[2gumby2]

I came across one of the best classical recordings I have ever heard. Check out Rufus Cappadocia - Songs for Cello. Every song on this album is outstanding and the recording quality ie excellent. Most highly recommended!

[jimdgoulding]

Cheers, Grumby, always good to hear about an exceptional recording.  I've been on a retro classical trip of late.  Maybe I'll post sumthin that pulls my heart strings.

[alwayslearning]

Agreed 100%- excellent music & excellent recording.
To add a lil' more info, Cappadocia was/is a Montreal street musician who added a 5th bass resonating string to his cello.  It creates a timbre somewhat like a stand-up bass.  The 50+ minute CD has shades of  jazz, classical, world & raga styles.  Involving & highly recommended.

Samples from amazon:
    http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Cello-Rufus-Cappadocia/dp/B0011367GQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208750944&sr=1-1

[JoshK]

Appreciate the recommendation.  I am always looking for good classical.  Its such a hard genre to break into if you know little about it prior. I've been collecting classical recordings here and there when I can and have amasses a few dozen (maybe 50) all over the map to try to find stuff that I really like. 

[woodsyi]

Josh,

From what I can guess at your taste from your posts, you might like Stockhausen.  I can recommend Gruppen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE2bbWXpgF8 Kontra-Punkte and Kontakte http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0h0ApJAeSg&feature=related.

[goldlizsts]

Appreciate the recommendation.  I am always looking for good classical.  Its such a hard genre to break into if you know little about it prior. I've been collecting classical recordings here and there when I can and have amasses a few dozen (maybe 50) all over the map to try to find stuff that I really like. 

Josh,

I think you may have been bowled over by classical music fairly recently.  So, my guess is that Stockhausen kind of modern composers may not be to your liking (wild guess! ).  I know, when I started out, I didn't like Schoenberg.  You probably have more liking to Haydn, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky.... the romantic and/or classical periods, simply because the compositions are more melodic?

[woodsyi]

I hear you but Josh likes Radiohead and they have been moving toward the Avant Garde lately.  In fact, I think they site Olivier Messiaen of Darmstadt School as a specific influence on Jonny Greenwood.

[jimdgoulding]

I’ll stick my neck out for newbies who may be looking in and recommend these . .
Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music and Symphony no 5
Tchaikovsky Symphony no 6 and Francesca de Rimini
Shostakovich no 10
Satie Gymnopedies and Gnossiennes
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no 2   
Debussy Trois Nocturnes
Holst The Planets
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique   
Can’t really recommend performances or labels cause I think much of what I have may be out of print but an interested fellow might look for Chesky, Philips, EMI labels.  There are a ton of other fine works, of course.                                       

[JoshK]

Thanks for all the recommends. 

I have a couple of those Jim, but confess I haven't listened to all my new acquires yet.  Some of them are on my wish list and the rest will go on it now.

[Randy]

It's good to see some guys trying to get into classical. Really, there's so little time to listen to music, you may as well listen to the best and not waste your time with other genres. I found that out twenty-five years ago when I purchased my first "high end" system, such as it was in those days. With the higher level of sound quality, it wasn't long before my jazz, pop, and rock albums for all practical purposes fell by the wayside. Here are a few classical essentials everyone should enjoy -
1. Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings  (his Fifth and Sixth symphonies are no brainers, as well)
2. Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra, look for Ricardo Chailly conducting
3. Mahler - Symphony No. 5
4. Mussorgsky/Ravel - Pictures at an Exhibition
5. Sibelius - of his seven symphonies, 3, 5, and 6 are my favorites - a box set conducted by Lorin Maazel is a great buy, the recordings are old but more than adequate, and his 3 and 5 are tops, imo. Karajan on DG for #6.
6. Stravinsky - the three great ballets, Rite of Spring, Petrouchka, and The Firebird
7. Rachmaninov - Sonata for Cello and Piano
8. Grieg - the piano concerto
9. Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2
10. Beethoven - the Ninth Symphony
11. Mozart - Symphonies 40 and 41
12. Tchaikovsky - violin concerto

Most of these are "warhorses," but one can start with pieces like these and then branch out as far as you wish to go, and with just one chamber piece, no piano solo, no vocal, no "Early Music," no contemporary, this list is a tiny nick on the surface of the riches to be found in classical. Go to Amazon.com, and see some recommendations for specific recordings of the above and inexpensive sources for many of the best.

[low.pfile]

OK I'll bite. I know nothing of classical, would like to have some of the standards....But would like really recommendations for specific CDs which are excellent recordings. Thanks for the initial ideas.

ed

[lonewolfny42]

OK I'll bite. I know nothing of classical, would like to have some of the standards....But would like really recommendations for specific CDs which are excellent recordings. Thanks for the initial ideas.

ed

I'm a fan of "The Planets" (Holst)....I do own several different copies....
but the Boult edition is my fav....

http://www.amazon.com/Enigma-Variations-Planets-Elgar/dp/B000063UN4/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208839884&sr=1-14

It starts on track 16....with Mars.

Its a powerful recording....check it out.

One other as well.....Mussorgsky/Ravel - Pictures at an Exhibition....

http://www.amazon.com/Mussorgsky-Pictures-Exhibition-Alexander-Borodin/dp/B000003FMY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208840396&sr=1-6

Excellent sound....and a good performance...a classic !!!!

[TONEPUB]

Sir Arnold Bax, the symponies.

Dark, powerful and creepy...

Sounds like the monster is going to come out of the
closet and strangle you at any moment!

Sounds great really loud!

[Randy]

OK I'll bite. I know nothing of classical, would like to have some of the standards....But would like really recommendations for specific CDs which are excellent recordings. Thanks for the initial ideas.

ed

Here's a link to the Reference Recordings website, to their Minnesota Orchestra CDs.

http://referencerecordings.com/Minnesota.asp

I would personally recommend the discs titled, Copland, Bernstein, Strauss, Pictures at an Exhibition, Ports of Call, and Stravinsky.

A note on the Bernstein, it has the rousing overture to Candide, and a Sypmphonic Suite based on the Candide score that is fabulous. There is also a vocal piece I don't care for much.  If you don't know Reference Recordings, they are tremendous, and you don't need HDCD. Many of their other discs are outstanding as well. A recent released title, "Crown Imperial" no doubt is great, but I haven't obtained it as yet, but will order it today.

[Randy]

http://referencerecordings.com/DallasWind.asp

Another link to Ref. Recordings, Dallas Winds. I have most of these, but would specifically recommend, "Beachcomber", "Pomp & Pipes," and "Holidays & Epiphanies." Fantastic recordings of spectacular music.

[goldlizsts]

OK I'll bite. I know nothing of classical, would like to have some of the standards....But would like really recommendations for specific CDs which are excellent recordings. Thanks for the initial ideas.

ed

There are sooooooooo! many fine classical recordings, pre-CD era, or recent releases.  Many pre-CD era recordings (vinyl versions) are now available on CD, tho some still argue vinyl is more preferred.  Indeed it has its virtues.  But, time marches on.  If you have the resources and will to stay in vinyl, that's fine.  Why not both? 

Anyhow, RCA in recent years has released many of their late 1950's, early 60's classical releases under their Living Reference, etc. labels in hybrid SACD.  Many of them are worthwhile audiophile classics even on CD.  For example, the Scheharazade disc with Reiner (I think), as a starter.  There are many in that line.  AND, for some reason, may be even the SACD releases have had their run, you can find them dirt cheap (like $10 for SACD!).  May be it's because classical recordings are not selling (the entire recording industry is in a slump anyway), price-wise you're at the right time.

[martyo]

For the record, the CD recommended in the original post would probably not be categorized under "classical music" as the genre is normally (roughly) understood.  It sounds like a cool disc, but I doubt you'd find it at the Classical section of Tower Records.  If Tower Records still existed, that is.

Note: this is not intended to start a debate about what "classical music" is.

Yeah, but I thought..............just kidding.  

[Randy]

Get this.  Beginners should try the 2nd and 5th movements first, and then the entire symphony. 

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-Symphony-Claudio-Festival-Orchestra/dp/B00081TXTA/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208902701&sr=1-33

[JeffB]

I try to listen to some classical once in a while.
I have Classical USC in Los Angeles that I can listen to.
Unfortunately, if I ever here something that I like, they usually read off the name of the piece of music to quickly for me to digest and remember.

My main listening is to Heavy Metal, all genres from hair metal to death metal.
The classical that I like has to have some element to it that kind of reminds me of metal.
Fast piano, fast violen, dark/evil sounding is what works for me.

The only two examples that I remember from the radio are
Bach Harpsichord Concerto in D minor -- I heard this today.
Felix Mendelssohn - Fingal's Cave.

There was also a Mozart piano piece I heard a while back that I liked.
Oh and how could I forget
"O Fortuna" from the Carmina Burana opera by Carl Orff  -- Ozzy Osbourne's pre concert intro.

Could anybody recommend some classical related to the above?

[Randy]

Jeff.
  You'd like Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain." Also try Richard Strauss's "Don Juan."
  I posted a link above to Reference Recordings where you can find a audiophile version of "Night" on a disc titled "Mephisto & Co."  There is a box set of all of Bach's harpsichord concertos at a discount price available by Trevor Pinnock on DG Ark.

http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Strauss-Eulenspiegels-Streiche-Zarathustra/dp/B00005NGJY/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208907584&sr=1-17

If you like this recording the other Strauss works in this same series would be steals at the price.

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00004SAAY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208907847&sr=1-2

Interesting that you would suggest the Bach, since this is not ordinarily music for classical beginners, but he was the greatest of all.  This set includes all of the harpsichord concertos and his marvelous violin concertos in superb recordings and performances. I might add that you won't want to listen to a CD all the way through at one sitting. Even Bach wouldn't recommend that. Pick one or two works at a time, sample all the discs, and give yourself time to get acquainted with the music. This applies to most of classical music. It's an acquired taste that has to be nurtured.

The Mozart you heard was probably a piano concerto. He wrote 27 of them. For a selection of some of the greatest, try this. Not exactly heavy metal, however.   :>

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano-Concertos-Vol-Nos/dp/B00005LKEG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1208909277&sr=1-2