# suggestion for start



## kostas (Oct 20, 2011)

i want to explore classical music but i don't know how to start.i listen a lot to proggressive rock if it helps.do you have any suggestion for composers and their works for start?


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Youtube and wikipedia are great resources. The trick on the offset is finding a couple of things that inspire you right away in classical music. Since you listen to progressive rock, you might like some early 20th century classical music.

I might start by asking if you are particular about instrumentation? There's Orchestral, there's Solo Piano, there's Chamber Music, and a few other things.

Also, there's a great book called Beethoven or Bust by David Hurwitz that's great for recommendations http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Bust-Practical-Understanding-Listening/dp/0385420544


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

It's tempting to recommend symphonic poems (ala Lizst or Richard Strauss) to prog rock lovers, but I think that may be a mistake. The classical pieces might seem like somewhat pale imitations. Personally, I'd take something like Barber's First Symphony or First Essay, or Nielsen's Symphony No 5, or Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 4. (Echoing clavichorder on 20th century music)

As an alternative, if you like Steve Howe, you might try some classical guitar music. Xuefei Yang's CD of the Albeniz Concerto is a good place to start.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

clavichorder said:


> Also, there's a great book called Beethoven or Bust by David Hurwitz that's great for recommendations


I was going to recommend that also. Instead of listing each composer in his period like most books do, Hurwitz takes one piece and gives you suggestions of other pieces that are some way connected to it. So if there is a work you are attracted to, this book will give you guidance on what pieces to follow it up with.

As an interesting aside, I have a friend who is a prog musician. I about fell out of my chair when he said he likes the music of Edward Elgar!


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## Manok (Aug 29, 2011)

I got started on Tchaikovsky, so I don't know what that says about me. For prog rock lovers maybe Liszt's piano music? The Sibelius tone poems might be fun, easier to find now days than when I first heard them. I would also suggest looking into Debussy's piano music, as well as Ravel's. Oh, and I would definately suggest the Sibelius violin concerto. For the Debussy music, I'd suggest the Preludes, books 1 and 2 to start off. If those aren't to your liking try the early works like the Reverie.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

It depends on what you are calling progressive rock. I think that word doesn't have the same meaning it used to have. If you are into classic prog bands like Yes, King Crimson, ELP and so forth, those guys were into Stravinsky and other late romantic / early 20th century composers (Vaughan-Williams, Bartok, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, etc.) 

If you are into more modern progressive rock like Univers Zero, you might like more recent 20th century or 21st century composers like Penderecki, or Ligeti.

If you are into progressive metal, I can't help you much. Maybe some baroque music like Bach and Handel for the complexity if not the volume.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

@ Weston, Great point about the difference in prog rock bands today and when I was coming up--you too?--in the late sixties and early seventies listening to and loving the likes of ELP, Yes and King Crimson. I wouldn't even know where to begin vis a vis today's prog rock bands!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

You could start out by listening to the classical compositions covered by some prog rock bands.

Pictures At An Exhibition (covered by ELP)
Brahms-Symphony No. 4 (main theme covered by Rick Wakeman on Yes-Fragile)
Copland-Symphony No. 3 (Fanfare For The Common Man covered by ELP)

If you want pieces with strong melody, stick to pre-20th century music.
Here's a brief list of famous pieces:

Vivaldi-The Four Seasons
Tchaikovsky-Symphony No. 5
Bach-Brandenburg Concertos
Dvorak-Symphony No. 9
Beethoven- Symphonies Nos. 5, 6, 7, 9
Smetana-The Moldau
Rimsky-Korsakov - Russian Easter Overture, Capriccio Espagnol 
Stravinsky-The Firebird, Petroushka

If you like piano music, I recommend Beethoven's famous sonatas. Moonlight/Pathetique/Appassionata usually combined on one CD. The Pathetique sonata was covered by Jethro Tull on their Carnegie Hall recording first released on Living In The Past.

Debussy has some great solo piano music as well. Everyone should hear Clair de Lune.


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## kostas (Oct 20, 2011)

thank you all for the advice


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