interested in exploring classical

Someone on another thread recommended going to see live performances. I think this was a great recommendation. I think the physical presence of sound is an integral part of most music. One has to see a performance live to feel it.

Find a way to learn about the structure of music from a listening/theory standpoint. I recommend the Teaching Company website. They offer a superb series on various kinds of music (series dedicated to Mozart, opera, Beethoven etc.). You really can learn a great deal and begin to appreciate the skill and creativity behind classical music. Getting the Beethoven set and watching it changed my life---or at least it made me move Beethoven's symphony #3 up to the top of my list. BTW, I've been listening to classical music all my life and played piano and violin in an orchestra through HS and still I learned something. It will also expose you to a whole gamut of composers and you may find yourself gravitating to one or another composer or period (Haydn, Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky etc.).

Or: start with Mozart piano sonatas, Beethoven symphony no. 3 (Furtwangler is good, sound is not so good). Bach Goldberg variations, Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 for an overview.

I ask the question: what periods in history and in what country interests you the most?Go for Mozart,Haydan(s) and then move on to Beethoven,Wagner,Bruckner in the 19th century.

Renaissance: Look for good choirs that do Palestrina,Byrd,Tallis,others. Also look for early music specialists such as The Tallis Scholars.They do it all.

Baroque: Again, period groups and better choirs. Bach, Handel,Vivaldi,Purcell to name a few.

After you zero in on the groups you like, look for other groups that are from the same philosophy.If you like Acadamy of Ancient music you will probably like The English Consort, and Concentious Musicas Vein.

good luck and have fun.

e

Cheapest and quickest is your local library.
You could also check out the BBC Radio 3, they also give an excellent insight into classical music.
You do not need to know about music to understand music.
I mean if you like looking at the moon and planets through a telescope do you really need to know the workings of a rocket ship from NASA?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/

If you have itunes then click on 'radio' and then 'classical'
you will be greeted by quite a few (70+) classical radio stations, that should keep you entertained with listening.
Happy hunting.

The easiest of all is Pandora on your computer. Just type in a composer and it will find anything that it thinks is similar. and it is free

e