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?

Starting with ‘popular’ classical is a good idea. Tchaikovsky and Debussy in particular are great for beginners.

@Ginger1982 have you heard the recent brideshead soundtrack? There are some lovely compositions in that one.

@BogglesGoggles ooh no! Will have to check it out!

@Ginger1982 this is one of my favourite pieces for piano of all time m.youtube.com/watch?v=ane-7DpgJJg

@BogglesGoggles that's lovely!

Some of my favourite pieces have - bizarrely - been played over the In Memoriam section at the Oscars. Thus is one of my favourites (if you can hear it over the cheering) I believe it's called Appassionata from a film called The Passage.

I guess it depends on what kind of music you like OP.

Do you like something Mediaeval like ?

Coming in to the Renaissance like , or ?

Into the Baroque and (apart from the obvious and )?

Classical and ?

Romantic and the likes of , , , , , , , , to mention just a few.

Into the 20th Century, and we've got , , , , , etc...

If any of those tickle your fancy, we can explore further...

I love that Mendelssohn octet! Apparently he wrote it when he was 16.

@Pinkarsedfly yes to Nimrod! It's at that point on Remembrance Day that I can't hold it together

Yep, Mendelssohn wrote that when he was sixteen. Doesn't that just make us all feel so effing inadequate!

TemporaryPermanent, I've never seen Andreas Scholl only heard him, and I must say I think he is rather nice!

If you like Andreas Scholl, TemporaryPermanent and sproutsandparsnips, check out his version of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater with Barbara Bonney (assuming you don't already know it!) His voice is astonishing. I would also recommmend it to you, OP.

Another countertenor that I like is Lestyn Davies, who can be seen on a YouTube video called 'Sound the Trumpet'. It's a production by the Royal College of Music and features the trumpeter Alison Balsom. The music is Baroque (Purcell, Handel) and a sound that I find really very lovely.

The composer I really like is Georg Philip Telemann. One of my favourites is the Adagio from his Concerto in D Major. Look for the recording by the trumpeter Maurice Andre. Beautiful.

I'm an amateur pianist and most of my favourite pieces are pieces I can play. I love Ludivico Einaudi, especially Nuvole Bianche as it was the first of his pieces I learnt to play well. I also love Yann Tierson, particularly Comptine D'un Autre ete.