# Classical music for beginners?



## beatles (Oct 30, 2009)

Hey, ive often enjoyed some classical music pieces when i have heard them on movies or the TV but i have no idea where to start looking for the style i enjoy.

This piece from Star Wars isnt the best example of the sort of style im after but its the best i can find. 




My musical taste now is bands like the beatles, so i suppose i enjoy melody in music a lot.
Ive briefly checked out Beethoven but i think i might find him a bit over the top.
Anyway, im not really sure what im after, so any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thanks


----------



## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

You find Beethoven over the top? In what way? That surely isn't the first expression that comes in to my mind when I think about Beethoven.


----------



## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

beatles said:


> Hey, ive often enjoyed some classical music pieces when i have heard them on movies or the TV but i have no idea where to start looking for the style i enjoy.
> 
> This piece from Star Wars isnt the best example of the sort of style im after but its the best i can find.
> 
> ...


If Beethoven is too dramatic then Mozart is more contained in his sound.


----------



## Herr Direktor (Oct 18, 2009)

Based on what you've said, you might try the Brandenburg Concerti by JS Bach. They are what some might call "easy listening" but are also wonderful music. Mendelssohn is another composer you might look into. His string quartets, string symphonies, and overtures are all great music to listen to.

HD


----------



## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

If you like John Williams Stars Wars stuff maybe try some Wagner as they both utilised the same lietmotif concept. Although I will say he probably is more over the top than Beethoven.

Outside of that just try the most famous pieces by the most famous composers and you can't go too far wrong. _Simples_. I' ll suggest:

Saint Saens- Carnival of the Animals and his Danse Macabre
Tchaikovsky- Nutcracker
Dvorak- 9th Symphony
Gershwin- Rhapsody in Blue
Grieg- Peer Gynt Suite
Prokofiev- Peter and the Wolf
Mussorgsky- Night on Bare Mountain
etc.

I can guarantee you'll have heard bits of all the above works if you have watched any TV or films at all.


----------



## nimmysnv (Oct 1, 2009)

Hi,

No way,Beethoven is not at the top too much dramatic but Mozart is good as compared!!!!!!

Thanks.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I think Beethoven really is over the top. He hovers over the top of all the other composers -- but I didn't get into him until much much later.

Give Mendelssohn's Hebridean overture a try and Schubert's Symphony No. (is it 9 these days?) in Bm, "Unfinished." Beautiful melodies in both of those pieces.

We can see you've already done your research since you are calling them "pieces" like us, and not "songs."


----------



## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Interestingly noted Weston. 
But is 'Pieces' REALLY the correct word? Piece suggests a whole or something more outside it. Maybe Work would be better, but im not sure if even thats correct.

Anyway,
If Beethoven is too over the top for you then how can Star wars not be? Try his Moonlight sonata, im sure youve heard it. Shouldnt be too over the top, and maybe you can get into him from there.


----------



## Gangsta Tweety Bird (Jan 25, 2009)

ravel & debussy??


----------



## beatles (Oct 30, 2009)

Thanks everyone. Maybe i was wrong about saying Beethoven was over the top, as i said before i havent really listened to much. The Star Wars soundtrack in genreral isnt the sort of thing i am looking for, that particular piece i posted a link for was just the song that triggered my interest in classical music and it has quite a nice melody.
Ill check out some of your suggestions. Ta.


----------



## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

I'd still like to know in what WAY you thought Beethoven was over the top.


----------



## Wagner (Oct 29, 2009)

Well, as Debussy said: Beethoven was a great master but sometimes lacked taste. Wellington's Victory isn't over the top? Okay..


----------



## Patch (Oct 30, 2009)

Gustav Holst the Planets...Williams certainly borrowed from him especially, 'Mars'. Aaron Copeland is pretty accessible, very 'Americana' think western movies...he was the guy who wrote the 'Meat: It's What's for Dinner' jingle...well the commercial stole it.

As for a similar piece, you may like Dvorak's, New World Symphony

Try the third movement


----------



## 52paul (Sep 13, 2009)

I recommend these two sites as an introduction to classical music:

www.kickassclassical.com
If you go to their Top 100 List you can quickly preview the pieces and then if you find something you like do a search on YouTube for fuiller versions.

The other is my own site:
52composers.com
which is intended as an introduction and gives entertaining and easy to read profiles of famous classical composers with links for where to go for further information.

Once you have found a composer you like pass some time on YouTube listening and watching - it can be very entertaining and rewarding.

Happy hunting!


----------



## scytheavatar (Aug 27, 2009)

Wagner said:


> Beethoven was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.


Schubert was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Brahms was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Tchaikovsky was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Chopin was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Verdi was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Wagner was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Mahler was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.
Debussy was a great master but sometimes lacked taste.

Do I need to go on?

And to the TC, a good cheap Beethoven symphony set is a good introduction to classical music, you can try the 1962 Karajan set or the Zinman set.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Wagner said:


> Well, as Debussy said: Beethoven was a great master but sometimes lacked taste. Wellington's Victory isn't over the top? Okay..


I had pleasantly forgotten about _Wellington's Victory.
_
beatles, DON'T listen to _Wellington's Victory _a.k.a _The Battle Symphony_, okay? It is to Beethoven as _Revolution No. 9_ is to the Beatles. Only worse.


----------



## John Kiunke (Mar 25, 2016)

Watch Amadeus, you'll like something in it.


----------



## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Weston said:


> DON'T listen to _Wellington's Victory _a.k.a _The Battle Symphony_, okay? It is to Beethoven as _Revolution No. 9_ is to the Beatles.


If you play _Wellington's Victory_ backwards, it says "Turn me on, deaf man".

Not a lot of people know that.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

John Kiunke said:


> Watch Amadeus, you'll like something in it.


This made me smile .


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Beethoven over the top? I am in inconsolable.


----------



## Guest (Aug 9, 2016)

Merl said:


> Beethoven over the top? I am in inconsolable.
> 
> View attachment 87550


The Wellingtons Sieg is just fun,the armys marching,the national hyms,RULE BRITANNIA,yeah,that's a bit over the top.:lol:


----------

