Bonjour

[AndanteCantabile]

Bonjour, tout le monde!

Being new to this forum, I just wanted to introduce myself. I am not, as you might think from the above greeting, French, but I love the language (and some of the music, as it so happens). My musical tastes center mostly on the Romantic Era. Favorite composers include:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (not because of The Nutcracker...)
Felix Mendelssohn (Hebrides Overture, anyone?)
Frédéric Chopin
Johannes Brahms
Camille Saint-Saëns
Antonín Dvořák

From other eras:

Sergei Rachmaninov
Francis Poulenc
Ludwig van Beethoven (Late String Quartets FTW!)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Johann Sebastian Bach

Eh bien, c'est tout! I'm not what you'd call widely experienced in much of the repertoire, so any listening suggestions that folks have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[TheGSMoeller]

Welcome, AndanteCantabile.
Lots of friendly people here with loads of info and knowledge, I think you'll enjoy it.
And a big "Hooray!" for Poulenc. 

[Mirror Image]

Welcome aboard! Bienvenu à bord! 

Since you asked for some suggestions regarding composers, I can only tell you a few of my favorites and see if you'll enjoy their music: Ravel, Bartok, Vaughan Williams, Villa-Lobos, Koechlin, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Bruckner, Debussy, Janacek, Berg, Martinu, Milhaud, Shostakovich, Myaskovsky, Prokofiev, Pärt, Lindberg, John Adams, among others. Are you familiar with any of these composer's music? If not, I'd be happy to suggest a few works by each to help get you started.

[Hollywood]

Greetings from Vienna, Austria! Welcome to the forum. 

[Wanderer]

Welcome! 

[DieNacht]

Hi !

Felix Mendelssohn (Hebrides Overture, anyone?)

yes, a great piece indeed, one of his best works, especially when performed so that it really evokes nature, with the waves and bird-calls ...

[AndanteCantabile]

Welcome aboard! Bienvenu à bord! 

Since you asked for some suggestions regarding composers, I can only tell you a few of my favorites and see if you'll enjoy their music: Ravel, Bartok, Vaughan Williams, Villa-Lobos, Koechlin, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Bruckner, Debussy, Janacek, Berg, Martinu, Milhaud, Shostakovich, Myaskovsky, Prokofiev, Pärt, Lindberg, John Adams, among others. Are you familiar with any of these composer's music? If not, I'd be happy to suggest a few works by each to help get you started.

I know superficially some of those composers. For example, I've heard the Ravel G Major Concerto, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and many of the Debussy preludes, but the rest are all but unknown to me. So I would love to hear your favorites from any or all of these composers.

I am Omar and i am a new member here. Don't know much about classical music but want to know, can anyone suggest me a good song to listen for the first time?

Well, as a first piece, you could do worse than the Rachmaninov Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18. Also popular is the 3rd Concerto, Op. 30.
Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3 "avec Orgue," Op. 78 is also an enduringly popular piece.

[karlhenning]

Well, as a first piece, you could do worse than the Rachmaninov Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18. Also popular is the 3rd Concerto, Op. 30.
Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3 "avec Orgue," Op. 78 is also an enduringly popular piece.

They're all mighty fine.  And bienvenu!

[bhodges]

Bonjour, AndanteCantabile, and welcome to GMG! Since you mention Tchaikovsky right off the bat, you might want to investigate (if you haven't already) some of the symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons. The performances are quite stirring and the sound quality on Chandos is terrific.

In any case, welcome.

[asin]B000000AID[/asin]

--Bruce

[Brahmsian]

Welcome to GMG!!

[SonicMan46]

Welcome to the GMG Forum!

Those composers look quite familiar so you should have plenty of information here and also looking forward to your contributions.

Like the avatar - a pic below from a favorite North Carolina mountain resort that we often visit - that one a couple of years ago - 

[AndanteCantabile]

Bonjour, AndanteCantabile, and welcome to GMG! Since you mention Tchaikovsky right off the bat, you might want to investigate (if you haven't already) some of the symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons. The performances are quite stirring and the sound quality on Chandos is terrific.

In any case, welcome.

[asin]B000000AID[/asin]

--Bruce

Thanks for the recommendation, Bruce. I have little doubt that the Jansons set with the Oslo PO will be my next Tchaikovsky box. I have recently been enjoying Rostropovich's slightly nonstandard, but all the same delightful interpretations, especially on the early symphonies. He doesn't blast through the fourth like Mravinsky does. He simply lets the brass have at it in the finale and doesn't rush through things.
[asin]B00151HZ38[/asin]

[Opus106]

Hi, AndanteCantabile! Welcome aboard. Make sure that you bookmark this very useful list of GMG threads for composers. That'll give you a good idea of whom we've been talking about since this board began, and it'll probably be fun to just browse when no one is around to talk.

[Mirror Image]

I know superficially some of those composers. For example, I've heard the Ravel G Major Concerto, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and many of the Debussy preludes, but the rest are all but unknown to me. So I would love to hear your favorites from any or all of these composers.

Excellent, I'll give you a little short list of some of my favorites by each of the composers I mentioned in my initial post...

Ravel:

Daphnis et Chloe (the complete ballet --- NOT the suites)
Piano Concerto in G
Piano Concerto for the left-hand
Ma Mere L'oye (complete ballet)
L'Enfant et les Sortileges
Piano Trio
Sheherazade

Bartok:

The Wooden Prince (complete ballet)
Piano Concerto No. 2
Violin Concerto No. 2
The Miraculous Mandarin (complete ballet)
Bluebeard's Castle
Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta
Divertimento for Strings
Hungarian Sketches
Two Portraits
Dance Suite
Profana Cantata

Vaughan Williams:

Symphonies Nos. 3-6 & 8
The Lark Ascending
Job: A Masque for Dancing
Partita for Strings
Flos campi

Villa-Lobos:

Choros Nos. 6, 8-10, 11
Bachianas Brasileiras Nos. 2-4, 7, 8
Forest of the Amazon
Genesis
Erosao
Uirapuru
Discovery of Brazil Suites Nos. 1-4
Symphonies Nos. 2-4, 6, 10
Ruda
Dancas caracteristicas africanas
Fantasia for Soprano saxophone and Orchestra
Guitar Concerto

Koechlin:

Vers la Voûte étoilée
Le Docteur Fabricius
The Jungle Book (complete cycle)
Le buisson ardent Parts I & II
Chant funebre a la memoire des jeunes femmes defuntes

Sibelius:

Symphonies 2, 4, 6, 7
Tapiola
Pohjola's Daughter
The Oceanides
Luonnotar
Kullervo
Lemminkainen Suite

Stravinsky:

The Rite of Spring
Petrushka
Dumbarton Oaks
Apollo
Jeu de cartes
Pulcinella
Orpheus
Mass
Agon
Violin Concerto
Le Chant du Rossignol
Symphony in C
Symphony in Three Movements
Symphony of Psalms

Bruckner:

Symphonies Nos. 4-9

Debussy:

La Mer
Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
Images for Orchestra
Children's Corner (orchestral version)
Danses sacrée et profane
La Boite a joujoux (orchestral)
Nocturnes

Janacek:

Glagolitic Mass
Sinfonietta
Taras Bulba
String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters"

Berg:

Violin Concerto
Lulu Suite
Wozzeck
Three Pieces for Orchestra
Der Wein
Seven Early Songs

Martinu:

Symphonies 4-6
Parables
Double Concerto
Estampes
Piano Concertos (all of them are worth knowing)
Czech Rhapsody
Spectre's Bride
The Greek Passion
Epic of Gilgamesh
Le Raid merveilleux
La Revue de cuisine
Sinfonietta la Jolla

Milhaud:

All symphonies
Harp Concerto
Le creation du monde
Piano Concerto No. 5

Shostakovich:

Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, 5, 7-11
The Golden Age (complete ballet)
Violin Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 1
Jazz Suites Nos. 1 & 2

Myaskovsky:

Symphonies Nos. 20-27
Violin Concerto
Sinfonietta

Prokofiev:

Symphonies Nos. 4-7
Violin Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 3
Romeo & Juliet (complete ballet)
Scythian Suite
Alexander Nevsky
Lieutenant Kije
Dreams
Andante
Prodigal Son (complete ballet)
Semyon Kotko (orchestral suite)

Pärt:

Cantus in Memoriam of Benjamin Britten
Tabula Rasa
Te Deum
Miserere
Litany
Symphony No. 3

Lindberg:

Graffiti
Violin Concerto
Seht die Sonne
Clarinet Concerto
Kraft
Sculpture
Concerto for Orchestra

Adams:

Harmonielehre
Naive & Sentimental Music
Violin Concerto
Century Rolls
Dr. Atomic Symphony
Shaker Loops (string orchestra version)
Lollapalooza
Harmonium
Dharma at Big Sur

[mc ukrneal]

Welcome! So many recommendations already made for you! As to Tchaikovsky, there are a number of lesser known pieces that are also excellent:


There are also a number of good piano discs if you are interested.

[Mirror Image]

I wonder if this member will come back? I haven't seen them around. Let's hope he/she does. I really think many great conversations will happen.

[AndanteCantabile]

I wonder if this member will come back? I haven't seen them around. Let's hope he/she does. I really think many great conversations will happen.

I'm back! I'm listening to Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7 and actually quite enjoying it. Do you have a suggestion on a "next step" with Prokofiev?

[Brahmsian]

I'm back! I'm listening to Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7 and actually quite enjoying it. Do you have a suggestion on a "next step" with Prokofiev?

What have you listened to thus far for Prokofiev?  If you haven't checked out the ballets, definitely do.  Start off with Romeo & Juliet and Cinderella.  Try Symphonies # 1 and # 4.  Some of the opera suites too (any of them) are great.  The Piano Concerti, or his violin sonatas.

There are many other recommendations others will give, so I thought I'd just start off with these.   

[Opus106]

Try Symphonies # 1 and # 4.

And No. 5. I've been getting into that one, lately.

[Brahmsian]

And No. 5. I've been getting into that one, lately.

Oh yes, I should have mentioned that one.  My favorite after # 1 and # 4.   

Good call, Nav!