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Classical music for newbie

Like myself, I'm sure some of you here have been wanting to get into classical music but don't know where to start. Over a year ago, my friend and fellow A'goner Jaytea compiled a list of classical LP's for me, some of these have become my very favorite recordings. I must admit that I don't know much about classical music other than I love hearing the power and dynamic of an orchestra in my living room, these are some of the most dynamic recordings I've heard. The following titles is where you want to start.

• The Firebird - Antal Dorati - London Symphony Orchestra - Mercury Living Presence
• Lieutenant Kijie - Fritz Reiner - Chicago Symphony - RCA Living Stereo
• Scheherazade - Rimsky Korsakoff - Fritz Reiner - Chicago Symphony - RCA Living Stereo
• Moussorgsky - Pictures At An Exhibition - Fritz Reiner - Chicago Symphony - RCA Living Stereo
• Khachaturian - Masquerade Suite - Kiril Kondrashin - RCA Living Stereo

Many of these are sold out for good reasons, but they are worth finding. Look here on A'gon or ebay, you'll thank me.
scar972

Showing 2 responses by bondmanp

bondmanp
1,832 posts
 
As an additional note to Bpoletti's post, I have found that when buying used vinyl, sets offer a combo of both great value and good condition. YMMV, of course, but in my experience, most of the sets I've bought are in better shape than the single LPs. Perhaps their owners cared more about preserving their purchase, or they just were too bothersome to pull out of the box, but they are rarely beaten up.

Don't forget to look for local record shows, shops and yard & estate sales where you can visually inspect the records before you buy.
bondmanp
1,832 posts
 
Like anything else, classical music is a matter of preference. For example, I tend to gravitate towards the Russian composers. Others may prefer German/Austrian composers of a particular era. By buying large numbers of classical LPs from various composers at cheap, record show prices, I have been able to listen to a lot of music and refine my taste with a minimum outlay of cash.
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