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Classical music recommendations?

Axis [Edit] [Delete] 34 replies 12:05 November 3rd, 2009

Can anyone recommend some classical music, nothing too obvious and catchy please i'm looking for long pieces involving strings and preferably the odd piano.

Thanks.

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nothing?!?

I'm bored of Tchaikovsky now.....

Axis | 3 Nov '09, 12:53 | X | ^ This | Reply
ummm.

Hans Werner Henze - Voices/Symphony 2 or 3.
(the symphonies are obviously more stringy)
Scarlatti - Symphony 2
Sibelius - Symphony 7
Gyorgy Ligeti - Atmospheres (bit more freer, some strings somewhere)
Gorecki - Symphonies 2 and 3.

earlier than 20th century it's hard to find anything not obvious, it's all been exhumed really.

milkandkisses | 3 Nov '09, 13:08 | X | ^ This | Reply
- i could list twatty comtemporary classical pieces for hours
  
  but i imagine you are/could become familiar with all those anyway.
  (although henze is mid to late 20th century.
  
  milkandkisses @milkandkisses | 3 Nov '09, 13:09 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - i think you've hit the nail on the head there, i keep thinking ooh this is good then 3 minutes in ooohh it's this one.
    
    Some twatty contemporary classical pieces would be appreciated. I'm going to give all of your suggestions above a listen, i'm studying you see so the more flowing and non catchy the better.
    
    Axis @milkandkisses | 3 Nov '09, 13:47 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - Arvo Part - Frates (definitely listen, sounds perfect)
      The Ligeti, Gorecki and Henze aren't that catchy, might be ok, I would of thought.
      
      Also, Debussy - Prelude a L'Apres-midi d'un Faun is really great but fairly well-known. As far as I know, not sold any cars though.
      Messiaen - L'Ascension
      Anton Webern - Pasacalgia, led to all the experiments but wasn't so weird in himself or Concerto for Nine Instruments
      Arnold Bax - Symphony No.3 (kind of pastoral but also a bit ominous and moody)
      Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphoses (quite fast and upbeat for sections, but v. good).
      Toru Takemitsu - A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden (Japanese genius; very very good.)
      Akira Ifukube - Sinfonia Tapkaara (composed the Godzilla soundtrack, very good, very under-rated)
      Terry Riley - In C (if you can find a good version)
      
      and some others probably, if those are all rubbish. to choose four though i'd listen to the Part, the Riley, the Takemitsu and the Ifuke pieces if you want modern stuff.
      
      milkandkisses @Axis | 3 Nov '09, 16:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
      - oh and, also modern classical wise
        
        Danny Norbury's last album is grrreat.
        
        milkandkisses @milkandkisses | 3 Nov '09, 16:39 | X | ^ This | Reply
- oops thought i'd read Sibelius symphony 2 just listened to that.
  
  I'll have to give no7 a try next time, if it's as good as 2 i think i'll like it.
  
  Axis @milkandkisses | 3 Nov '09, 15:41 | X | ^ This | Reply
A few:

Try Erik Satie for solo piano (Gymnopédies and Gnossienne in particular). Or Haushcka's most recent one if you like it more modern.

As far as violin concertos go Philip Glass's and Jean Sibellius's are my favourites. Plus the strings in Vaughan William's 'Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis' are incredible.

In terms of symphonies (although technically a tone poem) I've recently discovered Strauss's 'Alpine Symphony' which is incredible. You'd like it if you like Tchaikovsky. The storm section is amazing.

Does that help? Or have they all been visited?

edgar_allan_poe | 3 Nov '09, 13:26 | X | ^ This | Reply
- *
  
  Hauschka! So hard to spell...
  
  edgar_allan_poe @edgar_allan_poe | 3 Nov '09, 13:27 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - where should one start with Hauschka?
    
    Axis @edgar_allan_poe | 3 Nov '09, 15:47 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - Hauschka might put you off your studying a little...
      
      ... as you try to identify all the bits and bobs he's put into the piano in "preparing" it. But 'Room To Expand' (his third?) is great, as is 'Ferdorf'.
      Nils Frahm's 'The Bells' is solo improvisational piano, and keeps my ears happy while my brain concentrates on other things.
      Or for something a bit more Romantic, Faure's chamber music is beautiful - try the piano quartets.
      
      aliasgrace @Axis | 3 Nov '09, 16:48 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - Ferndorf
      
      is my favourite. It's on Spotify. 'Heimnat' is incredible.
      
      edgar_allan_poe @Axis | 4 Nov '09, 22:59 | X | ^ This | Reply
i made a spotify playlist a while back

of my favourite classical stuff. here you go:
1000 AD: http://open.spotify.com/user/peevee/playlist/1J1gg5W4ZG9yMYWLnHi5M9

pretty_vacant | 3 Nov '09, 13:29 | X | ^ This | Reply
- That'll do nicely! (a pre made playlist, pretty much exactly what i wanted)
  
  Axis @pretty_vacant | 3 Nov '09, 13:49 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - peter and the wolf : )
    
    Axis @Axis | 3 Nov '09, 15:44 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - that's one of my favourites :)
      
      along with palladio, and the max richter tracks. And night on bare mountain, epic!
      
      pretty_vacant @Axis | 3 Nov '09, 21:45 | X | ^ This | Reply
      - is the max richter the waltz with bashir ones?
        
        If so where else has that first one in the playlist been used, i can't place it?
        
        Axis @pretty_vacant | 4 Nov '09, 13:00 | X | ^ This | Reply
        
        yes, he did the whole soundtrack
        
        which is well worth listening to also.
        Not sure where else it's been used though, sorry!
        
        pretty_vacant @Axis | 5 Nov '09, 03:11 | X | ^ This | Reply
first person to mention some recent post-rock try-hard nonsense kindly set yourselves on fire

Elgar's fucking great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM9DPfp7-Ck

and obvs the Enigma variations

Stravinski's Rite of Spring.

Orn Magnusson is worth a look

Bach's chorales are pretty ace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb3U5lovQp4

can do a lot worse than Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet etc

ehwhat | 3 Nov '09, 13:36 | X | ^ This | Reply
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.3

Ridiculous piece of music.

Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
All Mahler symphonies.
All Richard Strauss tone poems.
Ravel - Introduction and Allegro.

Stiive | 3 Nov '09, 13:39 | X | ^ This | Reply
- yes i agree with the above but am now far to familiar with them seeing as my collection of classical music rarely strays from
  
  Rachmaninov or Mahler.
  
  Axis @Stiive | 3 Nov '09, 13:51 | X | ^ This | Reply
Ives - Central Park in the Dark & Unanswered Question
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2

jdgjdg | 3 Nov '09, 13:53 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Ives - need
  
  PC No2 - got
  
  Axis @jdgjdg | 3 Nov '09, 15:46 | X | ^ This | Reply
a previous thread with a similar title caused me to make a playlist

but i think i posted it at about 3am when no one was reading. it's just a general classical music playlist, i'm sure bits of it you'll know already.

having looked at it i can see that lots of it has been mentioned earlier and it includes some REALLY obvious classical music like moonlight sonata but anyway, have a look it you like, it's not all mahler/mozart/bach

http://open.spotify.com/user/iamwiggy/playlist/0ZQsS8iwii97Uz3IJGed86

iamwiggy | 3 Nov '09, 16:06 | X | ^ This | Reply
- it's a really badly done playlist actually, i didn't put any thought into the order i just quickly threw some stuff i like all into a playlist
  
  iamwiggy @iamwiggy | 3 Nov '09, 16:08 | X | ^ This | Reply
Brahms

Some nice string quartets and quintets.

jack_on_fire | 3 Nov '09, 16:26 | X | ^ This | Reply
I suppose it's not classic classical music

but I just discovered Einaudi's new album, Nightbook. It's modern classical I suppose, with some electronic type stuff in. I really like it though.
http://open.spotify.com/album/0HzSDPNXHnL2YF5AwHpRoE
Also, Quartico Quartet for a bit of jazz? It's quite soothing, maybe not what you want.
http://open.spotify.com/album/2OueUTdd8hZTkF1lIGHxrZ

ASandehBear | 3 Nov '09, 16:28 | X | ^ This | Reply
- i hope you weren't joking about the Einaudi recommendation as i really enjoyed that.
  
  Axis @ASandehBear | 4 Nov '09, 12:58 | X | ^ This | Reply
Nothing too obscure from me, but these sound like they might be what you're after:

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2
Bax - Symphony No. 6 (and then other stuff - lots of other symphonies and symphonic poems, Tintagel is the obvious one)
Max Bruch - Scottish Fantasy
Rautavaara - loads of stuff, Cantus Arcticus is the obvious one here but if you don't want birdsong included then go for Symphony No. 3
Tippett - Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli
Lalo - Symphonie Espagnole (might be a bit too "catchy"?)
Robert Simpson - Symphony No. 9
Alwyn - Sinfonietta for Strings
Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 6

Seconding Takemitsu and Sibelius.

-dan- | 3 Nov '09, 19:19 | X | ^ This | Reply
Fazil Say

BrownBay | 3 Nov '09, 19:56 | X | ^ This | Reply
take a listen to

All this is very non-catchy and i thoroughly enjoy studying to this music
Edgard Varèse - anything really but a good starting point is Amériques and Ionisation
Iannis Xenakis - again anything, but a good starting point is Dammerschein
Béla Bartók - lots of strings and piano pieces there

Yurodivyi | 4 Nov '09, 11:28 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Xenakis
  
  At this years proms i heard Xenakis' Nomos gamma and Ais, i think these (Ais in particular) had some funny time signatures going on (though may be confusing this with another). If the rest is along these lines i may leave that for a while.
  
  Thanks, the other two, Bartok especially i'll have a listen to.
  
  Axis @Yurodivyi | 4 Nov '09, 12:56 | X | ^ This | Reply
Long piece with strings and some piano

Shostakovich - Piano Quintet

great piece of music

grinwithaspin | 5 Nov '09, 07:55 | X | ^ This | Reply
Someone on here made this spotify playlist

of modern classical music. It's really good:

http://open.spotify.com/user/xorn/playlist/4XXYXwpjXtNmQImZZsSj5s

EustaceHPlimsoll | 5 Nov '09, 09:38 | X | ^ This | Reply