# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/41 "2003-04-14T15:52:53Z")
A Chopic recital would be a Third Stream concert mixing the Romantic music of Chopin with the hardcore gangsta rap of Tupac Shakur. You could also do a Baroque version entitled “Ol’ Dirty Bach-stard” ---
**Author:** ![Giselle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Giselle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giselle)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/42 "2003-04-15T03:16:13Z")
has anyone mentioned stravinsky’s “l’oiseau de feu” yet? if not – listen to it. also samuel barber’s “adagio for strings” and all of gounod’s “faust.” ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/43 "2003-04-15T05:48:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lokij \* > \*\*Chopin’s Nocturne in G Minor is one of my very favorite pieces. \*\* Which one? There are two of them. I’m going to guess you mean Op. 37, No. 1. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/44 "2003-04-15T06:01:22Z")
If you like jazz, try Play Bach No.1 by Jacques Loussier. Jazzed-up (very nicely) versions of Bach pieces (but you could probably tell that by the title). Also jazzy: Beethoven’s Sonata #32, opus 111. Interesting rhythms. I recommend Haydn’s Clock Symphony and (in opposition to someone here) Glenn Gould’s _1955_ (not 1980) recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Depending on whether you want to spend an hour listening to the pieces, or 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/45 "2003-04-17T03:21:36Z")
I’m on a Copland trip right now so I’ll suggest him. He was an American composer who incorporated american folk music into his works. Of course he did many other things as well which I am probably not aware of. Check out Fanfare for the Common Man Applachian Spring He also wrote a wonderful book called **What to Listen for in Music**. Great read, really opened up my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/46 "2003-04-17T12:51:06Z")
I’d recommend **Organ Symphony #3** by **Camille Saint-Saens**. And really, if you play the trumpet, you will love (as has already been pointed out) Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Mars The bringer of posts ---
**Author:** ![Schnitzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@Schnitzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitzel)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/47 "2003-04-17T13:10:16Z")
The sort of music that will take your fancy will be that which is played on intruments that you like. In other words, don’t listen to a violin concerto if you think violins sound like cats being eviscerated. If you are partial to flutes or flugelhorns (for example), try to get some compilations that have them as the solo instrument. And try Vivaldi, Mozart, JS Bach, Telemann, Albinoni, Gluck, and if you quite like those, don’t bother with any others. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![YoudNeverGuess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a587f6/32.png) [@YoudNeverGuess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoudNeverGuess)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/48 "2003-04-17T16:20:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AudreyK \* > \*\* > > After hearing a couple of Bach concertos with violin solos, for example, I became interested in checking out his other works. At the store, I found a CD of his clarinet concertos. \*\* Wait a minute! :dubious: I don’t think the clarinet was invented when J.S. Bach was around assuming that’s the Bach you’re talking about. Anyway, I just wanted to join the evangelistic squad. I think Mozart is a great composer to start with. Try his Piano Concerto K.450 or the famous 40th Symphony. Also his Requiem isn’t to be missed! All those people who recommended you watch the film _Amadeus_ were right. It’s an excellent film even if you’re not into classical music. It’s a great story (about Salieri and the concept of mediocrity/ failure I might add rather than Mozart), the costumes and sets are fabulous and the use of Mozart’s music is stunningly well-done. If that isn’t enough hyperbole for you I’d just like to mention one other thing. My own personal favourite piece of music of ALL TIME is Brahms’ 2nd Piano Concerto in B flat Major’. If that doesn’t send you to heaven I don’t know what will. It’s got everything - lyricism, sentimentality, crash-bang-wallops and head-banging sections and frivolity juxtaposed with profound depth. Try Sony’s recording of Rudolph Serkin playing with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Georg Szell. You can get it on Amazon. OK I’ll stop there before I get carried away. BTW whoever likes Pachelbels’ Canon best is seriously screwed up. I’ve played that at so many weddings as a member of a string quartet that even the first couple of notes is enough to send me into a fit of hyper-nausea! It gets REALLY tiresome after a while believe me. Right, I’m really signing off now. p.s. I studied music for 6 years at University. Once you start listening to Classical Music you won’t stop. I’m a firm believer that anyone who REALLY likes a particular type of music and has even the most slightly open mind can appreciate many different genres of music. - If you can recommend some good jazz for me to listen to I’d be much obliged… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/49 "2003-04-18T02:18:33Z")
Youdneverguess- Great Jazz ALbums: Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis Blue Trane - John Coltrane First Circle - Pat Metheny ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904/50 "2003-04-18T02:29:49Z")
This is perhaps the funniest piece of Classical music I have ever heard [http://kalvos.org/ra/johnson6.ram](http://kalvos.org/ra/johnson6.ram) It is called “A Very Difficult Piece for String Bass” by Tom Johnson enjoy! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-me-to-classical-music/167904.md?page=2)