Classical Music: A How-To Guide for Beginners


This will be an ongoing thread to recommend great recordings and great performances of classical music. It seems that many audiophiles have a couple pieces of classical music, but have not fully delved into the genre. This is unfortunate, because there are literally thousands of treasures to be experienced. Classical music encompasses all aspects of human emotions, and there are is something out there for everyone. People may feel intimidated by all the choices. Exploring different pieces becomes enjoyable once you have a foothold. I hope to provide that foothold for people who wish to initiate a collection of masterpieces.

A couple of references are worth mentioning. First, www.classicstoday.com is an excellent source of highly opinionated reviews. Although some may disagree with some of the reviews, there are too many sites that think everything is wonderful. For a subscription magazine, Fanfare has a broad overview of many recordings from different genres. Good sources of CDs would include Amazon (new and used), Barnes and Noble (particularly sets with a 20% off coupon), Tower Records for certain sales, and www.mdt.co.uk for imports. Yourmusic.com is an online club with good prices.

My plan is to offer recommendations as I traverse my own collection, explaining the rationale for the choices. I hope that people will go and buy some of these, and listen to the aspects I mention. I hope that this is a fun adventure, and that others will come to appreciate the beauty of the classics. I feel lucky that this music has enriched my life, and I am always happy to share in some knowledge and experience. The software is inexpensive, so perhaps people would appreciate that chance to explore new music rather than fret about the latest power cord.
rtn1
newbee, thanks for the info. There is a scene showing an old record player with music sounding like todays best analog rig.
Tchaikovsky. Symphony #5. Vienna Philharmonic. Gergiev. Philips.

This must have been quite a performance to attend. Gergiev and the VPO play with searing intensity. Gergiev here is guest conductor, and his interpretations generally run from hot to cold. This one is truly inspired. I could picture the entire orchestra sirting up on the front of their chairs. What an incredible sound! It is impossibly lush and lithe at the same time. The music never drags, and you can even get a sense of the electricity in the air. The engineering on the recording is perfect. Big strings and big brass, beautiful winds. This is the unique sound that made Vienna famous.
newbee, why don't you start a thread on bluegrass. I saw a movie comedy on TV that mentioned the Foggy Mountain Boys. It was funny as hell and I liked the music which was "Bluegrass".