# Music Suggestions



## willot (Aug 20, 2012)

Hey, I'm 17 and recently I've been very interested in listening to classical music, however I'm finding it difficult to access and I would appreciate some suggestions on what to listen to. I've been enjoying some short romantic pieces such as 'Valse Sentimentale' and 'None But The Lonely Hearts' by Tchaikovsky and 'The Raindrop Prelude'. I've also really enjoyed some Shostakovitch film music I heard.

I know that's not a lot to go off but I'd really appreciate any suggestions of pieces to listen to.

Thanks a lot.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

willot said:


> Hey, I'm 17 and recently I've been very interested in listening to classical music, however I'm finding it difficult to access and I would appreciate some suggestions on what to listen to. I've been enjoying some short romantic pieces such as 'Valse Sentimentale' and 'None But The Lonely Hearts' by Tchaikovsky and 'The Raindrop Prelude'. I've also really enjoyed some Shostakovitch film music I heard.
> 
> I know that's not a lot to go off but I'd really appreciate any suggestions of pieces to listen to.
> 
> Thanks a lot.


If you like Shostakovich's film music, try some of his more serious music






Also, Prokofiev has a style that has a surface level similarity to Shostakovich's.






If you like Chopin's "raindrop prelude" you will probably like some early Scriabin too.


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

do a search ''top 100'' than add classical, piano, opera or whatever.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

The best tip for beginners I can think of is to go to Amazon and search up Rise Of The Masters in the MP3 download area. There's a ton of great music there for pennies a track. Load up on those sets, devour them and find out what you want to explore.

Also, your public library has stacks of classical CDs for you to check out for free.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Haha Violadude is the one to advertise the Russians this time before I do. :lol:

Yeah, whatever he said. Plus,

The whole Seasons by Tchaikovsky, including this:





Also, Shostakovich's many Ballet Suites, including this one, my favorite:





And check out both of his 2 Jazz Suites:


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

Get a recording of Solti conducting Wagner. Another good one is Szell and the Cleveland symphony doing Wagner. E. Power Biggs playing Bach organ works. Tchaikovsky 6th symphony, Romeo and Juliet overture, 1812 Overture. Mozart horn concertos, opera overtures, The Magic Flute (at least the high;lights),Eine Kleine Nacht Music, Haffner Symphony (#35), Symphonies 40, 41, Turkish Rondeau. Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade, Capriccio Espaniol. Shostakovitch, All symphonies except perhaps 2 and 3, The Age of Gold Ballet suite, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsnsk District. Ravel, Bolero, La Valse. Saint-Saens Symphony #3, Dance Macbre. Dukas, The Sorecerers Apprentice. Copeland Fanfair for the Common Man, Rodeo Suite, Appalachian Spring. 

That should be a good start. I would be interested in how you like them.


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)




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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Welcome ^_^ You sound like you really enjoy music of the Romantic style, so here are some great pieces (and composers) that I think you may enjoy.

Frederic Chopin - Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2





Sergei Prokofiev - Romeo Bids Juliet Farewell, from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet"





Alexander Borodin - String Quartet No. 2, III. Nocturne





Charles Ives - Piano Sonata No. 2, III. 'The Alcotts'





Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel





You should also check out the anime Princess Tutu. It is really awesome, has a great story, and wonderful characters, and, the musical score is almost entirely great music from the Romantic period (with a little from the 18th and 20th centuries too). Stuff like Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Chopin, Beethoven, Borodin, Bizet, Saint-Saens, Robert Schumann, Prokofiev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Wagner, Dellibes, Adam, Lovenskiold, Satie, Debussy.... tons of great music.  (the Prokofiev recording I posted is one that is used in Tutu. Beautiful recordings)


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Hello and welcome! The best I can do is to link you to some stuff that I love, I hope you like it.

Mahler - Symphony No. 1 (Kubelík)





R. Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra (Solti)





Liszt - Piano Concerto No. 1 (Rubinstein)





Ravel - Miroirs No. 3 'Une barque sur l'ocean' (Collard)


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

I'm guessing Romanticism might be your thing. Try Sibelius, Rachaminov, Grieg, more Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and more Chopin.


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## mtmailey (Oct 21, 2011)

When i first started out i got a series of music by RCA the best of & the greatest hits series these cds are still on sale on EBAY & AMAZON.COM.The first one i got was the best of mozart later i so many others.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Get the 'Best of' kind of CDs of Schumann, Brahms, Korsakov, Sibelius and Dvorak. If you love them enough you shall buy more of their music 

I suggest to get the 'Naxos' Best of ... . Like:


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## Jared (Jul 9, 2012)

I've never been able to given anyone better advice than to get yourself a copy of the Gramophone Classical Music Guide (get one a couple of years old, it's a bit cheaper) and work your way through their suggested basic library, near the front, starting with the orchestral repertoire. It's very thorough.


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

That's what I call a list. Still, I would suggest listening to the following:






If you like this, listen to the third movement of the same work (Haydn Symphony 44). After that, you still have more than a hundred symphonies to enjoy from Haydn


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## willot (Aug 20, 2012)

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate all the suggestions and help. On first listen I really enjoyed Scriabin pieces, The Bolt from Shostakovich and Borodin's string quartet. I also really loved Liszt's piano concerto, but I'll definitely keep on listening. 

Thanks again


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)




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