/r/classicalmusic

Photograph via snooOG

Whether you're a musician, a newbie, a composer or a listener, welcome. Please turn off your phone, and applaud between posts, not individual comments.

Whether you're a musician, a newbie, a composer, or a listener, welcome.


Please Read the Subreddit Rules

And the FAQ post, which is stickied right at the top.

Breaking any of the rules will at least lead to post/comment removal, but this can be reversed if we need to make an exception. If you believe your post was wrongly removed, feel free to message us.

Things to Know

  • If you're new to classical music, and are looking for recommendations: first of all, welcome! /r/classicalresources is an archive for people who aren't sure where to start or are looking for more music they'll like, and we send all requests for basics over there. In addition to that, if you're posting an extremely frequently asked question, you may be told to use the search bar to look for similar posts.

  • If you see something that is rude, offensive, or otherwise strikes you as wrong, please report it and we'll take a look. Reports bring things to our attention faster, and posts and comments above a certain number of reports will be automatically removed (with exceptions as needed).

  • Posts from accounts under a certain (small) amount of karma must be manually approved by a mod in order to appear in the feed.

  • Remember that not everyone has the same tastes. If you can't tell why anyone would like a particular composer, don't be afraid to ask rather than dismissing them as "overrated." (On that note, please don't insult others for liking or disliking a specific composer!) And if you're feeling alone in your love of a specific composer, feel free to post some works of theirs that might intrigue others.

  • We acknowledge that the term "classical music" is somewhat porous. While this sub is absolutely not limited to Western classical music, that is currently its main focus.

Resources

  • /r/classicalresources - A variety of resources to help you expand your classical knowledge. Contains guides for beginners, an index of important composers and their works, and lists of classical pieces organised by genre, era, and theme.

Introductory threads

Other useful links

/r/classicalmusic

1,968,581 Subscribers

0

string quartet music in f major

can anyone here help me find quartet pieces in f major??

3 Comments
2024/08/24
17:36 UTC

4

I'm playing the E minor Toccata by Bach

0 Comments
2024/08/24
16:41 UTC

3

What should music critics read?

I moonlight a bit as a music critic, and I'm wanting to up my game by getting a deeper understanding of the traditions of the music I review, instead of just relying on my general knowledge and experience and my ear. All very important, but I'd like to read some books too!

So what are some canonical texts (books, academic articles, even films) that everyone presumptuous enough to review a concert or album should have read?

This might be interesting for others if not narrowed down too much, but for me, for what it's worth, I'd particularly love to read something about how conductors or conductor-less ensembles (e.g. str. qtt.) think about interpretation, and I'd love to read about how contemporary composers and improvisers understand their historical position and the meaning of things like harmony. And of course I'd like to learn what I don't even yet know I need to read!

Thanks in advance!

15 Comments
2024/08/24
16:37 UTC

15

Rhythmic tension and release based on Indian Classical rhythms

This is from Time Hero game. It’s like Wordle for rhythms.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/time-hero-feel-the-beat/id6502669276

6 Comments
2024/08/24
16:08 UTC

1

Emilio Martín de las Cabañas (1750-1803): Minuet in G-Major (Harpsichord)

0 Comments
2024/08/24
14:13 UTC

0

The Necks: Sex (1989)

1 Comment
2024/08/24
13:46 UTC

0

Opinions on Emmanuel Tjeknavorian as conductor

Who has worked with him or has any infos? Is he really as gifted as some claim or is he hot air as some critics say? Also any infos on his personal life? Girlfriend/Boyfriend?

3 Comments
2024/08/23
18:39 UTC

0

What are some classical music that are alike "Sweden" from C418

I've always love Sweden by C418, it sounds very calming to me and I would like to know classical pieces that are alike.

6 Comments
2024/08/24
11:43 UTC

2

Requesting help in finding Strauss-Reger: Morgen for solo piano

In my conservatory, students are required to have an original copy of the book their sheet music is from. Hence, I'm looking for help in finding online stores that sell Max Reger's solo piano transcription of Morgen! (I've already found a pdf copy online)

So far I've searched prestomusic, abebooks and amazon and found nothing, but I could've easily missed things out in my search.

In advance, thank you for everyone who suggests other stores or methods of searching!

6 Comments
2024/08/24
12:08 UTC

6

Looking for specific Baroque Arias

I want to listen to more pieces like “Lascia chi pianga” or “Ombra mai fu”. Any suggestions ? Soprano / counter Arias would be great.

5 Comments
2024/08/24
09:44 UTC

3

What are your favourite recordings of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5?

Karajan’s, I think, is the best conception of the work, but the recording severely lacks bass.

10 Comments
2024/08/24
08:29 UTC

0

Carnaval, Op. 9 | 2. Pierrot | Robert Schumann | 1833–35

0 Comments
2024/08/24
08:27 UTC

55

What is the most sad or depressive classical music you know??

I would like to know pieces specially for piano or violin, but I’ll listen to everything you recommend

101 Comments
2024/08/24
08:08 UTC

2

Aeolian mode in classical/early music?

Any examples are appreciated

29 Comments
2024/08/24
06:58 UTC

10

How to bring flowers to a concert?

Next year, I‘m going to see a piano concerto played by a famous soloist. As I‘m sitting in the front row, I thought to bring sunflowers from my garden. I never did that nor seen anyone from the audience bring flowers to a concert before.

Would it come off as rude to bring one flower for the soloist, one for the conductor, and one for the orchestra? To show appreciation for the collective effort?

Furthermore, when researching on the internet, some worried about or questioned bringing flowers to a male artist. This never crossed my mind before as being an issue. Both soloist and conductor are males in their 60s and I‘m young female adult, wouldn‘t bringing flowers show appreciation the new generations have for their life‘s work?

Update: I‘ll contact the concert hall if flowers are allowed/ appreciated, or most probably not bring them, as is the consensus here.

Update 2: I decided to not do it. From what I read and sometimes saw on recordings, I wasn‘t aware it was that much of an uncommon or rude thing to do. I am sorry for that. Thanks to everyone for the good considerations.

29 Comments
2024/08/24
04:59 UTC

0

Chabrier - Air de ballet

0 Comments
2024/08/24
03:24 UTC

1

The Argentine composer Ginastera's "Tres piezas op. 6 No. 1 Cuyana" is very modern and inspired by folk music. It goes beyond the classical framework, and I really like it.

0 Comments
2024/08/24
03:10 UTC

0

Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8

This piece always reminds me of a dream I had when I was a kid. As a kid, I was diagnosed with nightmare disorder and there was one specific dream that had always traumatized me. The people that I loved and the people that loved me were held hostage by (I think) anthropomorphic creatures that threatened to murder me and my beloved if I didn't murder the first person I had laid my eyes upon. So I went on a killing spree; slicing off the necks of innocents, smashing people's skulls with bats, strangling people to death. I can't even comprehend the emotion I was feeling at the time but it was sort of an extreme insanity-sad feeling. I was doing acts that I did not want to do but it was something that I felt like I had to do because fear and guilt shackled me. All these barbaric acts that I did not want to do leaves me traumatized to see an innocent person dead because me and all the people I love would be killed. To see someone die is the worst thing I could ever witness in the world so I was fighting against my biggest fear. I then encountered a crying child who was hurt but even one hesitation would leave me and my beloved dead but I just couldn't kill her. After my hesitation, I was sucked in a sort of a dark abyss and the dream ended. 

3 Comments
2024/08/24
01:17 UTC

7

What are some purely vocal works similar like Bach’s Chorales and Rachmaninov’s Vespers

I’ve been looking a while for some works that are purely vocal from the classical era.

7 Comments
2024/08/24
01:16 UTC

209

Hilary Hahn plays Presto, BWV 1001 by J. S. Bach

18 Comments
2024/08/23
23:49 UTC

1

General knowledge recommendations

Hi guys, i'm playing piano for 1-2 years and i was wondering if anyone can suggest me some books, videos, documentaries etc. about music, i want to know about composers, compositions, music theory... Basically want to build up my general culture especially for piano and violin.

3 Comments
2024/08/23
20:39 UTC

4

Music as a "Universal Language" or similar topics?

Hey all!

I'm currently taking AP Research and exploring potential topics, one of which is music's capacity as a universal language.

I did take a peek at prior posts made on this before I posted, and the general consensus seems to be no, music is not as universal as we find it to be. After a brief internet search, I found a couple of Harvard non-scholarly articles from 2018 and 2019 which believe the answer is actually yes, but not many scholarly articles on the topic. So, a couple questions:

Do you guys know of any scholarly articles which could point me in the right direction or to a related topic?

From what results I've seen now, I'm considering "simplifying" my question from music as a whole to whether there are common themes or components of varying types of music which share meanings (i.e., a minor key is understood to be sad-sounding in western music, would it sound sad in other genres?) Do you see merit in attempting this, or am I on a fruitless endeavour?

Thanks all!

29 Comments
2024/08/23
22:56 UTC

0

Orchestral Soliloquy - A piece by me

0 Comments
2024/08/23
22:33 UTC

33

Been listening to quite a bit of Boccherini recently, so here’s a film pic I took of his statue in Lucca last summer!

0 Comments
2024/08/23
22:21 UTC

35

Daniil Trifonov 4’33” on his new album 🤣

11 Comments
2024/08/23
22:04 UTC

1

What was Paganini’s personality like?

I’ve often thought that many of history’s greatest composers created work that reflected their overall demeanour as a person. Mozart’s boisterous fun-loving attitude is reflected in his work just as Beethoven’s intense and uncompromising personality is reflected in his.

Yet, when seeking sources describing the personal nature of Paganini, it seems there is little—to be found on the internet at least—to be unearthed about him.

For those of you who are more in-the-know than I, what was he like? Outside of his work ethic and/or professional context, how could he be described as an individual? Was he the more outwardly passionate type, or of a more steady composure? Was he animated in how he expressed himself, or was he more reserved in his articulation? Was he uncouth in ways beyond just his diabolical reputation, or was he in reality a refined man who carried himself conscientiously? And outside of the appraisals of his audience and his patrons, how was he typically received by his peers? What are some of the things someone might say about him after sharing a casual conversation?

3 Comments
2024/08/23
20:06 UTC

0

Stupid mistake

I am in a bit of a pickle right now over a piano class I'm taking for my junior year of hs. Last year I chose piano as an alternative to another class I was planning on taking. Problem is I don't own a piano, I have never played the piano and pretty much have no expirence in music, and cant even afford to buy a piano since most cost $900+. I didn't really think to hard about it back then since I assumed I would just practice at school. Now I can't change my classes and am starting school in a couple of days. Should I ask my counselor to change my classes around or should I get a keyboard and practice on that?

8 Comments
2024/08/23
20:04 UTC

61

Background of "the person who plays cymbals" in concerts?

Hi! I've been getting into classical music and have been going to a few concerts by the Royal Danish Theater. I don't know any terms, so excuse the informal language!

I've noticed these tend to have a guy that sits in the back and just waits to bang the cymbals for the Big Moment, along with often some other Big Moment percussion instrument.

Who is this guy?? Do they have formal training? Are they cymbalists like people who play violin are violinists? What is the journey to become this person, especially at a relatively high level??

60 Comments
2024/08/23
19:52 UTC

0

German piece standchen pronunciation

This might be very niche but I’m a training singer and I’m quite young so I’ve never sang in German before. And I’m away on holiday and have to learn Standchen by Schubert in a day. Yet I have never sung in German let alone learn German, I don’t have my sheet music, is there any website that could help and show the phonetics of the words. I don’t really know how to explain what I need. For example in a dictionary when you search a word, like happy it also comes up with (hap.ee) this is probably very poorly explained but I’m stressing out here!

Thank you

9 Comments
2024/08/23
19:20 UTC

77

Dose anyone know which instruments these are in the rite of spring

36 Comments
2024/08/23
18:58 UTC

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