Hi,
I am not unexperienced with classical music but it is not my main daily fooding. (10 % according the day)
I am looking for a daily one hour or so daily listening for a 86 yo sweet ma bornt before WWII , some classical musics which are :
Mainly sweet classical without dark and sad sides (Requiems and Messiah not welcomes for illustration)
Not limited but I already thougth about- according my limited knowledge- to:
Fauré (listening to 13 Nocturnes var 6 , rigth now)
Some italians and french operas (I am ok here, not needing too much advices)
De Bussy
Hayden
Chopin
Handel (water music style)
Some Mozart (huge corpus, so needing advices from more experienced enthusiasts than I)
Satie and Ravel (limited corpus for what I am looking for)
Haendel
Ravel
Whatever: but on the neutral, calm, and smile side of classical music. Exhausthing music forbiden.
Many thanks for your experience 🙂
I am not unexperienced with classical music but it is not my main daily fooding. (10 % according the day)
I am looking for a daily one hour or so daily listening for a 86 yo sweet ma bornt before WWII , some classical musics which are :
- no agressive (Wagner when exploding, just for illustration)
- imo : not explosive orchestra with bass
- not too much religious corpus (requiem and so on)
- something on the melody side whatever big orchestra or small ensembles
Mainly sweet classical without dark and sad sides (Requiems and Messiah not welcomes for illustration)
Not limited but I already thougth about- according my limited knowledge- to:
Fauré (listening to 13 Nocturnes var 6 , rigth now)
Some italians and french operas (I am ok here, not needing too much advices)
De Bussy
Hayden
Chopin
Handel (water music style)
Some Mozart (huge corpus, so needing advices from more experienced enthusiasts than I)
Satie and Ravel (limited corpus for what I am looking for)
Haendel
Ravel
Whatever: but on the neutral, calm, and smile side of classical music. Exhausthing music forbiden.
Many thanks for your experience 🙂
Last edited:
May I suggest:
Schubert 5th Symphony
Bach Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 (many really good versions available)
Sacred Arias by Renee Fleming (not heavily religious, just nice stuff like Ave Maria and Faure's Pie Jesu)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Operetta (beautiful)
Mozart Violin Concertos 3,4 and 5
Mozart Piano Concertos 20-27
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
Gorecki Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (I know it sounds sad, but is truly beautiful music)
Cantaloube, Songs of the Auvergne - many beautiful versions available, I like Jill Gomez and Victoria de los Angeles
Lehar, The Merry Widow
Bach Violin Concertos and Concerto for Two Violins
Lucia Popp sings Mozart Arias
Finzi Clarinet Concerto
Vaughan Williams Clarinet Concerto; and Lark Ascending (often played at funerals, but it's lovely music)
You'll have a hard time finding an opera without a dark and sad side: someone usually dies from something in the end, e.g. TB, stabbing, drowning, in an avalanche (sic) or getting shot. However, the music itself can be uplifting and enjoyable despite the tragedy, try Verdi's La Traviata.
Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte is an exception, it has a silly plot, no doom and death and the music is great.
If in doubt about the cost of a full opera, which can be two or three CDs, I'm sure the highlights will be OK.
I'll look through our collection and come up with have more ideas if the above appeal.
Geoff
Schubert 5th Symphony
Bach Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 (many really good versions available)
Sacred Arias by Renee Fleming (not heavily religious, just nice stuff like Ave Maria and Faure's Pie Jesu)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Operetta (beautiful)
Mozart Violin Concertos 3,4 and 5
Mozart Piano Concertos 20-27
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
Gorecki Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (I know it sounds sad, but is truly beautiful music)
Cantaloube, Songs of the Auvergne - many beautiful versions available, I like Jill Gomez and Victoria de los Angeles
Lehar, The Merry Widow
Bach Violin Concertos and Concerto for Two Violins
Lucia Popp sings Mozart Arias
Finzi Clarinet Concerto
Vaughan Williams Clarinet Concerto; and Lark Ascending (often played at funerals, but it's lovely music)
You'll have a hard time finding an opera without a dark and sad side: someone usually dies from something in the end, e.g. TB, stabbing, drowning, in an avalanche (sic) or getting shot. However, the music itself can be uplifting and enjoyable despite the tragedy, try Verdi's La Traviata.
Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte is an exception, it has a silly plot, no doom and death and the music is great.
If in doubt about the cost of a full opera, which can be two or three CDs, I'm sure the highlights will be OK.
I'll look through our collection and come up with have more ideas if the above appeal.
Geoff
I would suggest some of Brahms' work. Particualry his Violin Concerto in D Major, OP 77. Beautiful thoughout, but especially the beginning of the second movement which has some of the most beautiful classical melody that you can find.
If modern repetitive classical music is acceptable: Simeon ten Holt, Philip Glass.
I thougth to some keith Jarett like the Koln Concert too.
Too bad she doesn't like Indian râgas...some are very sweet.
Some OST are sweet melodies as well.
Philip Glass? Classical music? Something on the melody side as the OP requested. No, certainly not Glass.
She likes the Blue Danube, some Vaugh Williams, the famous italian operas pieces (Verdi a lot). Haendel 's water music...already.
Tchaikovsky and Borodin String Quartets - the 'famous' ones, usually issued together. The 'Andante Cantabile from the Tchaikovsky and the 'Stranger in Paradise' melody from the Borodin are well known;
Bach Goldberg Variations for piano
Elgar Cello Concerto - by Jaqueline du Pre, of course
Elgar Enigma Variations
Schubert 'Trout' Quintet
Barber Violin Concerto, has a beautiful slow movement
Grieg, Music from Peer Gynt: all fine, except The Hall of the Mountain King might be a bit loud.
Geoff
Bach Goldberg Variations for piano
Elgar Cello Concerto - by Jaqueline du Pre, of course
Elgar Enigma Variations
Schubert 'Trout' Quintet
Barber Violin Concerto, has a beautiful slow movement
Grieg, Music from Peer Gynt: all fine, except The Hall of the Mountain King might be a bit loud.
Geoff
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll (a lovely piece dedicated to his wife Cosima).
Elgar: String Serenade.
Britten: Serenade for tenor, horn and strings.
Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen (for 23 strings).
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante defunte.
Delius: On hearing the first cuckoo in spring.
Elgar: String Serenade.
Britten: Serenade for tenor, horn and strings.
Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen (for 23 strings).
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante defunte.
Delius: On hearing the first cuckoo in spring.
Last edited:
Another thing you could consider, depending on the music format, is that there are many compilations of quiet, reflective or other 'labels' of classical music.
For example, I have a great 2 CD compilation called 'Dreaming Adagios', with a good collection of slower pieces and "Silent Woods", Mischa Maisky's lovely collection of music adapted for cello.
I also make many playlists with selections from our collection for iPod and to burn to CD.
As a final suggestion, probably the only Christmas record worth buying is "Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's Christmas Album", one of the few collections which doesn't drown in schmaltz or sound like a contractual obligation of some kind. Would make a great present!
Geoff
For example, I have a great 2 CD compilation called 'Dreaming Adagios', with a good collection of slower pieces and "Silent Woods", Mischa Maisky's lovely collection of music adapted for cello.
I also make many playlists with selections from our collection for iPod and to burn to CD.
As a final suggestion, probably the only Christmas record worth buying is "Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's Christmas Album", one of the few collections which doesn't drown in schmaltz or sound like a contractual obligation of some kind. Would make a great present!
Geoff
If you're after mostly relaxing, refined music for piano then I'd recommend Mendelssohn 'Songs without words' and Field 'Nocturnes' :
Many thanks for the help provided from classical lovers. At looking for in my library I should have less than 5% of what is advised here. I am to source these precise ref. YT is ok, playback quality not a concern here.
Feel free ro feed the thread.
Feel free ro feed the thread.
If contemporary componists are not excluded, I'd also recommend pieces from Michael Nyman and Ludovico Einaudi. Check on YT if she (or you) like it before purchasing.
To truly enjoy classical music playback quality actually is a big issue. I don't think you are going to get anywhere near the same emotional experience listening to classical from YouTube as you are from a high res stream or from a CD.
And that's what a lot of classical is all about. Not just hearing a melody, but being moved emotionally as well. You really need quality components to bring it all out. I don't think YouTube can deliver it that well.
But.....watching the performer performing gives a extra dimension too. Quite often I find myself watching / listening a YouTube video not caring so much about the sound quality when the performance "hits" me.