# Guide to getting into classical music (if you don't know where to start)



## Violetpulse (Jul 22, 2013)

Everyone loves classical music but not everyone knows where to start. This is the first of three articles designed to show you how to get into classical music and gain a deeper appreciation for it. There are six different periods of classical music, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century. We will be focusing on the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. In today's post, we will delve into the Baroque era and provide you with samples of music from the period.

*Baroque*

Derived from the Portuguese word, "barroco" or "oddly shaped pearl", the term Baroque was used to describe the heavily ornamented, texturized, and intense music of the period, which lasted from 1600 to 1750. Counterpoint, multiple independent melodic lines or voices, and rich expression through contrast in volume, texture and pace characterized much of the music during this time.

*Notable Composers*

Johann Sebastian Bach

One of the pillars of Baroque music, Bach was a German composer, whose enthusiasm, brilliance, and innovation helped define the musical era. Even today, musicians are still amazed at Bach's immensely complex composition style, heavily reliant on counterpoint, which seem to fit together into a complex system of special codes.

"It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself" - Johann Sebastian Bach






*Prelude and Fugue in C sharp:* Many of Bach's pieces at the time were written with a "prelude&#148; designed to introduce the "fugue", which is a piece written with many different interlocking melodic lines. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp is an example of the prelude to fugue progression. On a more personal note, many people have described this piece as complex yet charming, how does it make you feel?






*Fugue in G minor:* "Little Fugue" is one of Bach's most well known fugues. The Fugue in G minor starts out deceivingly simple with one melodic line, which establishes a main motif for the piece. A few measures in, second and third melodic lines join in, adding to the intricacy of the piece. This is a very good example of polyphonic voicing or counterpoint.

You can read the rest of the article at http://www.violetpulse.com/guide-to-getting-into-classical-music-if-you-dont-know-where-to-start/

So what's your favorite Baroque period piece?


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2013)

Not everyone loves classical music.

But anyone who does has already started. 

"Where to start" advice for someone who has already started? Bzzzt.


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## apricissimus (May 15, 2013)

People seem to hate classical music:

http://www.talkclassical.com/8213-why-do-people-seem.html


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

If a person over 18 y.o. has not 'gotten into' classical music, my advice would be not to do so. It will only bend your mind and empty your purse. The sane thing to do is to avoid music of any sort. You may not be able to avoid hymns in church, but you may be able to mentally drown them out by repeating the Lord's Prayer over and over. If you are Catholic, Hail Marys will probably work too.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Violetpulse said:


> So what's your favourite Baroque period piece?


JS Bach - Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Knowing where to start is the easy part. The hard part is knowing where to end.


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## mtmailey (Oct 21, 2011)

I started off by buying the best of mozart & the other best of series by RCA VICTROLA.Later i started buying the series of greatest hits by RCA VICTOR.There are other series out there with the best of & greatest hits also.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Violetpulse said:


> So what's your favorite Baroque period piece?


My favourite Baroque piece is the one where all the vikings sing "spam spam spam spam..."


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