Buying Western Classical Music

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@Ajay124,
thanks. I just picked out some random, sweet sounding music that I liked the first time I heard it. Haven't listened to many of the compositions you mentioned since much of my time went to rock (don't roll your eyes now, please, hehe, I love rock) and Hindustani classical then western classical in that order. Am just devoting more time to western classical these days and would gladly take your recommendations. Which recordings would you recommend for them?-
Beethoven 6-
Mozart 25,40,41-
Schubert 4,8-
Haydn 94,101,104-
Mahler 1,2,4,5-
Schumann 2,4-
Bruckner 7-
Mendelssohn 4-
Brahms 1,2,4-
Tchaikovsky 6-
Shostakovich 5,10-
Dvorak 9-

A good heavy dose for a beginner! :) What's your take on Liszt, Grieg? Can you recommend any 20th century composers closer to the modern day?
 
A tip for learning about classical (my recent method): Go to wikipedia and read about the desired composer, all great masters have detailed pages devoted to them with good amount of audio clips. Whatever is liked, one can read further on that particular composition and its reputed recordings, then choose to buy wherever available.
 
hrd.hrishikesh said:
A tip for learning about classical (my recent method): Go to wikipedia and read about the desired composer, all great masters have detailed pages devoted to them with good amount of audio clips. Whatever is liked, one can read further on that particular composition and its reputed recordings, then choose to buy wherever available.
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You can check out these sites which are dedicated to classical music.
Classical Net
Classical Music - ArkivMusic
As for recommendations if you go through the earlier posts you will find most of the info.Conductors who are good and easily available include Claude Abbado,Leonard Bernstein,Herbert Von Karajan,Simon Rattle,Pierre Boulez.
Twentieth Century composers
Igor Stravinsky
Bela Bartok
Olivier Messiaen
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
Dmitry Shostakovich
Aram Khachturian
Sergei Prokofiev
Jean Sibelius
Edward Elgar
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Aaron Copland
John Cage
Arnold Schoneberg
I have been listening to western classical since the mid 80's and have only recently started buying and listening to the modern composers.I suggest you spend a few years with the Baroque/Classical/Romantic composers before moving on to the 20th Century.Specifically the 10-11 composers I mentioned above.
Even there I would recommend the Piano Sonatas/Concertos,String Quartets,Music for Clarinet,Basoon,Oboe,Flute,Orchestral Suites etc.And a few Symphonies.
 
hrd.hrishikesh said:
@Ajay124,
thanks. I just picked out some random, sweet sounding music that I liked the first time I heard it. Haven't listened to many of the compositions you mentioned since much of my time went to rock (don't roll your eyes now, please, hehe, I love rock) and Hindustani classical then western classical in that order. Am just devoting more time to western classical these days and would gladly take your recommendations. Which recordings would you recommend for them?-
Beethoven 6-
Mozart 25,40,41-
Schubert 4,8-
Haydn 94,101,104-
Mahler 1,2,4,5-
Schumann 2,4-
Bruckner 7-
Mendelssohn 4-
Brahms 1,2,4-
Tchaikovsky 6-
Shostakovich 5,10-
Dvorak 9-

A good heavy dose for a beginner! :) What's your take on Liszt, Grieg? Can you recommend any 20th century composers closer to the modern day?
Click to expand...

I have great memories of my years of listening to Rock music- Dylan,Young,Hendrix,Clapton,Lennon,Marley,Winwood,Morrison,Jagger,Knoffler....Those years 77-87 will always be a very special part of my life.But Change happens without a warning.In retrospect if I try to place how and when it happened,I would say with the film'Amadeus'.I had heard classical and jazz on radio but had never spent money on BUYING it.After watching this film I bought Mozart's 20/21 Piano Concerto and Symphonies 25,40,41,Beethoven's Symphony 3,5,6,9 and Piano Sonatas 1-6 and Bach's Brandenburg Concerto's.Somewhere far off in my brain,a switch was thrown, and I dimly realised that my love affair with 60's-70's rock and the paraphernilia and friends which went with it were over!Simultaneously I started buying the most 'visible' jazz artists-Miles Davis,John Coltrane,Duke Ellington,Sonny Rollins,Thelonious Monk,Louis Armstrong.I kept buying/listening to rock for many years after that,but with declining pleasure and finally gave it up in the mid 90's.In recent years I have again bought many Rock CD's,out of sheer nostalgia for my teens and 20's.
Another switch was thrown a few months ago when I got the Vienna Acoustic speakers.For the first time in my life I had speakers which could handle the dynamics of Western Classical music and reproduce at least some of its grandeur.With the acquisition of the Bryston Pre/Power amp that shift is gathering force.I don't enjoy my lovingly collected Jazz CD's as much as before.Maybe its the end of jazz music for me.Because now when I put on my recently acquired Brahm's,Schumann's,Bartok's,Stravinsky's and the eternal blockbusters of the classical period I feel this is enough!The Coltrane's and Ellington's are still great but they don't spin the same magic anymore....
 
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Great thread Ajay.Didnt know such a good collection of western classical is available in India.By the way how safe is buying online from rhythmhouse.Any experiences?.I am asking because I have never bought anything online before.

Am also a greatfan of Tarkovsky.Greatest no doubt.
 
Somehow my earlier post didnt get posted so posting again.
Great post Ajay.Didnt know such a great collection available in India.Thanks for pointing out.Never bought anythingonline so am a bit apprehensive.Is it safe buying online from rhythmhouse?Any experience?.

Also a fan of Tarkovsky.Probably The Best ever.Saw the stalker pictures yo posted.Great.
Cheers.
 
sivasarjun said:
Also can you recommend great choral works?.Love vocal music .
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Choral Works
Bach
Mass In B Minor
St.Matthews Passion
St.John's Passion
Cantatas
Magnificat In D Minor
Handel
Messiah
Mozart
Requiem
Beethoven
Missa Solemnis
Haydn
Creation
Orff
Carmina Burana

Lieders(Song Cycles)
Schubert
Die Schone Mullerin
Winterreise
Schumann
Liederkreis
Dichterliebe

Operas
Mozart
La Nozze Di Figaro
Don Juan
Cosi Fan Tutte
Die Zauberflote
Handel
Agrippina
Beethoven
Fidelio
Rossini
The Barber Of Seville
Verdi
Rigolleto
La Traviata
Bizet
Carmen
Puccini
Madame Butterfly
La Boheme
Tosca
Wagner
Tristan & Isolde
Das Rheingold
Die Walkure
Siegfried
Strauss2
Die Fledermaus
Tchaikovsky
Eugene Onegin
Korsakov
Snow Maiden
Debussy
Pelleas Et Melisande
Dvorak
Rusalka
Stravinsky
The Rake's Progress
 
Thanks.Great thread Ajay.
Had posted twice about buying from rhythmhouse.Dont know why the posts were not published.
Didnt know that such a good collection is available in India.Thanks Ajay for pointing it out.Never ever made an online purchase before, how reliable are rhythmhouse?any experience?.Sorry for being so naive.
 
sivasarjun said:
Thanks.Great thread Ajay.
Had posted twice about buying from rhythmhouse.Dont know why the posts were not published.
Didnt know that such a good collection is available in India.Thanks Ajay for pointing it out.Never ever made an online purchase before, how reliable are rhythmhouse?any experience?.Sorry for being so naive.
Click to expand...
Rhythm House is the best place for buying music that I have ever come across in India.Great collection.Great service.Absolutely safe.Started buying earlier this year.Must have bought close to 150 cd's till now.I have even requested them to specifically import box sets for me and they are working on those.I never venture into any 'physical' music shop now.Easier to research and buy from the comfort of your home.Their collection of Western Classical and Jazz is incredible considering that India is part of the backwaters as far as Music and Hifi is concerned.
 
Going to order from Rhythmhouse.There are many dvds listed there like the Karl Bohm Mozart symphonies.Will their sound quality be acceptable?.Or should I stick to cds.
For opera dvds will be abetter choice.Am I right.
Regards
 
Recording quality should not be an issue on EMI/Decca/DG.Check the original date of release.And if the recording is from the 60's-70's then has it been remastered or not?
A good CD player will definitely sound better than any DVD player.Personally I prefer listening to CD's.Nice to watch the visuals on DVD's,but somehow I don't enjoy the music so much.DVD's are good for familiarising yourself with orchestra placements,and the different kind of horn,string,wind instruments etc.Also you get to see famous conductors,musicians and concert halls.
If you are interested in opera then it makes more sense to buy DVD's.I don't listen to opera very often though I have quite a few,but I really like Bizet's Carmen on DVD.I prefer Mozart's Piano/String/Wind/Horn sonatas/concertos more than his symphonies,though 25,35,36,39,40,41 are very good.Mozart's opera's --Figaro,Don Giovanni,Magic Flute,Cosi Fan Tutte are very famous.Both Beethoven and Mahler wrote 9 symphonies each and they are truly magnificient!
 
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Julian Bream and Andres Segovia are the two greatest classical guitarists of the 20th century.A few days ago I came across a bunch of Bream CD's recently imported by Rhythm House.Bought 5 cd's of Julian Bream and they are magnificent.Once in a while I buy a CD and after the first 'listen' realize that this one will provide a lifetime of pleasure.All the Bream's I bought are in this league.Very Very Special.If anyone wants to hear how good a guitar can sound check out Julian Bream at Rhythm House.Or on YouTube :)
JB plays Bach
YouTube - Julian Bream - J.S Bach-Violin Sonata fugue
With Ali Akbar Khan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxticeCMmPA
Concierto De Aranjuez(also performed by Miles Davis and Paco De Lucia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV8vPE4IAqY&feature=related
 
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Guys
Bought a few cds from rhythmhouse.Very good service.
Furtwangler 9th symphony
Karl Bohm Mozart symphonies
Haydn London symphonies Sulti
Stravinsky Rite of spring,Petrushka,The firebird/Appollo-SIMON RATTLE
wALZER&POLKAS Karajan
Water music Handel -Trevor Pinnock
Messiah highlights-Sir charles Mackeras
!)) best opera classics
Mozart Clarinet concerto Richard Stoltzman
Mozart 40,41--Claudio Abbado
Mozart string quintets
Furtwangler 9th symphony
And a few dhrupads also.
 
Very impressive folks...it is refreshing that we have such afficiandos of the classics. You guys have pretty much covered everything. I would also recommend these names which seemed to have been missed out :

Bolero : Maurice Ravel
The works of Claude Debussy (esp Reverie for Piano, Arabesque etc)
Swan Lake - Tchaikovsky
Rite of Spring - Stravinsky
Messiah - Handel
The Planets - Gustav Holst

good Neoclassical pianist - Joe Hishiashi

And I'm not sure whther this was included or not, but it would be a travesty to exclude him : Johann Strauss (Waltz pieces especially Blue Danube)

I got interested in western classical at an early age , thanks to my bro who played the fiddle. I would love to hear a live concerto in a heartbeat, its sad we dont seem to promote those in India,
 
ajay124 said:
Julian Bream and Andres Segovia are the two greatest classical guitarists of the 20th century.A few days ago I came across a bunch of Bream CD's recently imported by Rhythm House.Bought 5 cd's of Julian Bream and they are magnificent.Once in a while I buy a CD and after the first 'listen' realize that this one will provide a lifetime of pleasure.All the Bream's I bought are in this league.Very Very Special.If anyone wants to hear how good a guitar can sound check out Julian Bream at Rhythm House.Or on YouTube :)
JB plays Bach
YouTube - Julian Bream - J.S Bach-Violin Sonata fugue
With Ali Akbar Khan
YouTube - Julian Bream in India (1963) Improvisation with Ali Akbar Khan On Sarod
Concierto De Aranjuez(also performed by Miles Davis and Paco De Lucia)
YouTube - Julian Bream plays Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo (Part 1)
Click to expand...

thank you ,
one of my dream musician,i see in you tube aliakbar khan ,i never seen before both of two ,
again thank you:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping:
 
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