Embarrased but can someone do me a Classical Music 101 course please?

[WilfSell]

I grew up in a house where the only classical records were The Planets and something I hazily remember as Tubby the Tuba.

I then graduated when at 6th form to Mozart's Requiem and Clarinet concerto , with a bit of Rachmaninov Piano thingy from Brief Encounter and Vaughan Williams' Lark Arising.

I realise, at my great age, that my musical eucation stopped there (well apart from in other kinds of music) - just at the Classic FM end of 'Great British Favourites'.

I'd really like to know and listen to a bit more but it's just all so overwhelming when you're a philistine who only listens to the Killers and Fratellis.

What's on the playlist for a novice then?

Yeah Classic FM is pretty good, although Simon Bates will keep playing Schubert's Trout Quintet at you. They store their playlist on the web site, so if you are pootling along and think "now this, I like" then so long as you make a log of the time, you can look it up.

I bet Radio 3 do the same.

Oh I used to have Tubby The Tuba too. Wasn't it a bit sad, iirc he got bullied (probably by the strings).

could you browse in a bookstore for a good, not too extensive introduction to classical music which has recommended listening in it and sort of work your way through it a bit?

Breif encounters is Rach Piano Concerto no. 2. Great piece if a little cheesy. I have some wonderful memories touring with an orch playing this. The memories involve a trombonist....

Anyway,. I digress.

BBC Music magazine/Classic FM mag come with Free CDs. This is how I widened my musical knowledge as a teenager, as we only listened to hippy shit in our house.

Try some of the more "accessible" composers in each period of music, then read up about them. Music is defined bu different eras (like art and architecture) these are mediaeval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary.

Look for composers you have heard of first, and try and get hold of their music. Then, if you like it, try something else they have written, and look for their contemporaries (wiki is good for this)

Go out and buy a naff classic compilation CD. Tis is also a way into it. (I was bought a "classic commercial LP when I was 11. I loved it, and ended up buying all the featured works on it over the following years. It was actually my first foray into classical music)

Have you got iTunes?

Naxos good for cheap CDs with decent interpretations

I do mainline iTunes a lot, but since it's a whole other world to me, I have no idea where to start. Yes, Classic FM perhaps. But I suppose I hate the commercial radio thing so VERY much (inane drivel, adverts blah blah) and Radio 3 terrifies me (all those modern Czech people playing 12-tone scales...)

And what about opera? I did once go to see Tosca, which was fantastic. But that's your lot.

Maybe i can help you a bit, but, as littlelapin says it would be useful to know what kind of thing you like. As well as choral, operatic, instrumental I always think there is a big division between chamber music and symphonies. As Sheik says, the timespan for music is vast & you might well get a sense early on whether a particular era is less your kind of thing.

If you liked the Mozart (and they are great pieces!) maybe you could try the highlights of his opera, the Marriage of Figaro. You might know some of it anyway. It's one of the most accessible operas, but i think it's still one of the best. The thing with opera is, you don't have to know the story (until you go to see it, and even then it doesn't matter hugely if you don't know the plot) but it really helps to play it at least two or three times. Then you get to know the tunes. Most people write off opera too quickly. You need to give it that chance. At about that point if you're going to like the opera you could well suddenly start loving it. It seems to be an all or nothing thing. Don Giovanni has some great tunes too - and even quite a dramatic story.

If you liked the Mozart Requiem you could take the plunge and try Bach's St Matthew Passion (or for that matter the St John Passion). It's pretty intense but it has been called western civilization's greatest achievement. I'm not sure i'd say that necessarily - liberal democracy's got to be up there somewhere - but it is heart-rendingly wonderful. Again, you need to listen to it at least 2 or 3 times. Not necessarily just listening - you'll probably have jobs to be getting on with at the same time. But it's pretty hard to do anything but listen to the intro of the SMP. It's made up of different bits which take a bit of getting used to - choral bits, (chorales), talk-singing bits (recitatives) and the solo arias, which are usually (but not always) the best bits. It basically tells the story of Christ's death. It can be in German or English. If you've got the time (ha!) it's interesting to get the text to follow (it's sure to be readily available free online)...so you know what they're actually singing about.

Hope this is of some interest...

If you have iTunes on your computer, click on Radio then Classical - a huge amount of digital radio stations to choose from which will say what's playing at any one time.

Is a nice free way of getting exposure to lots of different music and a lot of people don't seem to notice the radio section.

What about the Composer of the Week BBC3 podcast?

If you listen to Classic Fm online, you can opt for "my Classic Fm" which allows you to ban tunes you don't like and favourite ones that you do. This builds up a kind of online library of the sort of classical music that appeals to you.

Many regional orchestras/concert venues often have "best of" nights -where they will play a lot of popular classics and that can be a good way to get to know the main composers/works.

It's such a personal thing though, like recommending contemporary bands to people, it's hard to know where to start unless you know the kind of tunes they like..

The trouble with Classicfm, I find, are the ads (constant), the presenters (irritating) and the playlist (terribly predictable with the idea that everything after 2pm has to be "relaxing"). I think Radio 3 is far better, although I avoid the scary very modern stuff too!

How about buying / downloading a few things to complement the radio - for eg, if you like Rachmaninov's 2nd , then try his symphonies, for Mozart's requiem try the great mass in c minor or some of the piano concertos? I'm not a VW fan but I am sure that someone else will be along soon. Bach is wonderful (SMP a good choice) as is Brahms. My DD2 was born to the 4th Symphony and tis MARVELLOUS!

"My Classic fm" omits adverts and presenters which is a massive relief!

I have generally had enough of it after a couple of hours though.

Lots of good advice on here, but I think what you need is someone to say "listen to this, because I think it's really good".

So, here are 5 things I like. If you like any of them, tell us and we can all suggest other things that are similar or related in some way.

I hesitate to suggest youtube because you are likely to come across some really desperately bad performances which could put you off for life and the sound quality is not very good. On the other hand there are some great ones on there too and it's free. Or you could invest 79p on itunes if you are feeling flush.

Bach - Erbarme dich from St Matthew Passion or any of the solo cello suites

Purcell - When I am Laid in Earth from Dido and Aeneas (ideally sung by Janet Baker)

Schubert - Death and the Maiden quartet

Beethoven - Symphony No 7 (espec. second movement)

Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Good idea Iorek.

If it's any help, these are some of my favourites...excuse the naff youtube videos they were the best I could find!

Mozart - Laudate Dominum

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDmsInSvgPA

Copland - Clarinet Concerto:

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ACO5DjpS8YM

Dvorak - Song to the Moon from Rusalka:

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=a1PMzQ8PuCo&feature=related

Handel - Zadok the Priest:

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iPkzt9vklAw

Wagner - Siegfried Funeral March:

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=20RldhK9354

Verdi - prelude to La Traviata:

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5hGte_jLJkg&feature=related

Chopin - Nocturne Op.9, No.2

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRO05WcNDk

Oh yes. And this duet from La Traviata too. And while we're doing opera, you can't beat this trio from Cosi fan Tutte.