Ahoy!

[Linus]

Hello, everyone!

An early thirties fellow from Sweden here who thought I'd finally register on this forum and not just lurk about.

I've only recently started to take my Classical music journey seriously, but so far I've concluded I'm a Beethoven-Mozart-Händel-Schubert kind of guy. Ludwig's piano sonatas (Kempff) and Georg Friedrich's Concerti Grossi Op. 6 are often played in this household.

So, no points for originality there, but I have not yet "figured out" 20th and 21st century music. I hope to get to know that music in time. (I'm entirely in your hands here!)

NB: My knowledge of musical terminology is limited, so I hope you'll forgive my clumsy descriptions when discussing composition.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to future discussions on this forum!

Cheers

[EigenUser]

Hello, everyone!

An early thirties fellow from Sweden here who thought I'd finally register on this forum and not just lurk about.

I've only recently started to take my Classical music journey seriously, but so far I've concluded I'm a Beethoven-Mozart-Händel-Schubert kind of guy. Ludwig's piano sonatas (Kempff) and Georg Friedrich's Concerti Grossi Op. 6 are often played in this household.

So, no points for originality there, but I have not yet "figured out" 20th and 21st century music. I hope to get to know that music in time. (I'm entirely in your hands here!)

Welcome!

20th-century music is my favorite, though there are things I really like from all eras from the 1400s up to today. I love Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. I struggle with Mozart, but Haydn is a favorite. I haven't heard much Schubert or Handel.

NB: My knowledge of musical terminology is limited, so I hope you'll forgive my clumsy descriptions when discussing composition.

Yay! Composition discussion! Don't worry about clumsy descriptions and limited musical terminology.

[North Star]

Välkommen, Linus!

Like Nate, I spend a good deal of my listening in the 20th century (and 1500s-2000s)

What about other 19th century music - Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak or Mussorgsky?

I haven't heard much Schubert

String Quintet, last two or three SQs (D. 887 in particular), the String Quintet, the Piano Trios, Winterreise, Schwanengesang, Die Schöne Müllerin, the late Piano Sonatas, the Impromptus, the last symphonies (Unfinished & 'the great')?

[Lisztianwagner]

Welcome to the forum, Linus, hope you'll have fun here!
I'm more inclined to romantic and early contemporary composers, but I started my musical journey from Mozart and Beethoven too, as well as from Haydn and Bach, and I'm still very fond of those composers. Kempff is an excellent choice for Beethoven's piano sonatas, though my favourite version is the Ashkenazy.
What about Haydn's symphonies and Bach's Well Tempered Clavier?

[Karl Henning]

Welcome, Linus!

[mc ukrneal]

Welcome and enjoy yourself!

[Ken B]

Welcome Linus.
You picked a good time to start exploring as there are a lot of boxes available quite cheaply now, especially in popular standard repertoire like Beethoven or Mozart.
I think you'd like the big Murray Perahia box, which is a steal, although it seems like a lot at first glance it is huge. There are lots of smaller boxes for individual composers too. Check the super duper cheap bargains thread regularly.

[Jay F]

Schubert's chamber music is a wonderful thing, Linus (and Nate).

Here are his late string quartets, and the string quintet: [asin]B0001ZWGI8[/asin].

And a single disc with the Trout quintet and "Death and the Maiden" I like a lot: [asin]B000001GXF[/asin].

And then there are his piano sonatas. Here are the last three: [asin]B00000417C[/asin]

Or: [asin]B00H287OOS[/asin].

Or if you'd like all of them: [asin]B005BLYSQK[/asin]

[Hollywood]

Howdy there Linus. Greetings from Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert's Vienna. Welcome to the forum. 

[EigenUser]

Welcome aboard. Many here are pretty well-oriented in 20th century music, especially the 1st half.

Just a few friendly recommendations ..

1. Webern, Symphony op. 21
2. Stravinsky, Symphonies of Wind Instruments
3. Bartók, Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta
4. Ligeti, Piano Études

1. Yes, also check out Webern's Six Pieces for Orchestra
2. Yes
3. YES! -- my favorite piece ever (since I was 16), if I had to pick one. For something slightly more accessible, try the famous Concerto for Orchestra
4. YES! -- I recommend etudes #2 (Cordes a Vide), #4 (Fanfares), and #8 (Fem). Especially #4

For the Ligeti, add his gorgeous Clocks and Clouds for good measure. It isn't terribly difficult to listen to if you aren't quite used to 20C music yet, though it may be a stretch. It was my entryway into Ligeti and beyond.

I'll also add Messiaen's L'Ascension for orchestra, which isn't at all hard to listen to if you can manage late Debussy, I think.

You'll find that we are just waiting to give suggestions .

[North Star]

1. Yes, also check out Webern's Six Pieces for Orchestra
2. Yes
3. YES! -- my favorite piece ever (since I was 16), if I had to pick one. For something slightly more accessible, try the famous Concerto for Orchestra
4. YES! -- I recommend etudes #2 (Cordes a Vide), #4 (Fanfares), and #8 (Fem). Especially #4

For the Ligeti, add his gorgeous Clocks and Clouds for good measure. It isn't terribly difficult to listen to if you aren't quite used to 20C music yet, though it may be a stretch. It was my entryway into Ligeti and beyond.

I'll also add Messiaen's L'Ascension for orchestra, which isn't at all hard to listen to if you can manage late Debussy, I think.

You'll find that we are just waiting to give suggestions .

James is always James, but Nate, do you really think those pieces are the best way to introduce someone who's listening mostly to Classical era? Of course it might do the trick, even if they are very far removed from that style.
And did you see my earlier question?

[Ken B]

James is always James, but Nate, do you really think those pieces are the best way to introduce someone who's listening mostly to Classical era? Of course it might do the trick, even if they are very far removed from that style.
And did you see my earlier question?

Indeed.
I'd recommend a gentler approach. Prokofiev 1, Stravinsky Jeu de Cartes, Falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Copland Appalachian Spring, Ravel Piano Concerto in G, Barber Symphony 1.

[North Star]

Indeed.
I'd recommend a gentler approach. Prokofiev 1, Stravinsky Jeu de Cartes, Falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Copland Appalachian Spring, Ravel Piano Concerto in G, Barber Symphony 1.

I almost posted a list myself when posting first time in this thread, with Prokofiev, Stravinsky (Le Sacre, and Pulcinella), Barber (VC), Copland & Ravel (among others) and even two of those works (Appalachian Spring and Ravel PC in G, in addition to Le Tombeau de Couperin)
For Prokofiev, I'd also recommend Romeo & Juliet - it's of course a long work, but there's no need to listen to all of it in one sitting. Shostakovich's Preludes & Fugues, Op. 87. And Bartók was on the list, too - Dance Suite. Others I'd recommend include

Martinu's Nonet
The 'pieces' works by the 2nd Viennese School composers (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern)
Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Pärt's Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten & Fratres
Satie's piano music and Socrate
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue & An American in Paris

[EigenUser]

James is always James, but Nate, do you really think those pieces are the best way to introduce someone who's listening mostly to Classical era? Of course it might do the trick, even if they are very far removed from that style.

Well, I guess the Webern is a stretch. The Bartok shouldn't be at all; especially the CFO. That's like a symphonic spectacular performed nearby (where I am) almost every year. I've seen it live once.

I don't think that the Ligeti etudes are much of a stretch at all. Many of them aren't difficult to listen to -- they just don't sound exactly like what most people think of when they think of classical music. That's why I single out Fanfares. It resembles jazz as much as classical, if not more. Especially when it is played like this :
http://www.youtube.com/v/aQR5tqKPgdI

And did you see my earlier question?

No, what? About 19th-century composers? Isn't that to Linus?

Ken and North Star have very good suggestions. Especially the Gershwin An American in Paris and the Ravel Piano Concerto in G.

[Pat B]

I've only recently started to take my Classical music journey seriously, but so far I've concluded I'm a Beethoven-Mozart-Händel-Schubert kind of guy. Ludwig's piano sonatas (Kempff) and Georg Friedrich's Concerti Grossi Op. 6 are often played in this household.

Welcome! I listen to those composers a lot too.

As far as 20th and 21st century stuff, there is no shortage of recommendations, as you have already found. My advice is to take it slow. Most Mahler, for instance, was not immediately accessible to me, but now I love it, and I think it will help me with what came later. For that matter there is a lot of great stuff between Schubert and Mahler -- not that you necessarily have to take it in order.

Anyway, enjoy the journey.

[North Star]

Well, I guess the Webern is a stretch. The Bartok shouldn't be at all; especially the CFO. That's like a symphonic spectacular performed nearby (where I am) almost every year. I've seen it live once.

I don't think that the Ligeti etudes are much of a stretch at all. Many of them aren't difficult to listen to -- they just don't sound exactly like what most people think of when they think of classical music. That's why I single out Fanfares. It resembles jazz as much as classical, if not more. Especially when it is played like this

Agreed, and as you saw I included Webern myself. The list was just quite lopsided, especially when Linus might not even have heard Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.

No, what? About 19th-century composers? Isn't that to Linus?

About the Schubert you've heard

[EigenUser]

Agreed, and as you saw I included Webern myself. The list was just quite lopsided, especially when Linus might not even have heard Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.

I'll be pedantic and point out that the faun was written in the 19th century . Certainly shouldn't be overlooked, though.

That being said, Debussy did write Jeux in the 20thC...

[North Star]

I'll be pedantic and point out that the faun was written in the 19th century . Certainly shouldn't be overlooked, though.

That being said, Debussy did write Jeux in the 20thC...

I didn't mean I was recommending it (though I am..) - just that jumping from Schubert to Ligeti is quite a leap.

Now, the Schubert question. Perhaps we should take it here.

[EigenUser]

I didn't mean I was recommending it (though I am..) - just that jumping from Schubert to Ligeti is quite a leap.

Now, the Schubert question. Perhaps we should take it here.

Not if you jump really high!!

What about Messiaen's Des Canyons aux Etoiles?

[Linus]

Thank you so much for your warm welcome, everyone! And I'm overwhelmed by your ambitious recommendations, thanks.

20th-century music is my favorite, though there are things I really like from all eras from the 1400s up to today. I love Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. I struggle with Mozart, but Haydn is a favorite. I haven't heard much Schubert or Handel.

It will be fun to explore those eras as well. I used to have trouble with Mozart too, I think I found him "too perfect", as though he provided no challenge to the listener. He can still be a bit too friendly on the ears, to be honest.

Yay! Composition discussion! Don't worry about clumsy descriptions and limited musical terminology.

I thought composition discussion was the only thing you guys did over here.

What about other 19th century music - Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak or Mussorgsky?

Chopin I find excellent, very expressive. His pieces have great depth and are still so easy to listen to.

I'm fairly new to Schumann, but colour me impressed. The music is extremely emotional, yet so well structured I think it works anyway.

Hm, I haven't heard too much of Liszt either. So far I've only found a few pieces that really move me, while I find a lot of them very entertaining, but not very deep.

I've heard most famous Tchaikovsky tunes, but they don't really "do it" for me. I've come to understand he's often accused of sentimentality, and at this point I suppose I'd have to agree with that. However, did found a nocturne in C sharp minor (Op. 19) of his that I really enjoy, I hope there is more of that in his production.

Brahms; I have some trouble with that fellow. I think I'll start a new thread about it in the Beginner's Forum.

Bruckner, Dvorak and Mussorgsky are more or less undiscovered countries for me.