Classical Music.

Phil

New member
As per the topic, classical music. It's everywhere around us, just that we do not recognise it instantly. It's inspiring, it's magnificent, and I want to know more about it, to dig deeper and discover.

It's a frightfully wide spectrum, when it comes to just the term 'classical music'. I know the usual luminaries; Mozart, Bach and the gang. But, I'm sure there is much much more.

So please, any recommendations? What are your favourites?
 
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Maksim, Yngwie Malmsteen... Not sure what else, I listen to a lot of heavy metal that has neo-classical elements to it, like Outworld, Narnia, etc.
 
I know Maksim and Yngwie, and thanks for the reply but these are not what I'm looking for. Maksim's technically gifted by I don't like how 'pop-py' his interpretations sound.

I've been listening to mostly to Western classical orchestra music, composers such as Beethovan, Mozart, Mahler, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and such. I really want to widen my range as take in more of such music.
 
hmm haha how bout those violin greats, i know only 2 though, er Vivaldi (four seasons) and Paganini (Caprices). There's chopin, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky , those are nice too. haha as for neoclassical i think tony macalpine is great, as well as Joey Taofella. hope this helps
 
Honestly I've always meant to delve more into classical music, but somehow it never happened. Anyway my favorite modern composer is probably Philip Glass. Also try listening to the recordings of Glenn Gould playing Bach. It's really remarkable.
 
From Baroque period: Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Albinoni, Telemann, Scarlatti (both father and son) etc

From Classical period: Mozart (both Leopold and WA), Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven (late classical/early romantic) etc

From Romantic period: Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Elgar, Grieg, Liszt, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Richard Wagner, Dvorak etc

Suggest starting at Romantic period if you're new to classical music. Don't start at symphonies which may be a little heavy for beginners. Start with the shorter works.
 
chopin and dvorak Ed grieg.

side track abit.

i notice that there's 2 schools of phil when it's comes to music teaching in general.

Pop Vs classical.

Pop emphasis on feels over technic from the start

Classical emphaise on teachnic ( which compris of A&M skills) over feel.

i fav the classical way.
and glad my teacher coach me on this direction too.

what do you think?
 
of course, having a classical background makes you more versatile and gives a slight edge, but to each his own.

to get back on topic, any fans of the Kronos Quartet here? I know they got pretty popular after Requiem for a Dream was released. Also, has anyone listened to Danny Elfman's recent classical composition piece, Serenada Schizophrana. It's pretty standard Elfman fare, though it tends gets a little boring in places.
 
Whao love the recommendations. So much to work on, I'd go check them out as soon as time permits.

Thanks a lot, and keep them coming! I'm gleaning a lot from your replies, cheers!
 
in reply to 'bedokkids':

Classical doesn't emphasise technique over feel.

The only difference is that classical music requires the performer to be very good indeed, since the music is/can be very challenging to play.

But the point of it is not technique per se.

The technique is a tool to enable expression.

If you didn't learn how to speak, it wouldn't matter what emotions you had in your heart. Every time you opened your mouth, people would just hear a noise.

So it is with music. Technique is a path, and not the destination. The destination is the music. And in classical music, if the technique is lacking, then all one will be aware of is the technical aspect, and not the music. Pop is technically easier, and may 'appear' to be more emotive, but remember that you have a vocalist giving you a story - they are guiding your emotions. With purely instrumental/classical music, the music alone has to convey the emotions. So the player needs to be very good indeed. But this doesn't make the music less about feel and more about technique.


RE your question about classical music - for guitar-specific, check out Agustin Barrios Mangore, Castelnuvo-Tedesco, Henze, Mertz etc etc

A great piece is 'Koyunbaba' by Carlo Domeniconi (YouTube - William Kanengiser: Presto from Koyunbaba (Carlo Domeniconi) - that is the 3rd movement). And in a nice tuning (open C#m) ;)
The best recording of it is on a CD called 'The guitarist' by John Williams - it'll blow your mind :)
 
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