Recommend me some classical music, please.

[TonyHetherington]

Yup, you read that right! I play the drums in an indie band, listen to Chris Moyles on Radio1 and yet these past few weeks I've really enjoyed listening to Classic FM.

There's something very soothing about much of the music, and especially when you're driving it really does make you drive calmly.

So, not knowing anything about classical music, I wondered if there was a collection (or indeed individual pieces) that you all knowing world of PH could recommend? Such as Mozart's Marriage of Figaro - really invigorating pieces with memorable sections and great orchestral crescendos!?

I'm hoping you'll know better than I the sort of things I'd like to listen to!

So I turn myself over to you, oh PH music world?

Thanks
Tony

[dougc]

Holst's Planets
A collection of Vaughan Williams including Thomas Tallis, Greensleeves and Lark Ascending
Elgar's Enigma Variations and Cello Concerto
Smetana - Ma Vlast

[TonyHetherington]

Good stuff, thanks. I'll refer to this post later on when in front of my iTunes and get a-buying!

[dougc]

Run them through YouTube and you should get some idea.

The Planets will be very familiar, particularly Mars and Jupiter. Vaughan Williams' Thomas Tallis was used in 'Master and Commander' and is a very atmospheric piece of music. You'll recognise the other two as well. Lark Ascending is beautiful. Nimrod will be familiar from the Enigma variations but the rest is worth a listen too. I included Smetana as I love Vltava.

Worth remembering (and this is where the experts will advise better than I) that the recording makes a big difference. Hearing a piece on the radio and then buying it might get you the same piece of music but played in a different way. I have a couple of CDs I bought with the expectation of something great and was disappointed with the adaptation.

[TonyHetherington]

Ah that's interesting. Of course, everytime I hear a piece of classical music, not only is the title specified but also the orchestra that played it - so it's worth perhaps finding a couple of different versions of the above tracks?

Thanks again - I'm very new to this world so any and all advice gratefully received.

[bridgdav]

One of my All time favourites..

Rachmaninov, Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90MuPqYtV_k&fea...

This is just a piece from the whole work - ebbs and flows fantastically.
Even better Live.

[NiceCupOfTea]

"Classical" music is a very broad church so your best bet is probably listening to classic fm for a week or two and noting down manes of composers and pieces that you like. youtube is a good call.

Here's another few for you to check out:

Barber Adagio for Strings
Faure Requiem
Mozart Symphony 40 and 41
Walton Symphony No.1
Stravinsky Firebird Suite
Richard Strauss - Ein Heldenleben
Richard Strauss - Four Last Songs
Brahms Symphony No.1
Mozart Magic Flute / Don Giovanni - these are operas so you could get "highlights" cds rather than the full opera

There's a huge world out there of amazing music! More people should listen to it, it's not highbrow, there is something for everybody!

[TonyHetherington]

Thanks guys, that's more to add to the list!

Even before these past few weeks, I've always wanted to see a live concert - I think it would be one of those consuming experiences, especially when all instruments are building up and working together so well. I fully expect to be bugging my girlfriend to come to a classical concert within a month

[SoapyShowerBoy]

Why not mix it up a little

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziThYl6B2vw

Metallica & San Francisco Symphony Orchestra-Nothing Else Matters

[ShadownINja]

Fing is, I don't get this "classical music is calming" business. It isn't all calming. If you can sleep to this then you might need your ears syringed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_YSEbAWA0Y
Full of power. I love it.

Anyway, my current favourite classical piece is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Wsp9TpIZw
Trying to learn it at the mo. Quite simple on the face of it apart from a few runs up and down but the tricky bit comes in trying to express yourself within the music which is what Chopin is about. You can listen to kids playing it on youtube. Technically they are very good but they're just hitting the keys without feeling.
Music to commit suicide to? Time it right so your life ebbs away right at the final note?

Classical guitar?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1WgoSfV_Kg
Amazing piece, played by John Williams, no less. Full of passion.

A bit of modern "classical"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jpYMV1_2WQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbcsItHtjyA
Yeah, ok, this is calming stuff, although slightly depressing.

A bloody hard Rachmaninoff piece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arv2umVgbIc
Tried to teach myself for 3 years then gave up.

Edited by ShadownINja on Wednesday 20th May 10:25

[TonyHetherington]

ShadownINja said:

Fing is, I don't get this "classical music is calming" business. It isn't all calming. If you can sleep to this then you might need your ears syringed:

In fairness my limited experience is Classical FM's "smooth music at 5" (or whatever they call it )

[ShadownINja]

TonyHetherington said:

ShadownINja said:

Fing is, I don't get this "classical music is calming" business. It isn't all calming. If you can sleep to this then you might need your ears syringed:

In fairness my limited experience is Classical FM's "smooth music at 5" (or whatever they call it )

ah.

[TonyHetherington]

Though I am hoping to branch out to "not quite so smooth music at 7", "unsmooth music at 9", and the big guns "artex music at 11"

[HereBeMonsters]

Been listening to some classical shows on iPlayer, but it all just sounds like background music from a film.
Can anyone recommend some properly "stirring" music that would interest me, rather than just put on in the background?

[rsv gone!]

Have a try of Beethoven's 5th and 9th (Choral Symphony)

Maybe a bit 'poppy' for some but I like The Blue Danube Waltz (featured in 2001)

Also, Vagner - the soundtrack for the PC game WARGASM was epic

[HereBeMonsters]

rsv gone! said:

Have a try of Beethoven's 5th and 9th (Choral Symphony)

Yes, already got those on the SD card for the car. Any more in a similar vein..?

[Z06George]

Brahms piano quintet in F minor. It's awesome, especially the 3rd movement.

[NiceCupOfTea]

In reply to HereBeMonsters:

Brahms 1 is often thought of as being Beethoven 10!

Beethoven 3 (eroica) is up there with 5 and 9 - you might also try 7, 8, and the Emperor piano concerto.

For a more modern take on the symphony try Bruckner 4, 7, 8, 9 or Mahler 2,5,6,8.

not for the faint hearted though!

Other recommendations:
Musorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition
Musorgsky - Night on a bare mountain
bernstein - west side story
bernstein - overture to candide
ravel - piano concerto in f
saint saens - organ symphony
saint saens - danse macabre

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Wednesday 20th May 11:31

[rsv gone!]

HereBeMonsters said:

rsv gone! said:

Have a try of Beethoven's 5th and 9th (Choral Symphony)

Yes, already got those on the SD card for the car. Any more in a similar vein..?

4 is another popular choice. Some quite delicate piano playing.

I prefer the loud, emotive stuff.

[NiceCupOfTea]

rsv gone! said:

HereBeMonsters said:

rsv gone! said:

Have a try of Beethoven's 5th and 9th (Choral Symphony)

Yes, already got those on the SD card for the car. Any more in a similar vein..?

4 is another popular choice. Some quite delicate piano playing.

I prefer the loud, emotive stuff.

There's no piano in Beethoven's 4th Symphony - do you mean piano concerto?