The Classical Music Thread (merged)

[cthrubuoy]

So with all the diversities on this forum I'm going to guess at least a few of you listen to classical?
I recently bought 'The Best Classical Album in the World... Ever!'. Some awesome songs on here, I could listen to it all day.

A track listing for anyone interested.

Disc: 1 
1. Pachelbel: Canon In D 
2. J. S. Bach: Air ‘On The G String’ (Hamlet Cigars) 
3. Albinoni: Adagio In G Minor (Gallipoli) 
4. J. S. Bach:Goldberg Variations (Silence Of The Lambs) 
5. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending 
6. Armstrong: Weather Storm 
7. Beethoven: ‘Pastoral’ Symphony – Shepherds’ Hymn After The Storm 
8. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 In C Minor – Ii Adagio Sostenuto (Brief Encounter) 
9. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On ‘Greensleeves’ 
10. Delibes: Flower Duet (Lakmé) (British Airways) 
11. Beethoven: ‘Moonlight’ Sonata (Immortal Beloved) 
12. Mozart: Flute & Harp Concerto In C – Ii. Andantino 
13. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 In G Minor – Ii. Adagio 
14. Satie: Gymnopédie No.1 (What Lies Beneath) 
15. Vivaldi: Winter (The Four Seasons) – Ii. Largo 
16. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto In A – Ii. Adagio (Out Of Africa) 
17. Elgar: Nimrod (Elizabeth) 

Disc: 2 
1. Zimmer/Gerrard/Badelt: Gladiator Suite (Gladiator) 
2. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis (Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World) 
3. Armstrong/De Vries/Hooper: Balcony Scene (Romeo And Juliet) (Original Soundtrack Version) 
4. Shore: The Fellowship (The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring) 
5. Horner: My Heart Will Go On (Titanic) 
6. Williams: Schindler’s List Theme 
7. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 In C – Ii. Andante (Elvira Madigan) 
8. Johann Strauss Ii: On The Beautiful Blue Danube (2001: A Space Odyssey) 
9. Barry: You Only Live Twice Main Theme 
10. Nyman: The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise (The Piano) (Original Soundtrack Version) 
11. Puccini: O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) (A Room With A View) 
12. Williams: Fawkes The Phoenix (Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets) 
13. Newman: Any Other Name (American Beauty) 
14. Myers: Cavatina (The Deer Hunter) 
15. Morricone: Cinema Paradiso Love Theme) (Original Soundtrack Version) 
16. Petit: Jean De Florette Theme (Original Soundtrack Version) (Stella Artois Tv Advert) 
17. Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe (The Mission) (Original Soundtrack Version) 
18. Mahler: Symphony No.5 In C Sharp Minor – Iv. Adagietto (Death In Venice) 
19. Tárrega: Etude (The Killing Fields) (Original Soundtrack Version) 
20. Eno: An Ending (Ascent) (Traffic) (Original Soundtrack Version) 
Disc: 3 
1. Handel: Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah) 
2. Allegri: Miserere Mei, Deus (Chariots Of Fire) 
3. Barber: Adagio For Strings (Platoon) 
4. Handel: Zadok The Priest (P&O Cruises Tv Advert) 
5. Mozart: Lacrimosa (Requiem) (Amadeus) 
6. Bach–Gounod: Ave Maria 
7. Jenkins: Agnus Dei (The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace) 
8. Elgar: Cello Concerto In E Minor – I. Adagio–Moderato 
9. Prizeman: Voca Me 
10. Lloyd Webber: Pie Jesu (Requiem) 
11. Tavener: The Lamb (Orange Tv Advert) 
12. Dowland: Lachrimae Antiquae (Flow My Teares) 
13. Handel: Lascia Ch’io Pianga (Rinaldo) 
14. Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus (Lorenzo’s Oil) 
15. Rutter: Requiem Aeternam (Requiem) 
16. Parry: Jerusalem 
17. Fauré: In Paradisum (Requiem) (The Thin Red Line) 
18. Mccartney: Celebration (Standing Stone) 
Disc: 4 
1. Orff: O Fortuna (Carmina Burana) (The Omen) 
2. J. S. Bach: Toccata & Fugue In D Minor 
3. Jenkins: Adiemus (Delta Airlines Tv Advert) 
4. Vivaldi: Spring (The Four Seasons) – I. Allegro 
5. J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3 In G – I. Allegro Moderato 
6. Beethoven: Symphony No.5 In C Minor – I. Allegro Con Brio (The Longest Day) 
7. Mozart: Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat – Iii. Rondo 
8. Grieg: Piano Concerto In A Minor – I. Allegro Molto Moderato 
9. Bizet: Temple Duet (The Pearl Fishers) (Gallipoli) 
10. Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue (Manhattan) 
11. Holst: Jupiter (The Planets) 
12. Prokofiev: Montagues And Capulets (Romeo & Juliet) (Chanel ‘L’égoïste’ Tv Advert) 
13. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 In B Flat Minor – I. Allegro Non Troppo 
14. Wagner: The Ride Of The Valkyries (Die Walküre) (Apocalypse Now) 
15. Ravel: Bolero (10) 
16. Elgar: Pomp And Circumstance March No.1 (Land Of Hope And Glory) (Last Night Of The Bbc Proms) 
17. Beethoven: Ode To Joy (Die Hard) 
18. Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture 

[Ultimetalhead]

Whoa...that's a killer CD right there...

[Dunns Beard]

Not really a CD for anyone who regularly listens to classical. I guess it's a decent starting point though. If you like what's on it I'd recommend getting some of the pieces in full. It's definitely worth it.

[Bombardana]

I've got something similar called 101 classical greats 5 cd collection

[LudwigVan]

I love classical music, it's just so damn......  proggy!   

[brakkum]

love it.

[sirbradford117]

Beethoven is my homeboy.

[ScottOfRedemption]

that is a horrible compilation haha

[LudwigVan]

  sn0b!

[ScottOfRedemption]

haha no it really is...

but yeah, maybe you're right

[cthrubuoy]

I know what you mean about the compliation element. But it's cool because it's in my 'On-The-Go' playlist on my ipod, which mixes it in with DT and Opeth and whoever else is in there. So doesn't bog me down with constant reams of Classical, which would probably end up boring me.

Can anyone recommend good full pieces? The only one I've got is The Planets by Holst , but that's on cassette and I haven't got a cassette player in my house 

[Dunns Beard]

With my MP3 player I tend to just put short pieces or Opera/concert Overtures so that it's easy to listen to them. It was irritating when the third movement from a symphony or one 'track' from an opera came on so I stopped putting them on.

A few good symphonies to start on with some great melodies and of a good length (no Mahler/Bruckner yet) are:

Tchaikovsky's 5th - Less heavy than the 4th or 6th and less patriotic than the first three.
Beethoven 7th - Great place to start IMO with Beethoven.
Saint-Saens 3rd(Organ) - From a film about a pig.
Dvorak 9th (From the New World) - Great tunes.
Berlioz Symphony Fantastique - Trippy!
Strauss - Eine Alpensinfonie - Not very popular but probably my favourite piece ever written from the joint greatest composer who's ever lived IMO so I have to give it a mention.

and concertos

Violin - Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Bruch
Piano - Rachmaninov 2nd, Schumann, Beethoven 5th
Cello - Elgar


Probably more than you were hoping for but those are good pieces IMO for a beginner to start with. I prefer Romantic era so you need to ask someone else if you like earlier/later stuff. Remember with classical music that a perfomance/conductor/orchestra is really important. I've often heard a piece by one conductor, hated it, then loved it with another. That's just how it works.

[austin]

Claire de Lune - Claude Debussy

NOW

[splent]

My mini review of the songs on here (bolded means it's a favorite of mine).  One thing before: this is the most screwed up order ever.  I'm used to all the composers and their periods all together.  Who puts Rachmoniov int he same CD as Bach?

1. Pachelbel: Canon In D - way overplayed, but nice every once in a while
2. J. S. Bach: Air ‘On The G String’ (Hamlet Cigars) - I like it.
3. Albinoni: Adagio In G Minor (Gallipoli)
4. J. S. Bach:Goldberg Variations (Silence Of The Lambs)
5. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
6. Armstrong: Weather Storm
7. Beethoven: ‘Pastoral’ Symphony – Shepherds’ Hymn After The Storm - I love the 6th symphony.
8. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 In C Minor – Ii Adagio Sostenuto (Brief Encounter)
9. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On ‘Greensleeves’
10. Delibes: Flower Duet (Lakmé) (British Airways)
11. Beethoven: ‘Moonlight’ Sonata (Immortal Beloved) - Love playing this.
12. Mozart: Flute & Harp Concerto In C – Ii. Andantino
13. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 In G Minor – Ii. Adagio
14. Satie: Gymnopédie No.1 (What Lies Beneath)
15. Vivaldi: Winter (The Four Seasons) – Ii. Largo - I love the 4 seasons.  It got me into classical music.  I like the 1st movement of Winter better, though.
16. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto In A – Ii. Adagio (Out Of Africa)
17. Elgar: Nimrod (Elizabeth)

Disc: 2
1. Zimmer/Gerrard/Badelt: Gladiator Suite (Gladiator)
2. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis (Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World)
3. Armstrong/De Vries/Hooper: Balcony Scene (Romeo And Juliet) (Original Soundtrack Version)
4. Shore: The Fellowship (The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring) - Why is Howard Shore on a classical music CD
5. Horner: My Heart Will Go On (Titanic)
6. Williams: Schindler’s List Theme - OK... I wouldn't put film scores on a traditional classical CD, but whatever, it's cool
7. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 In C – Ii. Andante (Elvira Madigan)
8. Johann Strauss Ii: On The Beautiful Blue Danube (2001: A Space Odyssey) - Overplayed... I never liked schmultzy Romantic music, though.
9. Barry: You Only Live Twice Main Theme
10. Nyman: The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise (The Piano) (Original Soundtrack Version)
11. Puccini: O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) (A Room With A View) - One of my favorite arias.
12. Williams: Fawkes The Phoenix (Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets)
13. Newman: Any Other Name (American Beauty)
14. Myers: Cavatina (The Deer Hunter)
15. Morricone: Cinema Paradiso Love Theme) (Original Soundtrack Version)
16. Petit: Jean De Florette Theme (Original Soundtrack Version) (Stella Artois Tv Advert)
17. Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe (The Mission) (Original Soundtrack Version)
18. Mahler: Symphony No.5 In C Sharp Minor – Iv. Adagietto (Death In Venice)
19. Tárrega: Etude (The Killing Fields) (Original Soundtrack Version)
20. Eno: An Ending (Ascent) (Traffic) (Original Soundtrack Version)
Disc: 3
1. Handel: Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah) - Sing it every year, never get sick oh it.
2. Allegri: Miserere Mei, Deus (Chariots Of Fire)
3. Barber: Adagio For Strings (Platoon) - Absolutely beautiful.  Makes me almost cry every time.  We are singing it in choir.
4. Handel: Zadok The Priest (P&O Cruises Tv Advert) - Sang this in college.  Actually one of Handel's most underrated.  Handel oratorios get sickening after a while though.
5. Mozart: Lacrimosa (Requiem) (Amadeus)
6. Bach–Gounod: Ave Maria
7. Jenkins: Agnus Dei (The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace)
8. Elgar: Cello Concerto In E Minor – I. Adagio–Moderato
9. Prizeman: Voca Me
10. Lloyd Webber: Pie Jesu (Requiem) Beautiful.
11. Tavener: The Lamb (Orange Tv Advert)
12. Dowland: Lachrimae Antiquae (Flow My Teares)
13. Handel: Lascia Ch’io Pianga (Rinaldo)
14. Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus (Lorenzo’s Oil) - I like it but it's almost TOO simple.
15. Rutter: Requiem Aeternam (Requiem)
16. Parry: Jerusalem
17. Fauré: In Paradisum (Requiem) (The Thin Red Line) I LOVE Faure.  He needs more love.
18. Mccartney: Celebration (Standing Stone)
Disc: 4
1. Orff: O Fortuna (Carmina Burana) (The Omen)
2. J. S. Bach: Toccata & Fugue In D Minor - I like the orchestrated version better.
3. Jenkins: Adiemus (Delta Airlines Tv Advert)
4. Vivaldi: Spring (The Four Seasons) – I. Allegro - Overplayed, but enjoyable.
5. J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3 In G – I. Allegro Moderato - Oh of course.  See above.
6. Beethoven: Symphony No.5 In C Minor – I. Allegro Con Brio (The Longest Day) - See above again.
7. Mozart: Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat – Iii. Rondo
8. Grieg: Piano Concerto In A Minor – I. Allegro Molto Moderato
9. Bizet: Temple Duet (The Pearl Fishers) (Gallipoli)
10. Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue (Manhattan) Amazing.
11. Holst: Jupiter (The Planets)
12. Prokofiev: Montagues And Capulets (Romeo & Juliet) (Chanel ‘L’égoïste’ Tv Advert)
13. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 In B Flat Minor – I. Allegro Non Troppo
14. Wagner: The Ride Of The Valkyries (Die Walküre) (Apocalypse Now) - I HATE WAGNER.
15. Ravel: Bolero (10) - Actually Ravel hated this piece.  Did you guys know that?
16. Elgar: Pomp And Circumstance March No.1 (Land Of Hope And Glory) (Last Night Of The Bbc Proms)
17. Beethoven: Ode To Joy (Die Hard)
18. Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture 

[splent]

What it is Missing.

Debussy - Clair de Lune
Beethoven - 7th Symphony, 2nd movement
Mozart - 25th symphony, 1st movement
Bach - Double Concerto
Verdi - Dies Irae
Rutter - Gloria
Bernstein - Chichester Psalms
Bernstein - 2nd symphony, 3rd movement (Masque)
Reich - Anything
Glass - Anything
Whitacre - Anything

[Dunns Beard]

Well, if we're going into what it's missing than any work of the following:

Liszt, Chopin, Dvorak, Bruckner, Schoenberg, R.Strauss, Gluck, Strauss I, Verdi, Britten, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Schubert, Schumann, Sibelius, Brahms, Berlioz, Mussorgsky, Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Saint-Saens, Widor, Weber, Copland, Walton, Smetana, Franck, Janacek, Berg, Sousa, Suppe.

Maybe I'm just being picky though. Surely these are a tad better than Lloyd-Webber. Even Lloyd-Webber's dad's music is more deserving than his to be in this compilation to end all compilations.

[ScottOfRedemption]

thats a nice list of composers there dunns.  definitely represents a better spectrum of orchestral music then a lot of what's on their list.
But that list seems to be a movie compilation, which should already tell you its a little contrite.

Has anyone ever heard the Third Symphony from Gorecki? Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. Its pure brilliance. A lot of his other stuff is more dissonant and atonal, but for a while in the middle of his career, he adapted some minimalist ideals, and this symphony is just incredible.

[cthrubuoy]

I think the idea of the compilation is to get people who may like classical music, to listen to it by using songs that would would already be aware of but might not have listened to outside their (semi)original context.

[ReaPsTA]

The problem with classical music is how often it lacks any sort of structural drive between sections. It just rambles and rambles and rambles until it finally arrives at its next idea, which is tenuously connected with the previous one at best.

[James007]

The problem with classical music is how often it lacks any sort of structural drive between sections. It just rambles and rambles and rambles until it finally arrives at its next idea, which is tenuously connected with the previous one at best.

Huh?  That's all classical music is:  Structure and theme development.  If you don't like it, just say so.  Don't act like you know what you're talking about.

[nightmare_cinema]

I'm not really a massive fan of the classical compilation CDs, they tend to get rid of the essential bits that lead upto the 'famous' parts that are on commercials and stuff. Here is a list of my top whatever 'classical' pieces... in no particular order

Rachmaninoff's piano concerto 2 and 3, his preludes in C# and G minor, and rhapsody on a theme of paganini
Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol
Saint-Saens' Organ symphony <3<3<3<3<3
Beethoven's sonata pathetique, appassionata and moonlight (obviously  )
Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, March Hongroise
Holst's Planet's suite (especially Mars and Jupiter)
Bizet - Carmen (I prefer it without vocals)
Bruch's Violin Concerto in G
Bach's double violin concerto in D minor
Borodin's ... what's the name? I can't remember but it's ace. Begins with I...
Chopin's revolutionary etude (I wish I could find Rudess' performance of this), raindrop prelude

There are others, I'm not a hugely wide listener of it considering I'm doing a degree in it but I do absolutely LOVE the pieces above.. especially the rachmaninoff 3rd and saint-saens, which I would consider amongst my favourite pieces of music by anyone ever.

[nightmare_cinema]

The problem with classical music is how often it lacks any sort of structural drive between sections. It just rambles and rambles and rambles until it finally arrives at its next idea, which is tenuously connected with the previous one at best.

Haha this is hilarious, have you ever even studied 'classical' music? You can't possibly group music from the renaissance, baroque, classical romantic, modern eras all under 'classical' and say that, and I doubt you're specifically referring to 18th century Viennese music by the three masters. Have you ever even studied music? I refuse to believe that someone who has studied it could say that. It just sounds like you're trying to act like you know something about it but comes across really... as if you know nothing but are just pretending you do and putting it down rather than admit you know nothing!

[splent]

The problem with classical music is how often it lacks any sort of structural drive between sections. It just rambles and rambles and rambles until it finally arrives at its next idea, which is tenuously connected with the previous one at best.

Spoken from someone who obviously has never taken a music theory class.  That's all classical music is.  Especially earlier on.  Later classical music goes on more and more, but it is all structural.  Composers like Schoenberg and Cage tried to take it to the next level with atonality.  But there's always themes.

Example:
Sonata Form.  Any sonata or symphony from the classical period follows this pattern:

I. Exposition
(usually a repeat, the Key is in I, but then the 2nd half of the Exposition ends up in V)
II. Development
(This is where oyu hear the main thematic material modified extensively in different keys and stuff, finally modulating to I by the time the recapitulation happens)
III. Recapitulation
(Return to the exposition, starts off the same, but does not modulate to V)

On a larger level, the 1st movement of a sonata is usually in I, the 2nd movement is in V, the third is in I. 

If anyone needs theory help for college classes, just let me know.  I would KILL to be a collegiate theory teacher as well as teaching choir.  That would be my ideal job. 

Going back to the original topic, I saw that list of composers that's excluded from the list... while the compilation is probably good for people to try and get into classical music, it is mainly music put into movies.  I wouldn't put Schoenberg in a beginner's guide to classical music though.

[Sigz]

If anyone needs theory help for college classes, just let me know. 

I might later this year. I know some theory, but really not all that much, and I'll be taking a theory class this fall (hopefully).

[Nihil-Morari]

The problem with classical music is how often it lacks any sort of structural drive between sections. It just rambles and rambles and rambles until it finally arrives at its next idea, which is tenuously connected with the previous one at best.

Now see, you're talking about Bach right now.


*Runs*


But seriously, classical music is great, I don't listen to it enough. I love 'old' music, like middle ages, and rennaisance, then I'd rather skip a couple of 100 years, and go into romantic mode. Oh and I love some modern composers as well.

[sirbradford117]

The problem with classical music is how often it lacks any sort of structural drive between sections. It just rambles and rambles and rambles until it finally arrives at its next idea, which is tenuously connected with the previous one at best.

Spoken from someone who obviously has never taken a music theory class.  That's all classical music is.  Especially earlier on.  Later classical music goes on more and more, but it is all structural.  Composers like Schoenberg and Cage tried to take it to the next level with atonality.  But there's always themes.

Example:
Sonata Form. 

Splent speaks truth, as usual.

[Nihil-Morari]

Well... Not really. A virtue in the Baroque, was to compose music that was 'concertante'. It had to be one piece of the orchestra talking to the other part, but themes would interlink, making it a proces of continuation.
That was orchestral baroque music. Solo music in those days used the same principle. Example: a passacalia. One bass theme is repeated, and it can be as little as a simple chord progression, like ||: I - VI - IV - II - V |.  Bach wrote a passacalia like that, which is 17 minutes long, if I remember correcly. On top he wrote all sorts of stuff, but basically it's just all variations on the first theme.
For people that can read the score, and understand this way of composing, it's great to read it (although I can't really enjoy listening to it) but just listening to it, can make you crazy. You will get the idea it's just an ongoing process, without any emotion in it.

Later on with the minimalist movement, music started to become repetetive, but on purpose, and that can be really relaxing.

[faemir]

Bach's keyboard concerto's own.

[splent]

Well... Not really. A virtue in the Baroque, was to compose music that was 'concertante'. It had to be one piece of the orchestra talking to the other part, but themes would interlink, making it a proces of continuation.
That was orchestral baroque music. Solo music in those days used the same principle. Example: a passacalia. One bass theme is repeated, and it can be as little as a simple chord progression, like ||: I - VI - IV - II - V |.  Bach wrote a passacalia like that, which is 17 minutes long, if I remember correcly. On top he wrote all sorts of stuff, but basically it's just all variations on the first theme.
For people that can read the score, and understand this way of composing, it's great to read it (although I can't really enjoy listening to it) but just listening to it, can make you crazy. You will get the idea it's just an ongoing process, without any emotion in it.

Later on with the minimalist movement, music started to become repetetive, but on purpose, and that can be really relaxing.

I wouldn't go so far to say that Bach's music lacked emotion.  Just as my college theory professor.  sirbradford knows what I'm talking about there.  Just because Bach was very specific and very technical does not mean he lacked passion.  He had plenty.   All the suspensions, appoggiaturas, cadences, codettas... it's just insane not to think that "Air on a G string" has no emotive value and was written for technicality's sake.

Although, I would say that Handel's music is much more emotive than Bach's.

To analyze Bach though... you are right on there.  It is fun. 

[Nihil-Morari]

You're right about Bach having emotion. It's just that I find it hard to listen to the same emotion minute after minute. But that was how composing worked back then.
Air on a G string is one of Bach more emotional works, for sure.

[LudwigVan]

If you want emotion from Bach, listen to Prelude #8 from The Well-Tempered Clavier book1.  A heart-wrenchingly beautiful lacrimosa. 

[splent]

I still think the Fugue from Toccata and Fugue in d minor is very emotive.  Especially when he goes into circle of fifths.

I love bach.  Especially Bach organ preludes.

[ScottOfRedemption]

haha oh reap

[ariich]

Massive classical binge haul today, as the Borders on Oxford Street is closing down so everything is half price. Most of these were £2.50, with just the Mozart being £3.50 (but I needed a good recording anyway so it was perfect!)

Rachmaninov - Vespers
Elgar - Part Songs (selection of part songs such as My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land)
Faure - Requiem
Poulenc - Mass in G
Vaughan Williams - Symphony 5 + Flos Campi (amazing piece of music for anyone who hasn't heard it!) + Oboe Concerto
Mozart - Marriage of Figaro
Rodrigo - Guitar music compilation (as I don't have any classical guitar music and his is great)

All of these were from either Naxos or EMI's Classics for Pleasure range, both of which are really reliable, and all have been remastered within the last few years, so hopefully they'll all sound great

[splent]

Naxos always sounds great.

May I suggest getting Berlioz's Requiem.  That's really intense and ahead-of-his-time music right there.