need help with music

[rimbaud]

i usually like discovering my own music but this is not really my area: classic music

i like this so far:
mozart 40th simph.
river flows in you (and not from twilight:mad:)
claire de lune (and this is from Franky and Johnny )

so i would like some nice passionate classic music to listen when i read
any suggestions welcome :D
and thanks so much

[LitNetIsGreat]

Anything by Bach.

Edit: Try Glen Gould's interpretation of Bach for instance, you can't go wrong.

[Niamh]

Yiruma's A river Flows in You is a beautiful piece of music. I've heard some of his other tunes, which are also really nice.
Have you tried some Chopin?
Also the music from Borodins Prince Igor is lovely too.
If you are looking for some really nice instramental music, you could look up Richard Clayderman and Phil Coulter.

[Themis]

Try: (Dimitri Shostakovich) "Second Walz – From Suite No. 2 For Jazz-Orchestra"

Other than that, try Tchaikovsky.

[Scheherazade]

Some of my favorites:

"Moonlight Sonata" by Bethoveen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVeaIHWWck&feature=related)

"Montagues and Capulets" from "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI9akyHz_wc)

"Libestraum" by Liszt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kKoHqdImYE&feature=related)

"Gymnopedia No.1" by Satie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al5U1WJ48rM)

[Niamh]

Some of my favorites:

"Moonlight Sonata" by Bethoveen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVeaIHWWck&feature=related)

"Montagues and Capulets" from "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI9akyHz_wc)

"Libestraum" by Liszt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kKoHqdImYE&feature=related)

"Gymnopedia No.1" by Satie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al5U1WJ48rM)

good taste Scher! :thumbs_up !

[Maximilianus]

I would very highly recommend:

Violin Concerto No. 1 By Paganini and Violin Concerto No. 8 by Spohr, interpreted by Hilary Hahn and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (published 2006). If you really like violin concertos as I do, I very much recommend that you look for her other works. Hilary Hahn is a must in the classic violin field, having recordings of Bach's, Mendelssohn's and Beethoven's violin concertos as well, among many others. As an off-topic, she's stunningly beautiful.

Another recommendation would be the six cello suites by Bach, of which there are many renditions, like that by Yo-Yo Ma. And also Bach's harpsichord toccatas, being Trevor Pinnock's interpretations among my faves.

You can also tune a specialised radio station like Adagio FM (http://adagio.fm/) and get familiar with what they have. It will help you get acquainted with material you never listened to. It's a great station. They are always adding something new :thumbs_up

[stlukesguild]

i usually like discovering my own music but this is not really my area: classic music

i like this so far:
mozart 40th simph.
river flows in you (and not from twilight)
claire de lune (and this is from Franky and Johnny )

You might wish to look into the thread on composers and symphonies here in the General Movies, Music, television forum... and you might also check out the Music Appreciation Group over in the Social Groups.

I would suggest that one begin any exploration of classical music by forst doing a little reading. It helps if one has some idea of what one is dealing with if we are speaking of a concerto versus a symphony versus a tone poem versus a fugue. You mention, for example, Claire de Lune. Claire de Lune was a poem by Paul Verlaine which was set to music by any number of composers... including Debussy, Faure, etc... My guess is that what you are referring to is transcription for orchestra (or solo piano) of Debussy's song.

One of the best resources for the initiate, from my experience, is Phillip G. Goulding's Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and their 1,000 Greatest Works. The book gives a solid grounding in musical forms, musical styles, eras, national traditions, as well as short bios on the 50 of the greatest composers (and recommendations to 100s of others) and their works. To this I would add a recent guide to classical music on CD by Gramophone or Penguin.

I would then begin by picking some of the works recognized by critics as the best examples of each era.

From the Medieval Period I would suggest some Gregorian chant, something by Hildegard of Bingen, and something by Josquin Desprez. Among the some of the leading performers of medieval music you might wish to check out The Anonymous Four, Sequentia, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Chanticleer, the King's Noyse, the Alfred Deller Consort, among others. Medieval music is currently undergoing a great revival... due in part to the fact that many contemporary composers (Minimalists and otherwise) have been deeply influenced by the same.

From the Renaissance I'd recommend Giovanni Palestrina. His Missa Papae Marcelli and Missa Brevis are especially good. Carlo Gesualdo would be another recommendation (look into performances with the Hilliard Ensemble). Most important in this era would be Claudio Monteverdi. His essential works include the Vespro della Beata Vergine, and L'Orfeo (generally credited as being the first opera) both magnificently recorded by John Eliot Gardiner.

From the Baroque we begin with J.S. Bach... one of the triad of "immortals" (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart). Bach's output is phenomenal and phenomenally huge. You might want to pick a bit from each genre. Certainly the Brandenburg Concertos... probably the best example of the Baroque form known as the Concerti Gross. I'd also look into the violin concertos. From the keyboard music you should probably start with The Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould's 1955 recording is a great place to start). As Bach was "the" master of organ music you should probably get a collection of organ music. Bach also wrote 100s of cantatas for church services. These are among his greatest works. You can't go wrong with any recording by John Eliot Gardiner... but I'd especially be on the look out for cantatas no.s 140, 147, 8, 80, 82, 106, 169 & 170. From there I would expand into the Works for Solo Violin, the Cello Suites, the Art of the Fugue, and the Well Tempered Clavier.

After Bach there's Handel. The Messiah is perhaps the essential work, but I would also recommend his keyboard suites (available at ridiculously low prices on EMI). After that I'd expand upon the operas and oratorios (perhaps Solomon next). From Vivaldi you'll want the famous Four Seasons... and from Scarlatti check out some of his keyboard sonatas.

Moving into the true "Classical" period the central figures are Mozart, Haydn, and Gluck. From Mozart you'll want to explore the late symphonies: 25, 29, and 35-41. Probably his greatest achievements in purely instrumental music are his piano concertos. Numbers 19, 20, and 21 are essential... along with everything after them. I'd also check out his string quartets, clarinet quintet and concerto, and Requiem. His operas, however, are unsurpassed. Perhaps only discs of highlights for the beginner: Don Giovanni, Cose Fan Tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, and the Magic Flute.

Haydn is another giant... often underrated. Check out his "London Symphonies", his string quartets (he is credited with virtually "inventing" them), and his great oratorio, The Creation. Gluck is known solely for his efforts in the field of opera. Alceste and Iphigenie en Tauride are especially recommended.

From the Late Classical/Early Romantic period we have Beethoven, Schubert, and Rossini.

From Beethoven the key pieces are Symphonies no.s 3,5,6,7,and 9, piano sonatas no.s 8 (Pathetique), 14 (Moonlight), 17 (Tempest), 21 (Waldstein), 23 (Hammerclavier) and 29 (Hammerclavier) although all of them are truly essential. Add to this his piano concertos no.s 4 and 5, and his violin concerto.

From Schubert it is symphonies 8 (Unfinished) and 9 (Great), the "Trout Quintet", the quartet "Death and the Maiden" and the song cycle, Die Winterreise. With Rossini we are with the greatest opera composer of his era. begin with a collection of overtures and move on to The Barber of Seville.

With Romanticism things get complex... lots of big composers... so one may wish to begin with one or two essentials to get a taste of each:

Liszt- Hungarian Rhapsodies, tone poems
Berlioz- Symphonie Fantastique
Mendelssohn- Mid-summers' Night Dream Music, Violin Concerto
Schumann- Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen, Carnaval
Chopin- Nocturnes
Bruckner- Symphony 7

The two opposed giants of the era were Brahms (who was more of a classicist continuing in Beethoven's footsteps) and Wagner. Brahms essential works include his 4 symphonies, German Requiem, and a great deal of "chamber music". I'd especially check into his Cello Sonatas, Violin Sonatas, and his works for clarinet. From Wagner you might wish to begin with a collection of his overtures and a collection of music from his operas. The operas themselves are quite challenging, but worth the effort as they are among the greatest music ever composed. I'd begin with Tristan und Isolde.

Along with Wagner we can't forget his great operatic rival, Verdi. Again, begin with a collection of overtures and orchestral music... then choose one of the best... perhaps Aida.

The Late Romantics include Mahler (Symphonies no.s 1 and 2), Richard Strauss (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Death and Transfiguration, Four Last Songs, Die Rosenkavalier), Dvorak (symphonies 8 and 9), Rachmaninoff (Piano concerto no.s 2, Vespers, Symphony no. 2, the Preludes), Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bald Mountain), and Tchaikovsky (Symphonies no.s 5 and 6, Piano concerto no. 1, Violin concert, 1812 Overtures, Swan Lake suite) and Puccini, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, and La Boheme to start.

Working along side of the Late Romantics were the Impressionists, Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Faure, etc... Essential works include Debussy (La Mer, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Preludes, Etudes), Ravel (Pavane pour une infante défunte, Bolero, La valse, Faure (Requiem), Satie (Gymnopédies). You might also add the pastoral works of the English Ralph Vaughan-Williams (Symphony 3 and 5) and Frederick Delius (On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring; Brigg Fair; In A Summer Garden; North Country Sketches)

Modern and Contemporary classical can be very challenging... especially in the more experimental vein. The key works of the era include Stravinsky (Firebird and Rite of Spring), Prokofiev (Lieutenant Kijé, violin concertos, Ivan the Terrible, piano concertos), Shostakovitch (Symphonies 7, 8, 10; Preludes and Fugues, cello concerto), Bela Bartok (Miraculous Mandarin), Aaron Copland (Appalachian Spring, Rodeo), Olivier Messiaen (Quartet for the End of Time).

Other talented composers of the era include George Gerschwin, Zemlinsky, Szymanowski, Schoenberg, Heinz Henze, David Diamond, Phillip Glass, Arvo Part, Henryck Gorecki, Ned Rorem, Alan Hovhaness, Virgil Thomson, Roy Harris, Benjamen Britten, John Adams, Erkki-Sven Tuur, etc...

Enjoy!

[Veho]

Peer Gynt, Op. 23: No. 19. Solveig's Song - Herbert Blomstedt, Mary-Anne Haeggander & San Francisco Symphony. Perfection :D