Dummies guide to Classical Music

[steve_1979]

I know it's a bit cliché but I think that Mozart and Beethoven are head and shoulders above all other composers. For most people the discussion starts at third place which IMO is Vivaldi. I think his string based pieces are very pleasant.

 

[CnoEvil]

When it comes to Classical Music, it is very important to be aware of the importance of the conductor, record label, quality of the recording and particular artist. The same piece of music can sound quite different depending on the interpretation of the Conductor, who decides tempo etc.

 

[tonky]

Beethoven Violin concerto in D major. - a must listen

especially with Itzhak Perlman on violin

tonky

 

[keeper of the quays]

100% on the money...your completely right! Its the synergy of all the parts...conductor being top of tree..second being the music engineer..

 

[matt49]

I know it's a bit cliché but I think that Mozart and Beethoven are head and shoulders above all other composers. For most people the discussion starts at third place which IMO is Vivaldi. I think his string based pieces are very pleasant.

FWIW I think any poll of classical music lovers would place J. S. Bach up alongside Mozart and Beethoven. In fact these days Mozart seems to be slightly out of favour, leaving Bach and Beethoven vying for top spot.

 

[tonky]

Not forgetting classical guitar too. Concerto De Aranjuez is very good

Some composers have had music transposed very nicely over to classical guitar. eg Bach cello suites

All the popular stuff by John Williams and Julian Bream is very good - But I particularly like the recordings of John Williams and Julian Bream duets together - They play some of my most favourite music ever!

tonky

 

[steve_1979]

Concerto De Aranjuez is very good

I've not tried that one. I'll add it to the list.

Not forgetting classical guitar too.

This is a rather nice. It's probably my favourite Vivaldi album at the moment. Clicky

 

[tonky]

Nice - just listened to some u tube - very technically gifted. But maybe I'm a bit too traditional when it comes to classical guitar - I just love the mellow tone - and it transposes other classical compositions (eg cello and piano) so well. Maybe better than the original instrument for which it was written.

tonky

 

[steve_1979]

Nice - just listened to some u tube - very technically gifted. But maybe I'm a bit too traditional when it comes to classical guitar - I just love the mellow tone - and it transposes other classical compositions (eg cello and piano) so well. Maybe better than the original instrument for which it was written.

tonky

I wasn't too sure about it at first but I find that I keep returning to it time and time again.

Concerto De Aranjuez is very good

Do you have a Spotify link for this one?

 

[steve_1979]

When it comes to Classical Music, it is very important to be aware of the importance of the conductor, record label, quality of the recording and particular artist. The same piece of music can sound quite different depending on the interpretation of the Conductor, who decides tempo etc.

Spot on. I think many people try a classical album and are put off by the recording and/or performances without realising the reason why they dislike it.

If I could own just one one classical music album it would be this one: Clicky. I picked it up for pennies in a second hand shop thinking that it would probably be rubbish but it's brilliant. It's performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and both the performance and recording quality of every track is spot on. It's 3 CDs and has a really well chosen selection of songs.

 

[steve_1979]

Does anyone know what this song is? Clicky

I saw it on an advert and liked it but was unable to find it on Spotify.

 

[tonky]

Nice - just listened to some u tube - very technically gifted. But maybe I'm a bit too traditional when it comes to classical guitar - I just love the mellow tone - and it transposes other classical compositions (eg cello and piano) so well. Maybe better than the original instrument for which it was written.

tonky

I wasn't too sure about it at first but I find that I keep returning to it time and time again.

Concerto De Aranjuez is very good

Do you have a Spotify link for this one?

I'm having trouble linking - but if you search the title Concerto de Aranjuez john williams you will get a link I hope. - Also john williams plays a vivaldi guitar concerto. Excellent . The second movement of which is particularly beautiful.

regards tonky

 

[steve_1979]

I'm having trouble linking - but if you search the title Concerto de Aranjuez john williams you will get a link I hope. - Also john williams plays a vivaldi guitar concerto. Excellent . The second movement of which is particularly beautiful.

regards tonky

When I search "Concerto de Aranjuez john williams" this is the one that comes up. Clicky

 

[Vladimir]

Does anyone know what this song is? Clicky

I saw it on an advert and liked it but was unable to find it on Spotify.

The Marriage of Figaro - comedic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

 

[tonky]

Looks good to me - the second movement - mostly guitar is quite well known - lovely emotive stuff.

The Vivaldi guitar concerto i excellent too. Again a slower, mostly guitar second movement - gorgeous.

I can revisit classical guitar quite frequently - great depths that are well worth exploring.

John williams duets with julian bream are amongst my favourites too

tonky

 

[keeper of the quays]

Im not sure whether vivaldi would get into my top ten composers...but this is classical for dummies..try edourdo fernandez, vivaldi guitar concertos.(lute really) on decca i think...its fab..great tone he gets..

 

[steve_1979]

Does anyone know what this song is? Clicky

I saw it on an advert and liked it but was unable to find it on Spotify.

The Marriage of Figaro - comedic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Aha! I knew I recognised it. Thanks.

 

[Vladimir]

This is the Concierto de Aranjuez you really want. Acoustic solo cello performance.

 

[tonky]

Does anyone know what this song is? Clicky

I saw it on an advert and liked it but was unable to find it on Spotify.

The Marriage of Figaro - comedic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Aha! I knew I recognised it. Thanks.

If you haven't seen the movie/dvd Amadeus - I recommend - A very entertaining (off the wall) biopic

tonky

 

[tonky]

This is the Concierto de Aranjuez you really want. Acoustic solo cello performance.

Good music is good music - cello and classical guitar/lute interchange well.

tonky

 

[steve_1979]

Does anyone know what this song is? Clicky

I saw it on an advert and liked it but was unable to find it on Spotify.

The Marriage of Figaro - comedic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Aha! I knew I recognised it. Thanks.

If you haven't seen the movie/dvd Amadeus - I recommend - A very entertaining (off the wall) biopic

tonky

Yes I have it on DVD. It's a fabulous film.

I've never managed to listen to The Marriage of Figaro from start to finish though. There's some great bits in there but generally I'm not much of a fan of opera.

 

[Covenanter]

The version of Mozart's Requiem on the Amadaus movie soundtrack is really incredible.

One of my favorite releases on DG. It's a Requiem but nothing somber like for example Barber's Adagio For Strings.

Vlad

Try the Dunedin Consort's reconstruction of the first performance on Linn. More sparse than a version like the Karajan but more authentic and to me much more exciting. It won a Gramophone award and was nominated for a Grammy. Fantastic recording too - demonstration quality. One of my favourite CDs of 2015.

Chris

 

[Vladimir]

Luckily I have that on Tidal and will give it a listen. I haven't tried any other performance except the HVK, which is lazy on my part since I like this requiem mass so much.

Was just reading this btw. Steve might find it interesting as a historic background.

The eccentric count Franz von Walsegg commissioned the Requiem from Mozart anonymously through intermediaries. The count, an amateur chamber musician who routinely commissioned works by composers and passed them off as his own,[1][2] wanted a Requiem Mass he could claim he composed to memorialize the recent passing of his wife. Mozart received only half of the payment in advance, so upon his death his widow Constanze was keen to have the work completed secretly by someone else, submit it to the count as having been completed by Mozart and collect the final payment.[3] Joseph von Eybler was one of the first composers to be asked to complete the score, and had worked on the movements from the Dies irae[/i] up until the Lacrymosa[/i]. In addition, a striking similarity between the openings of the Domine Jesu Christe[/i] movements in the requiems of the two composers suggests that Eybler at least looked at later sections[further explanation needed]. After this work, he felt unable to complete the remainder, and gave the manuscript back to Constanze Mozart.

The task was then given to another composer, Franz Xaver Süssmayr. Süssmayr borrowed some of Eybler's work in making his completion, and added his own orchestration to the movements from theKyrie onward, completed the Lacrymosa, and added several new movements which a Requiem would normally comprise: Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. He then added a final section, Lux aeterna by adapting the opening two movements which Mozart had written to the different words which finish the Requiem Mass, which according to both Süssmayr and Mozart's wife was done according to Mozart's directions. Some people consider it unlikely, however, that Mozart would have repeated the opening two sections if he had survived to finish the work.

Agnus Dei (lamb of God) is something that should be on every classical beginer playlist.

In addition, so should be Thomas Tallis - Spem in Alium.

 

[CnoEvil]

Try the Dunedin Consort's reconstruction of the first performance on Linn.  More sparse than a version like the Karajan but more authentic and to me much more exciting.  It won a Gramophone award and was nominated for a Grammy.  Fantastic recording too - demonstration quality.  One of my favourite CDs of 2015.

Chris

Totally agree.....I have the 24 bit version, which I received free when I bought my DS.

 

[steve_1979]

Agnus Dei (lamb of God) is something that should be on every classical beginer playlist.

That starts off with Barber's Adagio for Strings which is already on the Spotify playlist.

In addition, so should be Thomas Tallis - Spem in Alium.

Wow. I haven't heard that before. It's incredible and duly added to the list.

I also feel that Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata should be on there too but whereever I put it in the playlist it seemed out of place.