Hello!

[Zizekian]

Thanks for the suggestion, Cato! I will add the Hartmann album you recommended to my Emusic queue.

You have so much music to explore! Shostakovich wrote 15 symphonies, 6 concerti, and 15 SQs. Not to mention all of the other works he composed like The Golden Age and the operas Lady Macbeth and The Nose. Also, which Bernstein 5th do you own? The '59 or '79 performance? I vastly prefer the '79 Live in Japan performance. It's also better recorded and live, which gives a special energy. There are many great 5th performances though.

For Bartok, I would definitely try his ballets The Miraculous Mandarin and The Wooden Prince. Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, the violin and piano concerti, Hungarian Sketches, Bluebeard's Castle, Dance Suite, and Divertimento are all worth exploring as well.

Prokofiev's output contains many gems. He wrote 7 symphonies, probably around 8 concerti, numerous ballets (a true highlight of his output IMHO), 6 operas, Alexander Nevsky, Scythian Suite, among other works for orchestra, chamber, and solo instrumental.

By the way, do you like Stravinsky, Ravel, or Debussy? Checkout these composers ASAP if you haven't already!

The Bernstein album I own is the '59 one, I think. I have Lady Macbeth but I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I would love to hear The Nose because I am familiar with the original Gogol story.

I really enjoy The Wooden Prince and Hungarian Sketches from Bartok, but I haven't listened to the other works from him you mentioned. With regard to Prokofiev, I've listened to several of the symphonies but I don't own any of them and have not been able to relisten.

I haven't heard much at all from Ravel, and the only Debussy I've heard is La Mer. I have listened to Firebird and Rites of Spring, but my copy is a generic discount box set with poor sound and performances. I can't really say I've heard Stravinsky because I think the cheap copy prevented me from really hearing it.

Part of me seems overwhelmed with how much music I still want to and need to hear, but I like the idea of so much territory I have left to explore!

[Mirror Image]

Part of me seems overwhelmed with how much music I still want to and need to hear, but I like the idea of so much territory I have left to explore!

That's one thing about classical music that I experienced first-hand when I began seriously listening three years ago, but, in this overwhelmed state of mind, I was able to find which composers I liked and what I wanted to explore. One thing I did, and continue to do, is research and study. I've become incredibly passionate about this music. I've also done a lot of comparisons of the same works, which, for me, helped me realize what I look for in a performance of a given work. Everybody told me that classical was a vast field to get into, but the more I got into it, the more I began to disagree. It only seems like a large field at first, but the easiest thing for me to do is find the composers whose music I could relate to and get something out of. I don't like Baroque, Classical, or the early Romantic Eras, so this was easy for me to avoid. I instantly gravitated towards late-Romanticism and 20th Century music because of the harmonies, melodies, and rhythms. The rhythmic aspect of 20th Century music was something that attracted me almost instantly. Now granted, I do like a few works from earlier eras, but there aren't many.

[bhodges]

Hi Eric, and welcome to GMG. Another fan of all the composers you mention. You've already received more suggestions than you can possibly handle, so just continue exploring. The best part is how much fun you have ahead of you. 

--Bruce

[Papy Oli]

Hello and welcome !!! 

[TheGSMoeller]

Greetings, and welcome!

If you enjoy luscious melodies and 20th Century music, then give Poulenc a try, his chamber output is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. And his choral work is some of the most original of his time.
It's also fascinating to hear his transition in style from the early 1930s and on when he became more involved in religion and began composing more sacred music.

Cheers!

[Zizekian]

Based on recommendations, I bought the following items from Emusic tonight:

Prokofiev: The Symphonies (London Symphony Orchestra)
Ravel: Works for Solo Piano (Complete) (Louis Lortie)
Hartmann: The Symphonies 1-6 (I. Metzmacher)

These should keep me busy for a little while, I think! I also added some Poulenc, Bach, and Mozart to my queue...I tried to buy them tonight also, but I've reached Emusic's monthly download limit again.

[eyeresist]

Hi Zizekian,

In addition to the composers mentioned so far, you should also check out the symphonies of Vaughan Williams. I recommend the Previn box overall, but Handley is also very good. (You should probably put off listening to the 1st symphony for a while, though.)

[Karl Henning]

... (You should probably put off listening to the [ RVW ] 1st symphony for a while, though.)

Not necessarily.  If he's a fan of Big Choral rep (as some few of us are), that's the one of the nine to which he might take most readily.

[Szykneij]

Welcome, Eric!

You just might be our only member from Maine, my second-favorite state. Are you a WBQW (WBACH) listener?

[Zizekian]

Eyeresist: I haven't listened to Williams, but I will check out his symphonies soon. Thanks!

Welcome, Eric!

You just might be our only member from Maine, my second-favorite state. Are you a WBQW (WBACH) listener?

Maine as a whole is nice, but I live all the way in the northernmost part of the state, near the Canadian border. There isn't much to like up here...we don't even have a bookstore in the area! I would love to listen to WBACH, but unfortunately it doesn't reach this far north. I have plenty of country music and 80s rock stations to choose from, though. 

[Karl Henning]

Man, you must be farther from Boston than is New York! : )

[Opus106]

I would love to listen to WBACH, but unfortunately it doesn't reach this far north. I have plenty of country music and 80s rock stations to choose from, though. 

Hey, check them out on the internetz! (I'm not sure where I'd be on my journey in discovering all this music if it wasn't for also-streaming-on-the-web stations. )

Welcome to GMG.

[Brian]

Maine as a whole is nice, but I live all the way in the northernmost part of the state, near the Canadian border. There isn't much to like up here...we don't even have a bookstore in the area! I would love to listen to WBACH, but unfortunately it doesn't reach this far north. I have plenty of country music and 80s rock stations to choose from, though. 

Surely you at least have Tim Hortons?

[Zizekian]

Surely you at least have Tim Hortons?

There is a Tim Horton's nearby! I guess it could be worse...

Hey, check them out on the internetz! (I'm not sure where I'd be on my journey in discovering all this music if it wasn't for also-streaming-on-the-web stations. )

That's a good idea! I use Pandora but it would be nice to change it up a bit.

[eyeresist]

Not necessarily.  If he's a fan of Big Choral rep (as some few of us are), that's the one of the nine to which he might take most readily.

Well, I noted in his OP there was nothing to indicate that, hence my qualification.

[Karl Henning]

Good eye, 'resist!