Discussion Forums - Classical

I am an avid music fan.  I listen to music, about 15 hours a day.  My tastes are vast, Singer songwriter, some country, classic rock, some alternative, classic soul, oldies (40's thru 70's).The only things I can say I truly don't care for are Hiphop( & much of current T40), and opera.   My collection stands at about 8000 cds.  Unfortunately, only about 10 of them are classical.

   I wish to have more interest in classical music, but truly don't know where to begin.  2 of the cds I have, are called Sensual classics, and Too.  I really like the style of both quite alot.

   If someone could give me a few specific suggestions, of where to begin, I would be very grateful.

I'd start with Tchaikovsky (for the tunes) and Debussy (for the instrumental color). They could both be called sensual. 

Full disclosure: I just added a couple of Tchaikovsky CDs to my list - but I would have recommended him anyway, since he was one of the composers who first got me into classical music.

-Jim

My best suggestion is to try to listen to as much as you possibly can, and to listen SIMPLY.  Don't try to understand/interpret/judge etc., it'll just give you a migraine.  It's music, it was composed to be listened to, not dissected.  Also, don't try to force yourself to like it.  There are far more different sounds in "classical" music than in all of modern music combined.  Nobody likes them all.  I like medieval music, my husband likes choral music, and my nine year old son thinks that Holst and Wagner are God's gift to the ears.  These are all very, very different sounds, but are often stuffed together under the heading "classical".  So try lots of different things.

Once you find a sound that you like, take the time to read the liner notes in the CD.  They are fabulously educational!  They will help you begin to understand what that music was about and likely turn you in the direction of other composers you will want to check out (many composers were friends, others were related).

Good luck!