# New to classical



## musicguy (Nov 18, 2011)

I had listened to rock my whole life, but classical is really starting to grow on me. Right now I'm mainly just listening to Mozart and Beethoven. I love The Marriage of Figaro and the second movement of Beethoven's 9th. Can you guys give me some examples of pieces similar to those in style? That is, highly melodic with layered melodies that are easily identifiable, not a lot of slow sections and easy to get in to for someone who is new to the genre. I'm sure as time progresses I'll expand my horizons, but for now I'm just looking for stuff that's really easy to listen to.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Beethoven's other symphonies.
Mozart's Don Giovanni and his late symphonies (Nos. 36, 38, 39, 40, 41). Mendelssohn's symphonies Nos.3 and 4. Saint-Saens' symphony No.3. Tchaikovsky's symphonies....

Lots more besides these of course (not all of them symphonies :lol, but going by what you've enjoyed so far the above seem like logical choices to me. And you will get them sooner or later anyway, so you may as well start out with them.


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## chrislowski (Aug 20, 2011)

Rock was the first music I loved as well, starting in my early teens. The music that got me into classical was Shostakovich's 5th Symphony. Maybe you'll enjoy it too...


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Welcome! If you want to go back a few years from Mozart, you can try Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. It has lots of memorable melodies with interesting counter-melodies.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I recommend Felix Mendelssohn. He is one of my favorite composers, and he's easy to enjoy, in my opinion. His Scottish and Italian symphonies are well-liked (3 & 4). I am also quite partial to his piano concertos.

If you want more Mozart, I enjoyed his flute concertos and flute quartets.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Welcome to our forum and the world of classical music ! Were you listening to the overture to the Marriage of Figaro, or the whole opera ? 
You should also try the symphonies of Mozart's older contemporary and friend Joseph Haydn. There are 104 of them ! But try ones such as 88,92and 100 - 104 first,
By Robert Schumann, try his piano concerto and his four symphonies .
Also the Tchaikovsky symphonies 4,5, and 6, his piano concerto no 1, the violin concerto,
and other orchestral works such as Romeo&Juliet , Capriccio Italien, Francesca Da Rimini,
and the suites from the ballets, the Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
By Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov , Scheherezade, Capriccio Espanol, and the Russian Easter overture.
And by Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition in the orchestration by Ravel,
and Night on Bald Mountain.
By Ottorino Respighi, The Pines of Rome. For Wagner, try the overtures and preludes to the operas The Flying Dutchman, Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg,and
Tristan &Isolde. These are just starters. There's plenty more to discover.
Here's a great book which will explain all about classical music and the composers
to you in a clear and non-condescending way : The Essential Canon of Classical Music, by David Dubal. You can easily order it at amazon.com .


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Beethoven's Sonatas and String Quartets, everything by Schumann, etc...


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)




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## Evelina (Sep 30, 2011)

I'm also a rock music lover who's gotten into classical music in the past few months. 

Based on what you like so far, I recommend some of these favorites, which are pretty quick-paced and full of drama:

Stravinsky's Petrouchka
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (as Manxfeeder said!)
Tchaikovsky's Symphonies and the 1812 Overture
Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and Cello Concertos (his music is great if you want something fast-paced and exciting)


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## musicguy (Nov 18, 2011)

Thanks for all the suggestions!
And I forgot to specify that it's the Marriage of Figaro Overture that I've been listening to. I havn't listened to the opera yet and I'm not really looking for operas at this time.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

get more overtures. Beethoven's, Rossini's, Mozart's.


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

Noone's mentioned Haydn yet. Older than Mozart, but outlived him, he was very prolific (over a hundred symphonies). Try the ones around the 30s, 40s, 50s. They are dramatic, but I sense that, when you say "an easy listen", you don't mean bland, so much as not sylistically too challenging.
And, as Manxfeeder says, JS Bach's orchestral music should fit the bill.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

I lot of rock fans convert to classical (so did I but still enjoy rock). If you liked Beethoven's 9th 2nd movement, you might also like Schubert Symphony 8, Beethoven Symphonies 3 and 5, Dvorak Symphony 9. I would also recommend Mozart Symphony 40 and Requiem.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Try Copland's *Symphony* *for* *Organ* *and* *Orchestra* {*Symphony* *#* *1*} as well as Camille Saint-Saen's *Symphony* *No*.*3* {"*Organ*"} as suggested by our fellow member Jhar26. I would also agree that you can never "go wrong" with Mozart's "*Jupiter* *Symphony*" {the *41st*}, or some of Copland's music originally written as ballet suites, such as "*Appalachian* *Spring*" and "*Billy* *the* *Kid*". If you have accesss to *Spotify* as well as *YouTube*, you'll really be able to hear the works a lot clearer.
Hope this helps you somewhat in your quest. Good luck, and I'd love to hear how you are progressing in/on it.


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

This movement starts picking up at about 35 seconds.

Very rock n rollish vibe.


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

From a rock standpoint, I recommend these works, in this order in fact.

Schumann: Fantasiestucke Op. 12 (played by Perahia preferably)

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" (performed by Kleiber with Vienna Philharmonic)

Stravinsky: The Rtie of Spring (Gergiev's performance is a good one)

Liszt: Piano Sonata in B Minor (as performed by Argerich)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 (as performed by Mravinsky)


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## Dodecaplex (Oct 14, 2011)

For beginners, I always recommend these:


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Dodecaplex said:


> For beginners, I always recommend these:


lol .................


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

Dodecaplex said:


> For beginners, I always recommend these:


I actually listened to this sometime ago, though, I did not listen to the other portions of it.

A very good, and easily accessible piece of music to any music lover. Those that cannot get into this will have a hard time getting into classical.

Just kidding, you have gone way off your rocker Dodecaplex for suggesting this!


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Sorabji, I denounce you!


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I saw that the time of the Sorabji was 34 minutes and thought well ok...then I saw it was part 1/3.......oh Sorabji..how I love you


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## Sequentia (Nov 23, 2011)

Accessibility is an issue that will vary from one listener to another. People who like indie rock tend to relate more easily to Elliott Carter than to Brahms. That being said, Beethoven's symphonies are the safest bet. They were the first classical music I got on CD, and I'm glad that was the case.


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## Sequentia (Nov 23, 2011)

Rasa said:


> Sorabji, I denounce you!





violadude said:


> I saw that the time of the Sorabji was 34 minutes and thought well ok...then I saw it was part 1/3.......oh Sorabji..how I love you


Instead of posting unsubstantiated, fallacious posts, how about reading something about the piece in question?

http://www.sorabji-archive.co.uk/articles/rubin_1.php


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