Tell me your favourite classical music

[clucky3]

Just that really. I'm approaching middle age and want to broaden my musical horizons. I've never really listened to classical music, I didn't grow up in a house where it was ever played or discussed, my knowledge of it is minimal.

Whilst I'm perfectly capable of jumping in and trying a few things out, I'm looking for recommendations on where to start.

What are your favourite pieces?

I had a similar background to you, classical music was just never on my radar till I reached middle age. I now listen to radio 3 out of choice and I found that's a good place to start. You get to hear a variety of composers and all categories from symphonies to opera, from medieval to present day and everything in between. The presenters are knowledgeable and often give lots of context like what the composer was doing when the piece was composed or information on the musicians or the venue where it was performed.

My personal favourites are Elgar's Cello Concerto and also his Sea Pictures and Vaughan Williams' A Lark Ascending. I also like Rimsky Korsokov's Sherherezade and Debussy's La Mer. But lot ans lots of pieces that I can't even name. I sometimes make a note of something I really like and that has helped me put it into context.

Ooo! How many do you want?

Current favourites:

Brahms cello sonata #1:

Bach double violin concerto:

open.spotify.com/album/6dZgNyNxFX7WEGnb343noN?si=p0ixOoGcS92ps-4wFNoZbw

My favourite playlist atm on Spotify, it’s double bass and piano so a bit niche maybe, but why not?

Holst's The Planets, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Grieg's Peer Gynt. All fantastic pieces with great tunes to boot. Enjoy!

Most Beethoven orchestral music is amazing. I particularly love the Emperor piano concerto and the 7th symphony.

I absolutely love Rodrigues concerto d'aranjuez. Or if you've seen the film 'Brassed off', it's the piece where she wants to join the colliery band.

Also a massive Radio 3 fan. The breakfast show is my favourite.

Hard to pick a complete favourite but I love 'Ombra mai fu' (There never was a shade) by Handel. Also known as a Largo which is just 'slow and stately'. This is I can never get over watching a bloke who looks like the sort of arse who does the most boring training of the year open his mouth and that unearthly sound comes out. His kind of voice is known as a countertenor and it's unusual.

Elgar - Enigma Variarions
Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
Beethoven - Fur Elise
Orff - Carmina Burana
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture

Bach Cello suite no:1 is lovely and his Brandenburg concertos would be worth checking out too. Also Haydn string quartet in b minor. If you’d like to try some choral then Palestrina Canticum Canticorum is highly recommended.

Im lowbrow. I like classic FM. Now is a good time to get into classical music. Watch the proms on the BBC.

I reckon going to watch a performance is good too. Listen beforehand to get used to the piece. Thats the way I end up with favourites. Do you have a good concert hall near you?

Elgar 'Enigma variations' is my all time fave.

My other fave is 'Ma Vlast' (my homeland) by Smetena. Especially the first 3 sections.

Also 'On the Steppes of Central Asia' by Alexander Borodin.

I like Dvorak especially symphonies 6,8 and 9.

I love Sibelius symphony number 5. Known as his Swan Hymn. Also Karelia Suite.

Tchaikovsky is an old favourite. I love swan lake and nutcracker ballets. 1812 overture is always fun.

Rachmaninov and Debussy and Chopin piano music.

Love Beethoven piano Sonatas especially 'moonlight' and 'patetique'.

Mozart as well. Love Ronda alla Turka (Turkish march, cant spell)

The occasional Brahams

Bach piano music (i play some).

Many operas, Prokofiev, Puccini.
I very much like Barber's 'Adagio with strings'.
Classic FM is good, they used to do a magazine, I don't know if they still do but it was very interesting and informative. I often picked one up when in a newsagent's shop.

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e minor
Elgar cello concerto
Rachmaninov piano concertos, particularly 4
Leonard Bernstein - An American in Paris -might be a bit modern for you.

The Lark Ascending by Vaughn Williams.

Have you tried Scala Radio - it’s the station where Simon Mayo went. Bit lighter than Radio 3, with chatty stuff too.

Erik Satie
m.youtube.com/watch?v=aTi9czvLa-4
m.youtube.com/watch?v=_fuIMye31Gw

Requiem by Gabriel Fauré

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e minor
ditto, fell in love with this when I was 15. I also loved a record of vivaldi's 4 seasons I was given by my aunt for my 14th birthday. Anything Baroque really.

Also love Beethoven.

Most have been covered but another is Ludovico Einaudi - a contemporary classical composer, divenire, farewell and fox tracks are my favourites but I like every piece I’ve ever heard of his.

Wienawski - Variations
Sibelius Violin Concerto
Schubert - Death and The Maiden

Tartini- Devil's Trill Sonata
Joseph Bologne, Chavalier de St Georges- Violin Concerto in G Major
The Brandenburg Concertos
Feuerfest Polka

When I listen to Claude Debussy’s,“Clair de Lune” I cry every single time. This song is a true masterpiece.

I have never heard a composition by Handel, JS Bach or Mozart that wasn’t astonishingly good.

Those Germans and Austrians! How did they do it? Brilliant stuff.

Somebody upthread mentioned Sibelius. Whole heartedly agree. I love the Andante Festivo. It was written to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a sawmill (!!!) but is wonderfully uplifting.

Mendelssohn - Fingal's Cave

Mahler's Symphonies.

There was a thread a while ago when many mn-ers (ha that aurocorrected to maneaters) listed their favourites and I started a Spotify play list.

It's collaborative feel free to add or just listen!
https://open.spotify.com/user/lauraharee_/playlist/54qkkrHqqmVywAuHCLxLiB?si=Ykx9uNLZTQWOSGCnK0GGMQ

I love Ralph Vaughan Williams version of Greensleaves, John Williams Across the Stars

Does anyone else laugh when people say "I love all kinds of music .... except classical, obvs." They don't know what they're missing!