# How do you know?



## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

I'm pretty much brand new to Classical music. From time to time over the last few years I have visited some classical channels on youtube...and have enjoyed some Christmas offerings by John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers and also the King College Choir broadcasts. But, a few months ago I discovered Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion" and have gotten a lot more interested. 

So, I am discovering new stuff almost everyday, but one thing I am in awe of is the almost unending amount of music to choose from! The volume of recordings of just one piece of work, sometimes is staggering! So many composers, different eras, variations, themes. How does anybody know what/who they prefer?....it seems like I could listen for a long, long time and still not get a good feel for all that is available. You know what I mean? Maybe I am just 'too young in the genre' and I'm too much like a kid in a candy shop, so to speak. 

For instance, yesterday I ran across a video of Haydn's Symphony #40 and enjoyed it, so I explored and found a few more of Haydn's pieces that I like, so now I am looking into more and more of his work....but in the back of my mind, I wonder if there is something that I would like even better than this....and all the time I am spending looking into Haydn, I could have been pursuing a composer I like even better?.....Kind of like a child in a candy shop, running from one counter to another saying, " Ohh, I want that!!.....NO no, I want that!!!....Oh no look at that!! I have to have that!!!!"  

I still haven't bought a recording of "St. Matthew's Passion" , as I cannot figure out which darn version I like the best....I do want a copy in the next few weeks....but now I am distracted by this Haydn fellow.

Open to any help and/or suggestions from any of you that may have suffered from this same affliction...


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

When I first got into classical I think I did try to digest too much different stuff too fast and also too "difficult" pieces. I wanted to hear the most EPIC FURIOUS BOMBASTIC classical immediately so I too quickly jumped to Bruckner, R. Strauss & Mahler etc. When I had been frustrated by the long, vague and meandering structures of them and I finally listened to Mozart the comprehensibility felt so relieving and refreshing. I would suggest past version of myself just getting into classical as a rule of thumb to listen in a very rough chronological order, starting from either Baroque or Classical.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

One of my suggestions is to start off gently into Classical music with the warhorses than proceed on to gradually difficult pieces.

Examples of great pieces to listen to are Vivaldi's Four Seasons (Mutter or Jansen recordings) and Beethoven's symphonies.
I wouldn't recommend jumping into Schoenberg or Mahler too quickly... unless you feel like you can take a challenge.

I admit that I was lucky to have discovered Mahler early on around 9-10 years old so I was able to hear heavy and complex stuff without any qualms. But then I was always pumping out LeRoy Anderson's Sleigh Ride a lot as a kid too.

I think another way is to follow the Current Listening Vol II thread and pick and choose from there. See what others are listening and follow by example. Seriously that thread is a treasure trove of endless recordings to peruse from.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I think many here would not call your situation an infliction, but I think we know what you mean. When I first started seriously listening to classical music, I bought a book listing the "top 50 classical composers and their top 1000 works" (Goulding's Classical Music). I listened to most of each composer's top listed works and was simply amazed by how beautiful and compelling they were. I was truly in love with classical music. Over the years I have expanded my listening to just about all genres and eras. I continue to find wonderful works. I currently have a huge list of works I wish to hear (compiled from suggestions at TalkClassical or from other sources). The list seems to just get longer and longer. There is seemingly an infinite amount of potential music. Finding gems (for me) is not as easy as it once was when I knew so few, but I still find new works I adore. 

So you can focus on a few composers, a particular era (Haydn's Classical Era for example), or just look for suggestions and listen. There's really no wrong way to listen. TC has lists of "great" works in various genres so you could explore those. The TC current listening thread has a never ending stream of CDs members are listening to. 

You are just starting what many of us have been through, and you are in for a wonderful treat no matter if you choose to listen to only a few eras or genres or if you widen your experience. Have fun!


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Personally, I am not a huge fan of the "Great Works" approach. Classical never really clicked for me until I concentrated on developing my own tastes, finding pieces I liked that weren't part of the canon.

I don't worry about "knowing" all the famous works. As the OP says, there so much of it, you could spend so much time listening to what everybody else thinks are the best works, you won't sample the lesser known ones. 

Also, don't sacrifice quality for quantity. Many works are better appreciated after repeated listenings. So don't be in such a hurry to everything once.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

GreenMamba said:


> Personally, I am not a huge fan of the "Great Works" approach. Classical never really clicked for me until I concentrated on developing my own tastes, finding pieces I liked that weren't part of the canon.
> 
> I don't worry about "knowing" all the famous works. As the OP says, there so much of it, you could spend so much time listening to what everybody else thinks are the best works, you won't sample the lesser known ones.
> 
> Also, don't sacrifice quality for quantity. Many works are better appreciated after repeated listenings. So don't be in such a hurry to everything once.


That is why I suggested the Current Listening Vol II thread... there are enough obscure pieces for the OP to be able to explore that aren't mainstream... the thing is that we should not limit ourselves and to explore everything possible . So I agree with you here.

Here you go, dreamer  enjoy away.

http://www.talkclassical.com/32210-current-listening-vol-ii.html


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I tend to focus into a smaller area and really dig in, then when something new grabs my interest I may be taken on a new journey. I started out getting extremely focused into piano sonatas, then into religious vocal works, then Beethoven symphonies, then opera. There were other excursions along the way. Who knows what will be next. I would not be too anxious to collect copies of everything that interests you (do as i say, not as I do--ha ha, but I can't help myself), unless you have tons of money, because the process of searching out and buying can be quite it's own entertainment, especially if you have a decent record store nearby that has a lot of used classical.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

dreamer said:


> How does anybody know what/who they prefer?
> 
> ....it seems like I could listen for a long, long time and still not get a good feel for all that is available.
> 
> You know what I mean?


Listen a lot.

Very true.

Absolutely


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## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

Thank you all for your thoughts...interesting insights! I have to admit that I have visited the Current Listening thread, but am a little intimidated. My thinking is you all are 'seasoned fans' and have tastes that are probably more sophisticated or educated than mine is....but I will give it another try. I am enjoying Haydn's 104th as I type....

Thanks again for the encouragement.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

dreamer said:


> Thank you all for your thoughts...interesting insights! I have to admit that I have visited the Current Listening thread, but am a little intimidated. My thinking is you all are 'seasoned fans' and have tastes that are probably more sophisticated or educated than mine is....but I will give it another try. I am enjoying Haydn's 104th as I type....
> 
> Thanks again for the encouragement.


Remember, pretty much any classical is more sophisticated than what most people - the 'musical' plebeians so to speak - listen to, so don't feel shame for your tastes in classical for not being sophisticated enough. If you feel the sophistication of other classical fans threatening you can always comfort yourself by looking down on the majority that doesn't listen to classical at all.


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## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

Dim7 said:


> Remember, pretty much any classical is more sophisticated than what most people - the 'musical' plebeians so to speak - listen to, so don't feel shame for your tastes in classical for not being sophisticated enough. If you feel the sophistication of other classical fans threatening you can always comfort yourself by looking down on the majority that doesn't listen to classical at all.


Ha! Again with the encouragement! Thanks!


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

dreamer said:


> Ha! Again with the encouragement! Thanks!


No problem and feel free to share with us on Current Listening Vol. 2 the things that you are listening to.  I am curious to see through your eyes what you are hearing you know.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

dreamer said:


> Thank you all for your thoughts...interesting insights! I have to admit that I have visited the Current Listening thread, but am a little intimidated. My thinking is you all are 'seasoned fans' and have tastes that are probably more sophisticated or educated than mine is....but I will give it another try. I am enjoying Haydn's 104th as I type....
> 
> Thanks again for the encouragement.


No need to be intimidated. It's just music. If I can do it, anybody else can.

Happy listening!

P.S. While on Haydn, may I suggest to you Symphony No. 102, if you haven't listened to it already?


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

You are right about the world of Classical Music. It is immense. But you might consider that it covers nearly 1000 years of musical creation from early Byzantine Chant through the work of contemporary composers. Even those of us with musical collections numbering in the thousands of recordings will admit we have but scratched the surface of all there is. Don't let this dissuade you... rather enjoy the journey... for it truly is a lifetime journey.

As others have pointed out, everyone's journey through Classical Music is unique. Listen to as much music as you can... but don't get swamped. Repeated listenings of the finest works are amply rewarded. I personally would recommend doing some reading on the subject. Even articles on Wikipedia can give you a greater grasp of the various forms, genre, styles, etc... I found the book _Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1000 Greatest Works_ by Phil G. Goulding offered a solid foundation for the beginner... but don't be afraid to listen to works outside the so-called core-repertoire if they pique your interest. Also don't be afraid if you find that some lauded works do nothing for you... or you even fervently dislike them. Just remember your tastes will grow and change and some works that you initially disliked or struggled with may strike you as brilliant years later.

Enjoy!


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

dreamer, that is awesome that you are brave... there are two ways to approach listening in fact... horizontally or vertically. Horizontal listening means that you could listen to the broadest spectrum of music possible like Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, Brahms' Symphony No. 4, then Wagner's prelude to Tristan und Isolde... a varied approach...

Then the vertical approach would be taking the same piece and listening to different performances of that same piece... for example, Beethoven's 5th Symphony conducted by Kleiber, then Klemperer, then von Karajan, then Solti, etc. etc.

So that can be daunting. I would try to do a little of both... it's like trying out new clothes at GAP or Old Navy, you put on a few trousers or cargo pants until you get a proper comfortable feel and then you walk out feeling all refreshed about life again.


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## Dave Whitmore (Oct 3, 2014)

When I first started listening to classical, (January last year), I went to YouTube, picked a composer each night and listened to as much music as I could from each composer. The first week I listened to Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Chopin and I can't remember who the other two were. The following week I listened to other composers. If I found I really liked what I was hearing then other nights I would seek out more music from those composers I'd enjoyed listening to. I still find myself returning to the composers I listed above. I guess you could call them my base. I still seek out new music. Browse through this forum and you will find so many more composers to listen to. This site is a great source to find new music.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

dreamer said:


> Thank you all for your thoughts...interesting insights! I have to admit that I have visited the Current Listening thread, but am a little intimidated. My thinking is you all are 'seasoned fans' and have tastes that are probably more sophisticated or educated than mine is....but I will give it another try. I am enjoying Haydn's 104th as I type....
> 
> Thanks again for the encouragement.


I go there now and then, but can never keep up with half the stuff on this site that i would like to keep up with.

I am seasoned with strange salts and hardly sophisticated. But that is the beauty of it. You don't have to know much about the music. If you like it, listen. If you don't like it, don't listen and/or give it another listen some other time as your tastes can change.


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## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

Dave Whitmore said:


> When I first started listening to classical, (January last year), I went to YouTube, picked a composer each night and listened to as much music as I could from each composer. The first week I listened to Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Chopin and I can't remember who the other two were. The following week I listened to other composers. If I found I really liked what I was hearing then other nights I would seek out more music from those composers I'd enjoyed listening to. I still find myself returning to the composers I listed above. I guess you could call them my base. I still seek out new music. Browse through this forum and you will find so many more composers to listen to. This site is a great source to find new music.


This is a good idea...and probably fits my personality. A structured way to go about it. I sort of need that. I might try a different composer each week....Thanks a lot.


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## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

Florestan said:


> .....I am seasoned with strange salts and hardly sophisticated. But that is the beauty of it. You don't have to know much about the music. If you like it, listen. If you don't like it, don't listen and/or give it another listen some other time as your tastes can change.


This makes it seem pretty simple, really. Love this attitude. thanks


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## ajfennewald (Mar 11, 2015)

Although I have listened to classical I bit for 15 years I just recently got into it more deeply. I listened to a couple of Robert Greenberg's survey courses for the teaching company and it really helped me to get my bearings. They contain a lot of music so you get to here about the piece as well as background information. I think most libraries would have this if you don't want to buy it.

http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-listen-to-and-understand-great-music-3rd-edition.html
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/the-30-greatest-orchestral-works.html


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## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

ajfennewald said:


> Although I have listened to classical I bit for 15 years I just recently got into it more deeply. I listened to a couple of Robert Greenberg's survey courses for the teaching company and it really helped me to get my bearings. They contain a lot of music so you get to here about the piece as well as background information. I think most libraries would have this if you don't want to buy it.
> 
> http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-listen-to-and-understand-great-music-3rd-edition.html
> http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/the-30-greatest-orchestral-works.html


Thanks ajfennewald!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

When I was discovering classical music it didn't occur to me to wonder how to go about it or what to listen to next. I listened to anything I could obtain whether from a library or on television or from a record club I belonged to for a while. If I heard something I liked a lot I looked for more music of that sort or by that composer. I also read about music in books and magazines, especially magazines with record reviews. I let my developing tastes lead me wherever they wanted to. I've never seen the point of being systematic about it. I enjoy serendipity.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> When I was discovering classical music it didn't occur to me to wonder how to go about it or what to listen to next. I listened to anything I could obtain whether from a library or on television or from a record club I belonged to for a while. If I heard something I liked a lot I looked for more music of that sort or by that composer. I also read about music in books and magazines, especially magazines with record reviews. I let my developing tastes lead me wherever they wanted to. I've never seen the point of being systematic about it. I enjoy serendipity.


Absolutely.

I'd love it when I was an undergraduate and my friends and I would be in the music section of the library listening to different things on headphones and we would shout back and forth to each other, "Oh!. . . . . . OH!. . . Come here!. . . . . . . . You've _GOT _to hear this."

Never incurious, always wanting to find the best in_ everything_, we were always indulging everything classical.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I was fortunate when I was younger to have discovered an all classical music record store in Tulsa, OK and the owner kind of mentored me and helped me along introducing various recordings he thought I might enjoy. I'll never forget the first day I entered his store and saw his personal collection. It was a wall of records about ten feet high and about twenty feet long. That was a little intimidating in itself. I asked him if he could help me with a piece and he asked if I could hum any of the melody. Fortunately my brain retains melodies pretty well and I hummed what I recalled from my only listen on the radio. He immediately said Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream and led me to what he considered the best recording. He was a great advisor from that day until he closed his store. Unfortunately finding any record stores that can actually help you anymore is a thing of the past.

A couple of people here mentions Goulding's book and I have mentioned it before in other threads on here. It's a very good resource and reference to help you get started. There is a lot to learn but there are tools to help. Another thing I would suggest is a book called "Listen To The Music" by Jonathan D. Kramer. It can be very helpful in teaching you "what" to listen for in music to increase your enjoyment and appreciation. A subscription to BBC Music Magazine can also be very helpful. It includes a free CD each month. It has a British bent but it has never bothered me. A subscription can be had for only around $52.00 a year and that's 13 issues because they have a special Christmas one every year.

Also, when you find works you like try other composers in that time period. I think most of us would say that since you like Haydn you might try Beethoven and Mozart. Especially Mozart's later symphonies might appeal to you. 

And if you don't already have one subscribe to Spotify. You can get a subscription for as low as $4.99 a month but for $9.99 a month you get the high quality stream and access on your mobile devices. It will help you listen to music with little investment and when you discover works you really love then purchase. There's no need to do like many of us did and just buy things blindly and wind up with a lot of CDs in our libraries we rarely ever listen to anymore.

Anyway, good luck on your journey! It's well worth the effort and extremely rewarding.

Kevin


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I would echo the post above about using a music streaming service as it does give you great access to a lot of music.
Dip your toe in and try things, sometimes just have it as background music to get a feel of how it grabs you.
People on here have and continue to help me greatly, I am no expert but find there are many with knowledge here willing to share


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## karenpat (Jan 16, 2009)

I don't think it's necessary to look at all the other composers, works etc as something you're missing out on or saying no to by choosing to explore one composer for a period of time... Why not see it as something positive - think of all the music you have yet to discover, it's like an ocean and you just have to jump in 
I use Spotify and Youtube a lot when I search for new music and I tend to use the "related artists" and "related videos" options a lot. I just start with something I know and from there I jump from composer to composer, singer to singer. Something I like, something I don't, something I don't quite get my head around but may still come back to it later. In sum, I think it's a positive thing, don't put yourself under any stress over it


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

As you've seen by now, there are many different ways people have approached classical music, and clearly there's no right way or wrong way... there's probably not even a single "what's right for you".

Oh, and don't bother about whether people here have more sophisticated or educated tastes than you. Some of them certainly have more musical knowledge than you, but your tastes in music are just as valid as theirs - and, obviously, _more_ valid to _you_. So my only advice for you as a listener is to like what you like and not worry about what you "should" like. (Besides, liking the St Matthew Passion and Haydn's symphonies sounds pretty sophisticated already!)


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

A couple useful sites (for me):

Classical Net: http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/20th.php

Lists some basic repertoire from the medieval to contemporary periods, with "stars" beside what the authors think are essential works. If you click on composers' names you'll find recommended recordings.

Tom Service's "A Guide to Contemporary Classical Music: http://www.theguardian.com/music/series/a-guide-to-contemporary-classical-music

Includes essays on famous 20th-21st century composers, with "5 key links" for each of them.

***

Listening to classical music is fun--and for many of us so is devising our own methods of seeking it out. Collecting is a hobby and there's no right way. My own method is to buy the cheapest recording with famous performers and then replace it when/if I get bored!

When you're completely paralyzed by indecision, you might want to get drunk before visiting your favorite online music vendor :lol:

I hope you'll continue to enjoy your music and share what interests you in Current Listening!

Welcome to the forum!


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## echo (Aug 15, 2014)

i found studying the evolution of music really got me into it


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

dreamer said:


> I have to admit that I have visited the Current Listening thread, but am a little intimidated. My thinking is you all are 'seasoned fans' and have tastes that are probably more sophisticated or educated than mine is....but I will give it another try. I am enjoying Haydn's 104th as I type....


Don't worry about the 'Current Listening' Thread .... get on there and say that you're listening to Haydn's 104th and that you are enjoying it - and just watch the 'likes' flood in .... you don't need to write a musical criticism or to justify why you chose that particular recording. Its a very friendly thread and there are lots of friendly people on that thread.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> Don't worry about the 'Current Listening' Thread .... get on there and say that you're listening to Haydn's 104th and that you are enjoying it - and just watch the 'likes' flood in .... you don't need to write a musical criticism or to justify why you chose that particular recording. Its a very friendly thread and there are lots of friendly people on that thread.


This is all true--but one should also be mindful of the dangers of CL. While anyone can get a lot of likes, it's also possible to lose a fortune in them. I know of several particularly generous posters who have given out so many likes that they've put themselves into financial difficulties. In fact, I know a couple CL regulars who are presently homeless and only able to post when the public library is open. Even apparently benign practices can be unhealthy when they become an addiction.


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## dreamer (Mar 5, 2015)

Well, after reflecting on all your responses, I do have to agree with Nereffid, there are many ways to approach Classical music....no 'correct way' for everybody. Maybe I need to just chill out and let my interests and tastes lead me....enjoy the journey. Take the pressure off to try to figure it all out, all at once ....

Thanks to you all for sharing with me...and making me feel welcome here. It's nice getting to learn from your past experiences. And it's nice getting to know you all, as well.



Blancrocher said:


> When you're completely paralyzed by indecision, you might want to get drunk before visiting your favorite online music vendor :lol:


I was going to ask about this approach to Classical music....thanks for being a step ahead of me. This is great advice. 

Thanks again, everybody.


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2015)

Dreamer, I did the big names route. I'm glad I did because I can't have an opinion on something I've not heard. However I then got to the point whereby I could navigate by my own tastes, and that doesn't necessarily lead me to the "big names". It has led me to composers I'd not even heard of 12 months ago.

So I'd say lend an ear to the Usual Suspects but use this as a springboard for going off-piste!


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Remember the magic number "1". Today I will listen to *one* composer, or *one* piano concerto by several, or *one* symphony, or all the works of *one* composer...


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I like the magic number "1" but in a different way. Today I will listen to the "1" same work all day long and into the night. And maybe tomorrow too.  Right now that "1" is


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Hey Dreamer,
Just listen a LOT, especially to what you enjoy, linger on it. You will automatically jump to different places, names, compositions.
There are no fixed rules, but I guess you gathered that much 
Take a few hints from the Current Listening thread, the best thread here, and let us know what you're listening to. Just jump in, and above all: enjoy !


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## michaels (Oct 3, 2014)

Here's my process (I am definitely a neophyte in ranking of exposure and knowledge in TC membership):

1. I listen to a work for a composer I like, hoping I can find them performed by a conductor+musician(s) I've enjoyed previously and try them out on Spotify Desktop (free version), iTunes previews and try to do a focused listen.
2. I check out the same work on youtube
3. If I either really like it or am on the fence, I'll post to Currently Listening and ask for other performances to check out (a search of TC via goggle also often produces some interested fruit in this department)
4. Check out the suggested listening if available via "free" channels, if not, maybe purchase part or all via iTunes or other downloadable music distribution channels to assess if I want to add it to my permanent collection
5. Add stuff to my camel camel account on amazon if I want to keep. 
6. Listen again to suggested performances from the TC Currently Listening Thread

*Some suggestions*
* Slow down and not try to listen to everything ASAP, listening to too much too quickly for most ears is like gulping down 10 half bottles of great wine... you will struggle to enjoy the subtler things and be unable to remember the things you really like and explore why you like them -- finding this out can help you on the next step of your journey to find similar music. Plenty of people will help you find things to listen to when you've come to a more settled version of what you know you like. You'll find countless "_If you like ____ you should listen to _____" permutations in threads here.

* Don't utterly dismiss things you don't like the first time you hear them.. your ear will change by next year, I promise  Come back to some of the things you think you just don't enjoy after a few months or more, you'll be able to see how your tastes are changing and growing.

* Don't be afraid to dislike something that the proverbial "everyone" says you should like. Music is intensely personal and you should not be ashamed to be right where you're at in your tastes!

* If you feel overwhelmed and like the structure of a book or list, don't be afraid to run with that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that approach. (If you didn't like it a least a bit, I don't think you would have posted what you did  )

* Check out the http://tinychat.com/talkclassical chat room. Bring your latest listening youtube content and questions. You'll find people willing to interact with you real time and provide feedback and other suggestions. Albert is a great and gracious host and others like Mahlerian and Flutey are often providing access to some great pieces and insights into composers and a musician's view of the work.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I can certainly understand how daunted you feel by the prospect of trying to familiarize yourself with the enormous number of classical masterpieces available . But as a veteran of almost50 years of 
being a classical music freak since I was just a kid , I sort of envy you ! You're like the proverbial kid in a candy store !
A really good book which you should enjoy is ""The Essential Canon of Cklassical Music", by the noted pianist and teacher David Dubal, which you should have no trouble getting on Amazon or elsewhere . 
It explains classical music in a clear, informative and stimulating way without be beeing in any way patronizing, and also has recommended recording . Welcome to the world of classical music - you never regret making it a part of your life !


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## Giordano (Aug 10, 2014)

I wonder if anyone knows how they know... 
I am trying to figure that one out.



I don't have much to add to all the good advice given already.
So I'll sum up by saying:

Let your inner sense guide you.
Do not be swayed by opinions of "knowledgeable" people.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Oh... one other thing, which might seem a bit grumpy of me but is meant in a positive way:

Buy stuff.

YouTube and Spotify are amazing resources but the recording industry is kept alive through actual sales, so make sure to support it every now and then.


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