Posted: 3/24/2003 3:07:58 PM EDT
| Would those who listen to classical music suggest some music to download? |
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Moonlight Sonata Pachebels Canon Fur Elise Ave Maria Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg Ride of the Valkyries eine klein nacht musik all of the brandenberg concerto's anything by mozart, bach, or beethoven the planet suites - gustav holst bizet and berlioz are ok. tchaikovsky is alright theres brahms,handel, vivaldi, haydn, chopin all kinds of good shit the four seasons by vivaldi are good sorry for the disorganized post. |
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depends on what you like. fast, slow, intense. softt and light. as others have said, there is a ton out there. and its hard to tell in the first few seconds if you may like something or not. perhaps you could borrow some cds from friends? or download some things at random to find some that you like. or if you are looking for sort of a classical music's "greatest hits" there are definiely some pieces that are more common than others and that you may have heard in commercials, or in movies. maybe that might be a good place to start? i'f anything you like comes to mind, it can probably be identified and be a good place to start. also, instead of downloading individual tracks or files which may or maynot be complete, you might want to look into ripping the stream from a classical net radio station. if you can handle the bandwith, you'll get the whole piece without interruptions. |
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If you are new to the classical music world I recommend getting some compilation cds. Maybe you can find pieces you enjoy and then pursue them once you know your favorite composers. If you like organ, get a compilation of Bach organ music. Amazing stuff. Albinoni has some good organ/strings, organ/trumpet, and even some of his organ/oboe is good. Strings? I like Bach's string stuff (violinkonzerte (?)), Telemann, Beethoven's symphonies (currently I am really enjoying the first couple movements of his 9th), Schubert's unfinished symphony is good.... These are mostly from 1600s on to just past 1800. I don't like the modern stuff, except for Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei (adagio for strings...the chorale version). Specifics: 1. The Samuel Barber piece I mentioned (and if you like that, you might like [i]Miserere mei Deus[/i] by Allegri) 2. J.S. Bach's [i]Mass in B Minor[/i] (if you like vocals) 3. Tomaso Albinoni's [i]Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ[/i] 4. Maybe you'll like the beginning of Beethoven's 9th as much as I do. There was a thread about favorite composers not too long ago. My favorite is Bach, and quite a few others agreed. There are some decent recommendations I think: [url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=176273[/url] |
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Toccatta and Fugue in D minor by JS Bach, crank it up, this needs to be played loud. I like the version by the Philadelphia Philharmonic, although I also experienced it at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which was amazing. 2nd Suite for military band by Gustav Holst is a favorite of mine, of course since I got to play the first alto sax part (the solo is a bitch), it was really enjoyable. |
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I listen to a lot of classical music. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me. As others have suggested "classical" covers a wide variety of music and you need to decide what you really like. In a nutshell, here are the sub-genres: Medieval/Early musik Renaissance Baroque Classical Romantic Post Romantic Modern Typically, most classical music that you hear on the radio and find on the internet will fit into the Baroque and Classical periods. These include the greats such as Bach and Vivaldi (Baroque) and Mozart and Beethoven (Classical). Download the following: a few things with "Renaissance" in the title, a Brandenberg Concerto from JS Bach, a concerto (any instruments) from Vivaldi, a Haydn symphony, a Beethoven symphony, a Mahler symphony, and selections from a Strass or Wagner opera. Let us (or me) know what you like the best and more advice will follow. |
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Any of Christopher Parkening's guitar CDs "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber (used in the movie Platoon) "Appalachian Spring" by Aaron Copland "Billy the Kid" by Aaron Copland "La Mer" by Claude Debussy "Images pour Orchestra" by Claude Debussy Just about anyting by J. S. Bach Sergi Rachmaninoff's Piano Preludes P.S. -- Stay away from the late German Romantics such as Wagner and Mahler. They will sap your essence, make you tired and sleepy, and you risk becoming clinically depressed from over exposure to that stuff. |
| I would start with Beethoven's 9th symphony, the "Ode to Joy" It is the quintessential representation of classical music. Everybody has given great examples, but I would also consider something common and good like the Three Tenors CD to see if oratorios are to your liking. A goodie is Nessun Dorma. You will recognize it when you hear it |
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Quoted: You mean...Pay? For Music? The stuff worth listening to, yes [:)] Actually the more my interest grows in classical music, the more often I find recommendations for obscure music that isn't available on mp3--that is, I couldn't find it with thorough scouring of the net. With a lot of stuff you have no choice but to buy (which I don't mind). BTW, great suggestions! Thanks, yours to. I have been looking for some good classical guitar stuff, and hope Liona Boyd is it. |
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How about Opera? I love the piece in "The Fifth Element" that the blue chick sings, and bought the whole damn opera on CD. I love it, and seeing a young guy in an F150 with tattoos blaring opera seems to confuse people. Any suggestions in this genre? The opera that the song came from escapes me at the moment, but its not like your standard opera (or at lease what I think of as opera) with some fat broad singiner her heart out in some freaky foreign language. |
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Good advice above - note that [i]if[/i] I were a music snob, I'd mention that "classical" refers to a specific period in history (as Penguin mentioned). Not all "orchestral" music is "classical." In terms of accessibility, Mozart symphonies are probably a good place to start. It's mostly 18th century ear candy, very melodic. I also like Haydn chamber music a lot, and not just 'cause I used to play it transcribed for sax quartet. For American composers, Copland is probably my favorite. His clarinet concerto is fabulous, it'll take you from one emotional extreme to the other. My personal playground is renaissance polyphony (vocal music from the 16th century) - Tallis, Byrd, Palestrina, and a host of others. If you like choir music, this should light you up. Have fun! JScott |
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You need to match your music to your times. Last week was Holst's "Mars, Bringer of War." Prokofiev's "Montagues and Capulets", which is perhaps the best musical rendition of strife ever written, is good for today. Mussorgsky's "The Great Gate of Kiev" will be right on time in a few weeks. This is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. Listen to it as loud as is reasonable to still pick out the finer notes. If you've got the volume right, the cymbal crashes should knock you out of your chair. My .02. |
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Quoted: How about Opera? I love the piece in "The Fifth Element" that the blue chick sings, and bought the whole damn opera on CD. I love it, and seeing a young guy in an F150 with tattoos blaring opera seems to confuse people. [:D] I don't have tattoos, but I do have an F150 with blaring classical music and probably get some stares from the other college kids on the way to class, with their ricers and dance music. Any suggestions in this genre? The opera that the song came from escapes me at the moment, but its not like your standard opera (or at lease what I think of as opera) with some fat broad singiner her heart out in some freaky foreign language. If you don't like fat broad singers in foreign languages than most of opera is ruled out. Brahms has some OK stuff in his German Requiem. Some of it isn't good. I do like the second movement, [i]Dennes Alles Fleisch[/i], I think, and [i]Herr, Lehre Doch Mich[/i] (3rd movement ?) isn't bad either. One that isn't really opera, but is beautiful chorale is Samuel Barber's adagio for strings, the chorale version (sometimes called Agnus Dei, which means Lamb of God). This is the sort of song you'd expect to hear in some space opera type movie, maybe. It's beautiful, anyway. But I am not sure if either of these suggestions are what you're looking for. I like them, but that's about all I can say. |
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Quoted: Mussorgsky's "The Great Gate of Kiev" will be right on time in a few weeks. This is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. Listen to it as loud as is reasonable to still pick out the finer notes. If you've got the volume right, the cymbal crashes should knock you out of your chair. I'm sorry I am posting so much on this thread but I have to give a hearty agreement on this one. My brother and his wife had this at their wedding just a couple months ago for when she came down the isle. Imagine that! |
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Modest (yes, that is his first name) Mussorgsky's "Great Gate of Kiev" is part of the piece called "Pictures at an Exhibition". I highly recommend finding the entire piece as it is spectacular. From the opening fanfare (which some of you older guys will recognize as the opening notes to the late Friday night karate movies that used to come on), to the "Baba Yaga's Hut", it is incredible. There is a "Great Performances" edition that came out years ago that also had "Night on Bald Mountain" on it. Another Mussorgsky great that everyone has heard, but may not know. Bach's "Toccatta and Fugue in D Minor" is another must have. I highly recommend the E. Power Biggs pipe organ version. It is stunning. Ravel's "Bolero" of course. Try not to have flashbacks to the movie "10", just enjoy the music. If you want an incredible work of piano music by various composers, Vladimir Horowitz's Moscow concert is available and you will hear an absolute master. For a jazz/classical fusion, nothing beats George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". Ok, I now have to go do something really manly to make up for this whole post. |
| After you get a taste of a few of the works of some of these great composers - fantastic suggestions in all the previous posts - you might also hunt around for the same music performed by different orchestra / conductor combinations. The variations can be significant (different conductors will sometimes have divergent "interpretations" of the way a piece of music should be performed), and you may prefer one performance over another (e.g., The Boston Symphony Orchestra vs. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra vs. The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, etc.). |
| Listen Scott, I am going to be an egoist for a couple sentences…I really believe I am the ARFCOM expert on this subject. I mean I was bread to be a classical musician. I was attending the Academy at Oberlin and Cleveland Institute of Music when others my age were having fun in junior high through high school. Then I was a music performance major at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory. So, if you want some intelligent advice send me an IM. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Oh yes, one other thing. Research has suggested that listening to the Three Tenors CD too much may cause you to switch your sexual preference. Proceed with caution. [;D] What are you trying to thay? Nothing personal, just making a bad joke about the 3 tenors. [:)] |
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Quoted: My personal playground is renaissance polyphony (vocal music from the 16th century) - Tallis, Byrd, Palestrina, and a host of others. If you like choir music, this should light you up. Have fun! JScott Yeah, that's where I cut my teeth as well. Purity of tone and precision in time make polyphony very rewarding to sing. I also like early 20th century English choral music. Nothing like singing Charles Villiers Stanford's "Te Deum Laudamus" with a BIG choir of men and boys. Hubert Parry's "I Was Glad" is also a great experience. Vaughan William's is a later, but also rewarding, his "Old Hundreth" is another great piece, always worth the effort, and his "Five Mystical Songs" are exceptional: Number 3, "Love Bad Me Welcome" poem by George Herbert (1593-1633) Love bad me welcome: yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin. But Quick ey'd Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning If I lack'd anything. A guest, I answered, worthy to be here: Love said, you shall be he. I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear, I cannot look on Thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply. Who made the eyes but I? Truth Lord, but I have marr'd them: let my shame Go where it doth deserve. And know you not, says Love, Who bore the blame? My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat. So I did sit and eat. An extraordinary piece. Tallis and Byrd are typically a lot of fun to sing. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Oh yes, one other thing. Research has suggested that listening to the Three Tenors CD too much may cause you to switch your sexual preference. Proceed with caution. [;D] What are you trying to thay? Nothing personal, just making a bad joke about the 3 tenors. [:)] What are you trying to THAY. THAY, get it? [:)] |