# Would love suggestions



## the_emptier (Jan 27, 2011)

I've been a fan of classical music for a long time but only recently have I heavily gotten into it. My knowledge isn't as great as i would like it to be and there are a TON of composers i just haven't heard yet that i know are essential. for the most part i seem to like a lot of romantic and 20th century composers, BUT of course i am open to everything. a representation of my current tastes...


holst
bruckner
chopin
bruch
prokofiev
glazunov
elgar
shostakovich
mahler
faure
rachmaninov
puccini
wagner
verdi
rossini
donizetti
schreker


i enjoy symphonies the most right now, especially ones with a great brass section. haunting, contemplative, ethereal, mysterious are kind of what i like to describe my tastes. i also really enjoy piano works, solo, and especially piano concertos. also i love trumpet/cornet works, although i have a lot of that, hummel and the like. i'm up for anything, i just want to get a feel for the "classics", like i said i can name a million composers i need to listen to. so give me a composer, or more specifically, a particular piece. i'm trying to not overload myself with music though, classical and opera are just a portion of the huge musical collection and tastes i have.

i've really enjoyed listening to my local classical station, no commercials and some amazing programs. thats how i found out about a lot of my favorite composers, i happened to tune in when bruckners 9th was on and i just flipped out and i was in love with him. same thing with rachmaninov's 2nd symphony, i stayed up until 4 listening to that one. it was unreal. oh and a lot of those composers i only have a couple pieces or symphonies, so recommendations for those guys as well would be great.


----------



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

This is possibly the most underrated symphony ever. A soviet composer who was a big influence on Prokofiev and Shostakovich, it is haunting, contemplative and the brass section is great.

Myaskovsky's 6th Symphony:


----------



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Further recc's for the listed composers, I dont know what you know but ill list what I think you should know:

Prokofiev- Symphony No 5, 6 - some here would vouch for his 2nd as the masterpiece. Scythian Suite. His 2nd and 3rd Piano concerti, ballets such as Cinderella and Romeo& Juliet.

Rachmaninoff - 2nd Symphony (obviously), the 3rd is great too, the Symphonic Dances, Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, 2nd Piano Concerto, try his solo piano stuff like the preludes.\

Mahler - All the Symphonies, Das Lied von der Erde, Kindertoten Lieder,


----------



## the_emptier (Jan 27, 2011)

thank you!! i'm very interesting in russian/eastern bloc composers. i will listen to the video. 

i haven't listened to prokofievs symphonies yet but i have them. 
same with rachmaninoff, only heard the 1st and 2nd so far but i am going through almost all of his works. 

i only have mahlers 9th, which i loveeeee to death...same with bruckner, only the 9th. i need much more from them. for some reason i tend to not want to listen to earlier symphonies because i feel they would be inferior to the later ones but i know this is not true!


----------



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

With Mahler I would say that isnt necessarily true. Rather than a change in quality we see a change in style.

His 2nd was recently voted the 2nd best symphony of all time on this board so you could start there. Then his 4th which is nice and easy (relative). Then try all the others! His 7th is the least popular for reasons I dont understand (I love it)


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Indeed, check out Myaskovsky 6, all of Mahler and most of Bruckner (certainly 4,7,8 in addition to 9). If youwant to try a new composer, the four symphonies of Franz Schmidt should be to your liking (the 4th is the best).


----------



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Glazunov Lyric Poem (well... best to start there!) 

Apparently you like a lot of Russian music, so that's a good start.


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

the_emptier said:


> I've been a fan of classical music for a long time but only recently have I heavily gotten into it. My knowledge isn't as great as i would like it to be and there are a TON of composers i just haven't heard yet that i know are essential. for the most part i seem to like a lot of romantic and 20th century composers, BUT of course i am open to everything. a representation of my current tastes...
> 
> holst


John Foulds, especially the three mantras (and also april england)

this is the first mantra 





the second mantra instead is



> haunting, contemplative, ethereal, mysterious


----------



## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

the_emptier said:


> there are a TON of composers i just haven't heard yet that i know are essential.


What is essential is what is essential for you, not what might be essential for others. As you know there is alot of music to listen to in this area. There isn't a shortcut to liking things, I would look in more detail at those who you initially like first and look at what people have said on the internet (including this forum) about them. Use google, use the search facility on this site. There is no rush. For piano you list Faure and Chopin, listen and find out what YOU like. For orchestral music you list Bruckner, Mahler, Wagner, Shostakovich, Prokofiev. Again, find out what you like.


----------



## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*The best of the best!*



> Myaskovsky's 6th Symphony:


You are SO right my friend and what about the 3rd?










LOL

myaskovsky2002


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Don't miss the six symphonies of Carl Nielsen,which are one of a kind works, 
or those of Sibelius, the nine of Dvorak(the first six are sadly neglected),
the two Elgar symphonies , the sadly neglected symphony of Dukas(his only one),
the four of Albert Roussel, the other symphonies of Saint-Saens besides the famous "organ" symphony, which have had several recordings but are almost never performed live 
(don't miss the classic EMI recordings with Jean Martinon and the ORTF orchestra on EMI),
the two of Sir William Walton, 1 and 2 of Borodin(the third is a fragment),
the 1rst of Mily Balakirev, the 3rd of Aaron Copland,one of the best symphonies by an American composer, 2,3,4,6 and 7 of Prokofiev, the 15 of Shostakovich,
to name only some. 
For Nielsen,I recommend the Blomstedt/Decca set or the Neeme Jarvi/DG one,


----------



## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

*Superhorn!*



> Don't miss the six symphonies of Carl Nielsen,which are one of a kind works,
> or those of Sibelius, the nine of Dvorak(the first six are sadly neglected),
> the two Elgar symphonies , the sadly neglected symphony of Dukas(his only one),
> the four of Albert Roussel, the other symphonies of Saint-Saens besides the famous "organ" symphony, which have had several recordings but are almost never performed live
> ...


I think you are giving him too much!

Don't you think so?

Martin


----------

