How to discover and learn about classical music

Don't know a lot about classical music either but try Qobuz. There collection is large enough for beginners like us to get some orientation...

Dear Fred, 

I have bumped this recent thread, and commend the recommendations made, called the Brandenburg Concertos.

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...randenburg-concertos

No finer place to start appreciating the great classics than Bach's Brandenburgs really. Open and easy to like straight off, and yet endlessly fascinating on a deeper level.

I am off tomorrow playing a concert so not back till Saturday. But later or more in the future, I am sure that I can help you broaden in the classical repertoire. Always iust ask a "classical" music question here, and I'll try to offer a helpful answer that is not obscure or clever, just good!

ATB from George

You are embarking on a great adventure! I started out similarly a few years ago and still definitely consider myself a novice at classical music despite owning several cycles of my favorite composers' and conductors' work. At some point I'll reduce my library to the works that are truly important to me.

I'd suggest starting out with the classical music you are familiar with and already like. There must be some movie soundtrack or other famous piece of music that you hear the same few bars of over and over again. Find out who made it, get the complete recording and listen to the whole thing.

From learning about that piece of music you may discover others by the same artists or hear about movements and other artists who are influences. For instance if you really like the Star Wars soundtrack you might discover that Shostakovich is a big influence on John Williams. Exploring Shostakovich may then expose you to other Russian composers such as Prokofiev or Tchaikovsky. And so on.

Try to catch live shows as often as possible too. Hopefully the players in your area are competent. In some cases I've heard an orchestra perform so terribly that I'd prefer to listen to my stereo. Obviously that should NEVER happen at a live performance, but sometimes does. Don't feel left out if a performance doesn't move you, the piece may still be good or something you'd like, sometimes the performance just sucks. When an orchestra is on song though it really is a great experience and quite special.

There are some very knowledgeable people on the forums when it comes to classical music and they have been an invaluable source of directions and knowledge.

I started out listening to Nigel kennedy's interpretation of Vivaldi's four seasons then Rimsky Korsakov, Katchaturian, Prokofiev, Saint saens, Debussey. All relatively easy to get into.

Another way to try is to get the classical experience compilations, this way you will get an idea as to what composer interests you most so you can then delve into their works with a little knowledge.

Regards

Donald

Some useful online resources for classical music - MusicWeb International, Gramophone, Fanfare magazine, Classics Today, Classical Net.

+1 Gramophone recordings of the month are a fun place to start, and they have their recordings of the year also: http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2013

Despite what some people say, I think there's never been a better time for classical music.  Very interesting new composers also. This is a very interesting CD: http://www.npr.org/2013/11/03/...-hilary-hahn-encores

The recording quality on many new releases is amazing - and will let your system shine.

George may have been the one to make this obvious but great recommendation - go hear live classical music.  Again, IMHO, the quality of playing, even from regional orchestras and university groups, has never been better. There's probably a music conservatory near you that has a free concert nearly ever day. 

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...classical-music-help

Hi Fred

I absolutely love Classical and like yourself didn't really know where to start. Thanks to the forum members here it really helped me explore. At least a 3rd of my library is now classical. Use the thread above as there are some amazing suggestions for you to explore.

I have the following on order to add to my collection.

ATB, Anton

I would see a couple of ways to start in the journey:

1. Start with what you like and start exploring from that (either the same artist, the same composer or similar recommendations from the sites you buy it).

2. Just buy one of the classical collectors CD with a wide collection (example could be the 111 from DG with 6 discs). And explore further on what you like.

3. Look at the recommendations from sites like Gramaphone, Sifini etc

4. Look at what people listen to on this sites - and how they talk about it

5. Look at the different types of classical music and try something out, or look at the style periods...

6. Buy a book with the best 1000 classical recordings and start exploring via the streaming services and buy waht you like.

Concrete suggestions can follow - when you are interested.

Also try and get some Antony Hopkins books second hand eg Talking about Music, Beethoven Symphonies, Pathways to Music, Concertgoers Companion (2vols). 

 i started with Wagner's Der Ring Des Niebelungen and first watched it as a theatrical piece only, its music remained merely a noise to me then, but as i watched it over and over - the music began to reveal itself and finally i ended up completely enthralled by this opera and Wagner as a composer and visionary and prophet... soon turned out that he wrote too few operas, not enough for everyday listen, so i also had to discover Verdi, Puccini, Mussorgsky, Richard Strauss, Offenbach and many others; next came ballet and symphonies and concerts.

When I first became interested in exploring "Classical" music, I bought a few books to use as a guide...

Here are some that I found helpful:

1. Discovering Great Music by Roy Hemming.

2. Listen to the Music by Jonathan D Kramer

3. Guide to Chamber Music by Melvin Berger

4. Guide to Sonatas by Melvin Berger

I found each of these books to be very helpful. I decided to use a chronological approach, which seemed quite logical at the time. Start with some Baroque, then move on through Classical, early Romantic, middle Romantic, and then late Romantic and so on. I found that in each step along the way, the music became more complex so it's a good idea to try some works from each era to keep challenging yourself.

Another approach is to sample some works from each era right from the start. You may find that you enjoy Beethoven, for example, but Tchaikovsky might be a bit too much. One thing I found, was that by listening (persevering) with something like the Tchaikovsky, and then going back to Beethoven, I had a better appreciation for Beethoven than I had before.

If you have internet radio, you may want to listen to a variety of music and discover what you like that way. I didn't have that luxury when I started out.

After many years of listening, I have been rewarded with an appreciation for the great composers' music from virtually every era. I spend about 90% of my listening time with "Classical" music, with the remaining 10% split between Jazz and Rock.

This is from a guy who was raised on Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, etc, and 60's and 70's rock music. So there is hope for everyone. There really is no right way or wrong way to explore this music, so you have to choose a method that you think may work for you.

Good luck,

BBM

Note: When I use the term Classical music in quotation marks, I mean music from the old composers. Classical without quotation marks denotes music from the era of Haydn, Mozart, and early Beethoven.

There is one very important thing I forgot to mention. Since each "Classical" work was written by a given composer, one is faced with many interpretations of each given work. Always choose the recording that features the best interpretation over the best sound quality. The essence of the composition will be best revealed by the best interpreter, irregardless of the sound quality.

BBM 

Cheap and easy way to discover classical music:

Open a Spotify account if you don't have one

Type in the names of the best known composers (they're generally best known because their music has wide appeal, as you might expect)

If you ask Spotify to build a radio station based on that composer it will throw in stuff which its algorithms consider to be in the same vein or genre.

Build on the stuff you like, ignore the music you don't.

If you find a particular favourite find a CD or better quality recording for your hifi use

Some names spanning about 5 centuries with which to start:

Bach

Beethoven

Britten

Handel

Haydn

Mozart

Schubert

Stravinsky

Purcell

Richard Strauss

Palestrina

Puccini

Verdi

You're bound to find something

I started out as just a rock and blues fan in my teens and developed a taste for jazz in my late 20’s and then slowly developed a taste for classical music. Clearly my tastes have improved with age. Now I probably listen 5% rock, 20% blues, 40% jazz and 35% classical. I started out listening to the usual suspects: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and eventually devoped a taste for Russian and Eastern European music and now I’m getting into contemporary American minimalism. Personally, I would avoid cheap ‘best of albums’ and listen to Classic FM as much as you can and the dedicated classical radio sites on the web.

good point.

a key to Tchaikovsky is Wagner, i didn't get Tchaiky until i heard Wagner's, only then i became a fan of all these Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Queen Of Spades etc.

I have to say that Sharik's recommendation of starting with Wagner's Der Ring des Niebelungen is a tough one and I think you'd be lucky to 'get' that as an introduction. It's also quite an expensive investment and you may be put off completely if you don't like it. That said I absolutely adore the Solti version. And the Boehm version. And the Barenboim. And the Karajan. And...

Personally I'd advocate Dozey's approach: listen to BBC Radio 3, especially the live concerts in the evenings and the operas live from the Met. on a Saturday evening. On a Naim tuner Radio 3 can sound truly amazing.

How about something like this ? Would give you a great overview of Classical Music, and you can learn exactly what type of music/composer 'floats yer boat'. This particular box set has excellent sound overall and is really cheap (50 quid) for 60 CD's..............

but i meant he started with some video of the opera like a DVD or bluray -

i myself would never have got into classical music if not for video productions.

Just a brief update, I realise it no more than a toe in the water..

Read about the several periods, started with the oldest in my music collection. So tried Baroque with Handel (Robin Hood style, I guess mostly because of the instruments used ;-)

After that I tried Beethoven. Wow! Found a great introduction video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDvSvUmoke4. easy to understand with the math behind a symphony

Very keen to learn more about the development true the ages, the key/influential composers, the build of a symphony and of course to discover some favorites and personal taste. Your replies are definitely usefull.

What a treat!

Kind regards, Fred

Fred

Reading good guide books and articles online, will introduce you to sonata allegro form, which is the way a lot of symphonic music was/is composed. Basically a theme is presented at the onset of the piece, then the theme goes through a development section, where the theme is built upon, and finally a recapitulation, where the original theme is presented again.

As composition developed over time, composers started to present multiple themes at the onset, and then develop and recap them, and so on. It helps to understand this so that you can make some sense of the musical message.

There are other styles of composition that were developed as time went on, but the sonata allegro form was the method used by the early symphonic composers.

George could jump in here and expand on things to a degree that I am unable to do, so I am just giving you one example of compositional method.

I have no formal musical education, but through reading, I have gained a very basic understanding, which makes these works more enjoyable.

BBM

Well thanks to many here, especially George when he was Frederick, I have a certain amount of classical music now.

I can't say as above that my taste has improved, I'm listening to JJ Cale at the moment and enjoying it thoroughly. However of the classical albums I have bought and that I return to frequently are:

You can't go wrong with this wonderful Mozart Concerto.

and any of the Uchida Mozart Sonatas. There is a box set around £30 and although I have found that the box sets may look great value but just warm my CD shelf this is one that I have listened and relistened to. (There is also an Anda box set)

I was on a holiday in Ilkley and there was a record shop below a book shop near Betty's (is it still there?) that sold predominantly classical music and I asked the knowledgeable chap behind the counter to recommend me 3 albums. This one of the 3 has stood the test of time in Sloop Acres.

These are 3 excellent CDs you want regret purchasing even if you never buy any more classical.

SJB

SJB

And I'm listening to the great John Prine.

BBM

This is a common view I hear often and yet I would humbly and respectfully like to offer an alternate view.  Yes, the point of many interpretations is true and thank goodness for this.  This is at least one aspect leading to the true enjoyment and understanding and once you get deeper into this music you will have found true liberation from the rule makers and those who give the ten commandments for classical music and so on.

Maybe it is my own lack of understanding and daftness for I have tried over the years but have yet to hear for myself or from the opinion of the genuinely musically gifted people that I trust and admire to be confident or adamant about knowing what "the best interpretation" is.  This elusive "best interpretation" does not exist.  What exists mostly is simply opinions - subjective opinions, that is - and there is one for everyone of us around.  Furthermore, opinions have the tendency to change to, depending on which way the wind blows.  If you like something, that is all that is necessary here and your ticket in.

I do not know you Fred but if I could I would offer you the following advise.

First is that classical music is quite broad.  Do not expect to understand everything right off.  Expect to be overwhelmed.  I have been connected to classical music for nearly 5 decades and I almost exclusively only listen to it to this day.  I still am learning and I do not ever expect to come to a point where I have hit the end of the road.  Believe me though if you don't give up and keep looking you will find something that will get you deep down inside.  The reason is that all these great composers of the past were human.  We live in a different culture but we are still human today.  Finding a composer you like just means that you found someone who shares a similar view on life and concerns.  It is an intimate conversation with someone you want to be with.

Second point is that you should not be surprised if you do not like certain styles or periods of music. I certainly would never say that I like "all classical music" because I don't.  Your goal is not to find out what other people like ultimately but on a journey of self-discovery find out what you truly like.  As others have said, this means there will be many years of exploring.  You eventually will learn about the different time periods, styles, genres.  You might ask yourself what you expect out of this exercise?  Is it to listen in the comfort of your home or to go out and find live performances?  Do you prefer solo acoustic instruments, small chamber music, larger ensembles, voice, opera etc.?  Do you tend to prefer intellect over emotion, emotion over intellect, or some combination of the two?  Is it for background music or are you wanting to understand the music, the meaning, the theory, the historical context etc. behind the works.  These are blunt questions with no right or wrong answers but just meant to point you in the right direction for what is right for you.

A last comment regards the point about interpretation and sound quality again.  My own journey may explain this better.  As a pianist, I eventually came to realize the long and hard way that one aspect of musical enjoyment is that the closer one get to a pleasing sound quality the deeper, richer, more satisfying is the experience.  So for myself, I disagree with the notion the only the interpretation matters since I don't believe this is possible to determine in the first place since we are all on a journey in a point of time.  What does matter (among a host of other things) and something that is in our control and less subjective to a point is the quality of the sound.  A very nice interpretation is usually spoiled for me if the quality of sound is not to the level "it could be at."  It can make all the difference with a good deal of classical music.

One would expect a great singer would have a great voice.  You wouldn't think of a person as the best interpreter of something if there voice were terrible sounding.  Every famous musician who makes a living at it most always seeks out the best instruments.  It is disappointing to have recordings made by very talented people only to be spoiled by the fault of a recording engineer or the fact that there were times in the past where it was possible to reach the highest degree of beautiful sounding replay.  Even today this remains a large problem.

Anyway, a thought just occurred to me that maybe ones choice of music that one prefers and your personality may dictate how important sound quality is to you.  I could be convinced that some early music such as baroque and then again some modern music (like Bartok or Prokofiev) does not rely so much on sound quality.  I would suggest, for myself though that from Beethoven to maybe Debussy / Ravel that much of the meaning of the music is lost if the sound quality is not adequate.  However, I could probably listen to Bach on just about any instrument or transcription.  While one needs a singing outcome too it also is very satisfying intellectually.  It sounds could played cold & straight as it does by playing it in a more romantic luscious view.

My advice then is to start with something you know and expand outward to the left or the right.  If you absolutely do not have a starting point then experiment a lot and do not be afraid to take chances.  In the end, always follow your own heart and don't be swayed by the court of public opinion.  When you have found things to your liking you will know as you will be jumping up and down with excitement or your heart will be racing or you will experience other things like joy, sadness, peace etc.