# Best (music CD) intro to Beethoven's work?



## jtailor (Feb 6, 2009)

Hi. I'm new to the boards, and also relatively new to discovering my love for classical music. It was Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Op. 15: II. Largo that did it for me. Since then, I've been eager to learn more, and explored other composers, but decided to dive into their music and biographies, one at a time. I'm starting with Beethoven.

*Can anyone please recommend a good compilation of CDs (not just one CD with dissected pieces of the more commercially popular pieces), instead, something with a little more depth, complete movements, and an even tempo, to get a better understanding and more well rounded appreciation for Beethoven's music.*

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart are next.

Thank you.
JT


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

Some nice collections you could look into are the sonatas and the 5 Piano Concertos--to which you have already had a small exposure. Most of the pianists performing the concertos have a box set somewhere out there. So here is my advice. Find the soloist/conductor of the performance you recall hearing (Pno. Concerto No. 1:II) and purchase the corresponding box set--or the closest to it (i.e. the particular soloist only). I personally believe this is the best route for the concertos, given the fact you aren't coming into them _completely_ cold. If the performance had that much of an effect on you, my best advice would be to go with them (at least for the concertos) and see what you think.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Naxos and Decca have some good compilation CDs focusing on each of those composers, some of which are double CD sets.


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## Kuhlau (Oct 1, 2008)

The Naxos series of Beethoven piano concerti is actually very good - you might want to start by trying those. You might also want to explore the more famous of his symphonies: Nos. 3, 5, 6 and 9.

FK


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