Classical music...

[stankowalski]

Ok, I guess I'm getting to the age that I'm really starting to get into classical music. I used to think it sucked and saw no redeeming value in it whatsoever. However, with most of today's music sucking even worse, I've started checking out some classical music. I know next to nothing about the genre so I bought 3 collections from Amazon MP3. (Great deal btw...I got almost 300 songs for about 10 bucks).

I'm looking for some suggestions to listen to. A few examples of what I've found particularly good from the collection I've gotten:

1. L'Estasi Dell'oro (from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)

2. Adagio for Strings, Op. 11a (from Platoon)

3. Carmina Burana (Cantiones Profanae)

4. Carmina Burana: O Fortuna

5. Danse Macabre, Op. 40

Besides getting suggestions to listen to, can anyone explain why so many songs are named with Op. XX or just Concerto no. 4 in D Major(or whatever key). Can these people not come up with actual names or what?

[natty]

Op. is just short for Opus and concerto is simply the form of the piece.

A concerto (from the Italian: concerto, plural concerti or, often, the anglicised form concertos) as a musical work is a composition usually in three parts or movements, in which (usually) one solo instrument (for instance, a piano or violin) is accompanied by an orchestra.

The term classical music covers a whole lot of time and a whole lot of styles. To understand everything takes a lot of studying.

Just listen to lots of stuff to find out what you like.

[GritsRgreat]

The only problem i have with Classical music is sometimes i have no idea what the piece i'm enjoying is called or who composed it. So i can never find it online or in the stores.

Tchaikovsky is hands down my favorite composer btw. The man hits me in the gut.

[88 Bronco]

Does Black Sabbath count?

[stankowalski]

The only problem i have with Classical music is sometimes i have no idea what the piece i'm enjoying is called or who composed it. So i can never find it online or in the stores.

Tchaikovsky is hands down my favorite composer btw. The man hits me in the gut.

That's my main problem too. Most of the classical stuff I like has been in movies so that's the only reason I know them.

[SorthNarolina]

I really like David Gillingham for Concert Band pieces they are very heavy on percussion, really good stuff.

Cantus Leatus and Concertino for 4 percussion are my favs.

I like Le Tambeau de Coperin by Ravel.

Bolero by Ravel is good too.

[Sapper]

My aunt really got me into classical when I visited her and my uncle in my senior year of HS. It is so hard to discount the big guns like Mozart and Beethoven.

Here are a few of my favorites from them:

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 2nd Movement:

[bredy087]

Id say stick with some of the major composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, etc; lots of their stuff is used in movies. Beethoven and Dvorak are my favorites. My parents used to run the local public radio station so I grew up with classical music. There are so many good ass songs out there, you just gotta dig and find a style or composer you like.

[Guest]

I recommend the Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach. If you just listen to it you will see how extremely complex the music is. You've probably heard No. 3 before.

[pstall]

i was raised on classical. my dad's side of the tree was very musical. dad was a guitarist and singer in a rock band out of high school. then he was a am radio dj.

Just start with any cd that is the best of a particular composer then slowly drill down to more stuff.

you can pick up nuances so when you hear on the radio a composer you can tell by the pace or the use of a certain instrument at certain times.

plus, the many uses of instruments is good for the brain. i will quiz my kids when a solo pops up and ask them to name that brass or woodwind etc.

[PanthaSan]

I am a big fan of classical. Can't go wrong with Mozart, Bach or Beethoven but Vivaldi is one of my favorites. He was a violin master and demended nothing short of perfection from his performers.

Here are some of my favorites...

From Concerto for 4 violins in B minor, 3rd movement.

[Sapper]

Rach 3, eat your heart out! (and she is kind of hot):

[Jhyler12]

This is a wonderful thread, I have been looking for great classical music...

[Doyle]

I play a classical guitar and I am obsessed with all classical guitar pieces.