Name the seminal piece that got you interested in classical music

[71 dB]

People who have heard Bach and don't like his music.

It's not that simple. It takes effort to an appreciate Bach. People don't expose themselves to hours and hours of what they think they don't like. That's why most people don't like that many styles of music.

Same holds true for classical music generally.  You are engaging in wishful thinking.

Yes, same holds. It takes an effort to appreciate classical music in general.

Wishful thinking? On the contrary. The treasures of classical music are wasted for most people because of ignorance and false beliefs. That is not wishful. It's sad.

If people showed such ignorance toward food, they would eat only chocolate, bananas and strawberries. All other food would suck for them. That's how crazy the situation is. Rice and bread are food for everybody, right? Ferdinand Ries is Rice. 

[Todd]

If people showed such ignorance toward food, they would eat only chocolate, bananas and strawberries. All other food would suck for them. That's how crazy the situation is. Rise and bread are food for everybody, right? Ferdinand Ries is Rise.

Yep, you definitely need to get out more.  (And it's rice, not rise.)

[MishaK]

Since my parents were musicians, classical music was always around me. But my earliest musical memory is probably them rehearsing Mozart's clarinet quintet in our living room. That left a deep impression.

[Karl Henning]

Cool, Misha.

[Johnll]

Back OT
I started with classical about age 40. I was a bit bored with my hippie daze records and rock in general. I started with jazz and classical on public radio mostly in the background. I never warmed up to jazz but some classical caught my attention and I would put down my book and turn it up to listen. I remember writing down "Maulher" Resurrection and was lucky to find the LP. I remember liking a "Showtowich" piece which was probably a SQ, but I was not paying attention when the radio guy announced it. About that time (1990) someone opened an all classical CD store in Indy, a medium size Midwestern city.  In the year he managed to stay in business he helped me to understand who Shostakovich was and what a SQ was and so on . He got me started in a way books never would.

[ibanezmonster]

Probably my first favorite piece of classical music was Peter and the Wolf, but I just didn't know it at the time. I was in 1st grade when we watched the animated version of it, and I remember the music being fascinating.

When I started getting into classical music for real, around the beginning of high school, I couldn't pinpoint exactly a specific piece that got me into it all, but there were a few really important ones. Mozart's Piano Sonata in A minor and Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto were the probably the two most important ones in this narrow stretch of time. It was more of a cumulative thing.

[classicalgeek]

The first piece I can remember that really left an impression was Schubert's 'Unfinished' Symphony, part of a cassette tape called 'Schubert's Greatest Hits' that I bought in 1985 at age ten.  If memory serves, it also included instrumental versions of 'Ave Maria' and 'Ständchen', the Moment Musical, op. 94 no. 3, and a number from 'Rosamunde'.  But it was the Symphony that spoke to me the most.  I remember getting a piano reduction of the score at the local public library and following along - a transforming experience at the time!  This led to the discovery of Chopin's piano music, followed by the Beethoven piano sonatas and symphonies, and the journey continues nearly 30 years later...

[Bogey]

Movie scores....Williams, Bernstein, Elfman, Horner, Goldsmith, Portman, Herrmann, etc.

[Mirror Image]

I believe the first classical work I heard was Ives' Central Park in the Dark with Bernstein/NY Philharmonic or it could have been Janacek's Sinfonietta with Mackerras/Vienna Philharmonic. Both of these works I heard when I was at least 8 or 9 years old.

[eyeresist]

I proselytized in my youth. Never worked. Never. I was just wasting my time.

A lot of people just aren't interested in music, or anything that might suggest they had a soul.


I don't think there was one piece that suddenly made me like classical music. I liked music generally since childhood, and enjoyed the classical music I was exposed to.

But if there was a tipping point, it was marked by this Pilz CD, which I listened to a lot while writing. It led to me scouring local bargain bins for more classical music - at that time there were a great many cheap CDs ($1-$3 each) which enabled me to expose myself to a large amount of repertoire for very little money. I still have great fondness for those old recordings.

[The new erato]

About that time (1990) someone opened an all classical CD store in Indy, a medium size Midwestern city.  In the year he managed to stay in business he helped me to understand who Shostakovich was and what a SQ was and so on . He got me started in a way books never would.

Ah music stores. We've lost a resourc that I'm afraid will transform the musical wold; at least in some regards for the worse; forever.

[Karl Henning]

Well, that could change again.  The face of retail is not etched in stone . . . .

[Bogey]

Actually, I find these underrated.  The Chopin and Haydn ones I have I enjoy very much.

[Sergeant Rock]

Nah, it's just that the general population is functionally retarded.

I've found no correlation between intelligence and what kind of music a person likes. Most of the folks I've tried, and failed, to convert are highly intelligent. My brother-in-law actually does have a severe learning disability and yet he loves classical music, enough to spend what little money he earns on tickets to the Ring cycle.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

I've found no correlation between intelligence and what kind of music a person likes.

QFT

[Marc]

Bach, Matthäus-Passion, thanks to my parents (who sang in a choir), when I was around 13 years old.

After that it took some time to appreciate other composers.
When I was 20, I saw a tv series about Schubert and I bought his Unvollendete. The rest, as they say, is history.

[Leon]

Bach, Matthäus-Passion, thanks to my parents (who sang in a choir), when I was around 13 years old.

After that it took some time to appreciate other composers.
When I was 20, I saw a tv series about Schubert and I bought his Unvollendete. The rest, as they say, is history.

I already posted that Stravinsky's Rite was one work that got me into classical music, but around the same time, a local church did the Mass in B Minor and that work sealed the deal. 

[71 dB]

I've found no correlation between intelligence and what kind of music a person likes. Most of the folks I've tried, and failed, to convert are highly intelligent. My brother-in-law actually does have a severe learning disability and yet he loves classical music, enough to spend what little money he earns on tickets to the Ring cycle.

Sarge

I agree with this. A person who finds the treasures of classical music is lucky rather than intelligent. This is because music is mostly an emotional thing for us. However, an intelligent person may find the fugues of J. S. Bach more interesting than a person with lower intelligence.

[Todd]

The face of retail is not etched in stone . . . .

What makes you say that, Mr Roebuck?

[Leon]

Well, that could change again.  The face of retail is not etched in stone . . . .

I doubt stores selling new CDs will rise from the ashes of their business model.  But, I do think used CD stores offer a place for people to both buy and sell CDs, as well sometimes a service to download and create their own CD (like is done at FYE) - all fully licensed by the rights holders.