Classical Music

I just scored 12 classical CDs for $20!
Grieg, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Debussey!
I tried to grab a variety of pieces for piano, orchestra, violin.
I like most of the well-known pieces by classical artist, but I prefer softer adagio pieces, does anyone know of any artist that specialises in this area? I like piano, viola, flute, harp etc...

Also, scored My Dying Bride's Like Gods Of The Sun for $8! My first MDB CD, I grabbed it for the track For My Fallen Angel. Joygasm!
 
I listen to a lot of classical music.. I'm a music nerd and such- in my free time I read music history/composer biography books... mostly my favorite composers are from the romantic period.. let's see:: Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, Bartok, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelsohhn (sp?), Wagner, Liszt, Borodin, Enesco, Grieg, Beethoven, Kabalevsky, Tchaikovsky, and so on.... I'm actually most knowledgable of classical music... as in heard every composer and know enough about them to talk about or something.. in other genres I just know of some bands and stuff *shrug*
 
I never liked Bach... his music is VERY mathematical, which every Romantic composer seemed to also agree on. Bach never strayed away from the rules of music theory. So Bach really isnt referred to an artist of the Classical period, but of the Baroque period.

Beethoven - his Sonatas are by far my most favorite works of his, including the Moonlight Sonata, which if you try to get it is split into 3 different parts. First part the most famous and slow, second very happy and jumpy, and the third movement is my favorite because its very complicated while at the same time a very powerful section. A lot going on in that one.

Chopin - definately my favorite Classical (Romantic for the politically correct) artist. If you wanna check out a few songs my picks would be the Fantasie Impromptu, the Revolutionary Etude (Op. 10 #12 in C Minor), and the Grand Valse Brillante Waltz (Op. 18). Also, Op. 72 #2 (Funeral March), In C Minor is a song that every person recognizes (hopefully), but most doesnt know that Chopin wrote it.

Claude Debussy - very mellow classical artist. Check out Clair de Lune.

Johannes Brahms - this guy makes some fuckin crazy music. you MUST check out his Rhapsodies, especially the 2nd one. His Capriccios, Intermezzos, and Sonatas are cool as well.

Mozart - always a favorite

Rachmaninoff - "the isle of the dead" is a cool and very long song
 
Well, from the top of my head some last century's classical stuff that makes me think about metal:

Bartok: his 4th String Quartet sometimes gives impression of listening to Watchtower; and his superb Piano Concertos! For gothic, doomy, chamber rock interpretation of Bartok check the band Univers Zero, especially their Heresie album.

Stravinsky: somebody called him the 1st metaller - heathen, catchy, powerfull stuff; check Rite of Spring, Petrushka, The Firebird.

Penderecki: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima - if it is not metal, then what?! Mindsurfase scratching mayhem of strings

Elliot Carter: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and other stuff - sometimes when I'm in the appropriate mood, I'm choosing between Carter and Dillinger Escape Plan :) Total controlled chaos!

Varese: Ionisation, Ameriques, Arcana - a bit impressionistic but addictive stuff. Frequent tempo changes, syncopes, percussions blasts, phantom melodies... well: Debussy on steroids
 
Hmmm, classical music is maybe the only musicstyle that I like as much as I like metal - not to say maybe more! I love classical composers such as Liszt, a more baroque approach like JS Bach's, but also newer stuff: Chaikovsky, Soshtakovich etc.

For those of you who mentioned that you'd like to get into classical music, here are some works I'd recommend:

  1. Orff: Carmina Burana (definitely the best start for a metalhead!)
  2. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (the middle part of Summer and the middle part of Winter are top!)
  3. Dowland: all his works for lute (pre-classical music, simple tunes etc)
  4. Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies (especially Rhapsody #2)
  5. JS Bach: St. Matthews Passion (especially the chorals)
  6. Mahler: Sypmhony #1 (The Titan)
  7. Borodin: Prince Igor
  8. Brahms: Hungarian Dances (especially #1 in G minor)
  9. Chaikovsky: The Swan Lake
  10. Smetana: Mein Vaterland

Well, most of these pieces are very well-known, so you'll get into them easier. Many of them are short and the can be downloaded:

Try to download:

  1. Brahms: "Hungarian Dance #1 in G minor"
  2. Liszt: "Hungarian Rhapsody #2"
  3. JS Bach: "Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen"
  4. Orff: "O Fortuna" and "
  5. Borodin: "Allegro from Prince Igor"
and also the following preclassical lute pieces:

"Lammento di Tristano", "Basse Danse La Brosse" and everything else containing the words Basse Danse, "Greensleeves", "The King Of Denmark's Galliard", "Passemeze".

Lastly, some guitar pieces (these are all short, you can download them easily):

  1. Villa-Lobos:"Choros #1"
  2. Albeniz:"Asturias"
  3. Rodrigo:"Concierto de Aranjuez"
  4. Tarrega:"Recuerdos de la Alhambra"

Try them, you won't be disapointed! :)

Hope this was helpful, tell me what you think of the pieces and the composers! ;)
 
i like stuff like the obvious ones, Mozart, Beethoven, JS Bach, as well as some Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Holst. I really like that one piece by Saint-Saens-the Danse Macabre. its so haunting and evil in some way. also that one piece by Liszt called the Hungarian Rhapsody, first heard it on a Tom & Jerry cartoon. Last week i just bought a five CD classical compilation titled "100 Classical Masterpieces"(as shown on some Time Life ad) from a garage sale for only 5 bucks. It pretty much introduced me to a lot of great composers.
 
Originally posted by Pure Absurd
Bartok: his 4th String Quartet sometimes gives impression of listening to Watchtower; and his superb Piano Concertos! For gothic, doomy, chamber rock interpretation of Bartok check the band Univers Zero, especially their Heresie album.

Stravinsky: somebody called him the 1st metaller - heathen, catchy, powerfull stuff; check Rite of Spring, Petrushka, The Firebird.

Penderecki: Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima - if it is not metal, then what?! Mindsurfase scratching mayhem of strings

Elliot Carter: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and other stuff - sometimes when I'm in the appropriate mood, I'm choosing between Carter and Dillinger Escape Plan :) Total controlled chaos!

Varese: Ionisation, Ameriques, Arcana - a bit impressionistic but addictive stuff. Frequent tempo changes, syncopes, percussions blasts, phantom melodies... well: Debussy on steroids
(basically, i can retire from the forum now completely :) )
 
With classical music, I can only get into the all-time classics, such as Carmina Burana, The Seasons, Moonlight Sonata, Toccata Fugue in D minor etc. And I just love the Danse Macabre; I became aware of it through Jonathan Creek (TV show) and it's just really really good.

But I don't consider myself to be a "fan" of any specific composer, I just like a good piece of music.