New to Classical music, recommendations?

[tomjim2000]

Hi all,

I got into classical music about half a year ago and would like to broaden my horizons. Since I'm fairly new to classical music, it would be great if you could recommend a few pieces for me to play.
I'm currently going for ABRSM grade 7 in April and my 3 pieces are:
A - Mozart Sonata in G K.283
B - Mendelssohn Gondellied U136
C - Debussy Preludes Bk.II - Canope
On top of those 3 I'm also learning Liebesträume for my own entertainment.

It would also be great if you could recommend pieces to listen to (I'm quite open about exploring new things). To grasp a sense of my taste here are my favourite pieces by each composer (not going to do all composers)

Beethoven - Sonata Pathetique, Emperor Concerto, Rondo 129 "Rage Over a Lost Penny"
Brahms - Waltz in A Flat No. 15, Viola Concerto in F Minor
Chopin - Ballade 1, Tragic Polonaise, Nocturne Op.32 in A-Flat, Piano Sonata 2
Liszt - Liebesträume No.3, Un Sospiro, Mephisto Waltz, La Campanella, Totentanz
Mendelssohn - Ruy Blas Overture, Violin Concerto in E Minor
Debussy - Pour le piano - Sarabande, Suite Bergamasque, Arabesque No.1, Reflets Dans L'eau
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture, Piano Concerto 1
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 2, Prelude No.2 in C# Minor

Other notable mentions:
Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor
Arvo Part - Fratres
Gershwin - Piano Concerto in F Minor/3rd mv.
Wieniawski (took me 4 tries to spell his name) - Scherzo Tarantelle Op. 16
Schubert - Marche Millitaire
Bach - Chaconne No.2
Ravel - Bolero (idk why)

Again, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I'm not a native English speaker (ahem grammar nazis)

[cabbynum]

Take a listen to Allan op.39 no.12 and 3 and 11, and 10 the entire opus is fantastic but those are good ones to listen to first. Also the op.33 sonata, not sure if there's a good recording on YouTube of that one, I have Hamelin's Cd recording.

Look into the Brahms concerti, Tchaikovsky's other concerti as well. Rachmaninov études and other preludes are great... I love op.23 no.7

Chopin sonata 3
Liszt piano concerto no.2

Beethoven op.109
Beethoven op.131
Beethoven symphony 8

Mozart requiem of course

Tchaikovsky symphonies

Berlioz symphonie fantastique is awesome!!!!

I love Brahms symphony 4

Brahms piano sonatas

Schubert d.958- 960

Schubert standchen

Schubert wanderer fantasy ( this is a bear to play, holy sh*t...)

Schubert arpeggjone sonata

Bortkiewicz Eros impromptu (blanking on the opus right now)

[j_menz]

Take a listen to Allan op.39

Or perhaps Alkan's.

Notable omissions....

Clementi, Haydn, Handel, Telemann, Scarlatti, Wagner, Schumann, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Shostakovich...

[outin]

Notable omissions....
... Scarlatti, ...

There's a good boy! 

[j_menz]

There's a good boy! 

I secretly meant the horse.  

[outin]

I secretly meant the horse.  

A fine horse indeed...and his sire is Oratorio

[j_menz]

A fine horse indeed...and his sire is Oratorio

Albeit that his namesake never wrote one, though he'd be well up for the castrati part.

[outin]

Albeit that his namesake never wrote one, though he'd be well up for the castrati part.

Oh but his sire did!

Edit: And so did Domenico as well... Just refer to your edition of Kirkpatrick...If you don't have one, better get one asap!

[keystobeauty]

For playing I would recommend Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, Clementi Sonatina Op. 36 No. 3 and 6, Khachaturian's Toccata, Debussy's Hommage a Rameau, the Liszt Consolations, selections from Albeniz's Cantos de Espana, any of the easier Chopin Preludes or Nocturnes.

For listening, Khachaturian's Spartacus, Wagner's Liebestod (Liszt wrote a piano transcription), Mozart's Requiem, any of the Puccini operas, all of Beethoven's Sonatas, all of Rachmaninoff's Preludes and Etudes (some of them are just beautiful, but very tough to play well), Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Resphigi's Pines of Rome (get Toscanini's performance with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, just awesome), and anything Gershwin - his own renditions of his songs for the piano, Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris, etc.

Hope this helps.