# Classical music discovery



## Nakla (Sep 17, 2015)

Hello everyone,

*I'm new here, hope this is the right sub forum*

I'm looking for ways to discover new classical works and composers.
So far I'm searching YouTube and looking into the "influenced by" or "similar artists" sections on allmusic. Could anyone kindly recommend blogs, internet radio stations, Facebook groups or anything else that can help?

I'm mostly interested in chamber music from the romantic era and beyond, but anything else would do just as well.

Thanks in advance!


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Wikipedia has a handy set of pages on which composers lived in which era of classical music. Arkivmusic has a handy Chamber Music category for each composer. Used in tandem, that can show you the broad spectrum of chamber music from the Romantic era forward.

This site has some great lists of the top picks for each type of music. Not everything will appeal to you, but they are general recommendations because many people have found value in them and enjoyed them.

Look at what other people are buying in addition to the items you like on Amazon and other retail sites.

If you want more detailed guidance, you can of course ask people around here. Tell us what you enjoy, and we can probably come up with a few dozen other things you might also enjoy.

The thread "Pieces That Have Blown You Away Recently" is a great source of more random recommendations.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

TC users have created various lists of recommended works, which a newcomer can use.

Check them out here: http://www.talkclassical.com/17996-compilation-tc-top-recommended.html


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

already discovered *Cantelaube* , thanks to one of the polls, before voting I wanted to listen to Chants. Now they are definitely one of my fav pieces of music. new discovery for me, thanks to Nereffid


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## Nakla (Sep 17, 2015)

That's great, thank you very much! Arkivmusic seems like a great tool. The lists are also great, is it possible to subscribe to these posts, that way I get an email each time someone writes something new? 

I'd love to get more recommendations - I'll take your offer and post some of my favorite works (copy/paste from my music folder):

Tchaikovsky - String Sextets/Quartet
Shostakovich - Piano Quintet Op.57 & Trio No.1&2 
Dvorak - Quintet, Brahms - Sextet in G
Franck - Quintet in F Minor
Prokofiev/Beethoven - Sonatas for cello and piano 
Rachmaninoff - Piano Trios
Bruckner - Quintet for strings in F major
*more challenging compositions are definitely an option

Thanks again for taking the time to answer!


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

Facebook has composer groups that you can join: I am a member of several.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Nakla said:


> That's great, thank you very much! Arkivmusic seems like a great tool. The lists are also great, is it possible to subscribe to these posts, that way I get an email each time someone writes something new?
> 
> I'd love to get more recommendations - I'll take your offer and post some of my favorite works (copy/paste from my music folder):
> 
> ...


A few suggestions:

Brahms - Clarinet quintet, String quintets, Clarinet sonatas
Debussy - String quartet
Gubaidulina - String quartet 3
Ravel - String quartet
Reich - Different trains
Schubert - String quintet, Octet, late string quartets
Shostakovich - String quartet 8


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## Nakla (Sep 17, 2015)

Art Rock said:


> A few suggestions:
> 
> Brahms - Clarinet quintet, String quintets, Clarinet sonatas
> Debussy - String quartet
> ...


Great thank you!


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2015)

Here is a site that calls itself "The Internet's Premier Classical Music Source":

http://www.classical.net/


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET 

And also check out chamber music by Farrenc.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Lutoslawski trio






Poulenc chamber music CD on DG label is also very fine.
You can find it on YouTube.

Stravinsky's Octet for Winds.
Copland's Prelude for piano trio
Hindemith's Harp Sonata
Debussy's trio for flute harp viola
Barber Adagio for Strings


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## Nakla (Sep 17, 2015)

*Oh wow*



> ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET ORNSTEIN PIANO QUINTET
> 
> And also check out chamber music by Farrenc.





> Poulenc chamber music CD on DG label is also very fine.
> You can find it on YouTube.
> 
> Stravinsky's Octet for Winds.
> ...


+ the videos 
PURE GOLD 

Thank you!


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Nakla said:


> That's great, thank you very much! Arkivmusic seems like a great tool. The lists are also great, is it possible to subscribe to these posts, that way I get an email each time someone writes something new?
> 
> I'd love to get more recommendations - I'll take your offer and post some of my favorite works (copy/paste from my music folder):
> 
> ...


Welcome to the Forum, Nakla.

Looking over your list of chamber music likes, I can suggest a few directions:

If you liked the Tchaikovsky quartets, you should definitely check out the two by Alexander Borodin.

Shostakovich has 15 devastatingly beautiful and haunting string quartets. If you liked the Shosty Trios, you should turn to the Quartets ... and any other chamber music from this Russian master.

Both Dvorak and Brahms have string quartets which may prove of interest. I tend to find those of Dvorak more interesting, but Brahms's chamber music which features the clarinet is indispensable and remains a "must hear".

Mention of Franck reminds me he has a wonderful cello sonata and to recommend chamber music of Gabriel Faure. And the string quartets of Frenchmen Debussy and Ravel (one each) prove major pieces to make acquaintance with.

Beethoven has tons of chamber music, but look at his sonatas for violin and piano. (They're generally identified as "violin sonatas".) Prokofiev has a couple of these, too. These works will well complement the cello and piano sonatas.

Rachmaninoff has a great Sonata for cello and piano. You must hear this one!

Alas, poor Bruckner left us too little chamber music. But he makes up for it with a dozen great symphonies, which, if you continue pursuing classical music, you will eventually come to. The Seventh Symphony is a supreme masterpiece, one of the greatest classical music works in the catalogue. Certainly not chamber music, but worth a listen for a change of pace.

If you want to enter the "challenge" mode, you might try the Schoenberg string quartets. They will provide about as good an intro into the "modern" movement in music as anything out there -- not too bizarre, still grounded in the Romantics like Brahms, but offering new paths for the ears to follow.

Another mode of "challenge" mode will be to pursue the String Quartets of Franz Schubert. These are heavy Romantic pieces, not for the faint of heart, and their deepest beauties may take years to discover, but they remain pinnacles of musical art. Not easy, certainly, but worth the time and effort to listen. Schubert has a number of other great chamber pieces as well. In his short life (he died aged 32) he created enough music to last anyone's else's lifetime. A true master.

So ... there are a few recommendations, all more or less keeping you in the same area of reference you are familiar with, but expanding your ears a touch and introducing worthwhile paths.

Path will lead to path. Just keep your ears (and mind) open, and tread onward. There is nothing quite like this journey. I've been on the paths for over half a century now, yet I suspect the hidden vistas are vast. I have no intention of stopping now.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Here's a beautiful piano quartet by a little known late romantic Czech composer.






For some romantic cello sonatas, try Brahms performed by Rostropovich and Serkin, or by the great Hungarian cellist Janos Starker.


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## Nakla (Sep 17, 2015)

Had some time to go through all the recommendations here -I wanted to come back and thank you all once again.

This place is a gem, thank you! :tiphat:


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Nakla said:


> Had some time to go through all the recommendations here -I wanted to come back and thank you all once again.
> 
> This place is a gem, thank you! :tiphat:


Do you have any new favourites?


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## Nakla (Sep 17, 2015)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Do you have any new favourites?


Yes ofc, although I only listened once or twice to each (apart for Ornstein's quartet which I can't stop listening to).

This is my instant pleasure list:
*leaving the works I already know aside

Ornstein piano quartet
Ravel/Debussy violin sonatas
Honegger clarinet sonata
Hindemith's harp sonata
Prokofiev Sonata for Violin and Piano
Rachmaninoff cello Sonata

I'm still having trouble with Schoenberg, but I guess (hope) repetitive listening could sort it out (or drive me mad).

Just have to say that I really liked everything that was posted here!


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