A Newbie's Favorites

[MagicMark]

I've only been listening to classical music for about a week. So far, these are my favorites from the Rise of the Masters album:

Mozart
Piano Concerto Number 21, C Major
Symphony Number 40, G Minor

Beethoven
Egmont, Op 84
Symphony Number 5, C Minor
Symphony Number 7, A Major

Debussy
Dances for Harps & Strings

Schubert
Trio Number 2, E-Flat Major for Violin, Cello, Piano

[Karl Henning]

Splendid!  I love the Danses sacré et profane!

[Mirror Image]

Splendid!  I love the Danses sacré et profane!

+1

[mszczuj]

I started to listen classical music 37 or 38 years ago. And still Debussy Dances and Schubert Trio are two of my favorites. Beethoven is my absolutely favorite composer. But he always was.

Now you probably should decide what are you listening for. For excitement or for understanding. Are the "masterpieces" for you just hits or are they great works of culture which can enlight you some way?

What you have got on this album are not the strict masterpieces but the parts of the masterpieces, if I understand correctly. But if you want to see the masterpiece you must see more than only part of it.

So why don't try the whole masterpiece?

[Ken B]

Code Select Expand

I've only been listening to classical music for about a week. So far, these are my favorites from the Rise of the Masters album:

Mozart
Piano Concerto Number 21, C Major
Symphony Number 40, G Minor

Beethoven
Egmont, Op 84
Symphony Number 5, C Minor
Symphony Number 7, A Major

Debussy
Dances for Harps & Strings

Schubert
Trio Number 2, E-Flat Major for Violin, Cello, Piano

More Mozart piano concertos. Pick a number 9 or above! Try 20, 24 to start.
Mozart Symphonie 36,38,39,41
Haydn any symphony
Beethoven Piano Concerto 4.
Schubert Death& the Maiden string quartet
Schubert A song cycle, Die Schöne Mullerin
Brahms Sextet 1 and 2
Tchaikovsky Symphony 5

But you are off to a good start! There's an incredible amount of great music. Follow up on composers you like is the best approach, as you keep discovering new ones.

[MagicMark]

More Mozart piano concertos. Pick a number 9 or above! Try 20, 24 to start.

Ken,

The list of my favorites keeps growing. I overlooked Bach at first, now he's one of my favorites.

I've been listening to this one CD frequently for about a week. There are about 100 songs from great composers, played by various orchestras. I could probably be content to just enjoy this for another month.

However, soon I'll be broadening my classical music collection, & probably getting some books. The list of definite purchases in the near future includes compositions by:

-Beethoven
-Bach
-Mozart
-Schubert

There will probably be more, such as the ones suggested by other members on my intro thread, here http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,24555.0.html.

[MagicMark]

So why don't try the whole masterpiece?

For the ones that I like, that is my intention, mszczuj.

Are the "masterpieces" for you just hits or are they great works of culture which can enlight you some way?

Some of the songs are a type of enjoyable nourishment that are probably contributing to my development.

[Florestan]

The list of definite purchases in the near future includes compositions by:

-Beethoven
-Bach
-Mozart
-Schubert

You could spend your whole life just with these four. Each one of them is a whole world. You might be a newbie, but your taste is impeccable. Welcome aboard!

[Karl Henning]

Ken,

The list of my favorites keeps growing.

This is as it ought to be 

[Jubal Slate]

You could spend your whole life just with these four. Each one of them is a whole world. You might be a newbie, but your taste is impeccable. Welcome aboard!

This.

[Ken B]

Ken,

The list of my favorites keeps growing. I overlooked Bach at first, now he's one of my favorites.

I've been listening to this one CD frequently for about a week. There are about 100 songs from great composers, played by various orchestras. I could probably be content to just enjoy this for another month.

However, soon I'll be broadening my classical music collection, & probably getting some books. The list of definite purchases in the near future includes compositions by:

-Beethoven
-Bach
-Mozart
-Schubert

There will probably be more, such as the ones suggested by other members on my intro thread, here http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,24555.0.html.

What Karl said! Lots of new favorites to discover!

Bach is actually my favorite composer. I hesitate to mention this, because it's a wee bit complicated, but Baroque music (from before about 1770 or so) is the exception to the rule that you can safely buy older recordings. The way that music is performed now has changed immensely in the last 30-40 years. Look for "period" or "authentic" instruments,
or groups with names like "Consort" or "Baroque" etc in the title and see if you like the lively sound.

[MagicMark]

You could spend your whole life just with these four. Each one of them is a whole world.

Florenstan,

Thanks. I'm excited about this lifelong journey.

[MagicMark]

What Karl said! Lots of new favorites to discover!

Yep!

[Karl Henning]

What Karl said! Lots of new favorites to discover!

Bach is actually my favorite composer. I hesitate to mention this, because it's a wee bit complicated, but Baroque music (from before about 1770 or so) is the exception to the rule that you can safely buy older recordings. The way that music is performed now has changed immensely in the last 30-40 years. Look for "period" or "authentic" instruments,
or groups with names like "Consort" or "Baroque" etc in the title and see if you like the lively sound.

http://www.youtube.com/v/hgqxRCN_7_E

[Ken B]

Yep!

As you've noticed there are some nice helpful members here. Also Karl, Florestan, Mirror Image and Nate.

[MagicMark]

As you've noticed there are some

I have. I think I've met everyone you mentioned, plus Dave, except for Nate.

[jochanaan]

Welcome, MagicMark!  You've already got a great start.

Beethoven will naturally lead you to Brahms and perhaps Mahler, whose styles are both natural, organic developments from his.  And since you like the Debussy Dances, you might also like some music by Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc, particularly Milhaud's Suite Provencale and Poulenc's Concert champetre for harpsichord and orchestra.

Oh, and don't hesitate to explore the wonderful world of opera!

[Florestan]

Oh, and don't hesitate to explore the wonderful world of opera!

Oh, yes! For starters, you can´t go wrong with any of Mozart´s operas. Weber´s "Der Freischutz" and Beethoven´s "Fidelio" should be right up your alley, too, and I think Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini might be to your liking as well. Or, you could skip all of them and go straight to Wagner and see what happens.

And BTW, you should also explore the wonderful world of Lieder: Schubert, Schumann, Carl Loewe, Brahms, Hugo Wolf wrote masterpiece after masterpiece in the genre.

[MagicMark]

Welcome, MagicMark!  You've already got a great start.

Jochanaan,

When looking for a few songs to dance to, I didn't anticipate that I would stumble upon something that will probably be a major part of my life.

The terms used by others on this thread--such as finding another world, or learning a new language--seem appropriate.

There are many things that I have to familiarize myself with. It might take a month or so before I establish at least a basic understanding in this realm.

I appreciate your suggestions. After I immerse myself in Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, & Schubert, I'll be referring to these threads for the personalized guidance that yourself & others are providing.

Thanks

[Ken B]

When looking for a few songs to dance to, I didn't anticipate that I would stumble upon something that will probably be a major part of my life.

The terms used by others on this thread--such as finding another world, or learning a new language--seem appropriate.

There are many things that I have to familiarize myself with. It might take a month or so before I establish at least a basic understanding in this realm.

Exactly! I remember this exact reaction (a long time ago). Watching TV late one night I eneded up watching (which I never did) Merv Griffin. He played some Tchaikovsky piano. I liked it and went to the library next day. I put on this:
[asin]B000001G7C[/asin]
and in 60 seconds my life changed.

It does take a while to learn the orchestra or any complex ensemble of instruments. Check out Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra at some point.