# Recommend me please some classical music!



## open (Jan 8, 2021)

Hi TalkClassical community,

I'm sorta new to classical music, please recommend me some things you think I might like. I'm stuck at the countryside, and there's a nationwide lock due to the covid, so I've got plenty of time on my hands. I sorta know my way around mid-XXth century music, and I certainly know my way around electroacoustic music, but I'm lacking badly in the actual classical department.

My favorite pieces/recordings (no specific order):
Brahms: Symphony #1 (esp. as conducted by Simon Rattle)
Cage: Sonatas & Interludes (as interpreted by Aleck Karis)
Debussy: Children's Corner, 6th movement: Golliwog's Cakewalk
Debussy: La Mer
Honegger: Symphony #3 (Liturgique), *especially the ending of its 3rd movement.*
Ives: Central Park in the Dark (the quiet parts)
Ives: Symphony #4, 1st movement
*Messiaen: Le Banquet Celeste (as played by Olivier himself)*
Messiaen: Turangalila symphony (esp. as conducted by Myung-whun Chung)
*Oskar Sala: Everything*
Paganini: A Minor Caprice (esp. as played by Viktor Pikaizen)
*Prokofiev: Symphony #1, 2nd movement Larghetto*
Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe
*Ravel: Paven for a Dead Princess*
Schnittke: Concerto Grosso #1
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps' 2nd movement, Augures printaniers / Danses des adolescentes
Tchaikovsky: Italian Capriccio
Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker's Decoration of the Christmas Tree
*Tchaikovsky: Symphony #6, especially its 1st movement*
Varese: Ameriques

I also enjoy Beethoven & Bach & Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov & Rachmaninoff, but don't have any specific favorites by them. Perhaps I haven't heard them yet? I really like Leonid Kogan's takes of Beethoven's concertos though.

All recommendations are warmly welcome!


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Welcome to the forum! By your 20thc preferences, I will recommend Martinu and Dutilleux. Try Martinu's symphonies and piano concerti and Dutilleux's two symphonies and _Tout un monde lountain_. There is so much more too - the world of Western Art Music is one of never-ending exploration! I encourage you to sample whatever you can and to view this list of the most recommended works put together by the forum members, along with this alternate list that includes recording recommendations. Happy listening!


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## Axter (Jan 15, 2020)

Hi and welcome to TC! And also more broadly welcome the great world of classical music. I might also sanctimoniously say “real serious music” .

Try this:

Mahler 5th Symphony 
I personally recommend - Chicago Symph Orchestra with Sir Georg Solti - 1970 recording (on DECCA)
But lots of people love it (and all other Mahler symphs) with Lenny Bernstein either Vienna Phil, or New York Phil also, they are good. (on Deutsche Grammophon)
Another great performance is with Karajan and Berlin Phil (also on Deutsche Grammphon)


I am a Beethovenian, so anything by Beethoven, but maybe try as starter
Pastorale Symph 6
or
Eroica 3rd.
For above, there are many great recordings, my favs are again Chicago Symp. / Solti (DECCA) and Belin Phil. Karajan (Deutsche Grammophon).


Also Vaughan Williams
Symphony 5, and 8
My fav recording here is with London Phil and Sir Adrian Boult (on Warner Classics)


Enjoy!


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## cheregi (Jul 16, 2020)

I'm not really well-versed in the canon, but my trawl through Western art music is similarly grounded in contemporary electroacoustic listening, so hopefully some of this is helpful:

In case you haven't heard it, I highly recommend Beethoven's Grosse Fugue, a wildly dissonant and propulsive late work for string quartet:






Overall though I have found myself much more drawn to Medieval and Renaissance music, what with the overlap between 20th century self-consciousness around tonality (I mean the way it's something to dip in and out of, or to reject, or at least as something not to take for granted) and Medieval/Renaissance modal polyphony. The challenge is just to find good performances.

Here's one of my favorite Italian madrigals, c.1600:






And here's one of my favorite works from the late-medieval Ars Subtilior avant-garde:


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Welcome to the Forum. 
I would say, you seem already well on the way to exploring and enjoying this fine madness of "classical music", from the listing you provided.
The works already recommended are good ones. Don't miss a single one.
I will offer only two that I haven't seen listed but which I believe you might enjoy. Two rather modern works.

Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto.






Joaquin Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto, the _Concierto de Aranjuez_, second movement.






Of course, with or without my recommendations (and those of everybody else) I think you'll be just fine exploring on your own.

Enjoy.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Monteverdi: L'Orfeo, Vespers (Gardiner's recording), Missa in illo temporae
Corelli-- Concerto grossi (Pinnock's is fine)
Telemann: Tafelmusik
Handel- Messiah (Pearlman and Pinnock have great recordings), Israel in Egypt, Solomon, Theodora, Jephthah, Saul (all oratorios)
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (I like Klemperer), Mass in B Minor (Richter, Klemperer, Gardiner), St. Matthew Passion (Klemperer)

Haydn: London Symphonies, Symphony no. 49, Cello Concerto no. 1, the Creation
Mozart: Symphonies 36, 38-41, Requiem, Don Giovanni (opera), Clarinet Quintet, Clarinet Concerto, Piano Concertos nos. 17, 20-27, Horn Concertos
Beethoven- Symphonies (Karajan, Szell, Furtwrangler, Boehm), Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto (I like the one with Bernstein and Isaac Stern), Hammerklavier Sonata, Late String Quartets

Schubert: Synphonies nos. 8 and 9
Berlioz- Symphonie Fantastique, Requiem, Te Deum
Liszt- Faust Symphony (Solti), Piano Concerto no. 1
Smetana- Ma Vlast (Kubelik)
Bruckner: Symphonies 3 to 9 (Karajan is a good first choice)
Brahms: Tragic Overture (Bernstein), Clarinet Quintet, Piano Concertos, Violin Concerto, Piano Quintet, String Quintets, Cello Sonatas, String Sextets
Mahler: All symphonies (I like Klemperer for the Resurrection Symphony, Bernstein is a great choice)
Sibelius- Symphonies (Karajan)


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## Ich muss Caligari werden (Jul 15, 2020)

Just a coupla recommends, near and dear to me:


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

I would give a Sibelius symphony cycle a spin if I were you. It seems like a good fit for your tastes.

There's a pretty good hi-res one by Rattle/BPO. 
My preferences would be Colin Davis/LSO (which is also the best deal for download) or Karajan/BPO.


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## open (Jan 8, 2021)

Hi All,

Thank you for the messages & recommendations! I feel honoured. 



Allegro Con Brio said:


> Welcome to the forum! By your 20thc preferences, I will recommend Martinu and Dutilleux. Try Martinu's symphonies and piano concerti and Dutilleux's two symphonies and _Tout un monde lountain_. There is so much more too - the world of Western Art Music is one of never-ending exploration! I encourage you to sample whatever you can and to view this list of the most recommended works put together by the forum members, along with this alternate list that includes recording recommendations. Happy listening!


Thank you Allegro Con Brio!

I've been meaning to check out Martinu's solo piano pieces for a while. I'll check his symphonies / concerti as well. I haven't even heard of Dutilleux before, will definitely check his work out!

I also appreciate you linking Google doc.
It looks like I don't have access yet to the blog page. I guess I have to have more posts to be able to see it, or hand around a bit longer?



Axter said:


> Hi and welcome to TC! And also more broadly welcome the great world of classical music. I might also sanctimoniously say "real serious music" .
> 
> Try this:
> 
> ...


Thank you Axter!

So far I've only heard Mahler's 8th thoroughly and it was a painful experience. I guess Mahler intended it that way, so it's cool. I have vague memories playing the 5th, but it was a random version from YouTube, will check out Solti's.

I have an appreciation for Beethoven's 3rd, but haven't heard his 6th enough times to remember it. Will check it out.

Thank you for the Vaughan Williams recommendation! I've been meaning to check him out for a while due to his brief connection with Ravel. Those symphonies look like a great start!



cheregi said:


> I'm not really well-versed in the canon, but my trawl through Western art music is similarly grounded in contemporary electroacoustic listening, so hopefully some of this is helpful:
> 
> In case you haven't heard it, I highly recommend Beethoven's Grosse Fugue, a wildly dissonant and propulsive late work for string quartet:
> 
> ...


Thank you Cheregi!

Ah, the Grosse Fugue. Have you heard Tognetti's arrangement? As treacherous it might be, it includes additional 12 players, including 2 cellos and a contrabass. It mellows the original piece of course, but it's making it more lush. Even though I tend to favor space and dynamics of silence (as in Paganini's Caprices) instead of walls of sound (as in Bruckner's symphonies), I think it's a fantastic version.

My knowledge of medieval/renaissance music is extremely incomplete, so thank you for the Lacorcia & Solage recommendation!



SONNET CLV said:


> Welcome to the Forum.
> I would say, you seem already well on the way to exploring and enjoying this fine madness of "classical music", from the listing you provided.
> The works already recommended are good ones. Don't miss a single one.
> I will offer only two that I haven't seen listed but which I believe you might enjoy. Two rather modern works.
> ...


Thank you SONNET CLV for the warm words! I've heard of Barber, but never his music. A brief peek into this concetro sounds extremely promising!

Thank you for the Joaquin Rodrigo recommendation as well. I'm an avid fan of brazilian guitar music, so it's always refreshing to hear other countries' take of the instrument.



ORigel said:


> Monteverdi: L'Orfeo, Vespers (Gardiner's recording), Missa in illo temporae
> Corelli-- Concerto grossi (Pinnock's is fine)
> Telemann: Tafelmusik
> Handel- Messiah (Pearlman and Pinnock have great recordings), Israel in Egypt, Solomon, Theodora, Jephthah, Saul (all oratorios)
> ...


Thank you ORigel!

This is a pretty lot, I really appreciate this. I'm a big fan of Monteverdi's Orfeo, but haven't heard the other two. Corelli rings a bell. I'm not sure where, if I've ever heard him. I have vague concert memories of a Telemann wind piece I enjoyed. Also I'm also prettily fond of Handel. It's good clean fun for my ears. I like Bach, especially his solo violin pieces. 3rd prelude always makes a smile on my face. I don't think I've heard St. Matthew's Passion before, so I'll complement myself.

I really appreciate the Haydn recommendations. I've been trying to get his work, but to no avail. I started out with The Creation but it rather sounded like bad Mozart. His piano-violin-cello trios I enjoyed more, but can't quite see the deal yet.
Ah, the classic Mozart symphonies. I don't think I've heard his clarinet/horn works though! Will hunt them down.
When it comes to Beethoven, I like his concertos the most...and of course his 9th, but haven't really listened to all of his symphonies in detail. So far my favorite interpreter of his is Reiner, but haven't heard Szell, Furtwrangler & Boehm.
Schubert's late symphonies are amazing indeed.

Can you recommend me a good version of Berlioz' Symphony Fantastique? Knowing his historical context, I feel it's a piece I should enjoy, but Karajan's version makes me cringe. I'm absolutely not against quotation, but the way he juxtaposes Dies Irae, well, it sounds incredibly shoddy and out of place to my ears.

Based on my high school local concert experiences a good 20 years ago I thought for such a long time I hated Liszt. Then I realized I just haven't heard it as played by an able pianist. The fountains of the Villa d'Este is a piece I enjoy thoroughly, and I'm happy now that you recommended more of his work.
I've been meaning to check Smetana's works out, thank you for that recommendation as well.

I'm at odds with Bruckner. You write Karajan, so I'm a bit troubled by this, because I have a picture of Bruckner based on Karajan's interpretations. Some of my classically trained musician friends like him - one of them, a pianist even said he is like Beethoven for grown ups - but I just don't get the buzz. I've started with his 9th as presented by Karajan, and I couldn't see what's the deal. Yes, it's lush, it's got big sounds, it's overly ambitious but that's about it...maybe I don't know what to look for. To my ears it sounded too trivial and self-evident, something like how a Wagner-Holst fusion would sound if it was imagined by Hans Zimmer. So what's a good entry point that's unlike his 9th?

I'm happy that you write multiple Brahms. I'm totally in love with his 1st symphony. The rest I also like, and his piano trio is also close to my heart.

Mahler was already suggested. I will check him out again, starting with his 5th.



Ich muss Caligari werden said:


> Just a coupla recommends, near and dear to me:


Ooooo man. I just love Milhaud, but I only knew his more famous pieces. Massive thanks for La Cheminée du Roi René. It's absolutely my idea of what good music is.
Delius. Just what I've been looking for. I have a deep appreciation for the music of Debussy & Ravel, and Delius feels like the missing third.
I also found the Duparc song of utmost grace & prettiness.
I haven't listened to the Poulenc and the Barber pieces you've posted, but I'm keeping them as special treats.

I really enjoyed your recommendations! Thank you!



MatthewWeflen said:


> I would give a Sibelius symphony cycle a spin if I were you. It seems like a good fit for your tastes.
> 
> There's a pretty good hi-res one by Rattle/BPO.
> My preferences would be Colin Davis/LSO (which is also the best deal for download) or Karajan/BPO.


I have only used Sibelius before, so I might as well listen to his music. Joke aside I remember listening to his D minor violin concerto, but I don't remember anything about it. What's a good symphony to start with?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

open said:


> Hi TalkClassical community,
> 
> I'm sorta new to classical music, please recommend me some things you think I might like. I'm stuck at the countryside, and there's a nationwide lock due to the covid, so I've got plenty of time on my hands. I sorta know my way around mid-XXth century music, and I certainly know my way around electroacoustic music, but I'm lacking badly in the actual classical department.
> 
> ...


If you like the Cage then listen to some Scarlatti.

If you like the Stravinsky then listen to some visceral Beethoven, maybe some of the late bagatelles.


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

open said:


> Hi TalkClassical community,
> 
> I'm sorta new to classical music, please recommend me some things you think I might like. I'm stuck at the countryside, and there's a nationwide lock due to the covid, so I've got plenty of time on my hands. I sorta know my way around mid-XXth century music, and I certainly know my way around electroacoustic music, but I'm lacking badly in the actual classical department.
> 
> ...


To me it looks as if you're already well on your way to joining we who have dared to take the awesome journey into the outer limits of the classical music genre:

Now that you've supplied me with you already know to be things you enjoy, you may draw upon your own preferences to find new pathways. Here are my suggestions based upon your list and what I know:

If you like the Brahms Symphony #1, you may try all four Brahms symphonies; but my favorite is the _*Double Concerto*_. The old CBS rendition by Isaac Stern, Pierre Fournier, and Eugene Ormandy is very crisp and fresh. Alternately, the one by Zino Francescatti, Pierre Fournier, and Bruno Walter is just as also very warm, bright, and "tight". Those on a budget needn't buy both.

If you like the piano music of John Cage, then you may want to try the piano music of _Charles Ives_ and _Henry Cowell_. While one might trace classical American piano music to Edward MacDowell and Scott Joplin, MacDowell was more-or-less a reflection European Romanticism, and Joplin went off in a different direction. Ives was the first one to use tone clusters, fragments of American folk songs, and Ives was employing atonality in old New England, even before Arnold Schoenberg and his students Alban Berg and Anton von Webern were doing it in Vienna. Apart from the that , Henry Cowell takes Ives' piano vision a bit further, and becomes what I see as the link between Ives and the prepared piano music of Cage.

OK, so now that you have some Debussy in your system, please move on from [*I]La Mer[/I] to Iberia, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Jeux, and the String Quartet.*

If you like Olivier Messiean's Turangalila Symphony, then you're ready to move on to *Eclairs Sur L'Au-Dela (Illuminations of the Beyond) *; also recorded by Myung Wha-Chung.

I see you have certain things by Charles Ives in there , but not the works in their entirety. I would encourage you to stick with Ives even when it sounds as if he's going off the deep end. Ives' frustrated me at times, but given an even chance his musical vision begins to make sense. Ives is a true American original. More than any composer he created a style that is unique to the American nation and not derivative of Europe, so he's worth the effort.

If you like the _Classical Symphony_ by Prokofiev, you can move to *Haydn* who inspired it. Haydn composed 103 symphonies so you needed hear them all at once. Leonard Bernstein recorded the _Paris_ and _London Symphonies_, which encompass the later symphonies (83-103), and that's a great place to start and Bernstein brings unbounded joy and enthusiasm to the surface.

Orchestral pieces by Ravel: First and foremost, the orchestration of Mussorgsky's *Pictures at an Exhibition, La Valse, and Bolero.*

The usual progression from Tchaikovsky's _Capriccio Italien_ is Rimsky-Korsakov's *Capriccio Espanol. Other exciting musical travelogues are Copland's El Salon Mexico Ravel's Spanish Rhapsody, and Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome. 
*
Stravinsky's _Rite of Spring_ is from his "Russian" phase, so *Firebird and Petrushka *are the natural follow-ups; but Stravinsky was also a great craftsmen whose Neo-Classical and serial works reveal his musical genius. The *Violin Concerto *from the Neo-Classical phase is best way to go if you want to go off in that direction. Otherwise, *Reuveltes' Sensemaya* is along the lines of _Rite of Spring_.

Tchaikovsky's _Symphony #6_ is one of the greatest symphonies ever, but *all 6 *are worth exploring as well as the non-canonical *Manfred Symphony*; and you can also throw in *Rachmaninoff's Symphony #2*, which is pretty much in the mold of a sad, brooding, very Russian, and soulful, Tchaikovsky symphony.

If you like Varese, you may dare to move on *Boulez* and *Berio*; and may the force be with you!


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## Bxnwebster (Jan 5, 2021)

*de Falla:* Nights in the Gardens of Spain





*Reger:* Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 114


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

open said:


> I have only used Sibelius before, so I might as well listen to his music. Joke aside I remember listening to his D minor violin concerto, but I don't remember anything about it. What's a good symphony to start with?


I think it's fun to go all the way through the cycle in order to see his evolution, but most seem to hold 5 and 7 as his greatest symphonies.

They're all comparatively short.


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## open (Jan 8, 2021)

Mandryka said:


> If you like the Cage then listen to some Scarlatti.


You mean XVIII. century composer Domenico Scarlatti? Sounds interesting!

Cage is a very interesting composer. I would be careful saying whether I really like him, as most of his recordings are not very good. He is one of the most performer-dependent composer I know. Aleck Karis's take of Sonatas & Interludes are however nothing short of stellar. I think it even transcends Tilbury's and Ajemian's version.

I've performed Cage pieces for about 10 years. It's one of the hardest things to pull of correctly. He just gives us too much freedom, and we're often faced with problems we can't foretell, especially if we perform in a different room/setup than the rehearsals are.



Mandryka said:


> If you like the Stravinsky then listen to some visceral Beethoven, maybe some of the late bagatelles.


I don't think I have. Thank you Mandryka!


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

open said:


> You mean XVIII. century composer Domenico Scarlatti? Sounds interesting!
> 
> Cage is a very interesting composer. I would be careful saying whether I really like him, as most of his recordings are not very good. He is one of the most performer-dependent composer I know. Aleck Karis's take of Sonatas & Interludes are however nothing short of stellar. I think it even transcends Tilbury's and Ajemian's version.
> 
> ...


Welcome to TC, and it is nice to meet someone who has performed John Cage's music. I'd suggest (although I'm betting you already know) the music of *Morton Feldman*, and *Christian Wolff* - two composers whom Cage had an impact on.

Also, some music that is among my own personal favorites:

*Duruflé *- Requiem
*Bernstein* - Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety" and Mass
*Golijov* - Passion of St. Mark; Ainadimar; and The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
*Liszt* - the late solo piano music as well as Via Crucis (Reinbert de Leeuw) and Christus, two of his sacred choral works
*Brahms* - his chamber music, especially the works for clarinet
*Erik Satie* - the basic solo piano music, Reinbert de Leeuw is my favorite, but Pascal Rogé is also very good.
*Stravinsky* - the late works, Agon, Requiem Canticles, but also some of his mid-career works like Historie du soldat (the sutie is fine)


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Looks like you've already got enough suggestions to keep you going for several months' listening, but anyway here's one more:

*Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten*


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Rautavaara - Cantus Arcticus
Schubert - String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887
Schumann - Fantasie in C, Op.17
Bach - Violin Partita in D Minor, BWV 1004
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5


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## open (Jan 8, 2021)

Coach G said:


> To me it looks as if you're already well on your way to joining we who have dared to take the awesome journey into the outer limits of the classical music genre:
> 
> Now that you've supplied me with you already know to be things you enjoy, you may draw upon your own preferences to find new pathways. Here are my suggestions based upon your list and what I know:
> 
> ...


Thank you Coach G!

I'm very happy with your Brahms recommendations. I love each of his symphonies, but his 1st is the dearest to me. I don't think I've heard his Double Concerto though. Thanks for providing multiple renditions to check, I always appreciate those.

I really dig Ives' stuff. I really like how it makes impact at places I'd least expect - for example Ornette Coleman's Skies of America LP. I know Cowell to a much lesser degree though. Is there a specific piece you'd recommend by him?

Iberia, Jeux, Faun, they are all very dear to me. Debussy - along with Ravel - is almost like my autopilot go-to music these days. I don't think I have heard his String Quartet though. Thank you for this recommendation!

It's been a while since the last time I've listened to Messiaen's Eclairs sur l'au-dela. It hasn't stood out as Turangalila did, perhaps I should take a chance again.

I really appreciate your Haydn recommendations, as I've been trying to get into him but couldn't, so hope this breaks the ice. 

Ooo, I just found out that there's Valses nobles et sentimentales then there is La valse. I have only heard the previous one, but did so countless times. How good it is to research this stuff. His Spanish Symphony is nothing short of stellar.

I have to admit I haven't heard Rimsky-Korsakov's Spanish Capriccio yet...and I haven't even heard of Copland's El Salon Mexico, so I'll complement myself quick. These sound like they're right up in my alley.

Actualy Respighi was the one to start me on my journey to uncover more of the late romantic composers. Pines of Rome is my favorite work of his.

I like Stravinsky's classic ballets. Firebird was the first one I got into, but in the end it was Rites of Spring that got into me. I haven't heard his violin concerto though, but I'm intrigued.

Hmmm! I like all of Rachmaninoff's & Tchaikovsky's symphonies, but I didn't know about Manfred Symphony! That should be the first I'm checking out.

On Boulez. I've been trying to get into him - I'm really fond of how he conducts Varese - but I couldn't. It's either bland or random to my ears. Any specific piece/recording you suggest?

On the other hand, I really like Berio, but didn't want to go down the electroacoustic route. Perspectives is one of the best things ever to come out from the FMM. Differences is also incredible. Then there is Momenti, Thema, Visage, Chants Paralleles.........I could go on until no end...I guess this is the reason I left them out. Still, do you know any more traditional piece you recommend by him?



Bxnwebster said:


> *de Falla:* Nights in the Gardens of Spain
> 
> *Reger:* Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 114


Thank you! I've been meaning to check out da Falla for a while, but did not know where to start. Will listen soon.

Haven't heard of Reger before. I know nothing of him, so it's interesting what this could be.



MatthewWeflen said:


> I think it's fun to go all the way through the cycle in order to see his evolution, but most seem to hold 5 and 7 as his greatest symphonies.
> 
> They're all comparatively short.


Thanks Matthew, will go for that combination for now. 



SanAntone said:


> Welcome to TC, and it is nice to meet someone who has performed John Cage's music. I'd suggest (although I'm betting you already know) the music of *Morton Feldman*, and *Christian Wolff* - two composers whom Cage had an impact on.
> 
> Also, some music that is among my own personal favorites:
> 
> ...


Thank you SanAntone for the recommendations.

I really like the music of Feldman and oooh, I actually worked with Wolff for a brief weekend in 2016. He is a very nice, caring fellow. He is one of the easiest persons to get along with.

Still, I have the same "beef" with his work as with Cage, it is incredibly dependent on the performer, so I'd rather not say I like Wolff, because there's such a massive variation in the quality of performance. I say I like certain recordings he composed.

Duruflé & Golijov doesn't ring a bell. All the better. I've only known West Side Story by Bernstein. My uneducated guess is that this will be significantly different.

More Liszt & Stravinsky I do not know. Very neat. I really enjoy both composers.

Did not know Brahms composed with clarinet in focus. That should be interesting!

My knowledge of Satie is quite shallow. Happy to check out both works you suggested.



Nereffid said:


> Looks like you've already got enough suggestions to keep you going for several months' listening, but anyway here's one more:
> 
> *Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten*


Thanks Nereffid! Arvo Pärt is someone I don't know very well. I remember enjoying Symphony #1 (Мелодия LP), but Tabula Rasa (ECM LP) not so much. Perhaps it's time I gave him another chance!



Jacck said:


> Rautavaara - Cantus Arcticus
> Schubert - String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D. 887
> Schumann - Fantasie in C, Op.17
> Bach - Violin Partita in D Minor, BWV 1004
> Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5


Thanks Jacck!

I don't think I've ever heard classical music from Finland. I know their experimental scene is pretty amazing. Airaksinen, Mallander, the first Kotilainen LP. Mind blowing stuff. At least for me that is.

Thanks for the Schubert / Schumann / Bach recommendations. I like all three composers, but do not know these pieces in particular. Will listen to them soon.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

open said:


> You mean XVIII. century composer Domenico Scarlatti? Sounds interesting!
> 
> Cage is a very interesting composer. I would be careful saying whether I really like him, as most of his recordings are not very good. He is one of the most performer-dependent composer I know. Aleck Karis's take of Sonatas & Interludes are however nothing short of stellar. I think it even transcends Tilbury's and Ajemian's version.
> 
> ...


Joanna MacGregor once said that she thought that the Cage pieces were like Scarlatti and I can see what she's getting at. Another thought is to explore Babbitt, who's piano music has a jewel like quality, an elegance.






The freedom you get when you play Cage is an opportunity to be creative, to make for some magical moments for both performer and listener.

A few of Beethoven's pieces have the visceral quality that Stravinsky liked, this, for example






Another composer to think about is Xenakis. I much prefer Kraanerg to The Rite of Spring.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Since you already have a pretty good sense of 20th century music (Stravinsky, Messiaen, Ives, Cage, Varese), I will recommend more from the 20th century, that would seem to logically follow from the pieces you already like. 

Bartok would be a quite obvious choice to explore. Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Concerto for Orchestra, Piano Concerto No. 2 would all be a good starting point.

Joan Tower would be another good choice for you to explore. Concerto for Orchestra, Silver Ladders.

Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto Op 38, and Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance again would be worth a listen.

The following are a bit more 'thorny' and 'difficult', but since you like Varese, they shouldn't be too far outside what you are already listening to.

Elliott Carter died in 2012 at the age of 102, and was composing creative music right up to his death. Three Occasions for Orchestra, Concerto for Orchestra, Three Illusions for Orchestra, Variations for Orchestra. His 4 string quartets are also great, but it's hard to find a Carter piece that isn't.

Magnus Lindberg - Sculpture (2005), Kraft, Piano Concerto No. 2

Toru Takemitsu - From Me Flows What You Call Time, I Hear the Water Dreaming for flute and orchestra.

Charles Wuorinen - Time's Encomium, Piano Concerto, Microsymphony.



Some other names to check out on YouTube: Roger Sessions, Luciano Berio, Agusta Read Thomas, Thomas Ades, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Ligeti, Penderecki. There are so many more great late 20th century and contemporary composers.


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## chu42 (Aug 14, 2018)

Something entirely different from all the XX century stuff:

Schumann's piano works—the Fantasy, the Symphonic Etudes, the Sonatas, and the Op.12 Fantasiestucke are good starters.


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## Doctor Fuse (Feb 3, 2021)

Cage : The Seasons (and watch Waterwalk on YouTube!), Piano Concerto for Prepared Piano
Stravinsky: Ebony Concerto, Les Noces (give it a try, the crazy singing may take some getting used to - it's the pianos and percussion that is most mesmerizing for many), Petrushka, Agon (egghead music that still has rhythmic drive and vitality)
Ives: The Unanswered Question (and Bernstein's Harvard Lecture of the same name is worthwhile viewing, on Youtube), and General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
Prokofiev: 7th Piano Sonata (especially the last movement), Romeo and Juliet, Violin Concertos, Symphonies No. 2 (tries a bit too hard to be modernist), 5 and 6
Shostakovich, Symphonies No. 5, 8 and 10, string quartets no. 8 and 10
Kinks, All Day and All of the Night (bitonality in rock and pop)
Check out these field recordings (1909-1912) by Bartok (he would transcribe them - not "arrangements!" - for his Rumanian Dances. Compare!): 




"Traditional" canon:
Mozart Symphony no. 40
Bach, Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, Goldberg Variations, Art of the Fugue, Crab Canon (see Hofstadter's Goedel, Escher, Bach)
Beethoven, late string quartets
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique (beginning of composing with sound, not harmony and melody and counterpoint rules)
Glinka, Ruslan und Ludmilla Overture (the first whole tone scale in Western music!)


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