Steve, do you listen to classical music?

[1928]

Been wanting to ask this for a while.

Since I'm no longer in school, I'm studying on my own, and I've picked up quite a few pieces so far. Running through Mozart's K545 sonata and Beethoven's Op. 49 sonatas - their easiest sonatas, sure, but they're still pretty challenging in some aspects!

I wanted to know if you listen to classical music at all, and who your favorite pianists/composers are, if you do. I'm currently obsessed with Chopin's nocturne in E flat, what a stunning piece of piano music that is!

(Can't remember if I've made this topic before... my memory seems to be losing its strength already! Oh dear..)

 

[Gibbon]

Hmm, what a coincidence, just a few days ago I got quite alot of classical music CD's. Since I've not been listening to it before I had no idea what to expect, and the litterarely BLEW MY MIND! What a piece of art, I'm so stunned that I've missed out this kind of music before, but I guess that leaves more for the future!

Anyway, intresting to see what Steve's anwser is, but I feel like most musicians out there have classical music as an inspirations, and specially piano players...

 

[1928]

Definitely, I'm curious to see who his favorites are. Classical piano is my preferred area of classical music, but I love me some symphonies and concertos, and the occasional opera!

 

[Symphony]

Good question 1928!

I don't listen to anywhere near as much classical music as I used to do in times gone by......but that really applies to music in general, and that's due to time constraints as opposed to not wanting to.

Obviously with the classical piano/violin training I had many moons ago, I was exposed to a lot of classical music in my formative years. The Baroque period was one of my personal favourites......particularly the likes of J.S Bach, Scarlatti and Handel. Learnt a lot from those guys in terms of harmony especially.

Big fan of the melodic content of the likes of Mendelssohn and Grieg too......and also the more bombastic approach of Shostakovich too.

Having served time as both a church organist and a chorister in my younger days.......thanks to my Dad being a vicar......I got a good appreciation for choral music as well......which has been known to inspire some aspects of PQ songs too

 

[Andiferum]

Kudos for the "many moons ago". I use that FAR too often.

 

[1928]

Very cool, Steve! My favorites are of the romantic era - I'm truly a sucker for Chopin and Beethoven in particular (I have 87 CDs of Beethoven, for crying out loud)!

 

[1928]

Maybe this should just be a classical music thread! Currently listening to Beethoven's Tempest sonata, second movement... one of my favorites!

 

[Gibbon]

I guess I should use this thread to ask for tips in good classical musicians.

Since I just started listen to classical music I've yet only heard beethoven really, but I got quite a few(well I think it's a lot, nothing compared to you classical collection) including Beethoven, Bach, Chopin among others.

But could still use for some more names, since I just know about like the top 3 famous classical musicians. So if it's not too much problems, a few names for classical piano music, symphonies and concertos, and opera would be really cool!

 

[1928]

If you're just getting started you can't go wrong with the most famous musicians and their big famous works, haha! You'll recognize a bunch of these when you hear them, surely. In fact you may already have these...

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
Beethoven - Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata (Op. 27, No. 2)
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart - Sonata in A Major (K331; the famous Turkish March is the third movement)
Mozart - Sonata in C Major (K545; the first movement is very famous)
Mozart - Requiem Mass in D Minor (K626; specifically Lacrimosa section)
Dvorak - New World Symphony
Vivaldi - Spring (from The Four Seasons)
Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565, it's very famous)

For operas, Beethoven only had one, named Fidelio. Mozart had quite a few and I recommend Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro most.

I also highly recommend the Revolutionary Etude by Chopin, as well as his Preludes 7, 15, and 20. You'll surely recognize 7 and 20, 15 maybe not so much but it's beautiful.

I think I'll stop there. Those are the composers I'm most familiar with. Bach has so much stuff it's hard to suggest just a few, and I'm not so familiar with many other composers by name, unfortunately! I spend too much time studying just a handful of composers

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

I can't accurately type out how much classical music has influence me and filled me with an undefinable sense of joy, wonder, melancholy, grandeur, etc, etc but safe to say that I share the passion you guys have. My brother has always been a classical music nut. He was grade 8 on a variety of instruments and had a hi-tech stereo system to relentlessly play his classical music CDs/LPs and we have an upright piano, so the house was always filled with Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. In fact the film Amadeus remains my favourite film of all time (also Goodfellas just by the way ) thanks to my brother introducing it to me when I was young. I think it's this early exposure which lit a fire under my whole passion for music so you really couldn't ask for a better introduction. I'm a big fan of classical music's influence on metal too. Any classical cover will get my attention and neo-classical metal combines so much of what I love in metal; virtuoso performance, complex scales, arpeggios, harmony, sweeping, grand and complimentary composition. In fact big love of Bach and Paganini and Chopin for these reasons - the Baroque and Romantic periods are really where it's at.

Anyway sorry to blather, thought I'd share

 

[1928]

Goodfellas and Amadeus? You and I, sir, we would get along extremely well in person.

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

Amen, brother

 

[Gibbon]

Wow great thanks for the list! Got a bit catching up to do now

 

[Gibbon]

Just a quick question, if I am to check out the music you suggested(until now I've been listening to what I've got already) are there any special Orchestras(not sure how to spell that) that are more known or really good and/or easier to find etc. ? Because searched on a few of the titles on a music shop and felt kind of lost in space, so many different CDs

 

[1928]

I'm more familiar with solo performers rather than orchestras, but in my opinion you can't go wrong with anything by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Incredible performances from that group!

 

[Gibbon]

Thanks! Feel free to mention any solo performers as well, even though i'll probably start with getting some orchestral music i'll probably check out solo performances as well, in time.