Classical music

crithit5000 · Post by **crithit5000** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:07 am

I searched for an existing thread, even using the AND operator, and nothing comes up. So here goes:

Being musically diverse is fun, but when it comes to classical music I'm not too up on stuff that isn't Bach, Beethoven, Pachelbel, or Mozart. I'm looking to find some stuff that's kind of lesser known to round myself out, if that makes any sense. The local college here has an NPR station that plays lots of classical (and JAZZ (possible future topic) on the weekends!), and I enjoy listening to the stuff they play although I never, ever take note of who composed it for future reference.

So, in addition to being a general classical music thread that will die a horrible death and languish in the deep sea of posts here, I'm looking for suggestions of what to listen to.

Also, Trans-Siberian Orchestra GTFO you lose die please bye.

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:20 am

If you aren't opposed to minimalism, try Philip Glass and Michael Nyman. My favorite Glass composition is probably The Grid (the whole thing is 15 minute long, though).

crithit5000 · Post by **crithit5000** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:34 am

Oh, that's the guy who did Pruitt-Igoe, and I only know that because of GTA4. I like his style, and I'll check out the other fellow when I get a chance. Thanks!

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:35 am

It might not be classic, but i can heartily recommend The Cinematic Orchestra.
check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sON2MxgFnE

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:44 am

I recommend Philip Glass too. Awesome stuff !

EDIT: And maybe you could check out:
The Cranes - La Tragédie D'Oreste Et Électre

Not really a classical band but that album uses mainly classical instruments and I like it a lot.

crithit5000 · Post by **crithit5000** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:48 am

Jockel wrote:It might not be classic, but i can heartily recommend The Cinematic Orchestra.
check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sON2MxgFnE

I'm really enjoying this one, it really reminds me of DJ Shadow's work. More plz!

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:52 am

Philip Glass performs Aphex Twin: Icct Hedral.

Also, I'm sure you know Erik Satie. It's the guy that did a lot of awesome music at the beginning of XX century. You've probably heard this piece a million times in various places. Very soothing.

[EDIT]

Max Richter & Arvo Pärt.

Jockel · Post by **Jockel** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:21 pm

PMed, you'll be happy ;D

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:16 pm

I think the best way to approach classical is to start by finding the periods within classical you really like--there's nothing wrong at all with the 'big name' composers (there's a reason why they're big), but most of them (short of bach) are from the actual 'classical' period, which I don't personally care for as much.

Personally I find I really enjoy the renaissance, baroque and 20th century; although I'll listen to pretty much all of it. But often I'm in a mood to hear music from a particular period.

In my mind, renaissance and baroque are pretty much cut off from the classical period--enough so that they could be different genres; while the same could be said of the 20th century period from the romantic and classical periods.

It isn't to say you can only listen to one period, but having a sense of the period you are particularly interested in lets you hone in on potential artists you might really like. Obviously, saying you like classical is only a slightly less nebulous statement than saying you like music. It is much easier to have a sense of what you are looking for in classical, and then going from there.

Unfortunately, I just moved and my entire Classical collection is boxed up (maybe it will come out of the box today???) or I'd make some recommendations myself...perhaps in a later post.

MR_Soren · Post by **MR_Soren** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:18 pm

I don't really know anything about classical music, but I often hear stuff on NPR and I occasionally go to local orchestra performances. I generally enjoy them, but I forget the names of everything I hear and quickly lose the programs. However, I remember the name of one that I especially liked. It was called Night on Bald Mountain, but I couldn't find a recording that sounded anywhere near as good as the live performance in town.

This post probably will not be helpful, but that's all I know.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:05 pm

I would recommend something from Ralph Vaughan-Williams, especially the beautiful The Lark Ascending. I heard that one on the radio and went on a full-scale hunt across music stores to find an album that had the full thing. Took me a month till I found an EU imported copy with it. Special note, the guy also did a Fantasia on Greensleeves piece that is beautiful.

Another one might Robert Schumann. His Piano Concerto sounds great.

Maybe some of Delius or Sibellius too. Oh! Sergei Rachmaninov's piano stuff is also extremely good. That if you like the russian style
For a 'jazzy' approach you could try Brad Meldhau's solo piano albums.

I have Elegiac Cycle and it's really nice. I got recommended George Winston as well, but didn't get to hear anything from him.

http://www.bradmehldau.com/

Perhaps some of Keiko Matsui's works could fit the jazz bill but up to Walls of Akendora... (and even this one has its flaws) Then, like many others, it seems to take the utterly pop route (I hate when that happens) and it starts to get more like a list of guest musicians and boring, uninspired songs.

http://www.keikomatsui.com/

Agreed about Trans-Siberian Orchestra... Those guys are a scam. I take Shadow Gallery over them any day, at least they use some guitars and don't pretend to be classical music. Beethoven's Last Night was ok but then they released something about Christmas that was a disgruntled fluffy mass of crap, right? (pretty much like Jordan Rudess Christmas piano songs... what do these people have with Christmas?)

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:09 pm

I've recently been exploring a lot of classical music if you will (although I don't know where the modern composition element comes in) and here are a few things I've been enjoying of late.

Please bare in mind that cross sections of this stuff can be quite atonal and is not to everyone's taste.

Elliot Carter - now in his 100th year and still composing, I stumbled across this guy on the BBC Proms this year. They put on his Oboe Concerto and it was glorious. A quite nebulous sound of almost waring 'traditional orchestra' and oboe with a few strings, dodging and weaving in and out of each other. Quite startling to hear an oboe player produce multiphonics as well!

Oliver Messiaen - Everyone should hear the Turangalila Symphonie once. An epic masterpiece of over 80 minutes of music with alternating short and longer movements with huge variety throughout. There are some excellent duo and trio moments that light up my ears. Also highly recommended is Quatuor Pour La Fin Du Temps, but I haven't spent enough time with this one for it to reveal its inner beauty to me.

Chopin - Completely different to the two above in many ways, Chopin still advanced harmony while creating incredibly pretty and emotional music. You will know many of his melodies already, if not by name. I recommend you hear his Studies Op. 10 nos. 3 and 5, Op. 25 nos. 1 and 5 and his Fantasy-Impromptu.

Beethoven - You mention Beethoven above but thought I'd give a few pointers. I picked up the complete works ov Beethoven for a stupid price late last year and have delved into the Symphonies, all of which are superb and the late Piano Quartets which are very advanced for their time. I recommend that you listen to his 5th Symphony closely.

Hope that helps! As for a jazz thread, please do! I love good jazz.

incognoscente · Post by **incognoscente** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:21 pm

Aram Khachaturian's Adagio Of Spartacus And Phrygia
the first of Claude Debussy's Deux Arabesques

crithit5000 · Post by **crithit5000** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:23 pm

sjewkestheloon wrote:Beethoven - You mention Beethoven above but thought I'd give a few pointers. I picked up the complete works ov Beethoven for a stupid price late last year and have delved into the Symphonies, all of which are superb and the late Piano Quartets which are very advanced for their time. I recommend that you listen to his 5th Symphony closely.

It was the finding and subsequent ripping of an old Beethoven compilation that contained the Symphony No. 9 and the Ode to Joy movement that spurred this thread. I <3 the big name stuff, but I love that feeling I get when I listen to classical music that I've never heard or heard of before. If it's a really impressive piece, the feeling I get is almost euphoric.

Also, I grabbed the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack by Phillip Glass off of Soulseek and I love it.

mufunyo · Post by **mufunyo** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:24 pm

DJ Scotch Egg - Scotch Bach 10

Sandlegs · Post by **Sandlegs** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:24 pm

As someone said earlier, you might like Baroque. Telemann is my favorite composer or that era behind Bach. Telemann wrote kind of chilled out chamber music that you can just relax to.

Ravid · Post by **Ravid** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:10 pm

If you like impressive stuff, I might suggest Mussourgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, or the obligatory Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. I mostly listen to piano music from late classical onwards, so if you're looking for something on that tip I can recommend Chopin (Nocturnes, Preludes, Etudes, etc. - forget the concertos), Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Debussy, Ravel, Gershwin (if you like jazz). And er, Grieg and Tchaikovsky.

You will probably find Messaien a bit obscure (I know I do), but if you do like it you might try Schoenberg as well.

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:39 pm

Get yourself some Shostakovich. I particularly recommend his 5th and 10th symphonies. I've heard great things about his piano concertos, but haven't checked them out yet.

If you're interested in Philip Glass, definitely hunt down the Koyaanisqatsi DVD. Its subjective style makes it a divisive experience, but I'm in the "love it" bracket.

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:41 pm

Koyaanisqatsi is to be had in HD. One of the rare cases where it's 100% worth it.

subcons · Post by **subcons** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:16 pm

Great thread.

I'm in the same boat as far as liking classical music but having no real knowledge of the genre beyond the obvious big names. Such a huge genre of music with so much history that it's somewhat daunting to know where to start. I like the advice of looking into different eras and going from there. I think I'll do that.

Have to keep my eye on this thread and check out the suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

seablue · Post by **seablue** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:20 pm

moozooh wrote:Koyaanisqatsi is to be had in HD. One of the rare cases where it's 100% worth it.

Amen!

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:41 pm

Daigohji wrote:Get yourself some Shostakovich. I particularly recommend his 5th and 10th symphonies. I've heard great things about his piano concertos, but haven't checked them out yet.

String quartets ftw. I am thinking I preferred his 11th symphony over his 10th, but again, they're all in a box as of yet to be unpacked.

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:32 pm

Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra, Op. 36 ("Enigma") by Edward Elgar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUgoBb8m1eE (Nimrod)
The Planets, Op. 32 by Gustav Holst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaNuYvj-jcc (Neptune the Mystic)
Anything Ennio Morricone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ3u3fTG70Q (The Ecstasy of Gold)
Claude Debussy's Clair de lune (one of my all time favorite compositions, rivaled only perhaps by Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKd0VII-l3A

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:01 am

I'm a big fan of Strauss Jr.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:45 am

Anything Ennio Morricone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ3u3fTG70Q (The Ecstasy of Gold)

Although I'll get behind anyone on Morricone, instrumental does not equal classical. Yes, Morricone is a God, but I think it may be outside of the scope of what the OP was looking for.

Speaking of Morricone, I never understood how the quality of his scores was often inversely proportional to the quality of the film. No mind you, I actually like Orca, Excorcist 2 and The Great Silence, but few would argue they are great films, and most would argue that at least some of those are pretty bad, yet Morricone's score is dead on--actually making each film respectively quite a bit better.

TigerCraneFist · Post by **TigerCraneFist** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:30 am

good thread.

I got lucky, my wife is a professional violinist and she has turned me on to alot of really great music over the years..... I heartily recommend Dvorak's New World Symphony.... amazing piece of music and it rivals even soundtracks like Gladiator with epic scores....! Dvorak also did a piece called the Noonday Witch and it too is pretty awesome.

Check out also Gustav Holst who did a seven movement piece called The Planets.... Chances are you have unknowingly heard some of them already, but Jupiter and Mars are my favorites.

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:57 pm

CMoon wrote:
Anything Ennio Morricone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ3u3fTG70Q (The Ecstasy of Gold)
Although I'll get behind anyone on Morricone, instrumental does not equal classical. Yes, Morricone is a God, but I think it may be outside of the scope of what the OP was looking for.

Speaking of Morricone, I never understood how the quality of his scores was often inversely proportional to the quality of the film. No mind you, I actually like Orca, Excorcist 2 and The Great Silence, but few would argue they are great films, and most would argue that at least some of those are pretty bad, yet Morricone's score is dead on--actually making each film respectively quite a bit better.

Yeah, I knew that including Morricone was a stretch, but since we were already discussing modern classical composers such as Philip Glass, I thought I might slide him in.
And your right, his music is as diverse as there are different genres, but there's always been a classical method to his work -The Ecstasy of Gold being a prime example.

bkk · Post by **bkk** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:06 pm

seablue wrote:
moozooh wrote:Koyaanisqatsi is to be had in HD. One of the rare cases where it's 100% worth it.
Amen!