# Introduce me to Classical Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904 "2003-04-10T22:28:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/21 "2003-04-11T04:28:45Z")
I worked in a classical music store, and when people asked to be introduced to classical music, I’d point them in the direction of the many cheap box sets that were in print. It’s been a few years, but there used to be a whole schwack of 5 cd box sets of various composers for dirt cheap (under $30 CDN at the time). There also used to be a classical music label called “Naxos” that were very good quality recordings and usually under $7 CDN apiece. And I’ll second the Amadeus s/t as a good selection of Mozart for the beginner. ---
**Author:** ![Meros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Meros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meros)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/22 "2003-04-11T04:30:36Z")
:smack: I just remember the composer I forgot while I was writing my second post! Shostakovich. I’m not sure exactly when he was around and writing but I’m pretty sure it was 20th century…needless to say, his work is excellent. My personal favorite would be his _Festival Overture_ Straying a bit from what would normally be considered classical but still falling under the umbrella of modern day legitimate compositions would be Nobuo Uematsu. His main focus is in the composition of music for video games (most famously Final Fantasy) but he frequently orchestrates the works as well. If you’re interested check Amazon for _Fithos Lusec Wecs Vinosec_ and \*Final Fantasy: S Generation \* ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/23 "2003-04-11T05:26:45Z")
I just bought a 3-disc set called “Classical Music for people who HATE classical music.” I think it’s titled that just for effect, but it’s a good intro to classical I think. The best part was that it was six dollars at a discount store. So maybe look around for discount or used music and experiment. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/24 "2003-04-11T05:32:02Z")
If you listen to Zappa’s classical stuff, check out some of Igor Stravinsky’s material. At least it might sound familiar. “Igor Stravinsky had perhaps the greatest influence of any composer on Frank Zappa, dating from a first hearing of The Rite of Spring at age eleven” -[from here](http://besenarts.com/meridian/background.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/25 "2003-04-11T05:36:56Z")
If your computer is up to it, you can go[here](http://www.abc.net.au/classic/breakfast/) and get three hours of classical music each day. I listen to this while I’m working and I keep a note pad by my computer and write down the ones I like so that I can go out and buy them every now and then. The advantage of this site is that it also gives the names of the pieces including full references to the particular recording. The disadvantage is that you don’t want to play it over a home modem. Other general advice - - Naxos does a pretty comprehensive range of classical music at very cheap prices. - Some of my favourite pieces from when I started getting in to classical music: -Flower duet from Lakme by Delibes -Dance of the Knights from Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet -Almost all of Grieg’s "Peer Gynt -Part’s (there’s an umlaut over the a in Part) “Cantus in Memorium of Benjamin Britten” -Khatchaturian’s “Adagio from Spartacus” \_Vaughan William’s “Lark Ascending” -Mozart “Allegro from Symphony in G Minor k560” -Bach “Siciliano in G Minor” -Beethoven “Bagatelle in G Minor” -Mozart “Andante from Piano Concerto no 21 in c” -Chopin Nocturne in C sharp Minor -Bach “Jesu Bliebet meine Freunde” -Wagner “Ride of the Valkyries” -Shostakovich “Prelude & Fugue no 7 in A” -Hoffler (there’s an umlaut over the o in Hoffler) “Prelude & Fugue from suite no 1” -Holst “Mars suite” from the Planets symphony -Puccini’s “Nessum Dorma” from Turandot -Pachelbels’ Canon Some of that stuff is opera and some is actually ballet music but it’s all pretty good. \*I wouldn’t worry too much at this stage about the various eras or whatever. Just find something you like then have a listen to other stuff that composer has written and see how you like it. \*There’s a really good CD called The Best of Karajan (or something like that) that has some fantastic music on it ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/26 "2003-04-11T12:07:10Z")
Off to Cafe Society. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/27 "2003-04-11T17:44:23Z")
Since you like Zappa, you may want to start with HIS classical inspirations, beginning with **Edgard Varese** Hard to find, and very wierd, but it’s what began to turn Zappa into Zappa. If you like Varese, you may wish to seek out the even weirder and harder to find **Harry Partch** Look into **Igor Stravinsky** as well, to get you back towards more traditional stuff. **The Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach** are always popular, but check the NPR or Penguin guides to classical music to find a good performance. As a trumpeter, you may enjoy **Trumpet Voluntary by F.J. Haydn** to start getting you into his stuff, because, centuries before Zappa, Haydn was already asking the question “Does Humor Belong in Music?” ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/28 "2003-04-11T21:18:13Z")
There are lots of threads here in Cafe Society with classical recommendations. Search for “classical” in the thread title to find them. The Baltimore area public libraries should be big enough to have CDs to lend. Check 'em out. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/29 "2003-04-11T22:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jayrot \* > \*\*An intellectual snob is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger. —Dan Rather \*\* My problem is that I listen to the William Tell Overture and think of A Clockwork Orange!! “The #1 Classical Album” discs 1 and 2 (they come together) is a good start. I have a lot of compilations, along with some Beethoven and Mozart albums, to get me started. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/30 "2003-04-11T23:51:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jayrot \* > \*\*An intellectual snob is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger. —Dan Rather \*\* I seriously doubt Dan Rather is taking credit for a joke that dates to the 1960s (when I first heard it) and probably earlier. In any case, the William Tell Overture is a fine piece of classical music and a very good piece for a beginner to classical. As a matter of fact, any recording of Rossini’s overtures is a good place to start. Other good pieces: George Gershwin – “Rhapsody in Blue” Tchaikovsky – “1812 Overture” (though you really need to hear it live with real cannons); 6th Symphony. Anything Beethoven Bach’s Brandenbergs I also highly recommend Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A Major (Op. 81). I heard Itzhak Perlman play it at his music school last summer and it was astounding. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/31 "2003-04-12T01:53:05Z")
Try listening to these works, Splanky: Maurice Ravel’s “Pavanne for a Dead Princess” Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Brandburg Concertos” Rossinni’s “William Tell” and “The Barber of Seville” “Concerto in D Major for Piano” and “Orchestra and Symphyony 38” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Fifth Symphony” Gershwin’s “Symphony for Piano and Orchestra in F Major” and “Rhapsody in Blue” Richard Strauss’ “Thus Sprach Zarathrusta” and “Don Juan” ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/32 "2003-04-12T02:17:38Z")
I’ll second a previous mention of Gustav Holst’s The Planets get all of em, they orbit the sun, they rock out. Venus makes you fall in love, Jupiter and Mars both make your blood pump as if you were on the battlefield. The Planets Not as “out there” as some of Stravinsky’s “Rites of Spring”, or “La Mer” by C.D. HOLST THE PLANETS ok i feel better there are some wonderfull suggestions in this thread already of course, I just wanted to do a bit of personal reiteration. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/33 "2003-04-12T02:23:53Z")
Every Memorial Day Weekend [KFUO in St Louis](http://www.classic99.com/t99list.htm) has a top 99 Classic countdown. It is pretty well the greatest hits of Classical Music. Although how in the name of Johann Sebastian Bach they can list **Toccata & Fugue in D Minor** at # 27 is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/34 "2003-04-12T03:29:49Z")
Well, thanks for everyone for their reccommendations so far! I’ll probably look into some of them tommorow and check out my local station. Thanks again everyone. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/35 "2003-04-12T04:59:15Z")
You’re a trumpeter! Wynton Marsalis - Baroque Music for Trumpets Also, Handel’s Water Music, which features that nice finish with the brass figuring prominently, and Carlos Kleiber’s version of Beethoven’s 5th, which is on a CD with the 7th as well - a nice combo. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/36 "2003-04-12T05:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aeropl \* > \*\*I just bought a 3-disc set called “Classical Music for people who HATE classical music.” I think it’s titled that just for effect, but it’s a good intro to classical I think. The best part was that it was six dollars at a discount store. So maybe look around for discount or used music and experiment. \*\* It’s on a disc set? I have a long-playing record with that very same title. Is yours by the Boston Pops Orchestra with Arthur Fiedler as the conductor? Yes, I still have records and a turntable. Not a large collection. It’s outnumbered by audio cassette tapes and now my music collection is mostly in CD form. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/37 "2003-04-12T07:09:09Z")
Nobody’s mentioned my man Freddy Chopin… _sigh_… Poor guy. Chopin’s Nocturne in G Minor is one of my very favorite pieces. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/38 "2003-04-12T15:55:35Z")
Last year I purchased (and coincidentally am currently playing as background music) [101 Classical Greats](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000062WTH/qid=1050162291/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/102-6241576-2841701?v=glance&s=music&n=507846). It’s got a good number of the pieces mentioned by previous posters and covers a pretty wide range of classical styles. ---
**Author:** ![plastic\_conspiracy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@plastic\_conspiracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plastic_conspiracy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/39 "2003-04-13T22:04:31Z")
I recommend renting **32 Short Films About Glenn Gould** and **Amadeus**. I’m partial to piano music. Here are some good albums to start with: Andre Watts, _The Chopic Recital_ _Sviatoslav Richter in Prague_, a live performance of several short Rachmaninoff pieces and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures At An Exhibition.” Glenn Gould playing _The Goldberg Variations_ (1980 recording, not 1955) For non-piano classical music, try these: The Amadeus Quartet playing Schubert’s “Death And The Maiden” Quartet Herbert Von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, performing Ravel’s “Bolero” ---
**Author:** ![plastic\_conspiracy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@plastic\_conspiracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plastic_conspiracy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/40 "2003-04-13T22:06:00Z")
Um, that was supposed to be "Andre Watts, _The Chopin Recital_. I’m not sure what a Chopic recital is, but if you find one, let us know what it’s like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904.md?page=3)