I think for 99% of casual listeners, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor is the first work that comes to mind if they know any solo organ works. Why is this?

Do actual organists think it’s especially great?

Does it have any particular historical or musicological significance?

Where do you place it in the pantheon of Bach’s works for keyboard — above Art of the Fugue, Goldberg Variations, etc.?

From the perspective of classical music enthusiasts which do you consider are the most impressive, the most complex progressive rock/metal songs/bands/artists that would attract the interest of an eccentric professor to make an in depth analysis.

I've been enjoying the recording by Renaud Capuçon and Khatia Buniatishvili for Erato, but I want to see who else has done right by Franck. Thank you!

Has anyone used nkoda for music scores? I signed up because it was the only way I could get access to a particular score, and I thought I'd give it a whirl to see if it was worthwhile. OMG! The interface is hellacious. Slow as a crosstown bus in NYC and barely readable. And I had to go through sign-on hoop after hoop to get started. Cancelled it immediately.

Anyone found it useful?

Hey guys,

so these past couple of years, I've always sung in our small village's church during Christmas mass. Traditionally, I pick one Finnish Christmas song as well as one or two Christmas classics and at least one classical song (last year, it was Mariä Wiegenlied by Reger which in all honesty was already slightly above our paygrade). I'm usually accompanied by my mum who plays the organ or piano, but please note she didn't study music, and she only started playing at eighteen. I'm not at all trying to speak ill of her abilities, I just want to give you guys full disclosure that this is a "layman" situation - sight-reading is not something either of us can do (unless it's a really simple piece), and complex rhythmic and harmonic structures take a lot more time for us to learn than we've got.

I've been very busy the last couple of weeks, and whoops - Christmas is almost there and I've got nothing. So I thought I'd ask you guys if you've got any ideas. A Finnish song I can find myself, but most classical pieces that are suggested online are all WAAAAAY out of my league.

So what I'm hoping for is the following:

- a rather either piano part or an easy arrangement, preferably not too many accidentals at all
- a vocal part in mezzo or alto range that doesn't have coloraturas or other too complex features

Language-wise, I'm okay with everything, but the lyrics should fit the occasion

Hi I’m looking to join an amateur orchestra in Netherlands. I’m new there and play clarinet.

Does anyone know any orchestras in the Amsterdam or even Randstad area (I’m willing to travel)

Thanks!

I always wondering if lyrics and choir are added to this piece. Using the kaiserhymne in theme-var4 (5:58-14:53), make up by own lyrics or something for the middle part (18:08-19:40) and das deutschlandlied as the end (22:50-24:00 for 1st, 2nd stanza, may need to compose another variation)(25:00 for 3rd stanza). The lyrics in middle part should reflect on the history. How do you guys think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdUWKjo1Is

Guys if you were stuck on an island and you could listen to only a few Albums , Can u name them

I'm 15 and it's been 10 years since I started to learn the piano. I live in France and I jave quite a great level in classical music pieces. I already thought of going on competitions but idk where. Do you have any suggestions of junior piano competitions IN EUROPE for me?

I know this is oddly specific, but does anybody else absolutely love that short part of the Adagio movement roughly 60 seconds from the end when the decrescendo gets interrupted by this really powerful, rich and vibrant final burst? I don't know how best to describe how it makes me feel but it just seems soo warm.

It’s often been implied on this subreddit that appreciation of classical music is a skill of sorts, as if it implies a person is more educated, more intelligent, more patient, or more appreciative of complex arts.

You could argue that melodic complexity is hard to define, since too much variation gets to the point where things stop making sense, or there’s nothing to latch onto.

You could argue that the rigid harmonic grammar of CPP music, while making the meandering melodies more accessible, is ironically vertically very predictable.

You could argue that while a violin is timbrally complex, the range of said complexity is narrow and exact control over said complexity entirely dependent on coordinated but imprecise muscle action… compare this to all the waveforms you can work with on soft synths. You can see the waveforms, modulate them, see how they correspond to pure tone frequencies in an analyzer, and manipulate them further in a DAW, or just leave it all to the presets.

You could argue that finding repetitive phrases means annoying or too simple means you lack the patience to find the enjoyment in them or lack the attention to detail to hear minor timbral variations within each iteration.

Hi guys, as the title says i'd like to know your suggestions for someone who is new to this genre. I was listenning rap and pop mostly but realised that it really inhibits abstract thinking for me so yeah thats why im here.

is a generalization, is just a rant, is just a joke but as every joke has some truth inside

Classical artist see as Jazz artist does not music

Jazz artist see pop artist does not music

pop artist see as edm does not music

edm artist see as who use beats sample loops in a daw does not music

who use beats sample loops in a daw see as vinyl dj does not music

a vinyl dj doies see an electronic dj does not music

an electronic dj sees who use artificial intelligence in a daw does not music

who use artificial intelligence in a daw see as a classical artist does not music

NB maybe the same into classical music few times I had the feeling

Bach -> Mozart -> Beethoven -> Italian Baroque -> Brahms, Listz, Schubert -> Mahler -> Bartok -> Schoenberg -> Eckhartausen -> (and then Jazz till artificial intelligence again)

A lot of classical listeners and concert goers either play an instrument or used to.

For those who did not take any classical music lessons, what caused you to get into this type of music, especially as a genre that doesn't have as much mainstream exposure as other genres like pop? What was the spark?

And is there a particular era and style of classical music you're into?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI

i may sound a little too ambitious in this post but pls hear me out. okay so ive been playing piano since i was a kid and recently got back into it. i really hope to play in an ensemble as a side gig in the future, but i feel like trying to join one with piano is a bit difficult, especially since im kind of lacking in pace compared to others. so ive been thinking to start anew with another instrument, and when i can play at a average level, i can join a small community ensemble.

so, ive been thinking between violin and clarinet. i love both instruments , but which one do you think is more realistic?

i may sound a little too ambitious in this post but pls hear me out. okay so ive been playing piano since i was a kid and recently got back into it. i really hope to play in an ensemble as a side gig in the future, but i feel like trying to join one with piano is a bit difficult, especially since im kind of lacking in pace compared to others. so ive been thinking to start anew with another instrument, and when i can play at a average level, i can join a small community ensemble.

so, ive been thinking between violin and clarinet. i love both instruments , but which one do you think is more realistic?

Hey everyone!

For the past six months, I’ve been completely obsessed with counterpoint. This fascination has pushed me to dive deeper into how it interacts with diatonic harmony, and it’s been an exciting (and sometimes challenging) journey.

This latest piece is the result of that exploration—a culmination of experimenting with creating independent musical lines while keeping everything harmonically grounded. It’s been a huge learning experience, and I’d love to hear what you think!

Feedback is always welcome, whether it’s about the counterpoint, the harmony, or anything else that stands out. Let me know your thoughts, and I hope you enjoy listening!

Original Music Score by [MinGry] - [Two Part Invention III]

Score: https://ibb.co/L6Q4x47

I hear a lot about how moving, poignant, sad, emotive people find this piece. But it is perhaps one of the only classical music pieces that drives me absolutely insane. I don't find it moving, all I hear is one long endless whine, like nails down a chalkboard for quick full 9 minutes. It is so unbearable I have to turn it off/hit mute/leave a room completely. I don't understand the love for this at all. Anyone else feel this?

I know nothing about anyone before like purcell and I only really know about him for school (which why did they pick music for a while there's much better Purcell) but like I know there was stuff before that and other than early baroque the majority of that is renaissance and medieval stuff so yeah any suggestions for that stuff. I like choral music for context but I've heard there's also renaissance instrumental music so yeah suggestions would be appreciated for that as well.

edit: F*cking hell you guys came through with a lot eagerly looking forward to locking myself in room and never talking to anybody until I've listened to all of them

I’ve been playing Scarlatti recently and I’m struggling with making distinct voices in the piece. It feels like it all blurs together almost? Has anyone any advice on drills to practice this? Or how to practice distinguishing between the two? Thank you

complete title and info -- WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING -- Op. 571 The Vampire's Vespers: Sonatensatz-Lied for Bass and Piano -- Marek Romanowski, Bass /Hanna Holeska, Piano 

https://youtu.be/OmHftHm-owk

Hello, Quick question about labels in classical music (in Europe most of all)—a world I’m just starting to explore but already find confusing. I think I’ve identified the biggest ones, but I’ve just learned that Harmonia Mundi was acquired by Universal… Anyway, it all seems quite complex, between figuring out who owns who, which are the "best" labels, their specializations, and their histories. If anyone has some basics to share with me, I’m all ears. Thanks in advance :)

//

Hello, petite question à propos des labels en musique classique, monde dans lequel je commence à peine à me plonger mais où je suis déjà perdue. J'en ai identifié les plus grands je pense, mais je viens aussi d'apprendre que Harmonia Mundi a été récupéré par Universal... Enfin bref tout ça me semble complexe, entre qui appartient à qui, qui sont les "meilleurs" labels, les spécialités ou encore leurs histoires... si quelqu'un à des bases à m'apprendre, je prends. Merci d'avance :)