# Recommend some Classical Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323 "2003-12-06T05:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/1 "2003-12-06T05:14:25Z")
I’m just kind of in the mood for it. My roommate last semester was a piano major and there was usually something entertaining on… Any suggestions for a beginning listener? ---
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/2 "2003-12-06T05:21:41Z")
I’m also kind of a beginner. I don’t really know anything other than the commonly known melodys by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, etc. But I can pick out a Tchaikovsky, even if I’ve never heard the particular selection before, and I love it. I rarely listen to classical music, but if I do, I want it to be something by Tchaikovsky. So, that’s my recommendation. To add my own question, does anyone who’s more knowledgable know of a good CD collection of his work? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/3 "2003-12-06T05:43:20Z")
What style of music do you normally listen to? If you are a “heavy metal kid” or punk, as is suggested by your Toadies links, the choral movement from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is both something you might have heard in a bland and insipid version that doesn’t tell you that the man was deaf AND had a very clear understanding of head-bangingly loud. After the break it explodes and is purest rock and roll. Electronica fans (and math majors) are naturals for Bach or anything (especially Bach) played by Mr Roboto himself, Glenn Gould. Mozart is rich and lush without being overstuffed and especially interesting after viewing _Amadeus_ and getting a context (though one that may not be entirely true). I stay away from most of the 20th century stuff (except Satie, Shostakovitch and ANY electronica and of the weirder avant-garde composers) because I’m a crank. And the Romantics don’t do much for me. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/4 "2003-12-06T05:46:48Z")
I’m not a hardcore listener of anything, I just have a few songs that I know I like. Stravinsky’s _Firebird Suite_ and _Rite of Spring_ Saint-Saens _Danse Macabre_ Mozart’s _Requiem Mass_ (Now while listening I can imagine Nightcrawler rampaging through the White House, which actually kind of ruins it) Of course _Imperial March_ and also _Duel of the Fates_ (John Williams) Holst’s _Mars God of War_ (Never heard another Planets I liked as much, I won’t recommend buying the CD for it) And the usual othe rstuff you think of when you think classical (_O Fortuna, Ode to Joy, Hall of Mountain King, Night on Bald Mountain, Ride of the Valkyries,_ misc other Beethoven and Bach stuff) ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/5 "2003-12-06T05:47:44Z")
Well, by “Classical” do you mean the actual Classical period (about the 18th century) or anything orchestrical. Classical: Mozart is usually a good time. I recommend the 41th symphony. I’m sure you’ve heard it before (De da-da De da-da de da-da DA. De da-da De da-da de da da da.) Anything Orchestrical: Beethoven’s 3rd. anything from Wagner’s Ring cycle (where “Ride of the Valkyries” comes from) I’m drawing a blank. I’m sure others will be along. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/6 "2003-12-06T05:50:40Z")
Yngwie Malmsteen’s _Concerto Suite For Electric Guitar And Orchestra In E Flat Minor Op. 1_ is one of my favorite neoclassical pieces. ---
**Author:** ![BrandyFine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrandyFine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandyFine)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/7 "2003-12-06T05:54:36Z")
Mark Twain assured us “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.” Personally I’d have to disagree - ew. A Little Night Music by Mozart is nice, but most of Mozart’s work is a sure thing, hard to go wrong. There are some decent compilations with pleasant stuff from a variety of artists. You might browse some classical appreciation type compilations to sample and find out what you enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/8 "2003-12-06T06:18:51Z")
I highly recommend Franz Schubert; he is simply amazing. One of his that you might have heard is _Ave Maria_. But most things by him are pure wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/9 "2003-12-06T06:21:28Z")
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nothing else is necessary ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/10 "2003-12-06T08:05:57Z")
Yes, the Brandenburg Concertos are absolutely brilliant. Plenty else is necessary, though. I also love the Magnificat and the suites for solo cello. Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto (“Emperor”) is great. Like solo piano? I’d suggest Beethoven’s piano sonatas. The ones with names (Pathétique, Appassionata, Waldstein, Hammerklavier) are the best known, but they’re all wonderful. Try listening to a few different pianists performing them; Alfred Brendel and Wilhelm Kempff are among the more renowned. Beethoven’s symphonies, Beethoven’s string quartets…you know, come to think of it, Beethoven flat-out rocks. Generally, you can’t go wrong with Haydn’s symphonies or Mozart’s concertos. All my suggestions are pretty mainstream and conservative. Don’t forget to stretch your ears: while you’re browsing the classical CD section, check out something unusual that looks appealing. (Medieval music will sometimes throw a few interesting curveballs, and often sounds more “modern” than you’d think.) There’s always Kronos Quartet. Happy listening! Let us know what you end up liking. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/11 "2003-12-06T11:19:38Z")
Brahms: _Ein Deutsches Requiem_. He ain’t just for lullabies anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Gmork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Gmork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gmork)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/12 "2003-12-06T11:25:44Z")
Have to agree with the suggestions for Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. They’re perhaps not ‘the only thing necessary’ but they are an extremely soulful and VERY skillfully composed collection of pieces. Played in order they feel like a kind of musical story. If you wanted, after you try some of the excellent suggestions found above this post (and probably below it as well), to hear something a little bit ‘out there’ try a composer called Ligeti. Good stuff. Some of my friends, who like classical music as much as I do, really hate this guy, but every now and again someone is just blown away by the stuff. It’s a little wierd, but I have grown to love it. 🙂 Enjoy your newfound taste for the classical!! ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/13 "2003-12-06T12:16:57Z")
Perhaps your roommate was playing some Chopin - I think it’s his 2nd piano concerto that’s just wonderful, full of variety and passion and not too fussy. Emanuel Ax would be a good choice for the performer. Also love the Glenn Gould recordings - the soundtrack for “32 Short Pieces” covers a wide range of musical periods & you can hear him humming along. And if you want something raucous, you’ve got to check out _Peer Gynt_, which is by Grieg. When I haven’t known which orchestra or conductor to choose, I’ve had good luck with the Deutsche Grammophon label (although I also like Eugene Ormandy’s work). Re: Tchaikovsky, I love the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s recordings of _Capriccio Italien_ and the _1812 Overture_, conducted by Erich Kunzel (although I see at Amazon that the CD version is apparently of lousy quality - I’ve got it on vinyl). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/14 "2003-12-06T16:24:21Z")
Handel, Bach, Telemann, Tallis … a whole new world awaits you. I’d suggest you stay away from opera as there are far too many screechy bits. Try the CD ‘Coronation Anthems’. BTW classical music is often used in advertisments: tell us which ads you like. ---
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/15 "2003-12-06T18:57:13Z")
Chopin’s Nocturnes are pure bliss. (Go out right now and get Nocturne #1 in B Flat Minor. Aaaaahhhh!) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/16 "2003-12-06T21:00:03Z")
Josef Suk’s _Epilogue_ for orchestra, large and small mixed choruses, soprano, baritone and bass. [sub]…and the _very next person_ who repeats that friggin’ Mark Twain quote about Wagner, I swear ta god I’ll bite him _right in the ass_.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/17 "2003-12-07T03:11:26Z")
Johan Strauss Jnr : Blue Danube, Tritsch-Tratsch polka, Annenpolka, Thunder & Lightning, etc. Rimsky-Korsakov : Scheherazade Sibelius : Finlandia, Karelia suite. Gershwin : Rapsody in blue, American in Paris Rossini : William Tell (You know you are an intellectual if you can hear this without thinking of the Lone Ranger), Barber Of Seville Mendelssohn : Fingals Cave, Midsummer Night’s dream Mussorgsky : Night on bald mountain, Pictures At An Exhibition (go for the full orchestral version, rather than the piano solo) Gilbert & sullivan : The Mikado ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/18 "2003-12-07T03:21:14Z")
If you like piano music, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Chopin. I also recommend Rachmoninoff. His Piano Concerto Nos. 2 & 3 are lush, beautiful, and romantic (in every sense of the word). ---
**Author:** ![justplainDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@justplainDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justplainDave)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/19 "2003-12-07T04:44:12Z")
All of these posts are very good, and you’ve taken all of my ideas, but the one piece that hasn’t been mentioned that I must put a plug in for is Dvorak’s Fifth Symphony, the New World Symphony. It is the best symphony I have ever heard, and it is my favorite piece of classical music. Second is Beethoven’s Pathetique Piano Sonata, and then after that is Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, definitely the orchestral version. Ravel’s Bolero is also a great piece of music, even though it is the same thing over and over again for twelve minutes. Somehow, that makes it even more beautiful. Looking through the posts, I take this all back… Sibelius’ Finlandia is the greatest piece of music ever written, and then everything else comes in after that. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323/20 "2003-12-07T04:54:02Z")
**Wolfian** , are you sure you aren’t thinking of the 40th? I can’t let this thread go by without mentioning Prokofieff (especially his 3rd piano concerto and his _Romeo and Juliet_ music), Mahler (especially his 1st and 5th symphonies), Dvorak (New World Symphony and lots of other stuff)… and speaking of Beethoven, I was rocking out to his 8th symphony last night, which is underrated, overshadowed as it is by some of his others. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-classical-music/217323.md?page=2)