I got an invitation from a guy who claim to be a serious classical music fan, he is giving me a chance to pick whatever I like from what he calls a 99.5% dead mint compilation of 1,500 classical albums, for a dollar each.
I hope I don't end up buying the entire lot
, but what albums should I chase if I want let's say 200 - 500 albums.
I have not matured as a classical music lover (yet) and aside from the Chopins, Vivaldi, Mozarts, I don't know much. I am more into melodic than the intense.
Hi Dimfer,
First off...wow. That's kinda like picking your favorite words from the Oxford Unabridged Dictionary!
But lets start with [my own personal] basics:
1. Depends on what 'kind of' classical you are drawn to. From a layman's perspective (from my own perspective really), i break it down in my own mind this way:
A. Scale of Music
- Symphonic - Large Scale (fromer Concertos through symphony thru choral thru opera)
- Ensembles - from trios to sextets (3 instruments up to 6)
- Solos and Duets
- Some people are less drawn to the period of music and more to the scale.
B. Period of Music...someone please correct me if i get this wrong
- Early...Pre Baroque (Monastic, Gregorian chant, etc)
- Baroque - 1600s Bach, Handel, early Vivaldi
- Next Era - 1700s late Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn, early Beethoven
- Next Era - 1800s later Beethoven, Chopin, Dvorak,
- Next Era - 1900s Copland, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin,
- Modern - Gorecki, Mark Isham, Hans Zimmer, John Williams
C. My personal collection in order of what i have the most of:
- Bach, Haydn, Handel, Vivaldi, Boccherini, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Telemann, then Chopin, Dvorak, Mussorsky, Rachmaninoff, Zimmer,
- Penguin Guide is one of my favorite go-to guides. I do not always agree...but i have rarely been disappointed.
D. Finally, some people go by speed/tempo of classical when they first get started...some tend to like brisk, fast, (dont let me fall asleep) classical...
...Certain Baroque tends to satisfy a lot of those requirements. Vivaldi,Telemann, Boccherini,
...Bach tends to be a fantastic combination of rhythm and somehow very earthy soothing melody...incredibly cerebral, thoughtful, library-intellectual and yet somehow soulful (to me anyway). Handel for me is similar...his chorals are all particularly beautiful. i do not like opera, but i find his chorals incredible...i have most of them.
...Haydn for me always keeps me going...all of his music and he was one of the most prolific...great tempos, rythms, brisk, bright, he was consdered one of the forefathers of the full symphony.
...others seek very soothing, slower, music that lulls and enchants...Brahms, Chopin, Dvorak,
...others seek dark drama, heavy plodding and romantic visions...the Russians...Mussorsky, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Stravinksy
...think wide open plains, grand symponies...Aaron Copland,
...modern, dynamic movie soundtracks...Hans Zimmer, John Williams,
D. Finally...what are you looking for? To get a definitive collection for yourself? or use this as an oppotunity to get a little of everything, or perhaps a shortlist of the best of everthing?
I think that's enuf for now...let me know if any of these particular directions are sort of how you think of classical...and maybe some of us here can make some more specific suggestions about how to tackle such an enormous collection.