Talk to me about classical music

[TheoneandObi]

I'd like to start listening to something new. I didn't have any education in classical music. Eighties/nineties pop music girl here! But I'd like to learn more and broaden my tastes.
So. Any suggestions?
I can be quite affected by music. I had a period of depression a few years back and music was literally painful to listen to, so I stopped. So I'd be interested in how I now cope with music which might be quite affecting iyswim
Thanks!

Ooh where to start! The good news is that classical music is vast and you will almost certainly find something you like, but you will need to experiment a bit, and don't give up if you don't find something you like straight off!

Can totally understand what you mean about not being able to listen to certain things, music is weird like that...

I found this article www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/a-beginners-guide-to-enjoying-classic-music-no-snobs-allowed/2018/08/10/ca5e2c5c-998e-11e8-8d5e-c6c594024954_story.html?outputType=amp
and the author has some great selections in there. Some good points there too: classical music covers everything from ancient music to modern stuff written last week, and can be for one instrument or 100... Try a few out and see what speaks to you.

Otherwise, one my fav programmes to listen to is "words and music" on radio 3, where they pair music with poems, with a theme each episode. You should be able to listen on BBC Sounds, would highly recommend!

Thank you! I've just subscribed on your advice.
I have enjoyed what I think might be early choral work in the past. But I couldn't name any composers or hum any tunes!

I find that some Spotify (or whichever streaming service) have some good playlists to start with & you can work out what you like & then explore more. I often work with classical music in the background as it’s less likely to distract me!

Interesting venture! Have you listened to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings? Give it a listen and let me know how it makes you feel!

You could try a playlist on Spotify called Year of wonder - it goes with a book by clemency burton-hill and has a piece of classical music for every day for a year, lots of great variety so might help you find out what you like and what you don't. I think the book tells you a bit about each piece and maybe suggestions of what else to listen to.

Why not tune into a classic radio station and see what takes your fancy?

A few years ago we went to the opera house and heard Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (ah the old spice ad) live. We arrived late and had to stand at the back and it felt as if we were blasted to the back wall when it was in full fling. Makes that hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

Oooo just tried that Barber Adagio and I'm not sure I can cope with that yet!

Vivaldi's 4 seasons is my favourite. You can imagine each of the seasons as it goes through.

Have a look at the Berlin Philharmonic digital concert hall which is free at the moment, and the ROH is streaming some past performances for free ( details on their facebook page). As all concert halls and opera houses are shut there is lots to see online and for free at the moment.

Classical film music from john William's is also great and recognisable.

The theme from Schindler's list is powerful, Also Meditation by Massenet but that Carrie's personal memories of playing it.

If you have DAB radio, then try Scala ... it's "classical music for the modern age" but I like it 😊 (there's a lot of film scores, ie John Williams)

Happy listening x

Maybe an opera? The magic flute - I really like it - I torture DS with me rendition of the queen of the night aria (horribly badly) but it’s very catchy! Or maybe marriage of figaro, or barber of Seville or carmen? These will all have songs you recognise.

Listening to music without an explanation or visuals can be hard work at first.
Try watching a history of music series like Howard Woodall’s and explore sideways from there.

Tune in to Classic FM and note anything you particularly like, then see if other music by that composer appeals to you. Listen to the Proms on Radio 3 later this year.

Classic FM Radio is great company, not just for the music.
When we arrive in the U.K. and rent a car the first thing is to tune in.

I’ve spent Christmas Eve listening to Alex Jones narrating The Snowman and refused to get out of the car in a tourist destination until John Williams had stopped talking about his early career.

I was raised by frustrated classical musicians, OP, and I began playing the violin at the age of 6. This is not a boast! I know my music though. What sound do you like? Is there a particular instrument you like? The piano? An orchestral sound? Opera? I tend to like what I call modern composers because they can mix up classical and electronic and just explore everything in between.

I could suggest to you a few songs/composers from different periods:

A beautiful song- which also marks a well-known scene in Shawshank Redemption- is From Mozart's opera Le Nozze di Figaro 'Sull'aria'.

And then you can switch it up to something modern and beautiful by Philip Glass called Glassworks: Opening performed by pianist Vikingur Olafsson. This is a beautiful piece.

Another beauty is Bizet's opera The Pearfishers: Au fond du temple

Shostakovich's Jazz Suite No.2: 6 Waltz II is absolutely lush, beautiful with a little kick of kitsch. It's pure joy.

If you go on Spotify and look up Herbert Von Karajan, you will come across one of the best conductors ever. He conducted the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years and to me, his recordings are the best. It's a great way to explore classical music and a wide range of composers.

Also on Spotify, I would look up the phenomenal violinist, Itzhak Perlman. Again, this is another brilliant way to explore different composers and their music.

Sorry to dash off. DH is summoning me to watch Better Call Saul!

There’s a composer called Ludovico Einaudi who’s a pianist and plays the most beautiful music. I have his greatest hits album, it’s called Islands, and it’s just full of the most beautiful piano music. Never fails to make me feel better. My favourite changes constantly but at the moment it’s a piece called Berlin Song. Absolutely divine.

People don't just hear it as a matter of course now with so many radio stations. I grew up with Housewives' Choice, Family Favourites, Down Your Way, and heard all sorts of music from different areas.

I would recommend listening to the music of any of Tchaikovsky's ballets. Lots of ballet music is recognisable and accessible.
Try this
m.youtube.com/watch?v=-sEgjXxjxIw

Try listening to Scala radio station. It’s like a ‘normal ‘ station with chat etc, but the music they play is classical. Simon Mayo, Angelica bell, Mark kermode all present on it.

If you've liked early choral.music in the past, though it does depend on what you mean by early, you could try some of the English Tudor composers. There is a rich seam to be mined with composers such as William Byrd, Thomas Tallis,Orlando Gibbons, or go Italian with Claudio Monteverdi or Giovanni Gabrielli. So much wonderful music to blow your mind (in a nice way!).

You could try Ave Verum Corpus by Wm Byrd; O Nata Lux by Thomas Tallis. Also Tallis's 40 part motet Spem in Alium is proper mind blowing stuff.
Orlando Gibbons The Silver Swan is a beautiful part song.
Madrigals are fun both to sing and to listen to. Thomas Morley's Now is the Month of Maying is jolly and tuneful.

Monteverdi's Beatus Vir is lovely and very original. Try it.
Gabrielli's Jubilate Deo is another rich and inventive piece.

All these are somewhere on You Tube so you can soon sample things and see what suits you. Some music will appeal or not depending on how you're feeling at the time,so it's worth trying a piece more than once.

I could go on all night here but there are many platforms with music available so just persevere. Radio 3 does a programme at 7 every evening 'Mixtape' with a wide range of music,uninterrupted for 30 minutes. Have a look at their website on BBC Sounds. Good luck!

The most popular classical pieces are often used in adverts or tv shows, so that's a good place to start. That's how we used to remember them for music exams in school. 'That's the Hovis advert music, which means it must be The New World Symphony'.

Hovis - New World Symphany

Danish Bacon - Pomp and Circumstance No 4

Lone Ranger - William Tell Overture

Old Spice - Orff O Fortuna

Blues Brothers - Ride of the Valkyries

Alton Towers - Hall of the Mountain king

British Airways - Delibes Flower Duet

Billy Joel Song - Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata

etc

@MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig I was just about to say Einaudi! His album Le Onde is one of my favourites, it’s beautiful but not overwhelming or hard to get into.

I’m a sucker for a piano, and Michael Nyman’s soundtrack for the film The Piano is gorgeous too.

Classic fm are doing their Hall of Fame currently and that has a lot of popular pieces.
But also Padarewski's piano concerto
Bruch's Kohl Nidrei
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake
Nigel Hess Piano concerto
Anything by John Williams as above

There is an album from the 80s called The Classic Experience, it's available on Spotify. It's basically all the 'popular' classical music that people recognise from adverts and films. It might be a decent place to start, it's the sort of music where you'll go 'oh, I recognise that'. Then if there is any you particularly like you can check out that composer's other works.