Explain naming of classical music to me please.

[TipseyTorvey]

I occasionally love listening to classical music but despite some botched attempts to learn how to play anyself (piano and flute grade 2), I don't really know much about it. I occasionally hear the most beautiful pieces on the radio but when I try to listen to hear what it's called it's usually something totally impossible to remember like Bach symphony in e minor second string. I've made that up obviously but why don't the songs have names I can remember like 'where sheep may safely graze'(like that one) and how does an ignoramus like me find music to listen to? I've bought compilations etc but is there some kind of naming convention I'm missing?

It can be worth latching onto the composer's name. If you liked one thing by Bach that you heard, you may well like another thing.

The naming conventions are about genres. It's an equivalent to (say) novels being classified according to crime, thrillers, horror, romance, comedy, whatever.

When a piece is called "symphony", that means a whole orchestra plays it, and it probably comes in 4 or so distinct sections ("movements"), each of which has a particular structure associated with it. As a listener you probably aren't explicitly aware of the structure, but it's to do with how many tunes you get, and how the composer varies them, and what happens with the harmony (moving from one key to another)

When a piece is called a "sonata" that probably means it's just for one or two instruments; it's often in three movements, and again each movement has particular kinds of structure and harmony associated with them.

Lots of pieces of music won't get a neat "song" title associated with them, usually, because they don't have words. And in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, there was a strand of cultural value that held that music was most aesthetically valuable when its meaning could not be described in words. "Sonata in G major opus 31" means that the music has to speak "for itself", without the interpretative pointer of a descriptive title, and that was seen as a Good Thing in formalist aesthetics (There was an opposing strand that saw music's value in being programmatic - think Berlioz Symphony Fantastique - where the music tells a story, supported by a title or a synopsis, even though there aren't any actual words in the music).

Generally "bigger" pieces of music are named by category. The main categories for instrumental music would be:

Symphony - 4 movements for orchestra
Concerto - 3 movements for solo instrument accompanied by orchestra
Sonata - 3 movements for solo instrument and piano, or solo piano
String Quartet - 4 movements for two violins, viola and cello
Quintet - 4(?!) movements for solo instrument and string quartet

Larger works are made up of separate pieces of music called "movements" which are usually referred to by the number and the speed of the music, like "1st Movement: Allegro". Then you might include the key the music is played in, like C major or A minor. Sometimes, composers or publishers gave additional descriptive names to the works, like "Pastorale".

So a piece is named like "Mozart's Symphony No. 41in C major, "Jupiter", and if you were talking about a single movement you'd add "3rd Movement, Menuetto".

The major vocal works like Operas, Masses, Oratorios and Cantatas, are made up of lots of songs for choir or for soloists which are usually named for their lyrics. So "Sheep May Safely Graze" is from one of Bach's Cantatas, and so is "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" - the titles are the lyrics of the song... The only problem being that most of them aren't in English so it's hard to tell!

Some composers, or their publishers, made a catalogue of all the composers pieces and gave them a number called an Opus Number, so if a composer wrote two piano sonatas in E major, one might be Op.3 and one might be Op. 5 and that's another way of telling them apart. Mozart and Bach and some others have their own numbering system, so Sheep May Safely Graze is from the Bach Cantata with the number BWV208, Mozart's 41st Symphony is K.551.

Some of the most famous pieces are just movements from larger works, like the "Hovis Tune" is actually the second movement of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9inE minor, "From the New World".

When you're looking for pieces of music you might enjoy, you could start with composers you already like and look for their contemporaries - so if you like Mozart you could look at Haydn or Beethoven, if you like Bach you could try Handel or Vivaldi. You could also start with an instrument, so look for flute concertos or sonatas. The compilation CDs are a great place to start too! You can get the Classic FM playlists online too if you miss the name of the piece, which I always do 😂

I agree about the names, though I listen to and play lots of classical music. If I hear something I don’t know and I like, the only way for me to remember what it is is to write it down straight away. Do I ever actually do this? No. Because of course I’ll remember this time.

If you want to get to know more music then try keeping Classic FM on in the background. They repeat and repeat and repeat and it’s that familiarity that builds up.

Enjoy!

as for names of individual pieces - some composers produced a staggering amount of music. (bach, mozart for example) their works are numbered with only the biggest pieces having names.

Spotify has loads of great classical playlists, my favourite is one called 'Relaxing classical'. If you like a particular artist you can then go to their page and listen to more of their stuff.

Wow ommmward and polarisation - really detailed answers there thank you so much! It's not totally clear but I certainly understand more now. I think I'll do as last poster says and get the classic fm playlists until I start to get it or at least vaguely remember which ones I like. I generally just shout 'Alexa play bach' and hope for the best at the moment 😂.

Oh how interesting. I was baffled by it all.
My dad was a massive classical music fan. He died twelve months ago and I seem to have taken up the mantle and I am increasingly listening to more classical stuff. I had no clue what any of the names meant so Thank you for the info omm and polar .

Thanks, PP, for your very helpful explanations!

I disagree, though, with recommending Classic FM as a way to be exposed to a greater range: they seem to play the exact same set of music on repeat - so you are constantly hearing the same movement/sonata/aria. It reminds me of those 80s compilations of "Pop go the Classics"!

There's more to Strauss' waltzes than the Beautiful Blue Danube, just as there's more to Vaughan Williams than Lovely Joan. I'm fairly ignorant about classical music, but I am afraid that Classic hasn't done much to remedy this. DB tells me that it's different out of rush hour, mind you, so it might just be when I am listening!

If you hear a piece you like on the radio chances are it’s going to be a fairly popular piece so, if you remember the name of the composer, you can google say “Bach’s most popular pieces” and it’ll bring up a fairly comprehensive list you can dip into and sample and thus quite easily find the one you heard. Also you’ll be exposed at the same time to other pieces you might like. It’s easy to fall down a rabbithole though because links recommend ‘if you like this you may also like this oh and this and on and on...’

if you want to be exposed to lots of different styles try going to a couple of prom concerts.
bbc radio 3 also broadcasts a good range.

what do you like?
loud and with oomph?
delicate?
moody or happy?

The good thing about listening to classic fm online is that it tells what they’re currently playing (written on the site or app) and then you can write down exactly what it is you’re listening to (if you like it)

Ooh what do I like? Delicate and moving piano pieces that seem to ripple. Uplifting flute type songs that make you think of birds swooping about. Strings that sort of soar and have a crescendo type thing. I do not like waltzes, marching stompy things or rousing choral shouty ones. 😂. Help!

Also, it's worth having a look at what composers were working in what period. So if you like Bach you might like Vivaldi or Handel as they are all from the Baroque period.

Broadly (there are sub-periods but still) in order it goes

Early / Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
Modern

I like certain pieces from all periods but definitely lean more towards early/baroque.

Enjoy!

X-posted.

OK, I think you would like Vaughan Williams (The Lark Ascending, swoopy violin) and Einaudi (rippling piano). Love the descriptions!

Thanks Kingthistle! Will try those as soon as I can get the kids out of the kitchen 😊

There’s a new classical music station that started recently called Scala. Haven’t listened to it that much but it seems to have more variety than Classic FM.

swoony strings -mahler 9th sinfonie adagio

You may also like Elgar, OP.
Enjoy!

There is a recording out called ‘So Many Stars’, a collection of sonatinas for violin and piano by Sibelius, Alwyn, Berkeley and others played by Fenella Humphries and Nicola Eimer. It’s a quote from Sibelius about his childhood. It made me think how unusual it is to have a classical record with a name other than a nod to the main composer, and I wondered whether that was a contentious decision.

Perhaps it makes no odds. It got a rave review on radio 3’s record review programme a few weeks back anyway.

another strong recommendation for Radio 3, especially in the morning: "Essential Classics". Just enough unusual stuff for a music geek, but with enough familiar music that my (home educated) children are also getting a thorough grounding in The Canon :)

Also, I recommend youtube, because if you start playing something you know you'll like, then you go down splendid rabbit holes of other somewhat similar music. Their algorithms are quite clever.

Another suggestion for rippling piano : Dance of the Waterweeds by Du Mingxin (from a Chinese ballet about mermaids I think)

another thing wrt naming music.
often pieces are named after the tempo (speed) and mood.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo

Right @tilikum I bloody luff you!!am now listening to Spotify relaxing classical music and I am transported 🎶🎶🎶. This is just the kind of thing I wanted. Am shazaming like a crazy lady whilst waving my non wine glass hand around like a conductor. Feel zen for the first time in months. 😘

If it's Classic FM you are listening too, just remember the time and look up the piece in the schedule.

Tipsey try Debussy, Erik Satie or the Chopin nocturnes (Vaughan Willams Lark Ascending also recommended). Sibelius is worth a shot, but Rachmaninov may be a bit too heavy and intense for you. Avoid Mahler, or Beethoven in more 'heroic' style. (Well, not necessarily avoid, but forewarned is forearmed and all that!) You might also find early classical like Mozart or Haydn a bit too mathematical and regular for you. Debussy all the way with you, I think. Try L'apres-midi d'un faune.