Tasslehof is very rude

[nichomachean]

Originally Posted by NGHpnotiq [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Since this has been hijacked into a talk of classical music, I'd love to ask some advice on the matter. I've always enjoyed listening to classical music but never found myself too heavily involved in it(although the same could be said about any music in regards to my taste). What recommendations could you make to an amateur of classical music? Something to shoe horn me into that music genre.

Depends on your mood. Strictly classical you're talking the realm of Mozart, Haydn, Handel, and early Beethoven. Very clean, balanced, symmetrical phrasing and simpler harmonic structure (on the whole). I enjoy some of Mozart's singspiel's for hilarity, Handel for oratorio, and Beethoven's early symphonies (No. 3, "Eroica", is rather accessible).

Moving forward chronologically, into Romanticism, music started spreading out more, so to speak. German Romantic composition peaked in the late 19th century with masters such as Wagner, Brahms, and Mahler, innovating chromaticism, leitmotif, and huge orchestral (and dramatic) scale. I love nearly all of Mahler's symphonies; Wagnerian opera is ridiculous for it's scale (the four Ring der Nibelungen operas take something on the order of 16 hours to perform back-to-back, and are based in Norse/Germanic mythology) and Brahms is great for "absolute" music.

About this time also saw the rise of "program" music with composers such as Hector Berlioz, whose "Symphonie Fantastique" explored extended playing technique and tonal colours, leading to similar ideas of color with Debussy and Faure and Impressionism.

In German lieder (which is art song), Schubert, Schumann, Wolff, and Brahms tend to be favorites, Schubert especially.

For Italian opera, Romanticism saw the rise of Verdi, then Puccini, with rich drama and music.

Moving into the 20th century, the Russians seem to have the most well-renown group of composers, starting with Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev. Shostakovich is always great for sarcastic, interesting works.

My overall advice would be pick a composer and research his or her most popular works, give them a few listens (in different interpretations), then move deeper into his or her catalogue, then onto the next. Starting in the Baroque period and moving forward may give you a sense of how Western music evolved throughout history.

PM if you want specific pieces from specific composers and I shall concoct a list.

Happy listening!