# I am a classical newbie and wanting some songs suggestions please



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

Hello everyone. After watching Gareth Malone on Monday night I realised how moving and emotional classical music really is. I recognised every song on there. I spent last night looking on YouTube for famous classical music and found a few that I new. What I am wanting is for someone to point me in the right direction...

What are the most famous pieces of music?

What are the greatest dead composers?

What are some new composers to look out for?

And what are some good albums to buy?

I really appreciate any input you can give me on this.

Thanks


----------



## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

That's a lot for just one post. We're talking about centuries of music here.
Just dive in for starters. Once you know what you like - then we can recommend recordings etc.

Try these. They're hardly definitive but you have to start somewhere.
http://www.kickassclassical.com/classical-music-popular-famous-best-top-100-list.html
http://www.kickassclassical.com/classical-music-popular-famous-best-top-200-list.html

Search for them on Spotify/Youtube etc.


----------



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> That's a lot for just one post. We're talking about centuries of music here.
> Just dive in for starters. Once you know what you like - then we can recommend recordings etc.
> 
> Try these. They're hardly definitive but you have to start somewhere.
> ...


thanks so much.

these are the ones that I like so far...

Schubert - Ave Maria

Pachelbel - Canon In D Major

Mozart - Rondo Alla Turca

Mozart - Requiem K 626

Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K

Minuet - String Quintet

Leo Delibes - Dome Epais (Flower Duet)

JS Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major

J. Strauss II- The Blue Danube - Waltz

Grieg - Morning, from 'Peer Gynt'

'Fur Elise' - Bagatelle in A mino

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No 1, op. 46

Dmitri Shostakovich - Waltz No. 2

Beethoven - Symphony No 5 in C minor

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata


----------



## Feathers (Feb 18, 2013)

Since you like Mozart,_ definitely_ try his piano concertos (20 and 23 are two of the popular ones). And here's one of my first favourte pieces and a piece that never fails to make a nice, lasting impression: Mendelssohn' Violin Concerto.

I think it's best to first check out TC's own Top Recommended Lists and maybe DigitalDreamDoor's lists to get a good idea of what you like at the moment so we can make more recommendations.


----------



## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

After you get your feet wet a bit, this site may prove useful:

http://www.classical.net/

It explains the conventional eras of classical music, some famous composers from them, and highlights their best works (in the compiler's opinion).

Anything with a red star is essential.

Happy listening!


----------



## Joris (Jan 13, 2013)

You said moving and emotional? 
Try:





 !











Let me know what you like or dislike, if you want


----------



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Actually, in classical music, to be technical , songs are vocal works , not instumental ones .
But countless other people who aren't familiar with classical music make this mistake, too .
What we call songs in classical music are actually usually settings of poems for voice and
piano , or as they sometimes call the "art songs", or lieder in German (prounounced as 
leader in English ) .
There are various genres in classical , such as orchestral music, symphonies, concertos
and other miscellaneous pieces , chamber music, or music for small ensembles of instruments,
strings, piano, etc , opera , choral music etc , music for solo piano etc .
It's great to see someone startng to take to classical music ! You'll never regret it !
Welcome to the forum ! The members here will be glad to do whatever they can to 
help you with information and recommendations .


----------



## ebullient (Sep 21, 2013)

Here are some good songs.


----------



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

thank you so much for all your help. It is really hard at first because i dont know where to start but you have pointed me in the right direction.


----------



## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

quatie said:


> What are the most famous pieces of music?
> 
> What are the greatest dead composers?
> 
> ...


Orff - Carmina Burana, Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture, Mozart - Requiem, Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D, Beethoven - 3rd, 5th and 9th Symphonies, Faure - Requiem, Dvorak - 9th Symphony and Cello Concerto, Elgar - Enigma Variations, Pachelbel - Canon, Vivaldi - 4 seasons (also quite a nice pizza) and a whole bunch more.

Most dead composers were great and it's a shame some living ones can't swap places ... JS Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Handel, Mozart, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, Wagner and a whole bunch more.

I got a big book called The Penguin Guide to CDs as it rates recordings and comments on engineering as well as performance giving rosettes to _la crème de la creme _

Most famous pieces I listed are albums but you'll find ur way and I assumed u meant pieces rather than songs or album tracks since "classical" album tracks are generally movements or discrete pieces.

There are a lot of songs and dances tho with Schubert, Mozart, Teleman and J Strauss in my immediate sights but symphonies and concertos etc allow u 2 get more involved in a cerebral process unlike a 3 minute ditty

Enjoy


----------



## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

You are asking a very broad question. I would recommend listening to classical radio, so you don't have to buy lots of CD's or mp3's. A good station will play a variety of good music by a variety of good composers. Online, I recommend the classical service of vpr.net . In my opinion, their only flaw is that they play no avant-garde or "modern" music (in your words, "new composers").

If you are looking for good "new composers", I think a good place to start is by asking a new question in this forum asking for recommendations of good modern composers and works by them. I don't know that much about modern composers but I am interested in the music of Ligeti, based on the little I have heard by him. He has a reputation as an excellent composer which I am sure he deserves. I should warn you that most "modern" music will probably be more difficult to appreciate, at least on first hearing, than music by Baroque, Classical or Romantic era composers such as Bach, Beethoven, or Tchaikovsky, or even than many composers of the early-to-mid twentieth century such as Bartok.



quatie said:


> Hello everyone. After watching Gareth Malone on Monday night I realised how moving and emotional classical music really is. I recognised every song on there. I spent last night looking on YouTube for famous classical music and found a few that I new. What I am wanting is for someone to point me in the right direction...
> 
> What are the most famous pieces of music?
> 
> ...


----------



## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

And don't forget Haydn!


----------



## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

quatie said:


> thanks so much.
> 
> these are the ones that I like so far...
> 
> ...


Schubert - Ave Maria (Janet Baker/Geoffrey Parsons)

Pachelbel - Canon In D Major (London Baroque)

Mozart - Rondo Alla Turca (Pires)

Mozart - Requiem K 626 (Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner)

Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K (Pires)

Boccherini - Minuet - String Quintet (Europa Galante)

Leo Delibes - Dome Epais (Flower Duet) (Dessay,Haidan/Toulouse Capitole/Plasson

JS Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major (Boston Baroque/Pearlman)

J. Strauss II- The Blue Danube - Waltz (Vienna Philharmonic/Boskovsky)

Grieg - Morning, from 'Peer Gynt' (Gothenburg Symphony/Jarvi)

'Fur Elise' - Bagatelle in A mino (Brendel)

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No 1, op. 46 (either you've doubled up here or you're referring to another piece within the Peer Gynt Suite...if so, same recording as 'Morning'

Dmitri Shostakovich - Waltz No. 2 (from Jazz Suites - National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/Kuchar)

Beethoven - Symphony No 5 in C minor (Vienna Philharmonic/Kleiber)

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (Pollini)


----------



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

HaydnBearstheClock said:


> And don't forget Haydn!


Wow this is amazing. Thank you


----------



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

Joris said:


> You said moving and emotional?
> Try:
> 
> 
> ...


I really like the first 2. thanks


----------



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> Schubert - Ave Maria (Janet Baker/Geoffrey Parsons)
> 
> Pachelbel - Canon In D Major (London Baroque)
> 
> ...


Oh my fault. getting confused with all the songs.

How long have you all been into Classical Music?


----------



## MozartEarlySymphonies (Nov 29, 2013)

The very first classical album I bought was this recording of Mozart's Horn Concertos.









They are so enjoyably happy and very fun listen to. They give you a great introduction to how Mozart's pieces work, as well as concertos in general. I also recommend Bach's Brandenburg Concertos as well as any keyboard work by him. My favorite Brandenburg Concerto recording is this one.









Pretty much any famous classical piece will work for you. Any piece the previous posts gave you will work as well.

As for my all time favorite piece, I can't really answer that.

Handel's Messiah (Martin Pearlman Boston Baroque)

and Sibelius's Seventh Symphony (Paavo Berglund and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)

are up their as well as anything by Bach(John Eliot Gardiner and Glenn Gould are good intros to his work)

Beethoven's Seventh Symphony (Kleiber and Wiener Philharmonic)

and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (Robert Craft and London Symphony Orchestra).


----------



## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Mozart is a great start. And basically all the composers on this first page here. 
http://www.last.fm/music/Wolfgang+Amadeus+Mozart/+similar


----------



## quatie (Dec 12, 2013)

really appreciate this.

What do you think is the best radio station for Classical music...

Radio 3 or Classic fm?


----------



## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

quatie said:


> How long have you all been into Classical Music?


30 years? I've been a professional musician for the past 16.


----------



## Joris (Jan 13, 2013)

This might be up your alley


----------



## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

quatie said:


> really appreciate this.
> 
> What do you think is the best radio station for Classical music...
> 
> Radio 3 or Classic fm?


http://www.google.com/url?q=http://...0QFjAA&usg=AFQjCNH-dtOKkYksr-p9het5jy2zec_tHA


----------



## Yardrax (Apr 29, 2013)

quatie said:


> really appreciate this.
> 
> What do you think is the best radio station for Classical music...
> 
> Radio 3 or Classic fm?


My impression, not being an avid radio listener and only turning to classical music radio when I have to on long car journeys to veto someone else's choice of radio station, is that Radio 3 has a better repertoire represented but too much talking in between.


----------



## rosaespanola (Oct 15, 2011)

Listen to www.classicfm.com to get more of an idea what sort of things you like. They play a good variety most of the time (although at the moment there's a lot of Christmas stuff).


----------



## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Also I would say check out Vivaldi. Of all the composers out there, I consider him to be the easiest to enjoy. Some works by him:

"The Four Seasons" his most famous, you've probably heard excerpts from the set. They are four violin concertos, each corresponding to a season. I think Spring is the most famous. Winter is my favorite.

Violin Concerto in E flat "La tempesta di mare"

Flute Concerto "La Notte"

Gloria (for orchestra and choir)

and the Concerto for four violins in B minor (I think)

Happy listening!


----------



## MozartEarlySymphonies (Nov 29, 2013)

Cosmos said:


> Also I would say check out Vivaldi. Of all the composers out there, I consider him to be the easiest to enjoy. Some works by him:
> 
> "The Four Seasons" his most famous, you've probably heard excerpts from the set. They are four violin concertos, each corresponding to a season. I think Spring is the most famous. Winter is my favorite.
> 
> ...


Some other works I would recommend of Vivaldi are those from these albums.


----------



## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

quatie said:


> really appreciate this.
> 
> What do you think is the best radio station for Classical music...
> 
> Radio 3 or Classic fm?


This is a good station...


----------



## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

http://www.sky.fm/play/compactdiscoveries


----------

