Hello Everyone

[Rhymenoceros]

I'm new to this forum and am glad to have discovered it.  I've only started listening to classical music seriously about 2 years ago.  I don't play any instruments and have never had any formal music training, but I know what I like.  I tend to focus on a particular composer for awhile and try to get familiar with their major works.  Right now, I'm going through a Russian phase where I'm interested in Shostakovich and Prokofiev.  Typically (at least starting out), I'm more interested in Romantic and earlier 20th century music.

I really like:
Bach
Beethoven
Brahms
Chopin
Rachmaninoff
Ravel
Shostakovich
Sibelius

I know nothing about:
Bartok
Bruckner
Dvorak
Mozart
Schubert
Schumann
Tchaikovsky

Could anyone suggest some good introductions to their works?  I mostly like music for solo piano, chamber music, and concerti.

[Brian]

They call me the hiphopapotamus, my lyrics are bottomless!

...welcome to the board, and a cool username.

Based on what you've said, I'll recommend a couple of Shosty/Prokofiev's stylistic "neighbors": Mieczyslaw Weinberg's piano quintet, and Alexander Tcherepnin's solo piano music. Delicious stuff!

And surely you know Shosty's 24 Preludes and Fugues, but if not, that's priority #1.

[Karl Henning]

Welcome from a fellow Bostonian!

[Lisztianwagner]

Welcome to the forum, I hope you will spend a great time here!
I can see we share many favourite composers, I really adore all those ones you mentioned; what about Wagner, Liszt and Mahler? If you like solo piano works, Liszt is perfect to listen to, absolutely brilliant, gorgeous music!

About some suggestions, I'll recommend Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1, Violin Concerto and Capriccio Italien, and Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra; about Mozart, the Piano Concertos.

Ilaria

[knight66]

Welcome: do try the Brahms piano pieces Op 117 and 118, Julius Katchen if you can find his now elderly discs. Although some years old, I don't know any other versionso poetic or that draws me in so consistently.

Mike

[North Star]

Welcome!

Here are some recommendations,
Bartok - The folk music transcriptions might help getting to grips with the other stuff, like the piano concertos, violin concerto no. 2, Rhapsody no. 2 for violin & orchestra, Concerto for Orchestra
Dvorak - Piano Quintet no. 2, string quartets (10-14), cello concerto
Mozart - Piano concertos 20-27, symphonies 40, 41, piano sonatas 10-16
Schubert - Piano sonatas (14, 16, 19-21), impromptus, three piano pieces, D.946, string quartets 14, 15, string quintet, piano trios, Arpeggione sonata, Fantaisie for violin & piano
Schumann - Kinderszenen, Carnaval, Piano concerto, Piano sonata no. 1, Fantaisie, violin sonatas
Tchaikovsky - Piano trio Op. 50, Symphonies 4, 5 & 6, and Manfred symphony.

[madaboutmahler]

Hello and welcome!
I hope you explore Mahler at some point!

As to some recommendations - Dvorak: Slavonic Dances (beautiful, perfect pieces, very special indeed!)/Serenade for Winds, Schubert: 9th symphony, Bruckner: 5th symphony, Schumann: 4th symphony/C Major Fantasie, Tchaikovsky: the last 3 symphonies/tone poems.

Good choices! Hope you enjoy GMG!
Best Wishes,
Daniel

[eyeresist]

Yo.

For Bruckner, Karajan's EMI recording of the 4th symphony is a standard recommendation.

[david johnson]

hi!    you have many hours of happy discovery ahead of you, makes me jealous.

[The new erato]

Welcome from a fellow Bostonian!

Ah; the Bostonians. I did actually read that once upon a time.

Anyhow; welcome.

[Hollywood]

Greetings from Beethoven's Heiligenstadt. Welcome to the forum.