# In which chronological order did you familiarize yourself with composers?



## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

For me it all started with Beethoven, he was the first composer I ever listened to. I learned about Beethoven in primary school music education class. The whole story about him was very fascinating to me, about the magnificence of his talent, his struggles with deafness, the way he dedicated Eroica to Napoleon and then renounced this dedication, the fate symbolism of 5th symphony, the idea of universal brotherhood in 9th symphony... it really got me very interested in learning about and exploring his music.

After that it was pretty much in this order

Bach>Vivaldi>Handel>Mozart>Beethoven(again)>exploring various romantic, modern and contemporary composers without any method or system, sometimes going back into the past, exploring less known pieces by composers I am already familiar with, sometimes going back even to Renaissance or Middle Ages...

while at the same time trying to broaden my horizons about popular music as well and to listen to some good albums.

And folk music is always fascinating too, and not just folk, but also regular pop/rock, etc... but from other countries, non-English speaking.

All in all, I am still pretty much a beginner and in early phase of exploration.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

ZJovicic said:


> For me it all started with Beethoven, he was the first composer I ever listened to. I learned about Beethoven in primary school music education class. The whole story about him was very fascinating to me, about the magnificence of his talent, his struggles with deafness, the way he dedicated Eroica to Napoleon and then renounced this dedication, the fate symbolism of 5th symphony, the idea of universal brotherhood in 9th symphony... it really got me very interested in learning about and exploring his music.
> 
> After that it was pretty much in this order
> 
> ...


Same here! So much to learn about and listen to. The TC top recs is a nice place to start.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Through my piano conservatory was Bach, Clementi, Telemann, Mozart, and Bartok. Beethoven came later. Needless to say, learning Bartok drove me nuts at first.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

As a young child at home, I heard first the 19th century Russians: the Five, plus Tchaikovsky; also Rachmaninoff. Then came the 20th century Russians: early Stravinsky, Khachaturian, Prokofiev, Shostakovich. Later teen years brought the Impressionists, Grieg, Bartók, Sibelius, Dvořák, Copland, Bloch, Orff. Only later did I explore Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schumann, etc. Now I pick up new composers randomly--from whatever period, but still listen mostly to the "usual suspects".


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Mozart (35th and 40th symphonies conducted by Bruno Walter) came first. Then it was all over the place - piece by piece but not composer by composer.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2018)

Hearing Ligeti in the film 2001 alerted me to the fact that "classical music" wasn't just about dead men in wigs. Then I got Bartok's string quartets from the library. I have no idea why (I still have the cassette!).

Fast forward to me listening to a classical music station (Radio 3) and thinking "I quite like this" so then I got the Jan Swafford "Vintage Guide to Classical Music." Using this, I bought CDs by composers as I went through the book, starting (chronologically) with Bach and going through to Britten. Since then I've been all over the shop, often prompted by posts on TC.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I was really first introduced to classical music, like many American kids, through cartoons. Also the William Tell Overture from watching The Lone Ranger TV show. But my first real interest came from skipping school with a friend to go see the sci-fi film Zardoz starring Sean Connery. Beethoven's 7th symphony was used throughout the film and set a fire in me to buy a copy of it that day. So, my very first classical album was Beethoven's 7th as performed by Toscanini and the NBC orchestra. From there I started investing most of my money in Classical. Mozart, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Brahms etc. etc. I have never become a huge fan of modern music that is excessively discordant and bombastic, nor am I a fan of very much Baroque, but otherwise I like most periods.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

In my early days of collecting I pretty much chronologically zig-zagged (and still do, I suppose) - it's about 20 years ago now but it went something like this: straight in with Wagner's Ring Cycle, then Beethoven's complete symphonies, then Mahler's 8th and Bruckner's 5th, then Chopin's piano sonatas and Handel's harpsichord suites. Bartók's string quartet cycle was the first chamber music I investigated because I remember being intrigued with the earthy Magyar rhythm of one his violin duos which I happened to catch on TV some time before.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

It was a sampler LP that RCA put out in the early 60s - had a dozen or so excerpts, two in particular I recall were the last movement of Symphonie Fantastique and the Tchaikovsky 6th. A neighbor knew I really liked the music on the record and gave me several classical: Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty selections, Beethoven violin concerto (Heifetz), Delibes' Coppelia, Beethoven Emporer Concerto. I listened to those records until they wore out. Then came the discovery that the public library had records - I tried everything - couldn't stand Mahler 1 or 2, but then came 7 (Bernstein) and was hooked. A set of Beethoven symphonies (Leibowitz) when I was 12 was my first real set, and back in those days Radio Shack sold classical, and I bought a set of Russian Masterworks that really sent me in that direction for a long time. It's been a fascinating journey getting to know not only the established masterworks, but the off-the-beaten-path composers - and I probably listen to them more than the mainstream stuff anymore. I am still deficient in many areas: Verdi, Mozart, Haydn, Bach. My ear was trained early on to enjoy the late Romantic idiom thanks to Universal Horror movies, so I have little patience for early music; even pre-Beethoven is just not that important.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I discovered classical some 3/4 of a year ago, so my memory is still fresh.
I started with the Color Symphony by Arthur Bliss, the Bruckner (all symphonies), then Prokofiev (all symphonies), then Mahler, then Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Bach, Hindemith, Vivaldi etc. And now it is still going on in ever widening circles. I started first with symphonies, I moved to string quartets next, then concertos. I came to Mozart and Haydn relatively late, because for some reason, I did not like Mozart and found him boring. But it seems that it is changing finally. I am loving his piano concertos which I am currently exploring.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I started in 1986, way before internet was common, so there was little system to my CD buying. Started with famous compositions by big names (using a history of classical music book as my guide) - Schubert's 8th, Dvorak's 9th, Beethoven's 5th, Mozart's EKN, and so on. Gradually started to fill in the gaps (I'm a completionist by nature), then branched out to less known composers. By that time I had a subscription to Gramophone, which helped making choices (still no internet). 

And here I sit, 32 years later, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of CD's, and enjoying listening to the beautiful violin concerto by Joseph Jongen, one of those underrated composers that many will never explore.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

When I was a youngster in the late 1950's, my dad was always playing what was then the core works on his stereo which was located directly under my bedroom. My favorites at that time were Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams and David Diamond. As a teenager I abandoned classical and went directly to rock music. Then in my mid-thirties I switched back to classical, starting with baroque music. That wasn't going so well until I discovered period instrument recordings which made all the difference. I just kept moving forward in time and found that the core of the Romantic period didn't sit too well with me, but that late-romantic was highly enjoyable. Concerning contemporary music, I still have problems with most avant grade music but save my greatest distaste for romanticized and syrupy pieces. Most of my listening in recent years involves a limited number of baroque composers headed by Bach and Handel, Classical era from mostly Mozart and Haydn, early romantic, late romantic and the Russian composers including from the Soviet era. Almost forgot to mention that I love much of the instrumental music from pre-Bach composers including Cabezon, Weckmann and Froberger.


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## DBLee (Jan 8, 2018)

Hmmm . . . my familiarization occurred (and continues) in a more synchronic fashion, but I suppose it loosely went something like Beethoven > Bach > Ravel > Bartok > Stravinsky > Vivaldi > Handel > Schubert > Mozart > Brahms. Those are some of the landmark composers when I think of how my listening habits have gone through the years.


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

modern tonal classical music > romantic/classical/baroque > modern atonal classical music > medieval and renaissance music

broadly


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## juliante (Jun 7, 2013)

dogen said:


> Hearing Ligeti in the film 2001 alerted me to the fact that "classical music" wasn't just about dead men in wigs. Then I got Bartok's string quartets from the library. I have no idea why (I still have the cassette!).
> 
> Fast forward to me listening to a classical music station (Radio 3) and thinking "I quite like this" so then I got the Jan Swafford "Vintage Guide to Classical Music." Using this, I bought CDs by composers as I went through the book, starting (chronologically) with Bach and going through to Britten. Since then I've been all over the shop, often prompted by posts on TC.


Swafford's guide inspired me too. I love how he writes about composers. Him and Harold Schonberg.

My wonderful and on-going journey: Classical Period, Baroque, 20C, Medieval and Renaissance. With overlaps obviously. Hugely helped by TC and Top Lists (of which I confess am too slavish to, but I get to my own found gems eventually...). Chamber did not really click until I started listening on a decent system - which brought out the bass notes. And now of course I adore chamber.


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## Beet131 (Mar 24, 2018)

I was lucky that my parents enjoyed listening to classical music as well as pop and big band. But, it was really fortunate that I had wonderful music appreciation teachers in junior high and high school. They played everything. They weren't too fond of modern music, so I didn't hear Bartok, Stravinsky and Shostakovich until much later. It was really in college that I started listening to classical music of my own volition. Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff were instantly accessible for me and inspired me to do a lot of writing. Beethoven and Brahms came next, followed by Mozart and Bach. Dvorak, then Mendelssohn. Then everybody else.


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

In short and without mentioning the less important composers:

Händel-Händel-Händel Händel-short introduction on Prokofiev-Bach-Händel-Händel-first attempts on Beethoven-Händel-Händel-Bach (Gould)-Telemann-Pergolesi-2nd attempts on Beethoven-Händel-Händel- 3rd attempts on Beethoven-Beethoven-Beethoven-Beethoven-Mozart-Haydn-Liszt-Liszt-Liszt-Von Weber-Shostakovich-Debussy-Beethoven-Prokofiev-Beethoven-Liszt-Liszt-Beethoven-Schumann-Brahms-Beethoven


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## Mal (Jan 1, 2016)

dogen said:


> I got the Jan Swafford "Vintage Guide to Classical Music." Using this, I bought CDs by composers as I went through the book, starting (chronologically) with Bach and going through to Britten...


I did something similar with Rob Cowan's "Guinness 1000" guide. It's very useful to have an expert guide who focuses on the masterpieces of the most significant composers in chronological order.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Kevin Pearson said:


> But my first real interest came from skipping school with a friend to go see the sci-fi film Zardoz starring Sean Connery. Beethoven's 7th symphony was used throughout the film and set a fire in me to buy a copy of it that day. So, my very first classical album was Beethoven's 7th as performed by Toscanini and the NBC orchestra.


Ah, Zardoz...

Actually it's quite funny to me as I had similar experience:

Instead of skipping school I was watching the Saturday Afternoon Creature Feature on Television where they would play old B&W Horror Films and Godzilla movies, etc.

One of my favorites that I saw was the "The Black Cat" with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff which featured the Allegretto from Beethoven's 7th playing constantly throughout the movie which led to my first Beethoven cycle with Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia Orchestra.


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

In regards to the original posters question, from what I remember I really started with Classical, Romantic & Baroque periods all together. 

I just bought albums of what I could find. Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and the Strauss Family (Waltzes) were all probably in the first batch. All the other composers came later. 

I'm mainly a Classical through Romantic period guy. I do love Baroque from the Bach, Vivaldi and a few others. I love Shostakovich, Bernstein, Stravinsky, etc. from the post romantic "modern" era so I fluctuate across most periods. I'm not a big fan of a what people refer to as Serial or Atonal music and I don't listen to a lot of Pre-Bach music. I really explored it all at the same time and didn't really move from one period to another. I would just hear a work or hear a composers name and I would check it out.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I started where most people started....Beethoven and then branched out to other symphonists such as Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Mahler etc. I've never really enjoyed opera but love orchestral and some chamber music. After that i just experimented with anything i could get hold of cheap on LP or borrow from my local library. Basically if I liked it I'd collect it. I now have far too many symphony cycles of certain romantic composers (especially Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert) and far too many versions of Bach's cello suites (another favourite) but I listen to far more than those. I draw the line at most atonal music but there are exceptions to that.


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## manyene (Feb 7, 2015)

Beethoven, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Schubert etc - much later, Mozart and Brahms


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## Wendy88 (Mar 29, 2018)

When I was a kid my late father loved to play the Blue Danube Waltz by Strauss. He had decent collection of Cassette tapes of Strauss's waltz. Everytime I heard this piece of music it reminds me my dad and childhood. However, I fall in love with classical music much later, I start to listen to Mozart and Vivaldi 4 seasons in college.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Wendy88 said:


> When I was a kid my late father loved to play the Blue Danube Waltz by Strauss. He had decent collection of Cassette tapes of Strauss's waltz. Everytime I heard this piece of music it reminds me my dad and childhood. However, I fall in love with classical music much later, I start to listen to Mozart and Vivaldi 4 seasons in college.


My parents took me to the Metropolitan opera when I was about 11 years old, I still love them and love almost all kind of music..


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