Perhaps, getting a copy or two of introduction to classical music books will be helpful (from libraries or bookstores). They give you the background info to help you appreciate classical music, and they usually recommend music for various levels of appreciation. Also, you might want to check The Absolute Sound (TAS) for the recommended list-- nothing is absolute, but at least that is the start. And many websites (e.g. Amazon.com) will allow you to listen to portion of the titles to see if you like the selected music. Your taste might be different from everyone else, so you can listen before you buy. Naxos is okay, there are various brands too worth your exploration. Hope this is helpful!
Help this budding Classical audiophile
I am looking for a recommendation on what Classical cd to buy, preferable under the Naxos label as they are well recorded and inexpensive (talk about having your cake and eating it too!). I've been an audiophile for the past 20 years now and mainly listen to acoustic jazz. My taste includes artists such as Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Barron, Brad Mehldau, Micheal Franks, Yellowjackets, Joey Calderazzo to name a few. I have about 700 cd's, with about 80% acoustic jazz. I'm more into the melody, and of course the musicianship, when I buy cd's. One thing that is also very important to me is the recording quality. I only started getting "turned on" to Classical music within the last 2-3 years and have since bought cd's from Bach, Beethoven, and my favorite right now, Haydn. I particularly like the sound of the violin and have exclusively bought violin quartets/trios. I like listening to Classical songs that are "emotional", even solo violin would do. Any recommendations out there would be greatly appreciated as this budding Classical audiophile has no clue as to what cd to pick from the very vast selection Classical music has to offer. Thanks in advance!