Heavy Metaller needs some class ical .

I also just started listening to classical music (the only thing that I really listened to in the past were piano concertos, because I like piano). AVGuy makes a good suggestion in that you look into motion picture soundtracks as I seem to enjoy many of these more than our straight classical CD's. Curiously enough I have not seen any of the movies, but do enjoy the soundtracks. I don't know if this is good or bad but I like John Williams stuff "Angela's Ashees" for example and find his sound more contemporary. AVGuy mentions Rossini which is one of my favorite straight classical composers and I will also add Berloiz as well. Since you are coming from a R&R background you can also have a little fun with it and pick up orchestrated music by such writers/producers as John Cale/Brian Eno "Words for the Dying" and something that is fairly recent by Iggy Pop "Avenue B". Another favorite, right now, is "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky performed ny the Montreal Symphony on London.

I'll take back "Iggy" it's mostly French cafe music and is just orchestrated at the start (listening to it now while consious:-).

Good suggestions, gentlemen. When I started getting weaned from acid rock into classical, I started with tone poems like the Mussorgsky (I'd add the Levi/Atlanta Symphony version on Telarc), Sheherezade (Reiner and the Chicago SO on RCA) and Respighi's Roman Trilogy of the Pines of Rome, Fountains of Rome and Roman Festivals. I found it interesting to tie the music to a picture or story. In this vein, I'd also suggest shorter pieces, like on Mephisto and Company on Reference Recordings (Night on Bald Mountain, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Danse Macabre) and Copland's Appalachian Spring (might as well go for the Reference Recordings new version, which has the Fanfare for the Common Man and, when you get more adventurous, Symphony No. 3). I found that I gravitated more to the Russian composers at first, as they had a "power music" like in rock that I found exciting. You might want to give these pieces and recordings a try; heck, check your local library, they may have them available for you to borrow so you don't spend money on a piece you don't like. I think you'll enjoy them.

funny how so many of us started with russian composers. the first classical record i ever purchased was tschaikovsky's 1st piano concerto with van cliburn. i still enjoy the "war horses" fom grieg, mussoursky, stravinsky, et al. an excellent "starter classical cd" that has lots of short flashy pieces is "kaleidoscope" on mercury living presence (434 352-2). and, you can usually find it discounted.

Excellent suggestions here and some I will have to try myself. This list would not be complete without Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," (which was used on the air assault scene in "Apocalypse Now.") Rowdy orchestral music for sure. I would also second the Rossini. It is the only orchestral music I ever witnessed my 12-year-old daughter bob her head to. She usually just ducks down in my truck from embarrassment as I tend to "air baton" most of the orchestral music I play and am familiar with. I think I'm pretty good, she doesn't appreciate me at all. [:)]

Charlie