New to classical..looking for recommendations

Tboooe,

This thread may be of use to you:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?gmusi&1107016344&openusid&zzRushton&4&5#Rushton
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You're going to get a lot of recommendations here. Start by sampling at Amazon. It will also link u to similar composers.

Since Vivaldi falls into the Baroque category, maybe start with the early composers... JS Bach, Handel, Joseph Martin Kraus, Mozart, Haydn, then move forward to Chopin, Beethoven, Schubert, Dvorak, Mendelssohn.
Since you like concertos, u can enter for example "Beethoven Concertos" and his piano and violin concerto will be displayed.

YouTube has many samples, but I think Amazon gives you more help by suggesting similiar artists.

Then, once you've found artists you like, you'll want to find the best quality mastered CDs. Certain Record labels excel in high quality classical...Chesky, EMI, Philips, Decca.

Please read Rushton's recommended threads. "Starting Points" is an excellent place to begin, but don't stop there. There are about 300 threads on Agon in it's Archives relating to classical music and several would be very informative to you.

FWIW, if from this reading you develop specific questions don't hesitate to ask. There are quite a few currect contributors on Agon with both the knowledge of classical music and the willingness to share with others.

The Beethoven Symphony Cycle --- including all 9 symphonies --- is an absolute must for anyone wanting a taste of the greatest classical music ever written. There are over 25 complete box-set cycles available on CD (most w/5 CDs and most costing under $20 for the set). For the best sound quality (this is, after all, an audiophile site) I recommend the cycle by conductor Jos van Immerseel on the label called Zig Zag Territories. It is amazingly well recorded and is a small ensemble playing on period instruments and is simply transcendent. For a large ensemble, modern instrument cycle --- which is VERY different from the small ensemble/period instrument recordings, I suggest Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies by Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra --- his interpretation is outstanding (and the sound is pretty good... 1963 recording remastered). If you chose only one and sound is the criteria... go Immerseel.

Enjoy!

Many good suggestions, just buy one nice romantic pretty work and chew on that for awhile.

Try Brahms Violin Concerto, 2 lovely recording are, Itzhak Perlman with the Chicago Symphony and Anne=Sophia Mutter with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Another good start could be his Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, almost every recording available of this is good, the ones with David Oistrakh on violin are lovely .

VERY good introduction to Classical Music is "The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collectio" by Ted Libby, readily available on Amazon.

Classical Music may well be the greatest achievement of Western Civilization, like a beautiful women you'd like for a wife, it may be best to start out slow.
Is there no Classical on Public Radio where you are?
Easiest way to hear what appeals to you, and its ALL good.