good classical music...

Certif1ed wrote: 1. Messiaen's "Turangaglia Symphonie" 2. Rakhmaninov's Piano Concerti   3. Dvorak's Cello Concerto   4. Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima"   5. Vivaldi's "Gloria" (possibly the most perfect piece of choral music ever written, after the completed sections of Mozart's "Requiem").

Turangaglia Symphonie stands on its own as one odd piece of music and has some similarities to more adventurous progressive bands. It uses the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic keyboard that often sounds like something from an early science fiction movie, but more sophisticated than a theremin.

It is one of those pieces that sounds "modern" in any era, sort of like those 60s synth lounge records only less kitschy.

Edited by Easy Money - October 10 2007 at 17:45

no-one mentioned Gustav Mahler so far, so I will: his symphonies (especially the 9th), his "Kindertotenlieder", his "Lied von der Erde", the "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen"; all of these are highly recommended.

another one that hasn't been mentioned: Robert Schumann. here I recommend his symphonies (especially his 3rd, the "Rheinische"), his "Dichterliebe" (a song cycle based on the lyrics of German poet Heinrich Heine), his a-minor piano concerto and "Manfred", a melodram based on the lyrics of Lord Byron. and since I am just listening to them on the radio: his 3 romances for clarinet and piano.

last but not least: Franz Schubert. here I recommend "Die Winterreise", a song cycle (try to get the version with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau singing), his trout quintet, the string quartet Nr. 14 ("Death and the Maiden"), "Die schöne Müllerin" (another song cycle), his "unfinished" symphony in B-minor and his C-Major symphony (by today's usual way of counting his 8th; there was and is a bit of confusion and complication about counting his symphonies) and his many, many Lieder (over 600)


Edited by BaldJean - October 10 2007 at 19:26

Slartibartfast wrote: And if you want go past the decomposing composers, there's Steve Reich and Philip Glass.  Though they'd probably not be considered classical by classical music purists.

Glass's "Pruitt Igoe" is one of my favorite classical pieces ever. I need to see Koyaanisqatsi.

I recently saw the movie "Copying Beethoven" and I think the 9th symphony of Beethoven is one of the greatest I ever heard...Great movie btw!

pretty much anything by these 20th century rebels;  Honegger, Ives, Prokofiev, Barber, as well as earlier composers like Satie, Faure and Brahms 

well of course his classic 'Gymnopedies' series is famous and very beautiful..  but you can't really go wrong with Satie, though the pieces may get a bit repetitive.. remember it was mostly written as salon music, to be in the background..  kind of early ambient

  

Easy Money wrote: Certif1ed wrote: 1. Messiaen's "Turangaglia Symphonie" 2. Rakhmaninov's Piano Concerti   3. Dvorak's Cello Concerto   4. Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima"   5. Vivaldi's "Gloria" (possibly the most perfect piece of choral music ever written, after the completed sections of Mozart's "Requiem").     Turangaglia Symphonie stands on its own as one odd piece of music and has some similarities to more adventurous progressive bands. It uses the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic keyboard that often sounds like something from an early science fiction movie, but more sophisticated than a theremin. It is one of those pieces that sounds "modern" in any era, sort of like those 60s synth lounge records only less kitschy.

Slartibartfast wrote: And if you want go past the decomposing composers, there's Steve Reich and Philip Glass.  Though they'd probably not be considered classical by classical music purists.

paolo.beenees wrote: There's plenty of good classical music... where should I start from? I'll try to suggest something: - Renaissance Polyphony is amazing: Palestrina and Despres are my favourite ones. - Monteverdi's "Magnificat" and "Arianna's Lament" - Baroque classical music is astounding: Vivaldi (besides his Four Seasons, try some religious music, like for instance the impressive "Nullo Mundo Pax Sincera"), Marcello, Corelli, Pachelbel (his canon is one of the most moving pieces in classical music), Purcell (his "Ode on St. Cecilia's Day" is simply wonderful) - Bach is something completely different, my favourite one. Just listen how he could turn mathematics into trascendental music in his "Organ Variations on the Choral Von Himmel Hoch Da Komm'Ich Her"; I also go crazy for his "Goldberg Variations" (any version goes) - Honestly, and there's no reason why, I'm not so fond of piano. But Ravel's piano concertos are really fundamental - Stravinskij is a genius. Not only for the "Firebird" and the "Sacre du Printemps"; his "Les Noces" (I don't know if in English they are translated as "The Wedding") are really worth the while - Contemporary classic is challenging, but also extremely rewarding. Try with Ligeti's "Lux Aeterna", Nono's "Il Canto Sospeso" and Stockhausen's "Kontakte".     ...ok, let me add Mozart's "Zauberflote"

well thank very much! I love palestrina too...

I know some of your stuff, Im trying to download this stuff but its hard...

Bach's Cello and Lute Suites are good on both their original instruments and arranged for guitar

Beethoven's 5th and 9th symphonies are obvious starts although I prefer his various piano sonatas.

Chopin's nocturnes and mazurkas

Philip Glass's Civil Wars, and Music in 12 Parts

Steve Reich's piano phase, electric counter point, and trains

Dvorak's New World  Symphony (no. 9).  His other symphonies are good too and not nearly as appreciated as they should be.

Holst's The Planets

John Dowland's songs for lute

Isaac Albeniz's piano works (also arranged for guitar like the mega-famous Asturias/Leyenda)

Nikita Koshkin's The Elves Suite (guitar)

Stravinski's Spring Sacrifice is a start

Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherezade

Bartok, Berlioz, and Brahms are good ones too! Bartok is far more different from the other two B's as he was modern, but he is great.