# Advice on a new adventure



## whispering (Oct 26, 2013)

Hello

Firstly thank you for reading this thread and hopefully responding. To be clear I am a classical music fan only knowing what I like as it hits my ears and how that impacts on my thoughts and emotions. I do not know the technical language, the skill of composition, etc, I just enjoy the end product. My taste can range from reflective music (eg Brahms piano trio number 1), to what my dear old mum would have called “get up and go music” (eg Beethoven‘s symphony number 7).

I have a good knowledge of the major composers eg Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms. I have a good range of experience of other composers eg Faure, Grieg, Stanford, Walton, etc. I dislike phrases like minor composers, preferring to believe anyone who can write a piece of music is definitely a skilled person worthy of consideration.

Okay on the above basis can members of this forum please help me out. I want to engage in a project of discovery which will take me time, introduce new experiences to my life and give me the confidence to move onto other composers. Step outside of my comfort zone. So the question is can you recommend a composer, to immerse myself in their sound world, who meets the following conditions.

1) An historic composer not a living one. I like to explore a composer moving through their works in a time line, where that has now come to an end. How did they develop, where did they get to on their composing journey, what were the main events in their life?
2) They left a reasonable amount of works certainly in the chamber music area.
3) Those works are available fairly easily to listen to and to buy.

Please in making a recommendation can you briefly outline what you find appealing in the composer you name. What makes their music interesting to you, marked them out as a person of interest in the vast classical music galaxy of options.

It is now 18 months since my mum died. I cared for her for six years on our Dementia road. My grief was intense and most of it will always be with me, part of the human experience. I have learnt the best way to move forward is to create new memories and experiences, not to dwell exclusively in the past. Music can open many doors. With help from members of this forum I have discovered the symphonies of Sibelius and Vaughan Williams. I now want to step into the world of a lesser known composer and live it for several months. Just fall into a new sound world and explore.

Sorry a lengthy thread from mostly a lurker on this site. The Sibelius string quartet is an unusual sound world to me. His piano quintet as well. Years ago I would have listened to them and moved on largely unimpressed. Now I return to them to play but I do not get the attraction. There is something there I cannot put my finger on, but it pulls me in. Do any of you have a similar feeling towards specific works or is it just me? Just something pulls you in without making itself clear. Hope that makes sense?

Thank you for reading this far. The world grows more unstable by the day and I find myself retreating into music and reading. I hope you find peace and solace in your own hobbies and passions.


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

Beethoven and Brahms both immediately come to mind; Beethoven's piano sonatas are sort of autobiographical in that you can see him starting as a talented young lad, blossom into a serious composer pushing the bounds of form, and end with the introspection of the late sonatas. There is a similar journey to be found in the string quartets. I am a big fan of Brahms but there is perhaps less of a journey to be found here from early Brahms to late (though he certainly also meets your three listed criteria). However, you already listed both of these as composers whose works you know well (and I will also note that Mozart probably would also fit your three criteria). To get away from these major composers with whom you are already familiar, I will suggest Shostakovich, who left fifteen string quartets, fifteen symphonies, and other major works. Haydn certainly has lots of chamber works, but it might be overwhelming to try to immerse yourself in his music since there is just so much of it. Dvořák also wrote some great string quartets. But I think that in the spirit of this sentence:


> I now want to step into the world of a lesser known composer and live it for several months


I would recommend Paul Hindemith, who is a major composer in my book but isn't nearly as popular as the big composers you listed. I love his fifth string quartet especially, in the field of chamber music. There are also seven chamber concertos, which he called "Kammermusik." He would often play the viola part of the string quartets himself. I think you may also find that Hindemith evokes an "unusual soundworld", albeit very different from Sibelius! 

Your post was enjoyable to read, very personal and touching. I'm terribly sorry to hear about your experience with your mother; grief is indeed part of the human experience but it can be difficult to work through. I hope that music can help you find solace.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I think Monsalvat’s assessment is right on target. The only other composer I would mention is Bach. The OP didn’t mention Baroque at all, and I am not sure all of Bach is manageable, but maybe the great vocal music using e.g. John Eliot Gardiner’s book as a guide. 

Of course Bach wrote some great chamber music and works for solo keyboard (although I have never cared for organ music).

Speaking of Gardiner’s book, having a biography of the composer, especially one with some musical discussion - even if one cannot follow all of it - might add to the experience.


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## prlj (10 mo ago)

Some excellent examples above. I will toss Shostakovich into the mix. Quite a variety of music - chamber, symphonic, piano, opera, theatrical and film scores. And certainly an incredibly interesting life.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

I always recommend starting with the harder composers. So finish 1 and move onto the next.

1. Schubert
2. Brahms
3. Shostakovich
4. Beethoven
5. Berg
6. Janacek
7. Haydn
8. Webern
9. Faure
10. Dvorak


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## N Fowleri (5 mo ago)

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Although some people might not realize, it can be more difficult to lose somebody after a long, terrible illness, such as dementia.

Perhaps you are already doing this, but I strongly advise going to live concerts, if there are any within a few hours of you and you have means of transportation. Being around other people, enjoying the music as a group, can be very enriching, even if you don't get to chat much with anybody. Of course, if you get to chat with somebody, that is even better. Internet forums can be tremendous; in-person human connections can be even richer.

I also suggest going to a coffee shop and listening to the music there while you sip a coffee/tea/whatever. Bring a magazine about classical music and leave it on the table. Perhaps a conversation will emerge.

Best wishes!


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

whispering said:


> I want to engage in a project of discovery which will take me time, introduce new experiences to my life and give me the confidence to move onto other composers. Step outside of my comfort zone. So the question is can you recommend a composer, to immerse myself in their sound world, who meets the following conditions.
> 
> 1) An historic composer not a living one. I like to explore a composer moving through their works in a time line, where that has now come to an end. How did they develop, where did they get to on their composing journey, what were the main events in their life?
> 2) They left a reasonable amount of works certainly in the chamber music area.
> ...


Morton Feldman fits your criteria:

1) born in 1926 and deceased in 1987, Feldman developed indeterminate music via aleatoric approach and, early on, with graphic notation instead of customary annotation. He was one of the composers associated with the New York school.
2) more than 180 compositions, with over half of these for chamber ensembles.
3) during the past 3 decades, there have likely been 50+ discs on Feldman's music - with perhaps 30 of these still available for purchase at vendor sites. No doubt many of these albums have been uploaded into YouTube videos.
[record labes championing Feldman include Wergo, mode, MD&G, HatHut & Bridge]

If one is prepared to step out of one's zone & submerge one's self into idiosyncratic soundscapes to be absorbed across months, then one can venture into the gently pulsating & seemingly unending repetitons of Morty's static mosaics of meditative sound.


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