Help me with some classic music...

[I like music]

I grew up on a diet of Goldsmith, Horner, and Williams. Other than this, there were some Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and "Greatest classical music" CDs lying around in the house, but my exposure to the breadth of "classical" music was basically quite limited. Over time, my tastes grew and here I am, needing to do some serious catching up. So, I'm working my way towards music that gradually gets further and further away from what I normally like.

The problem here is, I don't know where to begin. To be clear, I do want to first get to the music that I think I'll have affinity with (and like), just because now I realise that there's SO much out there, that I'd rather begin with stuff that I'll come to love, and also incorporate things that I don't normally listen to. So, because I believe that VI members will give me better recommendations than YT's algorithm, here is my input:

Love: Goldsmith, Horner, Williams ...
Love:Debussy's La Mer, Ravel's Daphne et Chloe, Dvorak's New World Symphony, Copland's Appalachian Springs. Recently listened to some Mahler and Brahms (5th and 4th symphonies I think) and this is what got me thinking. I quite liked them, but they didn't hit right at home. However, a few more listens and I liked them more.

Based on the above, do you have any recommendations around what are must-listens for a) similar type of stuff (would Romantic be the right description?) and then also, a small diet of b) totally different stuff, things that are very different to the stuff outlined above.

Any tips on where to begin, hugely appreciated. The "problem" with listening to a symphony is, that it takes TIME, so I want to make sure I'm starting my "education" in the right place.

Click to read more...

 

[synkrotron]

My own diet of classical was really quite narrow.

I remember my dad getting a (relatively) large Rigonda stereo system back in the sixties. He had a small collection of stuff around that time that included the 1812 Overture, the William Tell thing, Charge of the light Brigade, and some MFP stuff.

I quite liked listening his small collection of classical stuff.

What hit me hard, in a way, was paying a visit to the London Planetarium with school, around 1970, so I would have been ten. Mars was played during the show, as well as Jupiter, I think, but I definitely remembered Mars. I was a very shy young lad but I somehow plucked up the courage to ask a grownup, "what was that music?"

So Gustav Holst was my first real excursion into classical music.

But it kind of stuck there, really, for some reason. Pop music, perhaps? I dunno.

Then later on I fell in love with synth sounds. I therefore came across Isao Tomita and that sent me off on another journey as I discovered composers like Stravinsky, Mussorgsky and Debussy. Later I would buy Mussorgsky's Pictures played by a proper orchestra, and some Debussy too.

But still, compared to proper classical fans, that was about my limit.


More recently, in fact, only since joining this forum, I have discovered a more contemporary composer,
Arvo Pärt, and from what I have heard so far I feel like I want to hear more.

So, this is my contribution to this discussion, Arvo Pärt.

Let me know what you think, and if you are a fan already.

cheers

andy

 

[mducharme]

Goldsmith loved Bartok's music - certainly listen to "Concerto for Orchestra" and "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta", as well as his string quartets. Goldsmith was also quite audibly influenced by the first movement of Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 6 (which is the only Vaughan Williams symphony that I really love - most are just OK).

Horner loved Prokofiev's music and Britten's music - listen particularly to Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky" and "Romeo and Juliet" and to Britten's "Sinfonia da Requiem" and "Four Sea Interludes"

 

[I like music]

My own diet of classical was really quite narrow.

I remember my dad getting a (relatively) large Rigonda stereo system back in the sixties. He had a small collection of stuff around that time that included the 1812 Overture, the William Tell thing, Charge of the light Brigade, and some MFP stuff.

I quite liked listening his small collection of classical stuff.

What hit me hard, in a way, was paying a visit to the London Planetarium with school, around 1970, so I would have been ten. Mars was played during the show, as well as Jupiter, I think, but I definitely remembered Mars. I was a very shy young lad but I somehow plucked up the courage to ask a grownup, "what was that music?"

So Gustav Holst was my first real excursion into classical music.

But it kind of stuck there, really, for some reason. Pop music, perhaps? I dunno.

Then later on I fell in love with synth sounds. I therefore came across Isao Tomita and that sent me off on another journey as I discovered composers like Stravinsky, Mussorgsky and Debussy. Later I would buy Mussorgsky's Pictures played by a proper orchestra, and some Debussy too.

But still, compared to proper classical fans, that was about my limit.


More recently, in fact, only since joining this forum, I have discovered a more contemporary composer,
Arvo Pärt, and from what I have heard so far I feel like I want to hear more.

So, this is my contribution to this discussion, Arvo Pärt.

Let me know what you think, and if you are a fan already.

cheers

andy

Sounds like a somewhat similar journey in some respects. I'm just happy that those CDs were lying around, so that I at least grasped something in my teenage years, which was orchestral.

Arvo Part is the first thing I'll do tomorrow (slow day at work) and will report back in! Thank you for the recommendation!

 

[I like music]

Goldsmith loved Bartok's music - certainly listen to "Concerto for Orchestra" and "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta", as well as his string quartets. Goldsmith was also quite audibly influenced by the first movement of Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 6 (which is the only Vaughan Williams symphony that I really love - most are just OK).

Horner loved Prokofiev's music and Britten's music - listen particularly to Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky" and "Romeo and Juliet" and to Britten's "Sinfonia da Requiem" and "Four Sea Interludes"

Oooh interesting. Hadn't thought about my inspirations' inspirations! Very, very interesting indeed. See, this is why I'm glad I asked, because for some reason I have never sought out and listened to Bartok!!! Vaughan Williams, I know the pieces you might expect I know, but why the hell have I not explored him further? Now that I find myself writing this, I realise that I frigging love the guy's music. Symphony no 6 is on the list tomorrow!

As for Prokofiev, again, I'm only familiar with a couple of bits, and none of them are the ones that you listed. Very very happy with the list I've generated from this so far.

Thanks a ton!

 

[mducharme]

Goldsmith uses the main motif of Vaughan Williams Symphony No 6 in almost every score. The low growling brass and high strings from early in Symphony No 6 is also a combination he uses quite often, notably in the Secret of NIMH (I believe the cue was something about a tractor) as well as Night Crossing when the balloon catches fire in one scene (forget which cue, either it was Final Flight or the one just before).

Horner quotes part of Britten's Sinfonia di Requiem in Wrath of Khan when Spock is about to open the reactor and Scotty is yelling at him to get out, as well as part of Battle on the Ice (from Alexander Nevsky) in the Mutara Nebula sequence. He also uses the three note motif from early in Battle on the Ice for the Klingons in Star Trek 3. From Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Mercutio's music is quoted at the beginning of "Stealing The Enterprise" in ST3 (those fast runs with Sulu "don't call me tiny"), as well as Juliet's funeral sequence when the Enterprise burns up in atmosphere. Then you have really direct quotations in Journey of Natty Gann from the opening of the first movement of the Sea Interludes.

 

[SergeD]

If you like Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky and Holst you could also like :
- Steve Reich "Music for 18 Musicians"
- Olivier Messiaen "Quatuor pour la fin du temps"
- Bela Bartok "Concerto for Orchestra"
- Edward Elgar "Enigma Variations"
- Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker"
- Shankar Menuhin "West Meets East"

 

[I like music]

Goldsmith uses the main motif of Vaughan Williams Symphony No 6 in almost every score. The low growling brass and high strings from early in Symphony No 6 is also a combination he uses quite often, notably in the Secret of NIMH (I believe the cue was something about a tractor) as well as Night Crossing when the balloon catches fire in one scene (forget which cue, either it was Final Flight or the one just before).

Horner quotes part of Britten's Sinfonia di Requiem in Wrath of Khan when Spock is about to open the reactor and Scotty is yelling at him to get out, as well as part of Battle on the Ice (from Alexander Nevsky) in the Mutara Nebula sequence. He also uses the three note motif from early in Battle on the Ice for the Klingons in Star Trek 3. From Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Mercutio's music is quoted at the beginning of "Stealing The Enterprise" in ST3 (those fast runs with Sulu "don't call me tiny"), as well as Juliet's funeral sequence when the Enterprise burns up in atmosphere. Then you have really direct quotations in Journey of Natty Gann from the opening of the first movement of the Sea Interludes.

LOL, I'm minutes into VW's 6th, and I had to chuckle, because I heard it!!! Also, I didn't realise VW wrote something with so much 'violence' (not sure if that is the right word, but I think you might know what I mean)

EDIT: I love changes of texture. From approx 6:50 (also I saw a Sax?!) to when the strings do the motif about 20 seconds later. Its like getting into a warm bath.

 

[I like music]

If you like Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky and Holst you could also like :
- Steve Reich "Music for 18 Musicians"
- Olivier Messiaen "Quatuor pour la fin du temps"
- Bela Bartok "Concerto for Orchestra"
- Edward Elgar "Enigma Variations"
- Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker"
- Shankar Menuhin "West Meets East"

I know of two of those pieces, and I love them, so I think the rest of the ones that I don't know, I will also like! Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[I like music]

Goldsmith uses the main motif of Vaughan Williams Symphony No 6 in almost every score. The low growling brass and high strings from early in Symphony No 6 is also a combination he uses quite often, notably in the Secret of NIMH (I believe the cue was something about a tractor) as well as Night Crossing when the balloon catches fire in one scene (forget which cue, either it was Final Flight or the one just before).

Horner quotes part of Britten's Sinfonia di Requiem in Wrath of Khan when Spock is about to open the reactor and Scotty is yelling at him to get out, as well as part of Battle on the Ice (from Alexander Nevsky) in the Mutara Nebula sequence. He also uses the three note motif from early in Battle on the Ice for the Klingons in Star Trek 3. From Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Mercutio's music is quoted at the beginning of "Stealing The Enterprise" in ST3 (those fast runs with Sulu "don't call me tiny"), as well as Juliet's funeral sequence when the Enterprise burns up in atmosphere. Then you have really direct quotations in Journey of Natty Gann from the opening of the first movement of the Sea Interludes.

Fuck yes! This is just what my earholes needed! VW 6th is currently sending me to space and back. This is the best new thing I've heard in months and months...

 

[I like music]

My own diet of classical was really quite narrow.

I remember my dad getting a (relatively) large Rigonda stereo system back in the sixties. He had a small collection of stuff around that time that included the 1812 Overture, the William Tell thing, Charge of the light Brigade, and some MFP stuff.

I quite liked listening his small collection of classical stuff.

What hit me hard, in a way, was paying a visit to the London Planetarium with school, around 1970, so I would have been ten. Mars was played during the show, as well as Jupiter, I think, but I definitely remembered Mars. I was a very shy young lad but I somehow plucked up the courage to ask a grownup, "what was that music?"

So Gustav Holst was my first real excursion into classical music.

But it kind of stuck there, really, for some reason. Pop music, perhaps? I dunno.

Then later on I fell in love with synth sounds. I therefore came across Isao Tomita and that sent me off on another journey as I discovered composers like Stravinsky, Mussorgsky and Debussy. Later I would buy Mussorgsky's Pictures played by a proper orchestra, and some Debussy too.

But still, compared to proper classical fans, that was about my limit.


More recently, in fact, only since joining this forum, I have discovered a more contemporary composer,
Arvo Pärt, and from what I have heard so far I feel like I want to hear more.

So, this is my contribution to this discussion, Arvo Pärt.

Let me know what you think, and if you are a fan already.

cheers

andy

So far, so good on Arvo Part. How did I not of him before? He fills a different itch from the others, which is also great. Again, the trouble (a good trouble) is that there is now SO much for me to listen to, and unpack, just off the back of this thread.

 

[synkrotron]

So far, so good on Arvo Part. How did I not of him before? He fills a different itch from the others, which is also great. Again, the trouble (a good trouble) is that there is now SO much for me to listen to, and unpack, just off the back of this thread.

Excellent

Yes, a very different itch altogether. I have yet to explore more myself.