Classical HELP

Dear John,

Take a look at this thread (the most recent version of the list is at the bottom of the first page - for various reasons it hasn't received an update in a little while). The first section of the list provides links to various 'getting started' threads, the rest are more, as it were in, depth.

You might also care to take a look at this thread from a week or two back. Though by the nature of its title, not quite everything would be termed 'getting started'.


regards, Tam

thanks Tam I am away to review right now.

Dear mass,

I would recomend a very fine album of three CDs of Bach's music as a splendid entry.

The Six Brandenberg Concertos and Four Orchestral Suites, on DG Archiv, played by the English Consort under Trevor Pinnock.

Essentially these represent a conservative and central style of performance in the Historically Informed Performance Practice style that is current, and use the correct instruments in Baroque set-up, but most of all they bring out the energy and joy of this music, which is so full of life enhacing quality.

You will find that even if you don't think that you know this music you actually do know parts of it! It is so much part of Western Culture that it even finds its way into Popular Contemporary Culture, and without any embarrassment!

I do suggest you start exactly with this recomendation which is actually to be found in a budget issue, and move out from there once you have made your aquaintance with the music. The performances are among the finest in the music yet commited to disc. There are many less fine efforts, so it worth seeking these out.

Unfortunately my very favourite recordings of these works are deleted at present, so I will not whet your appetite for a disappointement.

After that I would suggest an investigation of two great Haydn String Quartets played by the Mosaiques Quartet, the Opus 77 set. Haydn's last words in the style. This is great and easily enjoyed music, which again affords a glimse of a whole world of chamber music. [see Tam's Link to a thread by Milo, on exactly this point].

After that I would suggest a handful of Mozart Piano Concertos, and Beethoven Symphonies and Piano concertos, but not doubt this thread will carry on for a while if you find yourself enjoying this new "old" world of music! [Again Tam's very helpful link above will take you to some supperb starting points in this area as well, including some of my own ideas!].

Keep posting about how you get on. It gives me a real kick to think that people are finding out this great and under-exposed part of the musical world!

Good hunting and listening from Fredrik

Tam / Fredrik

Thank you very much guys for the time and effort from both of you. Your advice has been turned into action and I have ordered Bach, Hadyn, Mozart and Beethoven off the Web. I was not able in all cases to get the piece with the conductor you suggested and my patience ran out with HMV/Virgin and Amazon as their sites dont allow particularly specific searches. I shall let you know over the next few weeks how things go. Once again thank you very much for your precious time.

Mass

More specifically these are what I ordered:

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos [Audio CD] Benjamin Britten; English Chamber

Mozart - Piano Concertos [Audio CD] Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus; Ashkenazy

Beethoven - Symphony No 9 [Audio CD] Runnicles, Donald; Miles, Alastair; Bishop

Haydn - String Quartets Op. 77, Nos. 1-2 and Op. 103, inD minor

And a thank you from me too as I've just ordered the Brandenburg with Pinnock. Can't wait

Dear Mass,

Will be very interested to hear how the Britten Brandenburgs and the Ashkenazy Mozart are.


regards, Tam

Make it 5 - with this one John





Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 6, 17 & 21 / Géza Anda



SJB

Spot on there in my view SJB!

Fred

Tam/Fredrik

After a somewhat stressful day at the office I came home to play the first of the recommendations you gave me, Bach Brandenburg Concertos 1-6. As you recall I could only acquire the Benjamin Britten recording. Well...

Really very very good and I have chilled very quickly listening to it. I marvel at how in the days of pre recording equipment, studios as we know them and all the dubbing and technological aides of the modern world someone can carry such a vision in their heads to write music of this variation and complexety often without the benefit I presume of a full orchestra to bounce their ideas off.

To sum up (and I am only half way through this piece) I really like the lightness yet dramatic nature of the music and to me it is very uplifting. Not sure how or why it has taken me so long to "spin" this genre of music.

My "informative days" of music were the likes of Zepplin, Deep Purple, Yes, Cream, Ozzy and then onto Floyd. So the journey has been somewhat long but maybe not all that varied. Composition exists in Bach and the heavy rock STUFF AND MAYBE THATS WHY i AM FINDING bACH SO EASY TO LISTEN TO. wHO KNOWS BUT i DO LIKE IT. oNCE AGAIN THANK YOU. Oops Caps lock not shouting!

John

Dear John,

Searching Amazon/HMV is actually not that difficult - you just have to know what to type. Make sure you select 'classical music', to narrow things down a little and then, say 'Bach Pinnock Brandenburg' would have found the ones Fredrik mentioned.

You could also try amazon's advanced search page (the classical bit being towards the bottom):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Popular-Music-Search/b/ref=sv_m...=UTF8&node=125554011

I'm a particular fan of Britten (both as a condutor and composer - though the latter probably not the best jumping off point for classical music), so I may well pick those up. Apparently they were made in the Maltings, the concert hall Britten built in Suffolk, which for my money has one of the finest accoustics in the world.

regards, Tam

Tam and Fredrik

I really owe you gentlemen my gratitude for those considered recommendations of a week ago. Today Wolfgang arrived by way of Piano Concertos 20-25 with Vladimir Ashkenazy and wow I am simply taken back by their beauty. A wonderful evening, with minor inerjections from the good lady, where I became engulfed in 2hr 20 minutes of bliss. I cannot understand how I have deprived myself for so long.

Now you guys are hearing from someone who has no idea what D minor or major actually means and this may become my next project, in an erstwhile busy schedule, to educate myself on music definition. Anyways I sat there at times trying to disect the listening to the timing, the softness and dramatic edge to many of the piano playing notes in wonderment. This stuff really has mood and emotion and often I could envisage quite clearly places of tranquillity and drama. Quite amazing music. Once more my most sincere thank you's to each of you. Rock has taken a back seat this past week I assure you.

By way of a PS I was reading some of your threads from this evening Fredrik and must congratulate you on your command of this wonderful language. Just reading you was highly pleasant. Also your openess and frankness was enlightening. You remind me of a charachter caller Morrie whom a wonderful book was once written. Enough of this you may think I am a fan!

Good evening and best regards to Tam and Fredrik. John (the converted)

Another excellent source of classical CDs is Presto Classical.

I've used them a lot and their site has good search options. The "Browse" menus are particularly helpful if you're not exactly sure what you are looking for, or are looking for more of a particular style of music, orchestra, conductor, artist etc

Hope that is of interest.

Presto Classical

quote:

Originally posted by Milo Tweenie:
Another excellent source of classical CDs is Presto Classical.
Hope that is of interest.
Presto Classical

Thanks for this link. Didn´t know the site. Most interesting.

Thx Milo i shall browse away.