Classical music for people that (think they) don't like classical music

[DaveK]

Just put on Bruckners 4th which I have on a dodgy CD - the wife said "what the bloody hell are you listening to!" This may become a solitary pursuit!

At the risk of stating the obvious, Jerry recommended the 4th movement of Bruckner's 8th.

[Alex_UK]

At the risk of stating the obvious, Jerry recommended the 4th movement of Bruckner's 8th.

Indeed he did - I put the 4th on (which is probably the only Bruckner I have) before his post, just to see what Bruckner is like! Just moved on to some Grieg which I know I like.

[MartinT]

OK, so - I really want to try out some classical - I have very little. Some good ideas on here, but I would like to try something very accessible - maybe stuff I will know subconsciously - "popular classics" I guess.

Although it's a very individual thing, I'll take the challenge of listing accessible popularist music that you may not have heard all the way through. Good performances and recordings are a must, and for that the Penguin Guide to Classical Music series are brilliant. Just avoid snoresville Readers Digest, Marshall Cavendish or similar second-rate issues. In no particular order:

1) Beethoven Symphony No. 5. The opening may have been done to death but this symphony could be held up as simply the pinnacle of composition. Beethoven would be revered if this had been his sole work. The intro to the 4th movement is absolutely glorious.

2) Mozart Requiem. Your first choral work, maybe? Mozart's writing contains more anger than sadness, in contrast with many other Requiems. Wonderful sound which you can just sink into. There are many good recordings.

3) Holst The Planets. My first introduction to classical music when I was nine years old, played to my class by my primary school teacher. Very enlightened, she was. Wonderful depictions of the planets and gods they were named after. Mars alone is a superb test of a system's mettle as well as great war music.

4) Prokofiev Symphony No. 1. Relatively modern work written in the classical (pre-romantic) style. Fun, lollipop music but with remarkable depth too. You will undoubtedly recognise parts of it.

5) Grieg Piano Concerto. You must have one piano concerto and this is the one to have. From the very opening, it's both mesmerising and beautiful. The second movement has some of the most lyrical and moving writing ever composed for piano.

6) Bach Keyboard Concertos. Originally written for harpsichord but they sound better played on the piano to my ears. A good pianist is a must and I recommend Murray Perahia for these. Bach wrote so much good music that choosing just one is almost silly, but these will give you an inkling of his greatness.

7) Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra. Yes, we all know the opening, as used in the film 2001. But stick with it, the orchestration for strings is magnificent and the lyrical intensity keeps this one in constant rotation for me. A work that must be played whole. Several good recordings out there.

8) Dvorak Cello Concerto. Yes really, not the Elgar! I love this music, it's like a nice Pinot Grigio on a summer's afternoon - not challenging, just very pleasant indeed. I recommend the Tortelier or Rostropovich recordings.

9) Vivaldi Four Seasons. A curse on lifts around that world that have demeaned this great music. Very visual episodes and quite, quite wonderful if you buy a good performance. You simply must buy the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble on BIS for this - I insist!

10) Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3. Like the Beethoven, this glorious French symphony keeps your attention and features that tune played by the organ in the third movement. Another one to seriously test your system's bass response. If the room doesn't shake, you need bigger speakers. Better still, though, this is magnificent music to listen to.

There you go - don't shoot me down in flames as I rattled this off over a sarnie. These 10 will start your collection. Buy them all, it won't cost you a lot!

[Alex_UK]

Fantastic Martin - appreciate the trouble you've taken to put this together - I will start with these and see how we go.

[jandl100]

Well done, Martin, those will do!

No chamber music or opera, though.

And I still think that getting some classical music sampler CDs would be a good idea.

And I'd add Shostakovich 5th symphony for something a bit more modern.

Opera ... I can't see Alex going for Verdi or Puccini (although you never know, I guess), but how about Philip Glass's Akhnaten? I bet he might enjoy that.

[MartinT]

I didn't add Mahler or Bruckner or Shostakovich as I think they need to be slowly appreciated. As for Opera, I'd start with Carmen, I think.

How about adding to the list then, Jerry? Perhaps we could make it a library item with some expansion.

[JJack]

Heard a great one yesterday: the Bernstein West Side Story arrangement for violin, with Joshua Bell.

Yes, it's "Broadway" strictly speaking, but it's got a lot of classical in it too, and would be an excellent bridge for new listeners. Stunning recording as well