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This article is from the Classical music FAQ, by Gabe M. Wiener gabe@panix.com with numerous contributions by
others.
2. I'm new to classical music and want to learn about it. What should I listen to?
Probably the first thing you should listen to is your local classical
radio station. Because there are so many different types of music
that are usually lumped in as "classical," there is no easy answer to
this question. By listening to a varied program at first, you can
begin to identify the types of music and the eras which are most
interesting to you. You will then be better armed to purchase
recordings.
Another useful tool is your local public library or university music
library. If you are wary of plunking down your greenbacks for a composer
whom you've never heard, go and check out a CD or throw on a headset in
the library's listening center and check out a sample. Many people
listen to entire discs on loan before buying them.
Still, the regulars on rec.music.classical have compiled the following
lists to help you get started. We do make some assumptions, however,
namely that you have some idea of what _periods_ of music interest you
(once again, check out a classical radio station for a few days if
you're not sure). If you are eager to get started, we have also
provided a general survey of music that covers all the major periods.
Table of contents for the lists:
L1 A list for rank beginners who want a general survey.
L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance music
L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works
L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works
L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works
L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works
L7 A list of representative Lieder
L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic
choral works
L9 A list of operas spanning the history of the genre
L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918
L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945
L12 A list of music written since 1945
L13 A list of piano concerti
L14 A list of violin concerti
L15 A list of symphonies
L16 A list of piano/harpsichord music
L17 A list of chamber music
L18 A list of modern chamber music
L19 A list of viola and cello concerti
L20 A list of violin and piano music
L1 A list of recommended works for those who have no experience
with "classical" music. This list gives representative examples
of all the major periods, or so we believe.
1. Hildegard: Symphoniae
1. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame
2. Dufay: Chansons
3. Josquin: Benedicta es
4. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
5. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #5
6. Bach: Cantata #140, "Wachet auf!"
7. Handel: Messiah
8. Mozart: Symphony #40, K. 550
9. Mozart: Selections from "The Marriage of Figaro"
10. Haydn: Op. 76 String Quartets
11. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6
12. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
13. Chopin: The "Horowitz Plays Chopin" disc, or
Rubinstein: "Highlights from the Chopin Collection"
14. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
15. Wagner: "Ring" cycle selections
16. Brahms: Symphony #3
17. Mahler Symphony #1
18. Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite
19. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire
20. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
21. Prokofiev: Piano Concerto #3
22. Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
23. Berg: Violin Concerto
24. Reich: Desert Music
L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance works
1. A recording of Gregorian chant/organum
2. Hildegard: Columba Aspexit
3. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame
4. Dufay: Missa Se la Face ay Pale
5. Ockeghem: Chansons
6. Josquin: Benedicta es
7: Italian madrigals by Rore, Gesualdo, Monteverdi, etc.
8. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
9. English madrigals by Morley, Weelkes, Gibbons, etc.
10. Byrd: The Great Service
11. Dowland: Lute songs
12. Gabrieli: Canzonas
13. Tallis: Lamentations of Jeremiah
L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works
1. Corelli: Violin Sonatas
2. Couperin: Pieces de Clavecin (harpsichord)
3. Bach: The six Brandenburg Concerti
4. Bach: Keyboard partitas
5. Bach: Sonata in E major for Violin
6. Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
7. Handel: Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks
8. Handel: Organ Concerto #13 ("Cuckoo & Nightingale")
9. Handel: Trio Sonatas
10. Boyce: The Eight Symphonies
11. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
12. Telemann: Trio Sonatas
13. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas
14. Pachelbel: Canon in D
15. LeClair: Trio Sonatas
L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works
1. Monteverdi: 1610 Vespers (Vespro Della Beata Vergine)
2. Carissimi Jepthe
3. Handel: Messiah
4. Handel: Saul
5. Purcell: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day
6. Bach: Magnificat
7. Bach: Cantata 140, "Wachet auf!"
8. Schutz: Musikalische Exequien
9. Vivaldi: Gloria
10. Charpentier: Te Deum
L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works
1. Mozart: Symphony #40, K.550
2. Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525
3. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20 (K.466), #21 (K.467)
4. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581
5. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3
6. Haydn: London Symphonies ("Surprise" and "Clock")
7. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6, #9 (also choral)
8. Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 59 #1
9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas, Op. 13
L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works
1. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90
2. Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4
3. Brahms: Hungarian Dances
4. Rossini: Overtures
5. Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream
6. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
7. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
8. Chopin: Preludes Op. 28
9. Liszt: Les Preludes
10. Rimsky-Korsakov:
Scheherazade
11. Dvorak: Symphony #8, Slavonic Dances
12: Saint-Saens:Symphony #3 ("Organ")
13. Smetana: The Moldau
14. Strauss: Don Juan
15. Bruckner: 4th Symphony
16. Tchaikovsky: 6th Symphony
17. Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
18. Barber: Adagio for strings
L7 A list of representative Romantic vocal works (Lieder)
1. Schubert: Erlkonig
2. Schubert: Die Schone Muellerin
3. Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
4. Schumann Dichterliebe
5. Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch
6. Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer
7. Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Ete
8. Faure: Melodies
9. Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel
10. Ravel: Chansons Madecasses
11. Strauss: Four Last Songs
12. Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne
L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic choral works
1. Mozart: Requiem, K.626
2. Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K.427
3. Haydn: The Creation
4. Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass
5. Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
6. Beethoven: Choral Fantasy, Sym. #9
7. Mendelssohn: Elijah
8. Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzer
9. Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
10. Verdi: Requiem
11. Berlioz: Te Deum
12. Dvorak: Stabat Mater
13. Faure: Requiem
14. Bruckner: Te Deum
L9 A list of operas spanning the history of the genre:
1. Monteverdi: Orfeo
2. Charpentier: Les Arts Florissants
3. Lully: Atys
4. Handel: Giulio Cesare
5. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
6. Mozart: Don Giovanni, K.527
7. Mozart: The Magic Flute, K.620
8. Beethoven: Fidelio
9. Verdi: La Traviata
10. Puccini: La Boheme
11. Rossini: The Barber of Seville
12. Wagner: Die Walkuere
13. Bizet: Carmen
14. Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
15. Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
16. Weill: Threepenny Opera
17. Strauss: Salome
18. Berg: Wozzeck
19. Britten: Billy Budd
20. Glass: Akhnaten
L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918:
1. Debussy: La Mer
2. Strauss: Salome, Rosenkavalier
3. Mahler: Symphony #9
4. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, 5 Pieces for Orch.
5. Sibelius: Symphony #2
6. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Petrushka
7. Webern: 6 Pieces, Op. 10
8. Berg: Altenberg Songs
9. Holst: The Planets
10. Ives 3rd symphony, Concord Sonata
11. Reger: Clarinet Quintet
12. Scriabin: Piano Sonatas
13. Rachmaninov: 2nd Symphony
14. Bartok: Bagatelles
15. Prokofiev: Classical Symphony, Scythian Suite
16. Satie: Parade
17. Vaughan-Williams: Lark Ascending
L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945:
1. Berg: Violin Concerto
2. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
3. Webern: Symphony
4. Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo
5. Bartok: Music for Strings
6. Shostakovich: Symphonies #1, #5
7. Prokofiev: Alex. Nevsky
8. Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
9. Orff: Carmina Burana
10. Durufle: Requiem
11. Ellington: Black and Tan Fantasy
12. Milhaud: Le creation du monde
13. Honnegger: Pacific 231
14. Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
15. Harris: Symphony #3
16. Hanson: Symphony #2
17. Janacek: Katya Kabanova
18. Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
19. Sibelius: Symphony #7
L12 A list of music written since 1945:
1. Boulez: Pli selon pli
2. Babbitt: A Solo Requiem, 2nd Quartet
3. Carter: A Mirror on Which to Dwell
4. Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
5. Poulenc: Gloria
6. Britten: War Requiem
7. Riley: In C
8. Reich: Desert Music
9. Glass: Glassworks
10. Rochberg: 3rd Quartet
11. Crumb: Black Angels
12. Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles, Rake's Progress
13. Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw
L13 A list of piano concerti
1. Bach: Brandenburg #5 (Harpsichord)
2. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20, #21, #23 (K.466, 467, 488)
3. Beethoven: Concerti #4, #5
4. Chopin: Concerti #1, #2
5. Grieg: Piano Concerto
6. Schumann: Piano Concerto
7. Liszt: Concerto #1
8. Tchaikovsky: Concerto #1
9. Brahms: Concerti #1, #2
10. Rachmaninov: Concerti #2, #3
11. Bartok: Concerto #2
12. Prokofiev: Concerto #3
13. Mendelssohn: Concerto #1
L14 A list of violin concerti
1. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
2. Bach: Concerti #1, #2; for 2 violins
3. Mozart: Concerti #3-5 (K.216, 218, 219)
4. Beethoven: Violin Concerto
5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
6. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
7. Brahms: Violin Concerto
8. Bruch: Concerto #1
9. Bartok: Concerto #2
10. Prokofiev: Concerto #1
11. Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
12. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto
13. Sibelius: Violin Concerto
14. Elgar: Violin Concerto
L15 A list of symphonies
1. Mozart: Symphony #38, #40, #41 (K.504, 550, 551)
2. Beethoven: Symphonies #3, #5, #6, #9 ("Choral")
3. Haydn: Symphonies #94, #101, #104
4. Schubert: Symphonies #8 "Unfinished" & #9 "The Great"
5. Schumann: Symphonies #1, #3
6. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
7. Saint-Saens: Symphony #3 ("Organ")
8. Bruckner: Symphonies #4, #9
9: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies #4-6
10.Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4
11.Franck: Symphony in d
12.Borodin: Symphony #2
13.Dvorak: Symphony #7, #8, #9 "New World"
14.Mahler: Symphonies #5, #9
15.Sibelius: Symphony #2
16.Rachmaninov: Symphony #2
17.Nielsen: Symphony #4
18.Prokofiev: Symphony #5
19.Elgar: Symphony #1
20.Copland: Symphony #3
L16 A list of representative piano/harpsichord music:
1. Frescobaldi: Toccatas
2. Bach: Goldberg Variations
3. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas
4. Mozart: Sonatas #8, #11, #13, #15 (K.310,331,333,545)
Sonata in D, K.576, Rondo K.511, Adagio K.540
5. Haydn: Sonata #52
6. Chopin: Ballades, Nocturnes, Etudes, etc.
7. Mendelssohn: Songs without Words
8. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90,
Sonatas for Piano D. 959, 960
F minor fantasy for piano 4-hands
9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas #14, 23
10. Schumann: Carnaval, Op.9; Fantasy in C, Op. 17
11. Liszt: Sonata in b minor
12. Ravel: Miroirs, Gaspard de la nuit
13. Debussy: Preludes
14. Liszt: Transcendental Etudes
15. Rachmaninov: Etudes, Preludes (inc. Op. 3 #2)
L17 A list of chamber music:
1. Purcell: Trio Sonatas
2. Telemann: Trio Sonatas
3. Mozart Divertimento, K.563
4. Mozart: String Quartets K.387,421,428,458,464,465,590
5. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581
6. Mozart String Quintets (K.515, 516, 593, 614)
7. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3
8. Beethoven: String Quartets #8, #14
9. Beethoven: Piano Quintet
10. Schubert: String Quartet #14 "Death & the Maiden"
11. Schubert: Piano Quintet "Trout"
12. Mendelssohn: String Octet
13. Schumann: Piano Quintet
14. Dvorak: String Quartets #10, #14
15. Dvorak: Piano Trio #4
16. Borodin: String Quartet #2
17. Brahms: Piano Trio #1
L18 A list of modern chamber music:
1. Bartok: 6 quartets
2. Schoenberg: 4 quartets, Op.. 7,10 (w/soprano),30, 37
3. Berg: Lyric Suite
4. Webern: Quartet for Sax, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano.
5. Debussy: Quartet, sonata for flute, viola, harp.
6. Ravel: Quartet, duo for violin and cello
7. Shostakovich: Quartets, No. 8, 13-15.
8. Janacek: Mladi, Intimate Letters Quartet
9. Stravinsky: Octet
10. Babbitt: 2nd quartet
11. Carter: 3rd quartet
12. Quartets by Scelsi and Schnittke.
L19 A list of viola and cello concerti
1. Telemann: Viola Concerto
2. Haydn: Cello concerto in D op.101
3. Boccherini: Cello concerto in B flat
4. Schumann: Cello concerto
3. Dvorak: Cello concerto op.104
5. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a rococo theme
6. Saint Saens: Cello Concerto #1
7. Lalo: Cello Concerto
8. Walton: Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto
9. Bartok: Viola Concerto
10. Elgar: Cello Concerto op.85
11. Hindemith: Viola Concerto
12. Barber: Cello Concerto
13. Shostakovitch: Cello Concerto #1
14. Khachaturian: Cello Concerto
15. Moeran: Cello Concerto
16. Delius: Cello Concerto
17. Bloch: Schelomo
18. Penderecki: Cello Concerto #2
L20 A list of violin and piano music
1. Mozart: Sonata K.454
2. Beethoven: Sonata #5 op.24 "Spring"
3. Schumann: Sonatas op.105 & 121
3. Brahms: Sonata #3
4. Franck: Sonata in A
5. Faure: Sonata #1
6. Lekeu: Sonata in G
7. Strauss: Sonata in E flat
8. Respighi: Sonata in B minor
9. Saint-Saens: Sonata op.75
10. Lalo: Sonata
11. Grieg: Sonata #3
12. Pierne: Sonata
13. Debussy: Sonata
14. Elgar: Sonata
15. Janacek: Sonata
16. Walton: Sonata
17. Bartok: Sonata #2
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