Classical music recommendations

[Cricketbat70]

Hi all.

I'm looking for recommendations for classical music. Luke most people in the UK I've grown up with the odd piece of classical music used in TV commercials, films etc. I also have a CD that was my grandads, one of those freebies from a news paper, the best of Mozart.
My Seagate NAS drive came with 5 classical music tracks, the one I play most is The Blue Danube.
Last night I went to bed earphones in and started listening to Rachmaninoff on Spotify. After drifting off I woke to Rhapsody on a them of Paganini. That is now on my Spotify likes.
Has any one got recommendations for a complete novice to the world of classical music?

 

[DCarmi]

Ooh! Quite a big topic and I'll miss a lot!

Vivaldi - Four Seasons - an old (literally) standard
Bach - Cello suites, Brandenburg Concertos and loads more
Beethoven - Symphonies 3,5,6, 9 (and most of the rest), Violin concerto, Piano Concerto #5
Elgar - Enigma variations (you will know this by osmosis)
Holst - Planets
Tchaikovsky - Symphonies 4,5,6, Swan lake, 1812 Overture, Piano Concerto #1
Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
Stravinsky - Firebird - more modern and discordant but totally thrilling
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Dvorak - New World Symphony
Sibelius - Any symphony, Finlandia
Mendelssohn - Violin concerto (often paired with Bruch Violin Concerto)
Mahler - Symphony #5
Shostakovich - Symphony #5 (and #10) - More modern stuff. (Also his Jazz Suites)
Mozart - Loads but try Piano Concerto #21 Elvira Madigan, Symphonies 40 and 41

On Spotify search for the recording of:
Baroque Masterpieces by Neville Marriner, which has a good selection of stuff you might like.

As a beginner, I'd pick from the list
Vivaldi 4 seasons,
Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6
Dvorak New world Symphony
Stravinsky Firebird
and the Baroque Masterpieces by Marriner.

You'll recognise bits of all of them, which is probably the hook you need.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Ooh! Quite a big topic and I'll miss a lot!

Vivaldi - Four Seasons - an old (literally) standard
Bach - Cello suites, Brandenburg Concertos and loads more
Beethoven - Symphonies 3,5,6, 9 (and most of the rest), Violin concerto, Piano Concerto #5
Elgar - Enigma variations (you will know this by osmosis)
Holst - Planets
Tchaikovsky - Symphonies 4,5,6, Swan lake, 1812 Overture, Piano Concerto #1
Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
Stravinsky - Firebird - more modern and discordant but totally thrilling
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Dvorak - New World Symphony
Sibelius - Any symphony, Finlandia
Mendelssohn - Violin concerto (often paired with Bruch Violin Concerto)
Mahler - Symphony #5
Shostakovich - Symphony #5 (and #10) - More modern stuff. (Also his Jazz Suites)
Mozart - Loads but try Piano Concerto #21 Elvira Madigan, Symphonies 40 and 41

On Spotify search for the recording of:
Baroque Masterpieces by Neville Marriner, which has a good selection of stuff you might like.

As a beginner, I'd pick from the list
Vivaldi 4 seasons,
Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6
Dvorak New world Symphony
Stravinsky Firebird
and the Baroque Masterpieces by Marriner.

You'll recognise bits of all of them, which is probably the hook you need.

Thanks

 

[Revolutions]

I listen to a lot of Baroque music. It’s almost always 60bpm & the structures are similar so I find it super relaxing. Easy to work to, but equally good in your face at a decent volume.

*edit* this thread reminded me of Max Richter’s version of Four Seasons

 

[Friesiansam]

My recommendation would be, take a month of Qobuz and go try anything and everything. See what you like.

 

[DCarmi]

My recommendation would be, take a month of Qobuz and go try anything and everything.

OP already uses Spotify, so they can trawl there, to their heart's content.

 

[Rodolfo]

I first learned of Jazz at the turn of the century through a short-lived Microsoft music subscription -best entertainment value ever, in my experience and estimation. So, explore your Spotify service fully. I'm a former subscriber and know it has very good offerings and features,

You already have many good suggestions. I'll add a couple that spiked my early interest (i.e., besides Vivaldi's The Four Seasons):

Beethoven Sonatas - Moonlight, Pathetique, and Appassionata are particular favorites, and I like recordings specifically of these three.

Mozart -Divertimento KV 287 and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik KV 525

Another thing I'd do in starting my early interests in jazz and classical was to visit the library, or browse through excellent magazines at the book store that review new recordings, for instance.

As you listen and develop your tastes, you'll want to come back and ask for more specific suggestions. And, you may start making your own suggestions before long.

Enjoy, take your time exploring and learning.

 

[Rodolfo]

Can anyone share some classical music for a 12-year-old girl? My sister wants to learn piano.

(Disclaimer: I love, but don't play the piano.)
I suggest a John O'Conor album called Piano Classics that has 18 classical pieces. It's a very nice Telarc recording and may work best for you and her. His earlier Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Volume 1 recording, also on Telarc, is wonderful too, and Rudolf Serkin's Great Performances recording of the same sonatas is a little slower and may be better for learning/teaching.. A third/fourth favorite is Murray Perahia on Sony Classical, Mozart Piano Sonatas (no's 310, 331, and 533). All these are single piano solos, as I recall. Enjoy.

 

[JDL]

Hi all.

I'm looking for recommendations for classical music. Luke most people in the UK I've grown up with the odd piece of classical music used in TV commercials, films etc. I also have a CD that was my grandads, one of those freebies from a news paper, the best of Mozart.
My Seagate NAS drive came with 5 classical music tracks, the one I play most is The Blue Danube.
Last night I went to bed earphones in and started listening to Rachmaninoff on Spotify. After drifting off I woke to Rhapsody on a them of Paganini. That is now on my Spotify likes.
Has any one got recommendations for a complete novice to the world of classical music?

I'm sure you've heard Rachmaninoff's "The Isle of the Dead" Op.29. Seek out the version played by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
I would like to recommend to you Beethoven's Complete Piano Concertos. If you can find the version by Emil Gilels on Piano with the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting, you will not find a better version.
Borodin, Concertos 1 to 3. That has similarities with Rachmaninoff if you enjoy his music.
Mozart's Piano Concertos. Complete is preferable but number 20 and 21 stand out for many
Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6. The 1963 Version with Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan conducting is a must listen.
Saint Saens Piano Concertos are beautiful.
When looking for any particular classical music, I always ask Google, What is the best available recording of....for me on CD
Usually then you can read reviews of any given piece of music by leading critics and listeners and it can be very helpful in making sure you get among the best available versions.
Also YouTube is a useful testbed for finding classical music and giving it a listen to see if you like it.
Very best of luck with your quest.

 

[Cricketbat70]

I'm sure you've heard Rachmaninoff's "The Isle of the Dead" Op.29. Seek out the version played by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
I would like to recommend to you Beethoven's Complete Piano Concertos. If you can find the version by Emil Gilels on Piano with the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting, you will not find a better version.
Borodin, Concertos 1 to 3. That has similarities with Rachmaninoff if you enjoy his music.
Mozart's Piano Concertos. Complete is preferable but number 20 and 21 stand out for many
Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6. The 1963 Version with Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan conducting is a must listen.
Saint Saens Piano Concertos are beautiful.
When looking for any particular classical music, I always ask Google, What is the best available recording of....for me on CD
Usually then you can read reviews of any given piece of music by leading critics and listeners and it can be very helpful in making sure you get among the best available versions.
Also YouTube is a useful testbed for finding classical music and giving it a listen to see if you like it.
Very best of luck with your quest.

Thanks for that. On another note. I was feeling a bit nostalgic and missing my dad the other day so listened to my dad's favourite artist Duane Eddy on Spotify. A track came on and I thought, hang on a minute I recognise that it's Rachmaninoff. Anyway I looked and the track is The Story of Three Loves ( The 18th Variation from Rapsodie on a Theme of Paganini). So Eddy's twangy guitar mixed in with Rachmaninoff.

 

[JDL]

Lloyd Webber used a piece from that as well didn't he. It was the theme tune for a famous TV show for years.