Classical recommendations for me

[pnoom]

I don't really know classical music very well. The only composer I really know is Philip Glass.

I'm looking for recommendations that will appeal to my love of avant-garde to start, before I get further into the genre.

Specifically, I'm looking for a starting place for Stockhausen.

Thanks in advance.

Pnoom

[some guy]

Yeah, Stockhausen's a bit of a handful all round. He's written a ton of stuff, some brilliant, some not so much (I always think of him as a kind of Beethoven in that regard). I stopped listening to him much awhile back, but when I was, I really liked the harsh noises and relentless, driving rhythms of Prozession. Unfortunately, the only listing for that on Amazon.com is a fifty dollar copy of the LP.

You can get Gruppen on one of those Simon Rattle DVDs. It's interesting to see that piece as well as hear it, as there are three orchestras playing from three far flung sections of the hall. That's expensive, too, though, so the Budapest Music Center CD, which includes Punkte, is probably a better bet.

Hymnen is essential, I think, and Helicopter Quartet is surprisingly mild and pretty. I hope some others here will know the later Stockhausen more, but if you start with these and like them, you can do all that other exploring on your own, n'est pas? (There are forums dedicated to electronic music. There should be people there who know Stockhausen inside and out.)

[methodistgirl]

It depends on what you like. If you like the more romantic styled
classical try something like strause or Bach. If you are the more
adventurious type again it's Bach or try Beethoven. That should
get you started in no time.
judy tooley

[pnoom]

Thanks both of you.

In case you didn't notice, I'm really more the "adventurous type."

[Art Rock]

Big adventurous names:
Berio, Maderna, Xenakis, Messiaen

[pnoom]

Thanks to you as well.

[Corno Dolce]

Hello pnoom,

You say you want an adventurous work?

Then try the Sorabji *Transcendental Studies* as performed by Fredrik Ullen. Don't worry - it has nothing to do with transcendental meditation.

Here's a link:

http://www.fredrikullen.com/sorabij.html

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

[Andrew Roussak]

Pnoom,

my 5 cents to these advices ( much for adventurous types ) -

Gustav Holst, Planets Suite.

Cheers,
Andrew

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Andrew Roussak,

I second your opinion about *The Planets* by Gustav Holst - it also is one of my alltime favs. A transcription of it for organ has been done by Peter Sykes - on a big instrument, it will blow away the orchestra.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

[methodistgirl]

I will still say Bach and Beethoven. Some of their music can be adventurious.
judy tooley

[some guy]

Remember, y'all, that pnoom started this thread with two names, Philip Glass and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Our recommendations should really be more congruent (like those on Art Rock's list) with one or the other of those two composers (who are not noticably congruent with each other, really. How'd you run across Stockhausen, pnoom?).

Anyway, from early Glass, you might go to Andriessen or even early Reich. From later Glass, you might go to Adams or Kutavicius. (I hate saying those two in the same breath, as I detest Adams and adore Kutavicius, but this isn't about me!)

Of all the west coast minimalists, I like Chas Smith, who builds his own instruments, best, though Jim Fox and Rick Cox and the good Adams (John Luther) have all done great stuff.

Of the original minimalists, LaMonte Young and Tony Conrad are still the two biggies. Tony's stuff can be every bit as harsh as Stockhausen's, and even more relentless. The four CD set, Tony Conrad, Early Minimalism, Vol. 1, is to die for. (There is no Vol. 2, by the way.)

Once you're hooked by Stockhausen, you'll likely want other electroacoustic music. That's a huge area of music, largely unexplored by people who listen to the standard concert repertoire, but healthy and growing nonetheless!

Whenever you like, I'll give you a name or two from that world. Oh, it's fun!

[Corno Dolce]

Hello some guy,

You're right - some of the other suggestions are incongruant.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

[Andrew Roussak]

Hi Andrew Roussak,

I second your opinion about *The Planets* by Gustav Holst - it also is one of my alltime favs. A transcription of it for organ has been done by Peter Sykes - on a big instrument, it will blow away the orchestra.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

Yep, there was another absolutely cult version of it - recorded by Isao Tomita ( in 70es )? The recording that made me love the synthesizer music , for the first time.

Cheers
Andrew

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Mr. Roussak,

Tomita did a version of the Planets??? Oh man, that's way too cool

Now THAT I have got to check out. Thank you dear sir for mentioning it.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce