Classical Music

[MSFixR]

The following rather long post is in response to an inquiry by eliza’snumber1fan. Rather than reply directly and solely to him, I thought I’d share my response with the general forum.

I must preface this by saying that attempting to recommend pieces or even genre of classical music to someone without having a thorough knowledge of their tastes and background is almost impossible. Music is an art form and art is in the eye, ear, and mind of the viewer and listener. Ask five classical music listeners their favorites and you will get five different answers. Be that as it may, I will list a few composers and their works which appeal to most listeners of classical music.

First of all, what is classical music? I found this definition in Wikipedia which pretty much answers the question.

“Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. The central norms of this tradition developed throughout this period but reached their heights of complexity and development in the period between 1550 and 1820: what is known as the common practice period.”

“This music evokes classical traditions, focuses on formal styles, invites technical and detailed deconstruction and criticism, and demands focused attention from the listener. It is written down using a formal notation and a work of classical music is usually defined by the notated version, rather than a particular performance of it. This music is associated with, and often compared to, fine art and high culture, sometimes leading to accusations of haughtiness and exclusivity being leveled at its enthusiasts. Nevertheless, many "classical" pieces were the popular music of their time, and have remained popular to this day. The public taste for and appreciation of formal music of this type is often described as having waned through the later part of the 20th century and into the present millennium, particularly in the USA and UK, although it continues to thrive elsewhere in the world. Certainly, this period has seen classical music falling well behind the immense commercial success of popular music.”

My list of favorites (not all inclusive).

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was a prolific German composer of sacred and secular works during the Baroque period. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_S_Bach Bach composed so many pieces of much in so many forms that a special means of categorizing his music has been developed. Called Bach Werke Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue) and abbreviated BWV it is a systematic catalogue by type of work rather than by date of publication. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BWV
Recommended works:
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) was another German composer of the Baroque period probably best known for his operas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart
His works have been categorized by Ludwig von Kochel but this list is chronological rather than by genre.
Recommended works:
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622
Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major ("Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), K. 525
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620
Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) A German composer renowned for his piano music and symphonies among other works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven
Recommended works:
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ("Moonlight"), Op. 27
Symphony No. 9 in D minor ("Choral"), Op. 125

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897) a German composer of the Romantic period.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahms
Recommended work:
Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra, Op. 45
Concerto for violin, cello & orchestra in A minor ("Double"), Op. 102
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) A Russian composer known for his symphonies and ballets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchaikovsky
Recommended works:
Symphony No. 6 in B minor ("Pathétique"), Op.74
Nutcracker, ballet, Op. 71
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847) A German composer of the early Romantic period kwon for his concertos and symphonies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn
Recommended works:
Octet for strings in E flat major, Op. 20
The Hebrides, overture for orchestra in B minor ("Fingal's Cave"), Op. 26
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921) A French composer famous for his orchestral works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-saens
Recommended works:
Symphony No. 3 in C minor ("Organ"), Op. 78

Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883) German composer of operas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner
Recommended works:
Der Ring des Nibelungen, opera, WWV 86
Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90
Lohengrin, opera, WWV 75

I could go on and on. For the first time listener, I would suggest a classical music radio station. They normally play the “top 100” and they usually don’t play anything too obtuse. Pieces of classical music are usually longer and more complex than pop music. But one can just as easily listen in a recreational mode as opposed to listening intently. If you really want to understand and appreciate a piece of music, be it classical, jazz, rock, etc., you should learn something about the composer and the environment in which he composed the piece. The idea place to listen to classical or any kind of music is the concert hall. Not only is the sound optimum but so is the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the audience contributes to the enjoyment of the music. If you find that you really like this for of music, I suggest a course in music appreciation which will survey all of the field and present you with samplings of the major contributors. Such a course is offered at most large colleges and from some commercial educational organizations. One that I recommend is: http://www.teach12.com/teach12.asp

[edawg99]

Classic Music Sucks. It's good for one thing putting me asleep.

[SilverSpoon]

Sure, some of it can put you to sleep, but there's a heck of a lot that will certainly wake you up. I forget what the piece is, but one of my TAs at school showed us this awesome piece where all the violins were playing tremolo in seconds (the interval). It was like the attack of the killer mosquitos. THAT would wake you up.

I guess we're talking about the layman's classical music if you're throwing Bach in there. In which case this would probably wake you up as well.

[MSFixR]

Originally Posted by SilverSpoon

I guess we're talking about the layman's classical music if you're throwing Bach in there. In which case this would probably wake you up as well.

Yes, but only the first eight bars, after that edawg99 can snooze.

[SilverSpoon]

Haha, true.

I like Baroque and Romantic music a lot more than Classical. I've already told you about my love for Vivaldi, and I think I've mentioned Bartok a few times in past threads.

[MSFixR]

I too favor the Romantic period however I wanted to give a somewhat varied list of selections. The current symphony music director includes a twentieth century or even a world premier in each weeks repertoir. I have heard only a few twentieth century composer that I like - Bernstein, Ives, Copland.

The opening bars of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor always wakens me up.

I tend to listen to classical compilations when I'm writing essays or reading because it relaxes me. I can't stand it when people say they hate classical music when it's obvious that they never actually listen to it.

[eliza'snumber1fan]

thanks fixr

i'll have a look out for complation cd of the most popular tracks

[SilverSpoon]

Gabrieli - O magnum mysterium

Imagine a live performance of that in a cathedral. BALLS TO THE WALL SOUND.

[MSFixR]

The Bach Society of St. Louis performs regularily in various churches in the area including the Basilica of St. Louis (the [new] cathedral of St. Louis). The cathedral has its own series of concerts which last year included Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 "Organ". Talk about blowing the walls out.

Here's a little introduction to ...classical music: the best known cure for insomnia. :D

Moiseiwitsch playing Chopin Prelude #16

http://www.sendspace.com/file/k8h2md


Furtwangler conducting Mendelssohn - in my opinion, the single most exciting orchestral recording of all time

http://www.sendspace.com/file/t6hm7m

[MSFixR]

Admittedly the piano is not my favorite instrument. It probably goes back to the early piano lessons with the nuns who used to rap your knuckles with a ruler whenever you played a wrong note. Anyway, Chopin can be tedious.

Tone poems are always colorful and dynamic, and Mendelssohn's Hebrides overture epitomizes the genre.

It is a good idea to post samples. I've begun to do this in the music forum "What are you listening to now" by referencing the appropriate Amazon page.