Classical dummy needs recommendation.. (1 Viewer)

[Dave Poehlman]

I'm not a huge classical fan.. but I can pick out a Mozart or a Beethoven on occasion. And even a title of a piece once in a while.

Anyway.. I've figured out what I do and don't like in classical music. I realize I don't generally like full-blown orchestral pieces. I prefer more intimate ones involving a piano and violin or an acoustic guitar. Just 2 or 3 instruments. Mostly I like to hear the detail in each instrument that gets lost with a large orchestra.

The problem is, I don't know what I'm looking for. Can anyone recommend any CD's that fit this description?

Composers aren't too important to me... it's more in the presentation that I'm looking for.

 

[Tommy G]

Dave - Beethoven's Piano Sonatas are great. Any one of them but his Pathetique is my favorite.

 

[Seth_S]

Checkout Piano Trios by Beethoven, Schubert, Dvorak and Brahms. Or String Quartets by Shostakovich.

You may also want to try orchestral recordings by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. Szell's orchestra was able to produce a sound like that of a chamber orchestra along with remarkably transparency. This may be what you're looking for when you say: Mostly I like to hear the detail in each instrument that gets lost with a large orchestra.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

What you are expressing is an interest in chamber music, where each thread of melody is played on a single instrument. Unfortunately in our pop-driven culture, chamber music is equated with wussy music. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

A good place to start is the middle third of Beethoven's sixteen string quartets, invariably sold as a 3 CD set called "the middle quartets". I don't have a best-buy recommendation at this time, although I would lean towards the Guarnari quartet's performance.

Also try the budget Deutsche Gramophone release of Szeryng performing the Bach unaccompanied sonatas and partitas for violin.

If you are adventuresome, try the budget "essential classics" Sony set of the Julliard string quartet performing the Bartok string quartets.

Both of these last two sell for about $12-14 for a 2 disc set.

 

[Holadem]

The greatest thing about classical music: It's cheap as hell. You can easily get 10 CDs or more for the price of 1.

--
Holadem

 

[Seth_S]

The greatest thing about classical music: It's cheap as hell. You can easily get 10 CDs or more for the price of 1.

Except for new releases from the major labels which remain at $15.99 per cd. Buying a new recording of an opera from them will run you at least $50.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Sonatas are pieces usually performed by one or two musicians, so you might want to look into that as well. I recently got a hybrid SACD from Channel of piano / violin sonatas (actually performed on a cello) of sonatas by Franck, Brahams, and Schummann. Excellent music, performance, and sonics (though a bit pricey).

I usually end up listening to concertos when I'm not listening to symphonic work. Now, for instance, I'm listening to Mozart's violin concertos performed by Itzhak Perlman.

Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff wrote some of the most fascinating and amazing concerto pieces of the Romantic movement- adventurous but accessible.

 

[James Corey]

Seconding the Schubert recommendation,this is one of my favourite classical discs.

Beautiful beyond words.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Thanks for the info, guys.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

The late string quartets from Mozart and Haydn as well as Schubert are quite accessible also. Probably should wait on the Bartok and maybe even Shostakovich.

If you like the cello and solo pieces, you might also try Bach's cello suites. And then there are a bunch of Vivaldi cello sonatas although they are not considered "essentials".

For violin sonatas, I actually like some of the French composers for a different (impressionist) flavor. Debussy, Franck and Faure are good.

For classical guitar, most pieces are just transcribed from some other solo instruments primarily from the Baroque period. You can try whatever solo compilation disc of Christopher Parkening for that.

Also, some orchestral pieces do get adapted to chamber music scale although they are usually written for a smaller scale orchestra to begin w/. For example, if you like Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, you can probably find a recording adapted for string quartet. Certainly, there's no need to go for a big modern orchestra for a lot of the symphonic music from the Baroque and Classical period. I generally prefer period performances of such myself.

RE: prices, there's absolutely no need to buy CDs of recent performances. Most of the best stuff are actually quite old and budget priced although I wouldn't go as far as to buy a whole bunch of $1 CDs myself. Unfortunately, the availability of good classical CDs seem to have died down a whole lot in recent years. I'm just glad I have most of what I care to own already.

_Man_