Introducing "classical" music

[vviola]

A friend of mine whose knowledge of "classical" music goes little beyond the "Moonlight" sonata, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and the "Blue Danube" waltz, has asked me to compile a few discs worth of music for him. Now, I'm at a loss of what to give him. He said he has absolutely no preferences, and only wants the "best" this kind of music has to offer. So, my question is, of course, which pieces of music do you give to a person like this?

[sjeon]

Music easy to understand-some mozart

[horowitzian]

J.S. Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, and Chopin. Gives a nice overview of things. If your friend is still interested, then introduce him/her to other composers such as Rachmaninoff. I wouldn't recommend Schumann because some people don't 'get' him immediately.

PS — This is indeed "the" Horowitzian from Piano World.   

[slow_concert_pianist]

Music is a generally a matter of taste. Some love the works of Arnold, Hindermith and Cage. I personally can't stand their stuff (as a generalisation).

Up until the late Romantic period music tends to built on tonal harmonies. Albeniz Suite Espana is realatively easy to perform, but harmonically beautiful. All the Chopin Walzes and Marzurkas are wonderful "sound bites". Mozart's Fantasie in D minor, J S Bach's Prelude in C from his Well Tempered Claviar Book 1 are "timeless classics" that would also are achievable in the stages of performance development (well an abridged version of the Mozart perhaps).

The early Haydn sonatas (really Sonatines) are full of joy in the sense of simplicity. I would also recommend some Debussy. Clair De Lune, Dans Le Jardin, Arabesques. Ironically I think the Schumann is one of the best concertos along with Grieg's piano concerto, but maybe I am on my own here!

[scottmcc]

There's a book called the NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection, which has a separate section at the back answering precisely your question.  it's a good book in general though, I suggest you look it up.

[jbmorel78]

I wouldn't recommend Schumann because some people don't 'get' him immediately.

I wouldn't be so quick to generalize - every composer has more accessible works and more esoteric works (some lean on one end more than the others), but there is always something available.  To illustrate my point, I would not ask one a "conversion candidate" to digest Beethoven's op. 130 string quartet or Bach's Art of Fugue, just as I would readily offer certain Schumann selections such as the Abegg Variations or the Arabeske.

Let's work on a case-by-case basis :-)

Best wishes,
Jean-Baptiste Morel

[horowitzian]

I wouldn't be so quick to generalize - every composer has more accessible works and more esoteric works (some lean on one end more than the others), but there is always something available.  To illustrate my point, I would not ask one a "conversion candidate" to digest Beethoven's op. 130 string quartet or Bach's Art of Fugue, just as I would readily offer certain Schumann selections such as the Abegg Variations or the Arabeske.

Let's work on a case-by-case basis :-)

Best wishes,
Jean-Baptiste Morel

True dat. However, I have known some people who absolutely hate Schumann because they don't understand it. Therefore, I would rather introduce someone to Schumann after they get a taste for other composers. Op. 18 is a perfect choice, though. Perhaps Op. 15 as well.

[Bob]

Don't do the "easy listening" classical music.  Or necessarily the most famous pieces.  I'm kind of annoyed when I see a CD that is full of only soothing 'top 40 hit' classical music.  Then people think all classical music is soothing and only those pieces.

[gali]

I would love for you to check out my Contemporary Inspirational PIANO Music.  I hope you like it!!

https://www.itunes.apple.com/us/album/un-sonido-de-amor/id352878151

[thalbergmad]

I would love for you to check out my Contemporary Inspirational PIANO Music.  I hope you like it!!

https://www.itunes.apple.com/us/album/un-sonido-de-amor/id352878151

Six messages you have posted and all are exactly the same and the link does not work??.

[pianisten1989]

A friend of mine once played at a concert, and some of his friends really wanted to come and listen. He played like a Mozart sonata. Then, some ppl started playing this uber-modern music. He was like "Oh no, they wont understand any of this", but after the concert they came and said "You played well, but we really liked that modern thing."

So don't go all "LETS GIVE THEM EASY MUSIC OR THEY WONT UNDERSTAND!!!!!" Classical music really isn't That difficult. Maybe you shouldn't spamm 40 pieced by Schoenberg, but don't fill it with Mozart and Haydn either.

Give them some of everything. And don't think of them as morons, who "just wont get it". No one likes that...

[nmitchell076]

True, at a recital I played recently, everything in the last half of the program (which was all 20th Century, not counting the Chopin Prelude I ended with) was what the audience enjoyed, they were bored by the first half (which consisted of Motzart, Bach, and the like).

So I say throw in the last movement from the Ginastera Piano Sonata, the Roman Sketches, maybe the Gershwin Preludes,  Or some Debussy.  (people always enjoy programmatic stuff like The Engulfed Cathedral, since it gives them something to latch onto while they listen)