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How to go about collecting Classical Music

At age 68 I’ve started to like Classical Music. It’s been mostly Jazz, Rock n Roll, and R&B up to now. I’m familiar with those genres, know their history, artists, and how to best and most economically acquire their recordings. Not so the Classical repertoire which covers a much longer time period and encompasses so many styles and forms.

What genres and/or periods of Classical music should I be exploring? I’m not looking for recommendations on particular composers or artists, only genres or periods. In Classical music there is orchestral music, chamber music, opera, church music and who knows what else to try out. Maybe you could advise me, if you wouldn’t mind, of some types to try? Or maybe you could recommend a book on the subject that would help a rookie get a start understanding what’s out there.

In buying classical music, for any one work, there may be innumerable recordings by various artists, orchestras and ensembles. How do you sort out which recordings you want in that respect. For example, I looked up Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring on Ebay last night to get some idea of pricing and what classical music available there. There were so many recordings of that work, I would have no idea how to sort out which would have been a good choice. Are there web sites where there are recommendations on which recordings are most exceptional? Or alternately, are there classical record labels you can rely on routinely to provide superior quality recordings? I’ve heard Deutsche Gramophone may be a reliable label for one, but that’s about it. Could you recommend any other labels to look for?

There seems to be a lot of Classical music in SACD format relative to Jazz or Rock n ’Roll. Is there some reason for that? Should SACD be the format of choice for purchasing Classical music, or is there good classical material in Redbook format to be found? I prefer to stay away from used vinyl due to condition issues, or new vinyl due to cost. I’m guessing the better dynamic range of CD’s lends itself to orchestral music. Is there any market for used classical SACD’s? Are there any sites you prefer to purchase your Classical CD’s, either new or used?

I grew up on Long Island. On one trip to midtown Manhattan I walked into an old church not too far from St. Patrick’s to view its’ magnificent stained glass window. Once inside I heard some equally magnificent classical organ being played. I discovered the church’s incredible organ was being played by some of New York City’s finest classical organists who would book time to practice on it. That large church was always deserted, and I went back many times for what amounted to free private concerts. I’d like to know what kind of music that was to try and replicate that experience to some degree at home, From what I’ve read here and elsewhere there surely is a plethora of other wonderful Classical music to explore and enjoy. Thanks in advance for any advice,

Mike






skyscraper
larryi
4,055 posts
 
While I think some of the guidelines offered above are helpful in making initial selections, they should not be treated as "rules." One of the best things about classical music and performances thereof is how wide open and varied are the possible choices. 

Should performances try to adhere to original interpretations (however that may be divined) and be played on original instruments?  I have many recordings that purport to be such "historically informed performances" and I do like some, but, I also appreciate performances that are decidedly not in that camp.  For one example, I would not rule out Glenn Gould piano performances of Bach keyboard pieces just because the piano had not yet been invented.  I even like some modern transcriptions, such as Bernstein's string orchestra version of Beethoven's late string quartets (No. 14 and 16, I believe). 
skyscraper OP
831 posts
 
Larryi, there seem to be so many permutations of classical music it’s going to take a while to sort them out. It doesn’t make sense to me though personally, to at first listen to music played on different, more familiar instruments than it was intended for, I do want to understand what a composer was composing in the context of his or her own time. I do want to hear and experience the strangeness of those instruments that Bach was actually composing for and listening to.

I like to immerse myself in the art of different cultures and time periods to try and get a feel for what they are, or were, like, independent of our own time and place. That’s really interesting to me. On the other hand I do like and prefer The Who’s take on Eddie Cochran’s "Summertime Blues" which is certainly far different than the original from the fifties. There’s something for everyone.

Mike


larryi
4,055 posts
 
I have no problem with taking the original instrument/historical performance approach.   But, for anything composed before the 19th century, this will not be easy.  For early opera and other vocal music, it would mean castrati singers (not many, for obvious reason, exist today).  For Bach, Haydn and Mozart, no conventional piano (harpsichord, or for late Mozart and Beethoven a fortepiano).  What many consider conventional instruments and practices is really a modern development and a rough consensus of how something should be played. I would guess that Beethoven, if given a choice, would prefer a modern Steinway or Bosendorfer piano over the fortepianos available in his day.
skyscraper OP
831 posts
 
Larryi, although it appears to me, there is a goodly sized pool of politicians to draw from who appear to meet the basic qualifications for being castrati singers, I do see what you mean. Maybe there are classical labels that specialize in period instrumentation. Anyone know of any labels like that, other sources, or ways to find that type of thing?

Mike
larryi
4,055 posts
 
You can do research on "historically informed performance."  I don't know if there are particular labels that specialize in this, certain performers, such as the conductors Nikolaus Hanoncourt, Trevor Pinnock, Phillippe Herreweghe, Christopher Hogwood, and John Eliot Gardiner are popular practitioners. 

There is another performer/composer that is particularly interesting and unique that I personally think is worth looking into--Jordi Savall.  He is a student of early music (medieval, renaissance and baroque) and a student of musical practices from a wide range of cultures (European, middle east, african) and has made some amazing recordings that include his own original compositions based on different periods and locales.  This is, not strictly speaking "authentic," but his music is based on his research and is so compelling I say "so what?"


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