Looking to explore new music

[Kevin]

Hi all,

I have been enjoying classical music for many years. I listen to everything from Bach to Brahms. I'm now looking for music by Gustav Mahler. But where do I start? Can anyone recommend a symphony that isn't too astringent, bombastic or atonal?

Kevin

[Vander]

Antonio Vivaldi is too pretentious maybe? 
I've been on a Tchaikovsky cycle lately.... 'tis the season, I guess.  Meh.

I don't know much about Mahler (but I'll start looking too, now).  People seem to dig his "Das Lied von der Erde"...?

[Vander]

Okay... I finally got a chance to sample some Mahler.   "Das Lied von der Erde" is a bit rambunctious for me, personally.

If you like light and melodic... more mellow "sweet" stuff; Frédéric Chopin?

[Kevin]

I found a recording of Das Leid Von Der Erde at the library and listened to the first half of it and decided it just isn't for me. I will go back to Brahms. I can't find any symphonies by Chopin.

[Mike Duluth]

Try steppen outside your box< try a lttle Tom Waits Leonard Cohen, Mary Gauthier, Greg Brown, or John Martyn.

[Tim...]

In no particular order:

• Enrico Caruso
• Jussi Björling
• Mario Lanza

"Nessun Dorma" by Pucinni to get started...

Tim...

[tk]

Okay... I finally got a chance to sample some Mahler.   "Das Lied von der Erde" is a bit rambunctious for me, personally.

If you like light and melodic... more mellow "sweet" stuff; Frédéric Chopin?

"Das Lied von der Erde" is a masterpiece. Probably Mahler's greatest work. But for Kevin who is still living in the nineteenth century musically I
suggest Symphony #1 or #4. Both are less radical then most of his works.

I found a recording of Das Leid Von Der Erde at the library and listened to the first half of it and decided it just isn't for me. I will go back to Brahms. I can't find any symphonies by Chopin.

You won't find any symphonies by Chopin. He didn't write any.

[tk]

In no particular order:

• Enrico Caruso
• Jussi Björling
• Mario Lanza

"Nessun Dorma" by Pucinni to get started...

Tim...

Now were talkin !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jvs]

Is tupac outta the question on this one?

[beedawg]

Is tupac outta the question on this one?

I dunno, but he's got something in common with most of the others: He's dead!

Brent

[tk]

Is tupac outta the question on this one?

I like his music but maybe someone should start a new thread for that kind of music.

Try steppen outside your box< try a lttle Tom Waits Leonard Cohen, Mary Gauthier, Greg Brown, or John Martyn.

Same with Tom Waits.

[tk]

In no particular order:

• Enrico Caruso
• Jussi Björling
• Mario Lanza

"Nessun Dorma" by Pucinni to get started...

Tim...

And now for the Sopranos, check out recordings by

Licia Albanese (Puccini)
Renato Tebaldi (Verdi & Puccini)
Maria Callas (various composers)
Mirella Freni (Puccini)
And perhaps my favorite, with the voice of an angel over a two octave range   Victoria de los Angeles (Puccini)

For currently active sopranos I recommend Fiorenza Cedolins and Sondra Radvanovsky. Both have excelled in Verdi and Puccini.

[Tim...]

HBO got it wrong, it should have been named "The Tenors"

Thanks for introducing me to some one other than Edith Piaf!

[Elk]

Excellent taste, Tony, especially Renato Tebaldi and Victoria de los Angeles.

[motorrad]

not sure if this thread is still really going, but I LOVE Mahler...any chance I have to hear his symphonies live, I go.  a few years ago, I heard the berlin phil do #1 (mariss jansons conducting), and february I got to hear #6 at the musikverein and the vienna phil (semyon bychkov conducting).  4 and 5 have been somewhere in my concert experiences as well...I've also been fortunate enough to perform the first two symphonies (I play cello).

if it's all seeming too bombastic, I think the recommendation of #1 is a good choice; a little more 'restrained' than some of the later symphonies.  give it some time; it may grow on you.  in the mean time, do some richard strauss tone poems - alpine symphony, till eulenspiegel, don juan (not necessarily less bombastic, but a little more light-hearted)...or debussy la mer, ravel daphnis et chloe, prokofiev symphonies, bartok concerto for orchestra, copland #3...and the list goes on.  I'm a big fan of late romantic and 20th century music...if you're interested in going atonal, just say the word