Classical Music? Here’s How to Start Listening
Hot take: classical music is better than all other forms of music. However, unlike other styles of pop, rock, hip-hop, rap, classical music is often overlooked or seen as boring. In an effort to provide a comprehensive look into this underappreciated art form, this listening guide will cover classical music genres (yes, there are genres), artists and styles of orchestration, and, finally, how to listen and not fall asleep.
Classical music is divided into four main time-periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Early 20th Century. Medieval and Renaissance periods aren’t covered for the sake of space, but exploring them is also worthwhile (and you’ll be introduced into the world of polyphonic music). Baroque music started in the early 1600s and ended in the mid 1700s. Instruments were smaller, and emphasis was placed on improvisation and embellishment in performance. Baroque tuning was also not in standard A440 (the tuning used today). For example: a piece written F major sounds like F# major. Major composers of the Baroque period include Johann Sebastian Bach (famous for prolific writing and having many, many kids), Georg Friedrich Handel (you’ve definitely heard hallelujah from his Messiah), and Antonio Vivaldi (think Four Seasons). Concert violinist and chair of the RCS music department, Dr. Eva Nathanson highly recommends Bach: “anything from the Goldberg Variations to piano, all the way to the solo pieces of violin and cello.” However, ninth-grade pianist and violinist Kira Widha, also notes that Bach can be hard for beginners to listen to. Not to worry! The Baroque period also includes other great repertoire such as Bach Brandenburg concertos, Georg Philipp Telemann’s Sonatas and Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonatas.
The Classical period of classical music (a tongue twister right!) began in the mid 1700s and lasted until the mid 1800s. Classical era music often sounds springy and light with simple harmonies and easy-to-follow melodies. Composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn standardized orchestration into string sections and woodwinds. They also expanded the sonata form (solo music which went from one movement to multiple), and wrote prolifically for wealthy nobility (think Haydn’s 106 symphonies). Dr. Nathanson highly recommends all Mozart, as well as the Haydn cello concerto and Felix Mendelssohn violin concerto. Additional great pieces of the classical era include Mozart’s requiem, which he left unfinished and wrote as he died, and early Ludwig van Beethoven’s music (sonatas are popular).
Beethoven was also a Romantic Era composer. Romantic music began in the mid 1800s when composers began to expand harmonies and orchestration (take Pyotr which famously used cannons for example). Composers also placed a new emphasis on virtuosity (showing-off really), and while Niccolo Paganini developed new techniques for violinists, Franz Liszt wrote piano music which challenged the limits of finger speed. Romantic music sounds very lyrical, though can be emotionally painful. Alexander Diefenbach, a tenth grade cellist, recommends Bedrich Smetana’s piano trio and Antonin Dvorak’s cello concerto and loves Beethoven symphonies, especially the third, his “Eroica” symphony, understood to be the first romantic symphony. For piano music, Kira loves Frederic Chopin: “He’s my favorite composer. So I’ve been listening to a lot of his Ballades.”
Other romantic composers include Sergei Rachmaninoff (symphonies are other-worldy!), and Robert Schumann (piano suites are incredible). Additionally, many notable operas were composed during the Romantic period, and works Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, and Carmen by Georges Bizet formed the “abcs” of opera.
Early Twentieth Century music bleeds into the Romantic Era and started, per the name, in the early 1900s. The period also includes (well, it depends who you ask) Impressionist composers Claude Debussy (Clair de Lune guy, but try listening to the entire Suite Bergamasque), and Maurice Ravel (famous for his Bolero). Early Twentieth Century composers played with dissonant harmony (ever listen to something and think, those two notes don’t sound like they should go together?) and challenged traditional forms. The most famous composers are Dmitri Shostakovich (give his 11th symphony a try), Sergei Prokofiev (famous for Romeo and Juliet, but also has amazing piano sonatas), and Igor Stravinsky (so much good ballet music). w
But listening to classical music can be difficult. Kira recommends learning about the pieces before listening: “I think it’s really helpful to get to know a bit of the background,” and gave the example of Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum by Debussy, which he dedicated to his daughter and satirized the way other composers wrote piano exercises. Alexander responded that “classical music is so diverse, so you can really get whatever you want,” and added that “music tells a story,” so using your imagination to fill in the gaps while listening is important. Dr. Nathanson argues that being open minded is the most important: “I think that every single style is so interesting. So if you approach classical music, be open to it. Open your emotions to it.” In terms of streaming platforms, Apple Music Classical provides background for pieces, includes more search functions and artist’s curated playlists. Youtube is also a great place to start and includes a multitude of different recordings from all eras. Though less accessible, it can also be engaging to see live performances of operas, ballets, symphonies, and solo music.
Moreover, classical music is divided by orchestration. Solo music is written for a single instrument, though may sometimes have a piano accompaniment. Some of the most famous piano soloists are Sviatoslav Richter, Arthur Rubinstein, Martha Argerich, and Vladimir Horowitz. Famous string soloists include Yehudi Menuhin, David Oistrakh, Jascha Heifetz, Mstislav Rostopovich, and Itzhak Perlman. Each soloist will have a different interpretation of pieces (dynamics, timing and rubato, accents), and choosing your favorite recordings can often be based on interpretation and soloist as much as the piece itself. One of the most iconic solo recordings is Glen Gould playing the Bach Goldberg Variations in 1955 and 1981.
Classical music also includes symphonic works: works written for orchestras. Notable orchestras include the Vienna philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductors have main orchestras, but also travel and perform as guest artists with other orchestras. Like soloists, conductor orchestra pairs have different interpretations of symphonic works.
Additionally, concertos are works written for soloists and orchestras, and notable concertos include Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 (famous for its second movement), and Alexander noted the historical recording of soloist Jacqueline du Pré playing Elgar Cello Concerto with Daniel Berinboim and the The Philadelphia Orchestra.
The last main form of classical music orchestration is chamber music. (There’s also opera, but it’s much harder to listen to without seeing the production, a bit like only listening to a foreign movie.) Chamber music is written for a small group of musicians, usually no larger than five but can be as large as eight to ten. Riverdale’s Chamber Music program places musicians in small groups based on interest and proficiency while challenging them with repertoire. Chamber music is usually written for piano and strings, but can also include orchestration for wind or brass groups, sometimes in combination with strings.
Dr. Nathanson, a chamber music lover, called chamber music “the most pure style of music,” and highly recommends Beethoven string quartets. Other notable chamber music includes Dvorak string quartets (you will recognize no. 9 “American”), Tchaikovsky piano trio (written in remembrance of Nikolai Rubinstein), and Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartets (no.2 is incredible).
From Baroque to Romantic, from Leonard Bernstein (conductor) to Anton Bruckner (Romantic Composer), Classical music is powerful, emotional, and incredibly deep. It just takes one recording to start your journey.
