2. music
  3. 164148-118236

How to go about collecting Classical Music

At age 68 I’ve started to like Classical Music. It’s been mostly Jazz, Rock n Roll, and R&B up to now. I’m familiar with those genres, know their history, artists, and how to best and most economically acquire their recordings. Not so the Classical repertoire which covers a much longer time period and encompasses so many styles and forms.

What genres and/or periods of Classical music should I be exploring? I’m not looking for recommendations on particular composers or artists, only genres or periods. In Classical music there is orchestral music, chamber music, opera, church music and who knows what else to try out. Maybe you could advise me, if you wouldn’t mind, of some types to try? Or maybe you could recommend a book on the subject that would help a rookie get a start understanding what’s out there.

In buying classical music, for any one work, there may be innumerable recordings by various artists, orchestras and ensembles. How do you sort out which recordings you want in that respect. For example, I looked up Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring on Ebay last night to get some idea of pricing and what classical music available there. There were so many recordings of that work, I would have no idea how to sort out which would have been a good choice. Are there web sites where there are recommendations on which recordings are most exceptional? Or alternately, are there classical record labels you can rely on routinely to provide superior quality recordings? I’ve heard Deutsche Gramophone may be a reliable label for one, but that’s about it. Could you recommend any other labels to look for?

There seems to be a lot of Classical music in SACD format relative to Jazz or Rock n ’Roll. Is there some reason for that? Should SACD be the format of choice for purchasing Classical music, or is there good classical material in Redbook format to be found? I prefer to stay away from used vinyl due to condition issues, or new vinyl due to cost. I’m guessing the better dynamic range of CD’s lends itself to orchestral music. Is there any market for used classical SACD’s? Are there any sites you prefer to purchase your Classical CD’s, either new or used?

I grew up on Long Island. On one trip to midtown Manhattan I walked into an old church not too far from St. Patrick’s to view its’ magnificent stained glass window. Once inside I heard some equally magnificent classical organ being played. I discovered the church’s incredible organ was being played by some of New York City’s finest classical organists who would book time to practice on it. That large church was always deserted, and I went back many times for what amounted to free private concerts. I’d like to know what kind of music that was to try and replicate that experience to some degree at home, From what I’ve read here and elsewhere there surely is a plethora of other wonderful Classical music to explore and enjoy. Thanks in advance for any advice,

Mike






skyscraper
skyscraper OP
824 posts
 
Gerryah930, That’s quite an accomplishment for you to have been playing first chair, viola for the Boston Symphony and had have been exciting.

As you suggest, I’ll have to see what performers, composers and periods I do enjoy and develop my own tastes and preferences . There is certainly a wide array to choose from, Thank you for your description of which periods some of the major composers fell into. I might have known that at one time while in school, but that was more than a bit ago  Did you usually like playing the pieces selected for you and the Boston Symphony orchestra to perform? I’d imagine some pieces were more to your own tastes than others.

Do you still play your viola anymore? It’s a late start, but I’ve been considering taking saxophone lessons since retired on a brand new tenor sax received as a gift in 1975, but never played. Life got in the way, and it’s still new in its’ case, sitting on a shelf unused. I’d like to learn to read music as well in the process and some music theory would be undoubtedly be a worthwhile adjunct. Taking lessons is on the do list for this year soon as I  can score a Covid vaccination or two.  Life is still getting in the way. Appreciate your above suggestions,

Mike















Gerry
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano
2,412 posts
 
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Leonard Bernstein as an educator.
He was the greatest introducer of classical music to generations of music lovers.
You might want to seek out his series of Young People’s Concerts on DVD as a start.  Although these concerts were ostensibly geared for children, his genius at communicating will serve you well at the beginning of your quest.
rcprince
3,059 posts
 
I haven't read through all of this thread, so please forgive me if I am going over the same ground as others, but if you're looking to see the sorts of periods or genres you like, and you're able to stream music, I highly recommend both Idagio and Primephonic as classical-only sources.  They have playlists and podcasts that you can stream to sample various composers, genres, etc, and learn about them, and when you find something that you like it's easy to see and listen to the various recordings of the piece.  I also like BBC Music Magazine, it's got monthly articles about building a library of particular pieces,  and particular composers, plus reviews of the new classical releases of the month, and also comes with a CD that as a rule is well-recorded and might introduce you to new [pieces you might not otherwise think of trying.  And if you use the magazine's reviews  in conjunction with the streaming services, you can listen to the recordings that were reviewed and see what the reviewer was talking about, maybe you find a reviewer whose tastes match yours (or don't)/

By the way, was it St. Thomas church that you dropped in on?  That has a wonderful organ, and there are some famous recordings from that venue.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,392 posts
 
<I don’t think anyone has mentioned Leonard Bernstein as an educator.
He was the greatest introducer of classical music to generations of music lovers.
You might want to seek out his series of Young People’s Concerts on DVD as a start.>

This is an excellent suggestion. I used to watch these shows on TV when I was a kid.


skyscraper OP
824 posts
 
Rcprince, yes it was St. Thomas’ church. Youve jarred my memory. Thank you so much. I looked at Google images and that was undoubtedly the place. I was thinking maybe it was on 5th Avenue or thereabouts, but wasn’t at all sure. That church was a magical place to hear incredible organ music, while sitting undisturbed in that beautiful setting in the heart of Manhattan of all places. Do you recall the names any of the recordings made there? I’d love to find one and be able to play it at home.

Thank you for your other suggestions as well.

Rvpiano and lowrider, I kind of remember those Bernstein Young Person’s Concerts being aired on local NYC tv when I was a kid too. I don’t recall watching any though. We instead watched Dick Clark’s American bandstand daily, which Mom always had on when I got home from kindergarten. We were also discovering Little Richards "Tutti Frutti" and Bill Haleys "Rock Around the Clock", mom’s only two R&R 45’s.(might even have been 78’s). But those "Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news" days are now officially over. Maybe it’s time for the old to rediscover the "Young Person’s Concerts" via some DVD’s. Who woulda’ guessed?

Mike
.

More to discover