# What would you put on your classical mix tape?



## SteveKS (Jan 23, 2009)

Here's the scenario: Guy who knows very little about classical music other than that he likes it (me) is dating a girl who knows absolutely everything about it and has been playing the violin since she was 3. This guy has also agreed to make her a mix tape with a few pieces of classical music on it, and really wants to make a good impression. If you were me and you wanted to get a response that goes something like this: "Wow, what a tasteful and original selection of pieces I had no idea you were so well versed in this style of music." What would you put on it? 

Thanks, and all the best,


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2009)

I'd not do it. 

I'd ask her to make you a mix tape if anything.

Best way to impress her is to acknowledge her superiority in this area and to be willing to learn from her.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

By all means don't try to decieve her into thinking you have some esoteric knowledge. She'll pick up on that right away.

If you HAVE to make the tape, put some lesser known works on it. I could suggest a huge list, but you've got to realize we're talking about maybe 500 years worth of music here and that covers a lot of different styles and subgenres.

Do you have any idea what she likes? Big orchestral music or small ensembles? Solo pieces? Concertos? Early music? Romantic music? Experimental?


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## SteveKS (Jan 23, 2009)

Believe me I can see it from the 'This is totally bogus' perspective.
But I think there's something about being able to say 'I don't know much about this, but I asked around and these are supposed to be great songs, so I hope you'll like them'


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2009)

But since you characterized her as someone who "knows absolutely everything about it," you'll likely end up giving her a "tape" of pieces she already knows. (Pieces, just by the way. There are tons of songs in the classical world, and they are called songs, but mostly classical music pieces are called pieces.)

Give her a cool book that you like, take her to movies she's never seen, to art galleries she doesn't know, to games of that local sports team (even though this season they're really sucky). In short, show her something of what you know. She already knows what she knows. You don't impress her giving her what she already knows. (Although you might impress her with how quickly you learn what she already knows.)

Above all, don't give her second hand goods. A list of pieces that other people than yourself have picked out? Don't do it!!


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## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

*Wooing your violinist girl friend with a mix*

You would put these pieces on the tape/disk:
1. Tchaikovsky: Serenade Melancolique
2. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major - Second Movement
3. Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade - Third Movement (The Prince and the Princess -absolutely romantic)
4. Aleksandr Borodin - In the steppes of Central Asia - serenely beautiful
5. Hector Berlioz - Reverie et Caprice for violin and orchestra
6. Beethoven - Romance for Violin No. 2
7. Beethoven - Violin Concerto - second movement
8. Brahms: Violin Concerto - second movement
9. Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde - Liebestod
10. Saint Saens: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso for violin.
11. Finally, Khachaturian's Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia.


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## tahnak (Jan 19, 2009)

*Pity*

It is a pity that no one came forward with a simple list that you wanted to woo your girl friend and every one started philosophising. Well, love is not in the air for most of the world nowadays!


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## SPR (Nov 12, 2008)

I have done something like that for a niece of mine, who expressed an interest in classical music after listening to some music I was playing one day and how 'cool' it was. (Worth noting she plays french horn)

What she heard was some Archangelo Corelli, so I gave her a CD with about 100 MP3's on it to load on her ipod so she could sample some before going shopping for her own. Corelli Grossi OP 6, Handel Royal Fireworks, Vivaldi Prince of Poland, Tememann Tafelmusik, Mozart Grand Partita & Clarinet Quartets, Bachs Brandenburgs and some others. Not all of them, but more of the 'upbeat' pieces within these works.

She liked many of the allegro/vivace/presto pieces that had strong melody and fuge like counterpoint.. so I tried to give that sort of thing. 

I guess she played some of it for her music teacher and supposedly said 'who gave you all of that?.... whoever it was has very good taste...' laugh.

She has really gotten into Handel now.

Unfortunately... your needs are completely backwards to this, so not sure what my point is.

You really have to find at least a few pieces that you like. Trust me - your making a mistake trying to appear well versed if you are not. BUT - getting a couple pieces that you DO like and asking for thoughts or feedback is a good idea.

Can you name 1 or perhaps 2 things that you are interested in? Maybe we can suggest something more along the same lines.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2009)

tahnak said:


> It is a pity that no one came forward with a simple list that you wanted to woo your girl friend and every one started philosophising. Well, love is not in the air for most of the world nowadays!


Love is very MUCH in the air, Tahnak, that's why we jumped in to avert a disaster. We none of us want this guy to destroy this budding relationship with a bogus mix tape.

Imagine actually giving a violinist your list. She'd likely already have recordings of all of them. She'd likely have played many of them already. She'd likely wonder who you thought you were trying to impress.

We're assuming, in short, that this knowledgeable girl friend of Steve's is not a total dolt!


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