Best classical forms & genres music according to redditors

Keep in mind that the term "classical" is very vague. If you ask someone to recommend a good "rock" album, you could get styles ranging from ACDC to Britney Spears, from Beatles to Lynard Skynard. Same thing when you use a broad term like "classical" - you'll range from Gregorian chants to atonal avant-garde. Don't give up on classical music just because you didn't like the first few things you heard - there's a huge range of styles and composers.

Here's a starter list where I've tried to give you an idea of several styles and eras, staying in the realm of "popular" classical music - nothing here is too obscure or fringe. You can get some quick samples from the Amazon links, or try searching Grooveshark for the full pieces.

• Barber: Adagio For Strings Op.11 - Slow yet intense string piece.
  
  
• Dvorak: New World Symphony - Good symphony with a wide range, from slow moving parts to more bombastic parts. (this piece is sometimes referred to as the "Star Wars" symphony, it has a similar tone at certain parts)
  
  
• Rachmaninov: Vespers - One of my personal favorites. Choral music - intense, haunting at times, interesting harmonies founded on that trademark Russian low bass.
  
  
• Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro A very accessible opera, and one of Mozart's most famous, perfect for a beginning opera listener.
  
  
• Beethoven - Symphonies 5 and 9. Easily two of Beethoven's most famous symphonies. Beyond the parts you hear in movies and commercials, very moving and complex pieces. The 9th has massive depth, particularly the 4th movement. I literally have over a dozen recordings of this piece alone, and hear something new every time I listen to it.
  
  
• Vivaldi: Four Seasons. You'll recognize this in quite a few places. Try the Winter suite, especially the third movement.
  
  
• Bach: Brandenburg Concertos. A good example of Bach's counterpoint style in Baroque string music.
  
  
• Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto #2. Intense and melodic, this piece transitions from sweeping melodic lines building to full frenzy - almost chaotic at times.
  
  
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 - Emporer. You could call this a "fancy" piece - several running lines across the piano, including heavy ornamentation and embellishments, particularly in the 1st and 3rd movements. The 2nd movement is more reserved, and it's tranquility bridges the more lively movements.
  
  
• Stravinsky: Rite of Spring. Fascinating, driving intensity - asymmetrical rhythms make this very interesting, unconventional.
  
  
• If you're feeling adventurous and want to delve into a longer piece of a different style, Handel's Messiah or Mendelssohn's Elijah are two great oratorios.

If you dig enough there's always a classical music (ie post copyright) CD for a couple bucks.

Who doesn't want more Vivaldi in their life?

This is an honest and correct answer, unfortunately hidden behind my RES filter that hides comments with too low a score. So here's an upvote for you. I enjoy Valentina's videos but she wouldn't be mentioned in any conversation about the best pianists alive today.

I think many people, including myself, would pick Martha Argerich as the most skilled pianist alive today -- I see you mentioned her above, too.

EDIT - I see others below have mentioned Argerich, too. For those who don't know her or who have not heard her Rach 3, here's a good album to check out what we're talking about. It's not the greatest Rach 3 ever recorded, but it's up there, and is certainly one of, if not the fieriest ever recorded.

A few to consider, some more affordable than others:

• Complete Webern
  
• Complete Varese
  
• The DG Complete Beethoven Edition (if you can find it anywhere)
  
• The Philips Complete Mozart Edition (if you can find it anywhere)
  
• Steve Reich
  
• Philip Glass
  
• Handel - Orchestral Works
  
• Bach - Orchestral Works
  
• Ravel - Complete Edition
  
• Debussy - Complete Edition
  
• Shostakovich Edition (one of the few Brilliant Classics box sets I can wholeheartedly recommend, unlike many of the others which can be a bit patchy)
  
• Strauss - Complete operas
  
• Wagner - Complete operas (Solti)
  
• Boulez - Bartok
  
• Boulez conducts Schoenberg (far from complete, but this about the best you can do)
  
• Boulez - Stravinsky
  
• Various Bach choral stuff - Gardiner
  
• Stravinsky
  
• Alban Berg Collection
  
• Berlioz - Complete orchestral works (Davis)
  
• Brahms - Complete Edition (absolutely superb collection)
  
• Britten conducts Britten + operas 1 and operas 2 + Complete Britten
  
• Sibelius - Symphonies and tone poems
  
• Elgar - Collector's Edition
  
• Vaughan Williams - Collector's Edition
  
• Barber - orchestral works (Alsop)
  
• Scriabin - Piano works
  
• C.P.E. Bach Edition
  
• Corelli - Complete Works
  
• Telemann - Tafelmusik
  
• Schubert - Masterworks (Brilliant Classics - not always the best recordings, but for the amount of stuff you get, worth the money
  
• Poulenc - complete works
  
• Messiaen - complete edition
  
• Mahler - complete edition (the symphony recordings here are a representative cross-section, you might want to supplement it with another complete cycle, e.g. Solti, Bernstein, Abbado, etc.)
  
• Liszt - Complete piano music
  
• Janacek - Operas
  
• Haydn - Symphonies (Hogwood), not complete, but as close as anyone has come to it
  
• Mozart - Symphonies (Pinnock) - an alternative to Mackerras
  
• Bartok - Piano works
  
• Debussy - Piano works
  
  If you need anything more specific than that, let me know and I'll try to recommend something.
  
  If you have a look in the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section for any of these, you'll find many more.

If you have these recordings, and you compare them to Argerich, she's done much better than he did. Maybe it's just the particular recordings I was using, but there's just no comparison. Ashkenazy can't do fast, intense, or energetic remotely as well as Argerich can.

Get these recordings.

• Bach's Concertos for Piano and Orchestra
  
• Dvorak's Cello Concerto
  
• Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije
  
• Vivaldi's Wind Concertos
  
• Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
  
• Scriabin's Piano Sonatas
  
• Tartini's Devil's Sonata
  
  These may not be the best known works of classical music, but they're each incredible works, and if the least they do is make you want to hear more classical music, then they've done their job.

I think modern culture has promulgated the falsehood of the prodigy and the overnight success, such that we're trained to think everything is just talent that you're either born with or not. The truth is that gaining any skill like photography or cooking or ice skating or piano takes months and years of patient effort. There's really no way around that (even for prodigies), but you can learn to practice much more efficiently. Chuan Chang's book Fundamentals of Piano Practice might be very helpful. The Art of Practicing by Madeline Bruser is also quite good. You choice of music is your own of course, but I will add that my love of classical was absolutely triggered by this one album. I cannot recommend it too highly! It's just such a mind-boggling trip and I can't overstate it's impact on a bunch of us kids in the 1970's who had literally never heard this music before. Give it a shot. It might change your mind about what "classical" music can be! https://www.amazon.com/Switched-Bach-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00005ORCV [EDIT: Added note on switched on bach]

Martha Argerich Rach 3 and Tchaikovsky - A classic. First rendition of Rach 3 I heard. Not the most technically perfect (e.g. compare with Kissin) but just so powerful and exhilarating.

Solti Mahler 8 in Vienna - Perfect soloists, perfect sound, perfect interpretation. Completely different league with respect to any other recording in terms of the soloists and Part 1.

Solti Brahms cycle - Great cycle. Either I love CSO/Solti recordings or I can't stand them. This is one of the former probably because Brahms is more in line with Solti's type of conducting. The fourth is particularily strong.

Mahler 2 Bernstein - Another classic. Not your everyday Mahler 2 but then again you don't listen to Mahler 2 every day. Pushing the score to its romantic limits as one reviewer put. Spiritual listening experience of death and transfiguration for the listener.

Eugene Ablulescu's Hammerklavier - Very interesting academic performance (not as slow or heartfelt as Solomon in the adagio for example). Rigid adherence to marked tempi. No idea why it isn't more well known.

Also I totally second the Gilels/Jochum Brahms concertos.

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I have listened to Vladamir Askenazy's and Georg Solti's Beethoven: The Piano Concertos a lot. I mean like 200 times or more. I love the whole thing.

I also really enjoy Nelson Freire & Riccardo Chailly with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig playing Brahms Piano Concertos. I realize the hallmark for Brahms 1st Piano Concerto is the Clifford Curzon and George Szell recording but for some reason this recording is the one I go back to. Again I have listened to this Nelson Freire & Riccardo Chailly recording a ton of times.

Another album I have been listening to recently and obsessively is Paul Badura-Skoda's Schubert: The Complete Piano Sonatas Played on Period Instruments. I really love how Schubert's Sonatas sound on period fortepianos making it so that you have to play it faster since the strings cannot sustain the notes as long as modern pianos. Badura-Skoda also tried to tie fragment pieces into sonatas and extended some of the unfinished fragments like combining the F-sharp Minor D.571 fragment with D. 604 and two movements from D.570 to make "Sonata no. 8" as well as tacking on the C Major Allegretto D.346 onto the end of the C Major D.279 Sonata. While controversial to purists, I have quite enjoyed these additions especially C Major Allegretto D.346 which makes a unique use of the fagotto lever that gives a shocking power to the piece that I have never heard before. I will admit there are times where the playing is muddled which I think is attributed to both the artist and the instrument but for some reason I really like the sonatas like this plus I really love Schubert's piano music. This doesn't mean I love Kempff, Brendel or Richter's playing less but I really appreciate what this album does.

>My last acquisition was a recording of Pictures at an Exhibition and its just not my favourite take on the piece

Which recording did you get? I'd recommend Fritz Reiner with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or Antal Doráti with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

As for Sibelius, I think the most popular recommendation tend to be for Anthony Collins with the London Symphony Orchestra and it's a really safe pick. You can't go wrong with it. The tempos are quite brisk. He plays through all seven symphonies in three and a half hours, faster than most others.

You should know that you can often listen to complete recordings on youtube before deciding whether you'd like to purchase any of them. Here's a few youtube videos for the complete Sibelius symphony cycle:

• Anthony Collins, London Symphony Orchestra
  
• Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra
  
• Paavo Berglund, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
  
• Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
  
  You can also find samples, usually around 30 seconds per track, at various merchant websites like prestomusic.com or amazon.com. While each sample is short, they can still help give you an idea as to whether you would enjoy the particular recordings.

If you are looking for manly adventure soundtrack stuff, perhaps you would like this release of some of Prokofiev's movie music. They do let ladies sing, but only in the "lamentation of their women" type of way.

Hi there, I'm the original OP of this vid from Goose_bumps, perhaps I can help. I have this recording on vinyl - I am not aware if it has been made available on CD, however you can find the record on Amazon. It should be noted that the attribution to Tushmalov/Rimsky-Korsakov as a co-composer is a known misprint - this could be why you had difficulty locating it. The correct authorship is Mussorgsky-Tushmalov. Here is a link to the album.

edit - just saw that you are looking specifically for a CD format. I don't know that it has been made available on compact disc.

You're welcome! If any of those float your boat, maybe try also:

Mozart: Requiem, Schreier/Dresden

Beethoven: Violin Sonatas, Perlman/Ashkenazy

Schubert: Trout Quintet, Gilels/Amadeus Quartet

EDIT: Had a chance to really check out my library and would also add:

Berlioz: Requiem, Shaw/Atlanta(the Sanctus is stunning)

This CD of Steve Reich works

This set by the LaSalle Quartet, especially for the Schoenberg quartets

Louis Lortie's recording of Ravel's piano music

Chailly's recording of Mahler 4, primarily for the amazing pairing of Berg's 7 Early Songs

Cleveland Quartet doing Ravel and Debussy

Herreweghe conducting some Mozart wind music

This CD, especially for the Trois poemes de Mallarme, but it includes so much good music.

Lastly, this wonderful Gershwin collection.

CD cover is included.

Edit:

> Rachmaninov Piano Concertos No.s 1 & 2

> Krystian Zimerman

> Boston Symphony Orchestra

> Seiji Ozawa

It's a rip from this CD.

Does anyone know why CDs of Switched-On Bach sell for such a premium?

I managed to get a second-hand one for about €10, but I've seen them on offer for $60+
Here, for example

Yes! Wendy Carlos, who used to be a man. I think he/she did some of the work on The Shining too. Amazon even seems to sell it.

http://www.amazon.com/Switched-On-Bach-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00005ORCV

http://www.amazon.com/Clockwork-Orange-Carloss-Complete-Original/dp/B00000DGXX/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1457982168&sr=1-3

I've only heard the Solti renditions, which are good but not great. However, I assume these are the most amazing thing in the universe.

Played this (and the Second Suite) in HS concert band. A terrific piece.

Was ecstatic when browsing the new Telarc CD releases back in the 80s when I found this release.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

http://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-The-Four-Seasons-Antonio/dp/B000003CSU

Beethoven - Piano Concertos
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chicago Symphony, Georg Solti

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Piano-Concertos-Ludwig-von/dp/B0000041K9/ref=sr_1_1

Stravinsky - Le Sacre du Printemps
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati

http://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Petrushka-Le-Sacre-Printemps/dp/B00000E3CJ/ref=sr_1_1

Wagner - Tristan und Isolde
Jon Vickers, Herbert von Karajan

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Tristan-Und-Isolde-Richard/dp/B000002SDZ/ref=sr_1_1

Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet
London Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn

http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Romeo-Juliet-Sergei/dp/B002Q85A2C/ref=sr_1_2

Mahler Symphonies
Bernstein, New York Philharmonic
or Vienna Philharmonic on DVD

http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-The-Complete-Symphonies-Gustav/dp/B005SJIP1E/ref=sr_1_1
http://www.amazon.com/Mahler-The-Symphonies-Lied-Erde/dp/B000BDIY3G/ref=sr_1_4

The instrument used makes a difference with Bach's music. I'm not much of a fan of the harpsichord or the pipe organ, which are two of the instruments his music often gets played on. What really got me into Bach was Switched-On Bach by Walter Carlos, which is the name on the LP. Walter is now known as Wendy, which is the name on the CD. In case the Moog synthesizer is not your thing, I have also made a playlist of the same pieces played by a variety of acoustic instruments:

• Switched-On Bach Acoustic
  
  The Bach Variations: A Windham Hill Sampler is another good collection of Bach played on various acoustic instruments.

...not a fan of opera singers performing MT repertoire. See: Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming singing "All the Wasted Time" from Parade.

I'm more a fan of the Ella version or the Jane Monheit one.

Which is not to say that Joyce and Renee aren't amazing, in their niche

http://www.amazon.com/Renee-Bryn-Under-Stars-Fleming/dp/B000088E7D

You could try for some of these. They're musical theater, but some could still work for you.

Agreed on Zimerman: http://www.amazon.com/Rachmaninov-Piano-Concertos-Nos-Sergey/dp/B0000V8CIQ

Not a single note missed and technically flawless playing. Fantastic orchestra too.

I would personally recommend the Moravec recording.

• Brahms: Die Klavierkonzerte; Fantasien Op. 116 - Emil Gilels, Eugen Jochum / Berliner Philharmoniker
  
  
• Strauss: Vier Letzte Lieder; 6 Orchesterlieder - Jessye Norman, Kurt Masur / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
  
  
• Elgar: Cello Concerto; Sea Pictures - Jacqueline du Pré, Janet Baker, John Barbirolli / London Symphony
  
  
• Chopin: Nocturnes - Ivan Moravec
  
  
• Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues Op. 87 - Keith Jarrett

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|name|Kalabi|
|about artist|PLEASE DO NOT BUY ANY TRACKS THROUGH TOPTRAX / NEXT ESSENCE. THIS INCLUDES THE KALABI - "KALABI" ALBUM. THE ARTIST RECEIVES NO MONEY FROM THESE SALES. Kalabi has been producing music of one kind or another for the past twenty years. He started out in garage bands where he played bass and shouted along to punk and rock covers, before moving on to writing his own tunes. From here, he played with a number of indie, rock, metal and experimental bands before sitting down in front of a computer and starting to mess around with samples. (more on last.fm)|
|album|Kalabi, released Jan 2009|
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Seconding the suites for band. They're some of my favorite works. This album is one of the best I own

Furtwangler

Dunno about being a solo, but check out Recomposed By Max Richter - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

I'm not a musician so I don't have the words or expertise to describe why I like what I do, but this version is my favorite because it seems to flow better. It seems like the instruments are more... balanced? I've heard versions that sound more "rock"-like (looking at you, Joshua Bell) and don't care for that style for this particular set of music, even the Summer presto movement.