendel -- let the battle commence ;-) )
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000012XC/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
(When re-released the Beeb went wild over this on their Sat review show)

You might also find Building a Library interesting:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tmtz
 
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Cuyahoga said:
Aaahh, but with The Well-Tempered Clavier do you go for piano or harpsichord?
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Piano in my case, it's my guilty pleasure <grin>. Andras Schiff is the one I usually turn to.

I'd probably start with the Goldberg Variation, or the English or French suites.

At some point I'd recommend the B Minor Mass or St Matthew Passion. Maybe not the easiest of works for a newcomer, but two of the greatest (if not _the_ greatest) pieces of music ever written.
 
Cuyahoga said:
Aaahh, but with The Well-Tempered Clavier do you go for piano or harpsichord?

Another can of worms there ;)
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Both. The joy of this music is that there are so many approaches to it, none of which are right or wrong relative to another, and the choice goes with your mood at the time. I once went trekking for a month with a Walkman and Gilbert, nothing else, enjoyed it more every day. So I might have a favourite, but it is unfair to compare versions. Only the best pianists play or record it, many avoid it, and it becomes a personal testament in a way.
 
I found Howard Goodalls History of Music book very interesting & would recommend it as a good beginners guide.
I tend to prefer simpler music, Bach's cello suites, Vivaldi, Brandenburg concertos, over the more heavily orchestrated "full on" stuff from the likes of Mahler or Wagner, although I'm always open to expanding my range.
 
Stunsworth said:
Piano in my case, it's my guilty pleasure <grin>. Andras Schiff is the one I usually turn to.

I'd probably start with the Goldberg Variation, or the English or French suites.

At some point I'd recommend the B Minor Mass or St Matthew Passion. Maybe not the easiest of works for a newcomer, but two of the greatest (if not _the_ greatest) pieces of music ever written.
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I went for both, to cover all the bases.

Agree on starting with Goldbergs (I like Schiff in those) or English Suites (Murray Perahia FTW!) before heading into the 48.
 
Stunsworth said:
At some point I'd recommend the B Minor Mass or St Matthew Passion. Maybe not the easiest of works for a newcomer, but two of the greatest (if not _the_ greatest) pieces of music ever written.
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Agreed on Matthew's Passion -- im(notvery)ho the greatest work of art.
Am listening to Vaughan-Williams conducting at the moment -- the sound of another world...

I'm afraid I can't agree on Schiff. If you want something a bit more full-blooded try Sokolov:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009LRJ9EQ/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Cuyahoga said:
And another can of worms...

Which completion do you go for?

Sussmayer? Levin? Or what?

It can get very tricky making "beginner's recommendations".
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To be honest my advice to someone coming new to classical music would be not to worry about things like that. Just listen to a recording, any recording, and build up your likes and dislikes. S

imilarly I wouldn't worry too much about the performers, listen to the music. Regardless of what critics say there aren't too many terrible interpretations out there. Get a feel for what you like and let the other pieces fall into place later.
 
Agree. In the end it is tunes. (And not in the Linn sense)

Lots of tunes joined up and mixed together.

You get stuff in the sleeve notes about this bit being a 'dream sequence' and this bit being 'rather autumnal' etc.

Thing is, do you like it?

Does it 'move' you?

You can worry about the pretentious bollox later and if you agree with that too, well fine.

Mull.
 
Stunsworth said:
To be honest my advice to someone coming new to classical music would be not to worry about things like that. Just listen to a recording, any recording, and build up your likes and dislikes. S



imilarly I wouldn't worry too much about the performers, listen to the music. Regardless of what critics say there aren't too many terrible interpretations out there. Get a feel for what you like and let the other pieces fall into place later.
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Exactly this. I can't imagine that a beginner to classical music needs to worry about the finer nuances of interpretation. Try some things out, listen to R3 not classic FM, get Spotify or Tidal and explore a bit. Read a book or two on it, usually R3 starts repeating the proms about now. I'll pop some suggestions on from Tony's shop, try to avoid getting sick in the innate snobbery that some people have about classical music. Anyone who's made a CD is pretty damn good to be honest.
 
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