With less time devoted to SC and studying, I am now looking into the classical music. Now that I have some cash I could spend on CDs, I started to look into forums so that I could try to find which recordings to buy.
The problem is I can't find a huge English-speaking forum for classical music recordings, at least relatively. goclassic.co.kr is quite big and I like it, but I would at least want to know a pretty big forum like it.
So if you know of any forums, please recommend~
I am also looking into New Age music which is quite large, but I think it's less complicated as usually there are no more than one interpretations of a piece.
tl;dr or it's too complicated due to my wording: SC forum:teamliquid=classical music??
I checked that site (comes first on "classical music forum" search) but it seems small compared to goclassic.co.kr, or it just doesn't have as much relevant discussion of which recordings are what, etc.
I don't really know forums about classical music and I don't really use them. I go by my listening impressions in store (good stores will give you plenty of opportunities to listen to several recordings) and maybe by reviews (you could browse gramophone.co.uk for example)
What kind of classical music are you into? Like maybe periods or a particular recording that you are into. Maybe someone around here can help you find what you are looking for.
On August 26 2009 21:22 Aesop wrote: I don't really know forums about classical music and I don't really use them. I go by my listening impressions in store (good stores will give you plenty of opportunities to listen to several recordings) and maybe by reviews (you could browse gramophone.co.uk for example)
If you need recommendations, just ask.
since you say that, I hope the OP doesn't mind if I abuse his blog for you to give me recommendations (I was gonna pm you but if I post it here others might have some good recommendations too) hope you don't mind, wala
I don't know much classical music, I never got in to deep (a.o. other reasons) cause there's so much joyful, jolly music I can't stand. I am more into the sad/dramatical kind of sound (call me an emo if you want lol :p), more movie music-like. I really like the the last mohican soundtrack for example (esp. "the kiss" <3 so beautiful) and I love samuel barbers adagio for strings.
First off, I'm going to say that classical music is a lot about how you personally feel about it So any recommendations should only be considered as a starting point from which you move on on your own.
Now, with that said.
Start with Beethoven obviously. Mid-period to Late-period Beethoven for sad/dramatic/emo pieces. The Fifth symphony and the Seventh symphony (especially the second movement, the Allegretto) are great examples. Try the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata for some pretty epic stuff. Expand more into Beethoven on your own after that if you like it I suppose.
Brahms was influenced heavily by Beethoven. Try A German Requiem, it's a large choral and orchestral work.
Mahler and Wagner have a lot of the "epic" sounds, kind of like movie soundtracks I suppose. Wagner has the famous Ride of the Valkyries and the like. Wagner's kind of hit and miss though. Mahler just listen to his symphonies, they're all epic. Also Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, you probably know it from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
There's also a lot of single pieces, like Mozart's Requiem, Verdi's Requiem, Orff's O Fortuna that you can look into.
Carnivorous pretty much gave you a great starting point. Get a great recording of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor as well. In my opinion one of the best symphonies ever written.
Ah yes, forgot about Mozart's symphony 40. A caveat about that though, it's a really different style from a lot of Mozart's other works, so don't expect the rest of Mozart's works to sound like it if you like it. Mozart only wrote two minor key symphonies (25 and 40), most of his works are a lot more, like, light and happy. Notable exception would, of course, be the requiem.
Okay, maybe I should have clarified. I am quite familiar with the melodies and styles of the composers and periods, but what I am looking for is the interpretations of solists and conductors.
Currently I am looking into the Beethoven cycle, and have been recommended that Karajan Symphony Edition is an excellent introduction and it contains a broad sample of Karajan's style.
On August 26 2009 21:22 Aesop wrote: I don't really know forums about classical music and I don't really use them. I go by my listening impressions in store (good stores will give you plenty of opportunities to listen to several recordings) and maybe by reviews (you could browse gramophone.co.uk for example)
If you need recommendations, just ask.
since you say that, I hope the OP doesn't mind if I abuse his blog for you to give me recommendations (I was gonna pm you but if I post it here others might have some good recommendations too) hope you don't mind, wala
I don't know much classical music, I never got in to deep (a.o. other reasons) cause there's so much joyful, jolly music I can't stand. I am more into the sad/dramatical kind of sound (call me an emo if you want lol :p), more movie music-like. I really like the the last mohican soundtrack for example (esp. "the kiss" <3 so beautiful) and I love samuel barbers adagio for strings.
Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, movement 2, the "Funeral March"
You should look into Wilhelm Furtwangler andEvgeny Mravinsky also for Beethoven's symphonies in addition to the standard Karajan. Mravinsky might be hard to find though.
For Tchaikovsky's symphonies, again, Mravinsky is a great choice, and Mravinsky is also the undisputed master of Shostakovich (in fact, some of the symphonies by Shostakovich were even dedicated to Mravinsky).
I'm personally a big fan of Wilhelm Kempff for Beethoven's piano works.
Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the fields is my conductor of choice for most of Mozart's stuff.
On August 27 2009 11:25 Carnivorous Sheep wrote: You should look into Wilhelm Furtwangler andEvgeny Mravinsky also for Beethoven's symphonies in addition to the standard Karajan. Mravinsky might be hard to find though.
For Tchaikovsky's symphonies, again, Mravinsky is a great choice, and Mravinsky is also the undisputed master of Shostakovich (in fact, some of the symphonies by Shostakovich were even dedicated to Mravinsky).
I'm personally a big fan of Wilhelm Kempff for Beethoven's piano works.
Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the fields is my conductor of choice for most of Mozart's stuff.
mm, I heard of Mravinsky's reputation of Tchaikovsky's Symphonies and Shostakovich, but as I just started, I was only looking into Beethoven.
Do you have any recommendations on Smetana's Ma Vlast? I believe there's one in Symphony Edition but I heard Kubelik and Czech Philharmonic was quite pleasing as well.
All of the music worth listening to is from the Romantic period. Symphonies suck in general. Listen to Heifetz exculsively. And no, I'm not biased at all.
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