# Violin centered classical music recommendations



## Sammorgan (Nov 14, 2015)

Hi. My name is Sam and I'm learning the violin. I'm totally new to exploring classical music but am finding it difficult to connect with pieces that I am expected to learn as a violin student.

Given that I'm an idiot that knows nothing of this genre of music, I find most classical music I hear to be overly flowery, overly dramatic with few emotional subtleties.

One problem with my taste is that I really enjoy listening to the nuanced sounds of individual instruments (especially the violin) that are lost in great orchestras etc.

Here are some pieces I enjoy:

Toru Takemitsu's stuff
The opening violin pieces to Tzigane and Sibelius are stunning, especially Tzigane
Bach Sonata No 1
Sarasate, Zigeunerweisen

Classically influenced stuff:
If you are familiar with the band Gazpacho, the final 3 minutes of their album 'Night' is an excellent violin/piano piece.
Probably my favourite piece of music is called 'From this Vantage' by The Ascent of Everest. Its like a post rock string quartet.
I have released a piano/violin driven album (for free download) http://transmigrantmusic.com to give you a further idea of my tastes

Does anyone have any classical/modern classical music recommendations for this moron? I know there is an amazing world out there to explore, I need a direction to point my head in. Any help would be massively appreciated!
Cheers.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

There sure is a lot of good violin music around. To avoid confusion, I'll give you just one: Schubert's string quartet #14, "Death and the Maiden".


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## TradeMark (Mar 12, 2015)

Try this:


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## LHB (Nov 1, 2015)

Possibly Feldman or Messiaen could be good for starters.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2015)

If you like Takemitsu's violin stuff, you might like other "meditative" styles like the above-mentioned Feldman or perhaps Scelsi or Hosokawa. Like Takemitsu, none of these composers ever turn their metronomes very high, and yet all of them get wonderfully lush sonorities out of solo strings.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Try these for what it's worth.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

L'arbre des Songes by Dutilleux is also good


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Don't you have a musical background at all?
No teacher to guide you?


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

It sounds like you're open to contemporary music, so have a listen to Unsuk Chin (I'm listening to it a second time-I thought it that impressive):


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

One of my favourite albums from last year was a solo project by violinist Roman Mints. "Dance of Shadows" included music by Piazzolla, Schnittke, Ysaye, Tabakova, and Silvestrov.


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## Sammorgan (Nov 14, 2015)

*Thanks*

Thanks for all your help guys. No teacher - violin learning is all a bit dead reckoning for me but it's an adventure. I certainly enjoyed a few parts to 'Death and the Maiden', especially from the 13.30 part onwards 





Messiaen's Quartet also has good moments but I find his Des canyons aux étoiles too directionless and again too darkly dramatic. I feel the same about alot of Dutilleux's work though there are moments of beauty there that I wish lasted long enough for me to really appreciate, but I guess that's the nature of AvantGarde music.


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## GKC (Jun 2, 2011)

Try the rest of Bach's violin sonatas and partitas (esp. the 2nd.). Get Arthur Grumiaux on the Philips Label.

Also Brahms's 1st violin sonata (w/piano).


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