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New to Classical Music - Album to try first??


Hi all,
I have a very important question to ask..

I know good music with talented people and good recording when I hear it..and I have good ears..

When I listen to an artist that I haven't heard before, It is actually very easy to tell if you will like their music...If you hear a few cuts that you want to listen to AGAIN, that is the start of it...you listen to the cuts again and you start having favorites.. on good albums you will have a couple of real favorites, on great albums you may have 5 or more favorites..now you are really on to something...a nice music excursion.

That is exactly the way that most good music comes into my life, and I would think that it is much the same for most audiophiles..

I listen to classic rock, jazz & female jazz singers, some country and many kinds of other music..I am open to all music by talented people and especially love well recorded, dynamic examples on a good system..

Now here's the question.
I have NEVER listened to classical music, but I would like to try some now..
What one album would you suggest for me to try first?
- It has to start somewhere..

Please take your time to answer..and I will borrow or buy the one most suggested, and am looking forward to it..

Thanks,
Joe
joe55ag

Showing 2 responses by almarg

almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
Some excellent suggestions above, particularly the list provided by Jim Crane.

I don't think that you should try to base your initial selections on "the one most suggested"; there are far too many composers, works, styles, periods, combinations of instruments, etc., etc., to make that practical.

If you are looking for immediately engaging, melodic, large-scale (orchestral) works by well-known composers from the 19th century, I would add the following suggestions:

-- Chesky CD31, Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 ("From The New World"), the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jascha Horenstein. Wonderful performance, absolutely wonderful sound (even though it was recorded in 1962!), and an immediately likable work.

-- Chesky CD76, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3, also the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Horenstein; Earl Wild as the piano soloist. Recorded in 1965.

There are also, of course, many other excellent and more recent recordings of these works.

Regards,
-- Al
almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
Correcting a slight inaccuracy in my previous post, the Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto was composed in 1909, so my reference to "19th century" was not quite correct even though he was born in that century.

Regards,
-- Al
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