Classical Music

[Globalti]

Handel..... I would challenge anybody not to be astounded by the sound of Andreas Scholl, a German counter-tenor, singing this beautiful aria from Handel: Andreas Scholl

 

[pepecat]

If you like choral, Zadok is good (as others have said), as is Handel's messiah, Orff's Carmina Burana, Vivaldi's Gloria (can't remember what it's from.... Requiem??). Tavener's Hymn to the Mother of God is wonderful stuff.
I have an album I bought years ago called Absolute Heaven which is a mixture of choral stuff, and got me into the genre in the first place.

If you want a foray into opera, I'd maybe try a Puccini compliation thingy to start with - he's fairly accessible - more so than Wagner anwyay!! Or 'Funiculi funicula' is a fun song to get going on!!

 

[pubrunner]

I recommend Mozart's Clarinet Concerto - as played by Andrew Marriner.

Clarinet Concerto

 

[Fiona N]

Handel..... I would challenge anybody not to be astounded by the sound of Andreas Scholl, a German counter-tenor, singing this beautiful aria from Handel: Andreas Scholl

P.S> Really interesting to hear Cecelia Bartoli singing it (video came up adjacent to the Scholl one) - I really like her singing usually but in this case, the lesser vibratto and less mannered version of Scholl is just so superior (IMHO of couse)

Have you heard Scholl singing Bach's Cantatas for Alto (on Harmonia Mundi)? Completely sublime possibly even better than an alto singing them.

 

[slowmotion]

Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No 1. Virtually anything played by John Ogdon is worth a listen....

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDCrItofVYY[/media]

 

[jonesy]

Beethoven Symphony Number Three. If you can find a recording, Karl Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic (1972?)
Do yourself a favour actually, get all nine of them.

A few months ago I bought this version:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-S...JYRE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307691635&sr=8-1


and while I was at it I also got this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-C...VOXU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307691702&sr=8-1

I wish I'd discovered Beethoven years ago! Like the OP I've only fairly recently started listening to classical music. I hadn't really listened to any kind of music at all for many years, dabbled in Pink Floyd and '80s rock in my teens and early twenties. I've already earned srw's disapproval by admitting to being quite a fan of Classic FM , but its target market includes people like me who are largely clueless about music and I think it does that very sucessfully. What is popular is of course not the same as what is good, but it is nonetheless to my mind a helpful way of finding out what you might enjoy... so at the risk of further offending srw's sensibilities: http://www.classicfm.co.uk/hall-fame/

 

[Globalti]

Classic FM drives me insane with its smugness and ghastly jingles, it really is classical music dumbed down. I imagine that Classic FM listeners are the same people who pay to lie on a couch with a line of beach pebbles on their backs and a seraphic expression on their stupid mugs.

 

[jonesy]

Classic FM drives me insane with its smugness and ghastly jingles, it really is classical music dumbed down. I imagine that Classic FM listeners are the same people who pay to lie on a couch with a line of beach pebbles on their backs and a seraphic expression on their stupid mugs.

You seem very familiar with this strange activity, is there a name for it?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I've got some Michael Nyman albums, do they count?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Yes, as long as it's not that terrible opera!

No, I don't really have any opera except Madame Butterfly by Malcolm McLaren and the Chuck Jones, Looney Tunes cartoon 'What's Opera Doc'

 

[User169]

I've got some Michael Nyman albums, do they count?

Not a huge fan of Nyman, but there's a disc of his string quartets (on argo I think) which is most excellent.

 

[jack the lad]

If you like exceptional and interesting voices check out
Alfred Deller, who sings counter-tenor (i.e. male soprano)
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trOXaDeFeD4

Richard Tauber - 'You are my hearts delight' is a personal favourite
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgmKpcgQ30

Dame Janet Baker - Best heard performing Elgar's 'Sea Pictures' . A sample here
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs_lmImzM0A

 

[Globalti]

Not a huge fan of Nyman, but there's a disc of his string quartets (on argo I think) which is most excellent.

Why not? Contemporary composers write for films; is that any different from writing music for the Church or for your patron or to flatter a monarch?

 

[RedRider]

There's beautiful, minimalist stuff from the likes of Steve Reich that's accessible if you're coming from a background of listening to repetitive beats.

(I'm watching/listening to this thread to pick up some tips myself.)

 

[User169]

Why not? Contemporary composers write for films; is that any different from writing music for the Church or for your patron or to flatter a monarch?

Nothing to do with film music. Nyman's alright, but I'd prefer to listen to Steve Reich. That might not be an entirely fair comparison I suppose, but there's only so much music you can listen to.