I think Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg might be very good for beginner. It's a suite, so there's a lot of different moods.
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I agree but it’s tough to get one started in classical with Bartok !
Americana: Aaron Copeland Fanfare for the Common Man, Hoedown, Appalachian Spring or Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Symphony on Steroids: Berlioz Symphony Fantastique
Get Pumped for Football: Orff Carmina Burana
Pure Joy: Vivaldi The Four Seasons, in particular, Winter
Mourning: Barber Adagio (I cry every time)
When Classical Paints with Colors: Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite
Classical as Math - JS Bach anything
Symphony on Steroids: Berlioz Symphony Fantastique
Get Pumped for Football: Orff Carmina Burana
Pure Joy: Vivaldi The Four Seasons, in particular, Winter
Mourning: Barber Adagio (I cry every time)
When Classical Paints with Colors: Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite
Classical as Math - JS Bach anything
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Indeed. As an aide to negotiating the orchestral works it might, initially, be worth trying to stick with one orchestra or conductor/director when sifting through trying to select performances. You can't go wrong with Herbert von Karajan's tenure with the Berlin Philharmoniker, or Sir Colin Davis with the London Symphony. For String Quartets, the Takacs Quartet will be always be reliable.
So funny. Vivaldi is all of the emotions rolled up into one big burrito.
I remember going to violin lessons and later piano and hating 90% of the music I had to learn. Now that I am a "half" mature person I realize that was a shame. Not simply that I didn't like some Wohlfahrt piece when I was 7, but that the instructors then (and now) don't do the kind of musical outreach that might inspire more kids instead of burning them out.
So as a fan of some and not others, I think the battle many musicians and listeners fight is that we have this high bar to clear. I was mostly "taught" that all classical music was great and all pop music was terrible. Turns out some of each is great and some if each is terrible. If you can't get through Prokofiev or Glinka or Rossini without smiling you need to loosen up a little. Even Copeland, joyful. But in fairness he hasn't been dead long enough for my childhood teacher to qualify as classical.
I remember going to violin lessons and later piano and hating 90% of the music I had to learn. Now that I am a "half" mature person I realize that was a shame. Not simply that I didn't like some Wohlfahrt piece when I was 7, but that the instructors then (and now) don't do the kind of musical outreach that might inspire more kids instead of burning them out.
So as a fan of some and not others, I think the battle many musicians and listeners fight is that we have this high bar to clear. I was mostly "taught" that all classical music was great and all pop music was terrible. Turns out some of each is great and some if each is terrible. If you can't get through Prokofiev or Glinka or Rossini without smiling you need to loosen up a little. Even Copeland, joyful. But in fairness he hasn't been dead long enough for my childhood teacher to qualify as classical.
This is Kira roessler who played bass for black flag. Her and mike watts have a bass duet Called Dos where they pretty much play classical style music on bass. Listen to this with head phones
I started playing classical music - a violinist in school. To this day, no matter what genre I am playing, I limit myself to using only classical notes.
In a couple of weeks, I'm playing (on fretless) in a church service with a violinist and a cellist. So, sorta classical music still.
In a couple of weeks, I'm playing (on fretless) in a church service with a violinist and a cellist. So, sorta classical music still.
Not to complicate matters, but... "Classical" music really isn't one thing. Music evolves over time. Think how different the music of the early 20th century was compared to late 20th century. It's only in hindsight that the general population began to lump the music of the past under one big overarching umbrella of "classical music". There are several centuries worth of various schools, styles, and instrumentations of music under that umbrella. J.S. Bach (1685-1750) wasn't even alive at the same time as Mozart and Beethoven, and the modern piano was not yet a common instrument in his lifetime. Mahler was yet another century down the road. I think one should sample quite a lot to find elements that interest them as listeners and musicians. The biggest seismic shift for me, as someone who also grew up without a lot of direct exposure to "classical music", came when I started going to symphonic performances in my 20s. The power of the music is best experienced as originally intended, in the room with the performers. Hell, the same goes for most music, in my opinion. Obviously, that's not so easy to recommend at the moment, but hopefully it will be again someday.
All that blabbering out of the way, I personally have been more deeply moved by the symphonies of Shostakovich than any other composer. My recommendation is to educate oneself on the composer and the historical backdrop of each symphony before listening. Then, barring the ability to hear them performed live, get access to as high of quality recordings as you can and listen to them loud on the best audio equipment you have access to. A compressed Youtube recording or streamed mp3 does not do any justice to the nuances of a live symphony.
All that blabbering out of the way, I personally have been more deeply moved by the symphonies of Shostakovich than any other composer. My recommendation is to educate oneself on the composer and the historical backdrop of each symphony before listening. Then, barring the ability to hear them performed live, get access to as high of quality recordings as you can and listen to them loud on the best audio equipment you have access to. A compressed Youtube recording or streamed mp3 does not do any justice to the nuances of a live symphony.
I was going to suggest Pictures. Mussorgsky wrote it originally as a solo piano piece, Ravel helped him orchestrate it. The last movement, Great Gate of Kiev, rivals the 1812 Overture for big low brass and overall hugeness.
And Emerson, Lake, and Palmer covered it on an album. Also one of the first great electronic music performers, Tomita (IIRC) put an album out that is very faithful to the orchestral version.
All of Rimsky-Korsakov, especially Capricio Español, one of my faves. The more famous ones are also great, “Flight of the Bumble Bee” and “Scheherazade”.
My favorite intro piece for "classical" (actually from the Romantic era) is:
Piano Concerto no. 1 - Tchaikovsky
My favorite relaxation piece:
Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven
If you want a direct connection to rock, some of J.S. Bach's fugues were used in guitar solos through the 80s and 90s. Eruption by Van Halen is one of those.
If you're OK with subtitles, try getting a video version of Bizet's Carmen and watch the while thing with subtitles on. It may change your view on opera a bit.
Piano Concerto no. 1 - Tchaikovsky
My favorite relaxation piece:
Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven
If you want a direct connection to rock, some of J.S. Bach's fugues were used in guitar solos through the 80s and 90s. Eruption by Van Halen is one of those.
If you're OK with subtitles, try getting a video version of Bizet's Carmen and watch the while thing with subtitles on. It may change your view on opera a bit.
One of my top favorites. He had some dark bass driven stuff that I loved growing up.
in high school ... i switched from strict classical lessons to a teacher that a local legend in Jazz and Classical ... he had me playing lots of Gershwin .. interesting chords , moods ... as with many from the more Romantic era ...
Hi, glad to hear you're at least interested. Hope your kids are OK.
One thing that makes a huge difference is that you should hear the music live as much as you can. Some super expensive stereos I've heard come close, but there's nothing like hearing the nuances of orchestral instruments, recordings don't usually sound as good. Put it this way, if you've only heard orchestral music through recordings, you are missing something. Have you ever watched ballet on tv or the internet? You wouldn't know that in a live setting, you can hear the dancer's feet thump on the stage, and the sound of their costumes rustling, etc. It really adds to the experience. (Actually, ballet and opera are my least favorite types of orchestral listening.)
Somebody already said it; "Classical" is a "period", not necessarily a style. I like to say orchestral, as it takes in most anything played by an orchestra (like Palladio, which was written for string quartet in the 90's but has a Romantic [period] orchestral vibe. Check out the girl quartet eScala). And while you're at it, there are all kinds of other ensembles that use orchestral instruments. I could also recomend Switched On Bach, (synth) a personal favorite
I second Carmina Burana and Peer Gynt. Also Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (concerti?) (#3 in particular), and Sheherezade by Rimsky-Korsikov. All these suggestions contain phrases and themes that will be familiar to most.
The whole point is to find music that you like. It can be anything.
Good luck.
Tom
One thing that makes a huge difference is that you should hear the music live as much as you can. Some super expensive stereos I've heard come close, but there's nothing like hearing the nuances of orchestral instruments, recordings don't usually sound as good. Put it this way, if you've only heard orchestral music through recordings, you are missing something. Have you ever watched ballet on tv or the internet? You wouldn't know that in a live setting, you can hear the dancer's feet thump on the stage, and the sound of their costumes rustling, etc. It really adds to the experience. (Actually, ballet and opera are my least favorite types of orchestral listening.)
Somebody already said it; "Classical" is a "period", not necessarily a style. I like to say orchestral, as it takes in most anything played by an orchestra (like Palladio, which was written for string quartet in the 90's but has a Romantic [period] orchestral vibe. Check out the girl quartet eScala). And while you're at it, there are all kinds of other ensembles that use orchestral instruments. I could also recomend Switched On Bach, (synth) a personal favorite
I second Carmina Burana and Peer Gynt. Also Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (concerti?) (#3 in particular), and Sheherezade by Rimsky-Korsikov. All these suggestions contain phrases and themes that will be familiar to most.
The whole point is to find music that you like. It can be anything.
Good luck.
Tom
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Grandiose, powerful, epic:
Gustav Holst, "Mars: Bringer of War" from "The Planets" (covered by Emerson, Lake and Powell, used partially in Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" and Triumph's "The City" from the album "Rock 'N Roll Machine")
So many... really, a great place to start might be one of those "100 Greatest Hits of Classical Music" collections; they are usually cheap and have only the highlights you might recognize. Then, branch out into the stuff that appeals to you.
100 Greatest Classical Music Works - Classical Music Only
Gustav Holst, "Mars: Bringer of War" from "The Planets" (covered by Emerson, Lake and Powell, used partially in Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" and Triumph's "The City" from the album "Rock 'N Roll Machine")
So many... really, a great place to start might be one of those "100 Greatest Hits of Classical Music" collections; they are usually cheap and have only the highlights you might recognize. Then, branch out into the stuff that appeals to you.
100 Greatest Classical Music Works - Classical Music Only
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In my humble opinion Shostakovich was the greatest, and you practically can't go wrong with any of the Russian romantic and Soviet era composers. Tchaikovsky's 4th is triumphant. Prokofiev was the master of the melodic line.
The repeated pattern of three staccato notes in the 3rd movement are said to represent the KGB knocking on your door in the middle of the night.
