A few years backs, when asked if I liked classical music, I replied, "I like the idea of classical music" which was my silly way of confessing I knew nothing about it. Where does one begin? How much do you really need to know to enjoy classical music? As with jazz, I decided to "go it alone" to start. I found a nice "100 basic works" list to work with. Number One in the series is Beethoven's Ninth, which is probably as good as any of a place to begin. The actual recordings of the "Basic 100" tend to stick to only a few conductors/performers, with inconsistent results, so as I went down the list I tried doing a little research to learn what recordings are the best.
When I rearrange iTunes to show my what I play the most, this one routinely comes out on top. I think this probably has to do with the fact there is really no bad place to listen to this, and, as one at the beginning of a classical music exploration, one cannot listen to it too many times. As with languages, I learn through repetition. I may only read a book or watch a movie once, but I listen to pieces of music over and over, learning new things with each listening.
Since I picked this one up last year, I've added Schubert, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Strauss (Johann), Vivaldi, Debussy, Handel and Bach to the collective. As you can see, I'm all over the map right now so don't even think of asking about favorites!
As with the Cecil Taylor entry last weekend, I leave it to others to dissect the inner workings of the piece and the recording. There are lots of good resources out there. I freely admit that I am a complete novice and all I can do is speak from my own experiences.
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