Classical fans, I need advice


I need a bit of advice. I've been listening to sample classical recordings (from tower records and amazon) for over 3 months trying to find a place to start. My interest began when I first became entranced by Alison Krauss + Union Station and Nickel Creek. I've gained a new appreciation for classical styles and the violin (fiddle?) in particular.

I listened to: Hilary Hahn - Bach: Violin Concertos on Deutsche Grammophon and enjoyed it. It wasn't too pretty, nor too symphonic. It's intimate and large at the same time. Maybe not quite as romantic as I might prefer but I honestly cannot say without hearing more. Keep in mind I'm not describing the performance here just the music. I'm thinking I will take the plunge with this Hybrid SACD.

Based on this can I be "profiled" and perhaps pointed in a direction? I know these works come from the Baroque period. I also read this in an amazon review "Shortly after Bach's time, the structure of a concerto changed from an ensemble piece for chamber musicians to a piece for soloist and full orchestra. Hence many recordings of these pieces are done by 'name' soloists and 'name' orchestras and lose their intimacy in the process. This recording does not; kudos to DG and Hahn for the choice of the thoroughly musical and consummately professional Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for this disc." I really don't know if this is significant to my enjoyment of what i've heard but I thought I should mention it.

A few other notes about myself. Sound quality is of extreme importance to me. I simply cannot enjoy music on poor recordings. Something else, I really like the song from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack titled "Concerning Hobbits" composed by Howard Shore and performed by the New Zealand S.O. Again I'm not sure if this points me to a specific classical style or period but I figured I would mention it.

Any comments are appreciated
Vedric
vedric
@schubert , what is your take on "The Rest is Noise" by Alex Ross??!!
I bought it on the whim because of the obnoxious title, got all pumped up to hate it. Ended up reading thru the night! Love the part where he compares PF to Mahler...!!!??? WTF!!??  
My point is, we all gravitate to Classical sooner or later, thats just how it is. Me struggling with Mahler is my own personal problem, unlike some suggestions on this Forum re Americana singers/songwriters I get a feeling that me "not getting it" is a problem with me, not Mahler. The fact that Bernstein in his "Infinite variety..." split us into 2 categories by our ability to comprehend Mahler bothers me a Lot!! 
To fall in love with  Bruch or Elgar violin concertos is easy, all you have to do is to listen (with Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Mendelssohn you do not even need a push!) but how do you "evolve" into Mahler? Or you do not?
Bruckner, King Crimson, and Klaus Schulze are in constant rotation on my stereo, in those rare moments when Family is not in the house (I love my fav tunes served Loud!)

Methinks I can give some pointers towards Faulkner and William Golding readers, you should not get into them until you spent some time with J-P Sartr, Dostoyevsky, maybe Edgar Poe or Bradbury. But what would be the "steps" towards Mahler???


@schubert +1 re. sound quality!!! 100+ CD box of Wilhelm Furtwangler is a Must (and it is soo cheap!) and it is all in glorious Mono
like the tape I got from a fellow from stereo2go forum of a shellac recordings of Yma Sumac: the awesomeness shines thru pops and clicks, you just forget about Sound Quality
sevs, I have no take on "The Rest is Noise" because I never heard of it.

Re, Mahler ,after 60 years of listening to Classical my take is my time is better spent with Brahms or Bruckner.
That said, his "Das Lied von der Erde" is one of my favorite pieces .
Might not be if I didn’t speak German.
Ditto with Stravinsky, don’t care for him much either yet his "Pulcinella Suite" is another favorite of mine .

No rule that you have to be in love with any great composer, save Bach of course, Music is like women , you like what you like .
sevs, Bernstein said a lot of things, he liked to hear himself talk .

bomarc, +1 on the Hilary Hahn Bach.
If you haven’t heard Rachel Barton Pine do Bach she’s a nice midway between the Hahn and Bell poles .

Another vote for violinist Rachel Podger in any Baroque repertoire.  Several CDs out there.  For Vivaldi's famous Four Seasons Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante still remain the most thrilling and exhilarating.

For the rest the world is your oyster.  The Chopin and Liszt piano concertos are lovely works, among many...