# Introducing a Friend to Classical Music



## TennysonsHarp (Apr 30, 2017)

A friend of mine recently told me that he can no longer listen to the radio because he can't stand pop music. I've been sending him links to different composers on YouTube. I recall sending him Bach's Chaconne, Mozart's 25th, the Allegretto from Beethoven's 7th, and Mahler's Adagietto. He enjoyed them, and now I'm wondering what else I should suggest for him. He is largely into anime soundtracks, video game soundtracks, and heavy metal. I notice he's a fan of big orchestral sounds, hence why I suggested Mahler and Beethoven. 

Would you recommend anything else for me to give him? I was thinking of more Mahler, personally, as well as the rest of Bach's sonatas and partitas for violin, and definitely Schubert's 5th, 8th, and 9th.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Dvorak's 9th
Grieg's Peer Gynt suites
Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps


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## wolkaaa (Feb 12, 2017)

I'd go further with Tchaikovsky's concertos and symphonies.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Something in between are the Rossini sonatas for strings.


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

This is going to seem negative, but I don't see someone making a guaranteed, natural transition from anime soundtracks and heavy metal to Bach's violin partitas or Mahler. Anyone not happy with pop music on the radio can choose from a myriad other dedicated radio stations broadcasting rock or classical or jazz/blues/soul/funk.

A list of recommendations (of favourites) by seasoned listeners - tastes resulting from years of listening - is very unlikely to have much success. Almost everyone who is new to this music starts off listening to the well-worn repertoire, because it is highly accessible.

To me this means actually putting oneself into the shoes of a new listener and recommending things like: Beethoven's 5th, The Planets, Rach's 2nd concerto, Warsaw Concerto...


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## Botschaft (Aug 4, 2017)

And just for the sake of experimentation:


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Art Rock said:


> Dvorak's 9th
> Grieg's Peer Gynt suites
> Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps


I'd suggest Dvorak's String Serenade as well. Some members here haven't even heard it. Try the Karajan, if you would like.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I think the important thing is to tell your friend not to expect to enjoy everything you suggest.

With that in mind:

Brandenburg Concertos
Nutcracker Suite (paired with Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings if possible)
Symphonie Fantastique
Rite of Spring (already mentioned, but my first thought)
Rhapsody in Blue
Trout Quintet - I love the video with Du Pre, Barenboim, Perlman, Zuckerman and Mehta


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

People have short attention spans these days, so it might be best to offer shorter works to newcomers to CM in order to better "set the hook". With this in mind, Shostakovich's second piano concerto, Prokofiev's "Classical" symphony, the Bach Brandenburgs, the Respighi clusters, The Planets has been mentioned also, the Nutcracker--works that are broken up into short digestable segments probably will be the most effective in offering a spread of musical materials for attracting the attention of the new listener. Worked for me these many moons ago.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Strange Magic said:


> People have short attention spans these days, so it might be best to offer shorter works to newcomers to CM in order to better "set the hook". With this in mind, Shostakovich's second piano concerto, Prokofiev's "Classical" symphony, the Bach Brandenburgs, the Respighi clusters, The Planets has been mentioned also, the Nutcracker--works that are broken up into short digestable segments probably will be the most effective in offering a spread of musical materials for attracting the attention of the new listener. Worked for me these many moons ago.


My advice, as worthless as it may be, would be to show him something NEW. Everyone has heard the Nutcracker. Your friend has. If he loved it, he'd know it better. I can only offer something I did not write and do not own. But it's free. So I say again, try Dvorak's String Serenade, or don't. Trust your heart and what you know of your friend, but do not listen to me. I don't know you or your friend. What I offer you is FREE.


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

What about the 1812 to start with? Very lively!


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Judith said:


> What about the 1812 to start with? Very lively!


And a wonderful distraction from what REALLY happened in 1812. Are you aware?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

TennysonsHarp said:


> A friend of mine recently told me that he can no longer listen to the radio because he can't stand pop music. I've been sending him links to different composers on YouTube. I recall sending him Bach's Chaconne, Mozart's 25th, the Allegretto from Beethoven's 7th, and Mahler's Adagietto. He enjoyed them, and now I'm wondering what else I should suggest for him. He is largely into anime soundtracks, video game soundtracks, and heavy metal. I notice he's a fan of big orchestral sounds, hence why I suggested Mahler and Beethoven.
> 
> Would you recommend anything else for me to give him? I was thinking of more Mahler, personally, as well as the rest of Bach's sonatas and partitas for violin, and definitely Schubert's 5th, 8th, and 9th.


How about some Aaron Copland? Easy to get into. Like Rodeo. Billy the Kid and Appalachian Spring. Also the Clarinet Concerto.


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

scratchgolf said:


> My advice, as worthless as it may be, would be to show him something NEW. Everyone has heard the Nutcracker. Your friend has. If he loved it, he'd know it better.


The general ubiquity of (sections of) the Nutcracker does not mean everyone either knows it or has actually listened to it. Or even knows the composer's name or much else besides a vague idea of the _Sugar Plum Fairy_.

This doesn't mean I think everyone coming to classical music _must_ listen to it, but longer-term listeners with perhaps a more jaded view of the Nutcracker are not really the best judges of what a new listener hears with less practised ears.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I agree, eugeneonagain.

The Nutcracker is much more than a few "pop" favorites that everybody knows. The entire score is magnificent!


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

I think anything from the late romantic period would do. If he likes anime soundtracks, then he might enjoy some of R. Strauss. Don Quixote comes to mind. _Concerto for Orchestra_ by Bartók is suitably cinematic, as is Stravinsky's_ Petrushka_.


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## Marinera (May 13, 2016)

Brahms 1st piano concerto maybe


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

scratchgolf said:


> And a wonderful distraction from what REALLY happened in 1812. Are you aware?


Commemorates the battle between the French and Russians which resulted in withdrawing from Moscow and the Napoleon troops suffered!


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I often recommend Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, Italian Symphony and Midsummer Night's Dream music as they tend to engage the listener immediately.

Also Rossini overtures (just having listened to a set of them conducted by Giulini).


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## Der Titan (Oct 17, 2016)

An easy question and a difficult as well. My experience is that the most important point is that you somehow must be "hooked". Find something in classical music which you really like and that's your starting point. Therefore it's not necessary to get thousand good recommendations. Therefore your friend should really listen to this and that, and if he finds anything he really likes this is the beginning from which he can go further. But what somebody likes nobody knows. There are people who love Elgar and never will love Bruckner and others who love Bruckner and never will love Elgar. That's why I don't like recommendations. I give no recommendations. I give only ideas. But if you look for ideas, you have a billiion ideas in this forum. And you have Youtube, so why recommendations? But what would be maybe a good idea: You friend could buy a "music history". Something which give him or her an insight to music. Not too shallow and not too scientific. That's the way I discovered classical music. I never needed recommendations.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

I'd suggest Bach or Beethoven, even Hans Zimmer. Mahler, except for a complete Symphony No.4, can leave a beginner exhausted. However, if he/she comes from Heavy Metal he/she could be lucky to grasp the Vienesse conductor's uneasy musical language. The greatest challenge here is lenght and attention span. I doubt that friend can listen to 30m of Der Abschied even with Christa Ludwig.
If he/she liked the Adagietto, Bruckner Adagios could be tried. Nothing more nothing less. I do agree with late symphonies by Dvorak, I would add Berlioz and Schumann. No Tchaikovsky, Strauss II or Sibelius for now.
For Bach, maybe Cello Suites, and for Beethoven, symphonies and Piano Sonatas.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

As long as you pick a piece that whilst listen , receiver can recognise the melody, like Peer Gynt suites.


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

A bit of Xenakis is never a bad thing, this could be a great example of how euphoric and intense classical music can be: :kiss:


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