An Introduction to Classical Music
Over 50’s John Low offers a personal view.
From the outset I want to point out that I am not a musician, musicologist or music critic -- however I have been interested in classical music for many years and what I have learned may be of interest if you are beginning to explore the subject, or if you want to extend your current knowledge. The field of classical music can be a minefield, and is peopled by a vast army of ’experts’. They may have their use, but my advice is to ignore them and follow your own instincts. I will now attempt to give you a simplified analysis of the subject as I see it -- which, I’m sure, will not please some of our intellectual friends.
The History of Classical Music
Generally speaking -- and I am generally speaking -- the development of classical music can be grouped into the following periods:
Early music: This is usually defined as starting from the year dot up to around the 1600’s and includes medieval monastic choir works and, for want of a better term, dance bands of the day using instruments such as lutes, vials -- a predecessor of the violin -- all types of drums and weird and wonderful wind devices.
Baroque Period: The baroque period is probably the start of ’classical music’ as we know it, and covered the period from approximately the mid 1600s to about 1750. Many of the composers you might be familiar with worked in this period, including Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Monteverdi, etc.
Classical Period: Yes, there is a so-called classical period for classical music and covers from around 1750 until the early nineteenth century. This is where Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven appear. Not surprisingly, you can’t pigeon-hole Beethoven -- and that applies to a number of other composers -- and he also steps over into the next period which is loosely termed the:
Early Romantic Period: If your image of Beethoven is the short-tempered, fearsome-looking character who only composed excruciatingly loud music because he was deaf be prepared to be surprised: he wrote some of the most tender, romantic works in the history of western music. This period approximately covers from around 1800 until about 1830-40 and, like the classical period, also includes some of the best known composers such as Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Berlioz.
Late Romantic Period: The period from around 1850 to the early years of the 20th century. Brahms, Schumann, Wagner, Tchiakovsky, Grieg, Bruckner, Mahler are among the standard-bearers, as well as the French composers Saens Sans, Faure, and Bizet.
’Modern’ Music: This period is hard to categorise, but starts to appear towards the end of the late romantic period and continues until today, although there are numerous sub-divisions. This era in ’modern classical music’ -- another contradiction but a convenient shorthand -- embraces composers who are light years apart in style. You have, for example, the lyricism of Elgar, Rachmaninov, Pucinni and Ravel juxtaposed against the more demanding works of Bartok, Schoenberg, Berg and so on. And this brings you only as far as the 1930s and 40s. After that I switch off, but by all means continue your own exploration!
Opera
Running parallel with the development of classical music was that of opera. Opera as we know it today has its origins in the seventeenth century and it is generally accepted that, surprise, surprise, the Italian composers Monteverdi and Palestrina were pivotal figures in its birth.
Landmark composers in the eighteenth century include Handel, Mozart and Gluck. The nineteenth century giants are undoubtedly Berlioz, Wagner, Verdi and Bizet, while Puccini -- Madam Butterfly, La Boheme etc. -- is everybody’s favourite 20th century opera composer.
Forms of Classical Music
Generally speaking classical music is divided into symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber works (small groups of players) and solo works such as those for piano or organ.
Starting a Collection
Most music is now available on CD which has almost become the standard. (DVD is an even newer medium which the specialists tell us will eventually supersede the CD, but for the sake of this exercise, we will ignore it.) If you do not already own one, it is possible to buy a very CD good player, with a radio and cassette for no more than €150.
Classical CDs, as you may be aware, can cost anything up to €20, but the average price is around €12. However ’bargain labels’ abound, and without question, the best of value is the Naxos label which is available in most good music shops such as HMV, Golden Discs, and Tower Records as well as smaller local retailers. Most Naxos CDs cost only €7 which represents astounding value. And while the soloists and orchestras are not household names, the performances are always competent and enjoyable. And for good measure the Naxos range is huge, which means you can easily build an extensive classical music collection for a very reasonable outlay.
If you cannot find Naxos CDs in your local music store, contact their Irish distributor who will send you their extensive catalogue:
Cosmic Sounds
1A Farmhill Road
Goatstown, Dublin 14
Tel: (01) 2986551
Radio
There are a number of radio stations broadcasting almost continuous classical music which are invaluable for getting to know certain pieces. The best known are probably BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and Ireland’s Lyric FM. In my opinion the most suitable station for a ’beginner’ is the UK’s Classic FM which can be received here through a piped TV system. Frequencies may vary from area to area, and you may need some experimental knob turning, but it is generally available at around 101FM.
The works in your collection will be determined by your personal taste, but once again Naxos have come up trumps with a series of ’educational’ titles, including The A to Z of Classical Music, The A to Z of Opera, How to Build a Classical CD Collection, Discover the Symphony, etc.
A Personal Choice
My personal choice for starting a collection would include excerpts from the most popular operas: (Do not contemplate buying the complete operas until you feel comfortable with the works):
Madame Butterfly, La Boheme (Pucinni) , La Traviata (Verdi), Carmen (Bizet), The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart).
Solo piano works: Nocturnes and Waltzes (Chopin) , Nocturnes (John Field), Impromptus (Schubert), The Moonlight, Appassionata and Les Adieux sonatas (Beethoven) Liebestraum No 3 (Liszt), Scenes from Childhood (Schumann). Any Mozart and Haydn sonatas.
Violin works: The complete Mozart violin concertos. The violin concertos of Max Bruch, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Brahms.
Symphonies: Haydn wrote no fewer than 104 symphonies, so you will have fun discovering your favourites! However, I would particularly recommend the following: No 100 (The Military), No 101 (The Clock) No 104 (The London) No 96 (The Miracle). Mozart: No 29, No 36 (The Linz), No 38 (Prague), No 40, No 41 (Jupiter). Beethoven: Symphony 1, 2, 6 (The Pastoral), No 8. Schubert: No 5, No 6, No 8 (The Unfinished). Mendelssohn: No 3 (The Scottish), No 4 (The Italian). Bizet: Symphony in C.
General
A ’must’ for any collection is a selection of Rossini overtures which are particularly easy on the ear. A selection of orchestral excerpts from Wagner operas is another collection worth having for their sheer beauty and drama.
Orchestral Showpieces
Orchestral ’showpieces’ worth considering would include: Espania (Chabrier), Bolero (Ravel), 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky), Pomp and Circumstance Marches (Elgar) Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov), Coppelia Ballet Suite (Delibe), Academic Festival Overture (Brahms).
I hope that these selections have given you some ideas. We are, of course, only scratching the surface and one of the joys of classical music is that you never get to know everything, and you are always learning.
Happy listening!
