Question for those classical music fundis

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Debbie

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I don't really know anything about classical music, only that some of it I really like. I want to hear something with a lot of violins/good violin music. What should I be looking for?
 
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons.
 
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You want to get hold of things by ppl like Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Peer Gynt, Chopin....

Gonna go searching through my collection for more people to look for.
 
Reminds me I need to rip my sister's classical collection, she moved away and wants the mp3s. I also like classical, thanks to Rammstein and their use of classical instruments and opera singers. Don't listen to music much anymore, mostly just classical if i do.
Anyone know of female opera singers, prefer it if they sing a melody rather than actual words to a song. Not sure how to describe it.
 
I have an idea of what you're talking about, can't remember off hand, would another language count as "words"? :)

As for other ppl... Richard Wagner, Griegm Tshaikovsky, Georges Bizet, Rossini, and a newer person, Richard Clayderman.
 
Thank you, especially ToxicBunny, appreciate it and will put to the test. I've got something from almost every one you mentioned, look forward to listening.
 
Try Yanni :)
He's Key to imagination and the Rain must fall is really something
 
Classical music does one thing a HELL of a lot better than modern music and thats to convey an image or a scene.

An example would be Griegs - Morning.... the imagery I get from the song is incredibly vivid.
 
what is that classical song they play at the end of that National Geographic ad with einstein?
 
When I saw debs' question, I was just waiting for the 4 seasons to pop up :)

Problem with the Four Seasons is that you can't listen to it anymore without expecting a villain, stroking a white cat, walking into the room....:rolleyes: With an evil henchman (complete with glass eye) in tow.....

But it is a stunning piece (ever read the original poems?). A lot of similar chamber music available, although it can sound a bit thin sometimes with just a few musicians. Done correctly though, chamber music can be hauntingly beautiful.

Not sure what exactly you're after? Violins pretty much feature in most classical music.

Maybe something easy like Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" or more spontaneous like Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Flight of the Bumble-bee"? Bach's "Air" is quite a moving piece as is the violin section in Ketelbey's "In a Persian Market" although it's mostly quite lively. Also, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, but it's more solo.

If you wanna hear a serious string section in full song, listen to the big guns. Wagner comes to mind. He did not stuff around when it came to filling up the orchestra....Or Tchaikovsky firing off cannons as part of the percussion :)

If you're just getting into classical music, listen to some of the piano stuff as ToxicBunny suggested. Ludwig and Amadeus both wrote stunning compositions for the piano as did Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Or Liszt as Picard mentioned.

There are many great, younger composers (try Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings", also Mahler) but it's good to start with the old masters. They were truly great.

Mozart even made it to the South African Top 20 at one point with his 40th!

And while we're on the topic, don't discard ballet and opera as sources for great music. Some of the best compositions are to be found here with Tchaikovsky (again) and Verdi well known.

@debs, if you want, I can make up a mp3 collection and send up to you?
 
Well obviously "classical music" covers an awful lot, and many different types of music. I am not really a "fundi" either, but anyway some suggestions.

Personally I love Bach. The Brandenburg Concertos are quite accessible and out of this world. Try getting one of the Berlin Philharmonic/ Von Karajan recordings - great precise German plonking on the harpsichord LOL! Number 3 is divine ( almost gets me religious! ). Bach's violin Concertos are lovely too - there are some awesome budget recordings you can pick up for nothing - EMI do one with Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman as soloists.

Then there is Mozart. I love the Flute and Harp Concerto. There are many amazing Piano Concertos. If you want violins - try the Violin Concertos - again a couple of great budget EMI cds with David Oistrakh and the Berlin Philharmonic. Superb stuff!

For something a little less plonky, try Schubert's Unfinished Symphony.

Anyway - some ideas!
:)

Edit

Whatever you do, don't get those awful "Greatest Classical Hits" type compilations !
 
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What about some Puccini. O Mio Babbino Caro is one of my faves. But I guess opera is not everyone's cup of hot chocolate.

Edit: Another hot one is Ave Maria (Helen Dritter Gesang). But the version used in the trailer of Hitman (the movie) is far more dramatic.
 
From an opera/classical type stuff...

Look for stuff that was written by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and sung by Sarah Brightman. She has an amazing voice. Her version of Pie Jesu is rather incredible.
 
rwenzori said:
Whatever you do, don't get those awful "Greatest Classical Hits" type compilations !
Click to expand...

Actually, they can serve a very good purpose. As long as it's the original music (and not some "Steve Hofmeyer does Classical" type of perversion), discovering classical music in byte-sized chunks can be advantageous.

Just like you get one or two singles good off a LP, even the greatest symphonies can have a lot of 'not so good', boring moments.

For someone just starting out and wanting to hear all the good bits, a 'Greatest Hits' compilation can work. At some point you'll automatically want to hear the full production.

Remember your first glass of wine / whisky / sushi / cigar? ;)
 
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vodacom3g said:
Actually, they can serve a very good purpose. As long as it's the original music (and not some "Steve Hofmeyer does Classical" type of perversion), discovering classical music in byte-sized chunks can be advantageous.

Just like you get one or two singles good off a LP, even the greatest symphonies can have a lot of 'not so good', boring moments.

For someone just starting out and wanting to hear all the good bits, a 'Greatest Hits' compilation can work. At some point you'll automatically want to hear the full production.

Remember your first glass of wine / whisky / sushi / cigar, ? ;)
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I'll concede! ;)

It's just jumping from the last movement of Beethoven's 9th to Offenbach can-can music in a few seconds kinda confuses me LOL! :)

Edit:

ROFL @ Steve Hofmeyer does Classical :D:D
 
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