Your favourite classical pieces

[Rengori]

Now, which people like classical music and which just like to think of themselves as the type of people who like classical music?

I really do wish to expand my knowledge of classical music, but it's proving to be harder than it was to expand my knowledge of things like death metal.

And I don't know much about classical, but I'm partial to the Moonlight Sonata, most of Paganini's Caprices, Mozart's Requiem and Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain.

I agree that it's very difficult to approach classical in this day and age. It's not very popular among younger people (teens and 20s) so it isn't talked about much and can be hard to find recommendations. Not only that, but once you have finally found composers you feel you enjoy, they all have dozens and dozens (sometimes hundreds) of compositions that span many diverse ends of the musical spectrum - from violin sonatas to trombone concertos to operas to ballets and symphonies. It's so hard to get a handle on all of that!

As if that weren't difficult enough, actually *acquiring* good classical can be a very time-consuming and money-intensive process. It's difficult to just go about randomly downloading classical music like you could with any other genre (as you suggested, death metal). You have to first pick a piece you're interested in, and then seek out a quality recording with a reputable conductor and orchestra (and/or soloist), which is often difficult to do while browsing p2p or other filesharing methods, so... one has to spring the cash and actually purchase the stuff to truly get what they want / know what they're getting.

Oy.

Gonna add it doesn't help that it seems a lot of classical pieces are just called what kind of piece they are and a number (ex Caprice No 5).

[BG-57]

I know what you mean. When I mention In the Hall of the Mountain King, I get blank stares, but if I hum a few bars, everyone recognizes it. It's particularly popular in trailers for movies with slapstick humor that builds to a crescendo.

What I find interesting is that classical pieces were pop songs in their day. That's one detail that Amadeus gets right. That's the best movie I've seen about classical composers and their work. It's a great introduction to the works of Mozart and Salieri.

Try entering the titles that intrigue you into YouTube. I've been able to get hits for most pieces that I tried.

Also attending live performances is good. Most major cities have some symphonic orchestra. I've heard a lot of good music that way.

The third way, which is strictly local for me, is a public art installation in the summers in my city called Waterfire, which features interesting and intriging atmospheric music. If I hear a tune I like I go and snag a playlist.

[Chzn8r]

I would see live performances of classical if I had a bit more time/money/opportunity. I'm at a university with a good music school and good rates for student tickets, but I just never know which ones to go see, or often don't know about something until it's already happened. Or there's conflicts with other things in my schedule... school life is busy.

Back home in Chicago, I'd see stuff like the CSO more often if it was cheaper =/ I dunno. I figure later on in life I will have more time/opportunity to spend some of my leisure time on attending live classcial performances.

[Clouded Sky]

Henryk Górecki's Symphony no. 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs".

A ton of Chopin, but my favorite recently has been Piano Concerto No. 2.

Gustav Holst's Mercury.

And, while it was written in the last decade, I LOVE Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

[Chzn8r]

I think you mean century, and if so, how does that make it really any different? Lots of the best classical music is from the 1900s.