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Classical music - starting points

Various posts in a number of threads, most recently "Audiophiles who refuse to listen to classical" suggest there are a number of people who are looking to find a way to get into classical music. I thought it might be worthwhile if some of us who have found a way, even stumbled into one perhaps, could give some advice. If possible we might try to recall what first hooked us on classical music, identify the piece and, if relevant the performance, and describe what grabbed our attention.

I hope that others will use this as a guide to pick an approach which fits their musical tastes.

I'll start with three critical pieces for me.

Beethoven's 7th Symphony, Second Movement, Bruno Walter conductor. This was 11th grade, and quite simply the first time I was ever moved by a piece of classical music. I was caught up in the force, the drama, the inevitability of the music.

Mozart Symphony 35, George Szell conductor. I think this was as a sophomore in college. The sheer energy, the exuberance and speed of the piece had me putting it on repeat in a manner previously reserved for the Beatles.

Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Fritz Reiner conductor (my current favorite version). The color and shattering power of the orchestra. I bought into CDs early and for a while my favorite track was The Great Gate at Kiev, the last portion of Pictures, from a demo disk that came with my player. I'm surprised I wasn't thrown out of my apartment.

While my tastes have broadened since then, each of these three works still remains a favorite.
jgreenwood
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Beemerrider, Solti's 1st, suggested by Rushton is a good place to start. It's in print and its a budget CD. If you can't find it Kubelik is another budget disc I'd recommend that is in print.

If you want to try #6, Zander on Telarc is a fine place to start and the CD, at regular price, comes with an additional disc of commentary by Zander about the symphony which you should find valuable.

All of Zander's Telarc disc's come with the commentary disc and they are all top drawer interpertations and performances which are well recorded. Also Telarc sells each symphony set at 'one disc' prices even though the set may have 2 or 3 disc's. And, for the audio nuts amoungst us I think some are hi-res format as well. I like Zander's performances a lot. Just a great way to get an intro to Mahler. He hasn't done the 1st yet (nor the 2d 7, and 8) but I'm waiting.

Rushton, Re multiple performances of Mahler. Just for fun I just counted my CD's of Mahler. Over 160. No wonder I'm broke! But, they really are all different from each other performance wise and interpertively. I'm often like a mule between haystacks. But, I've got a few favorites........:-)
beemerrider
63 posts
 
Thanks, guys. I've pretty much always liked Solti so I think I will head in that direction.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Sibelius is a much better composer than Mahler, but I'm sure a youngster raised on rock would prefer Mahler.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,305 posts
 
"Peter and the Wolf" was a childhood favorite of mine ( the old Bernstein NY phil. recording on Columbia Masterworks). "The Moldau" by Smetana followed. My older sister had these records and I had none, so I got to listen only to those they had already at first.

So much music for most to choose from these days. Classical is a hard sell for most. Both my kids have some degree of interest in classical music among others as well I like to think from hearing dear old dad play it all at one point or another, among other things. My daughter is into her third year of playing violin with the Middle School Orchestra and seems to be coming into her own there as well.

Leroy Anderson is where I would recommend for many to start first. So many short, catchy and immediately recognizable contemporary classical compositions there, including stuff you hear every CHristmas.

Many ways to go from there. bach, Mozart, Tchiakovsky, BEethoven, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, maybe even Mahler and Stravinsky for some classical music with an edge. Hard to say.

Dance music maybe? Strauss waltzes, Czech Marches, Tchaikovsky Ballet music? Sousa marches maybe? More people are probably likely to relate to music that one can dance or perform to.
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