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Classical

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Thrillho:
Okay people...

I am looking to get into classical. I have long appreciated the fact that classical is unlike any other type of music (if you so choose I guess you can separate all music into 'classical' and 'pop,' as the newspaper my parents buy does); I'm sure it has many of its own subgenres too, yada yada yada. I guess 'classical' isn't really a genre.

The point is, I'm finally looking to get into some myself. With elements of classical composition in some artists I like (The Mars Volta, John Coltrane) as well as my love of sweeping arrangements, strings, horns etc. on songs (Smashing Pumpkins, Hope of the States, Godspeed) I thought it was about time.

So I'm looking for recommendations. I'm loving the Gershwin stuff I have - 'Rhapsody In Blue' and 'An American In Paris,' which I'm sure will result in a chorus of 'duhhhhhhhhhhh' from anyone here who knows anything about classical - but what I'm looking for is more along the lines of Prokofiev's 'Dance Of The Knights,' I think that's the movement's name. A dark, minor chord, sweeping, discordant strings kinda thing. I suppose like Mars from the planets too.

Any recommendations?

onewheelwizzard:
Rachmaninoff.  Absolutely excellent stuff.

Also, Bach fugues are basically among the most musically accomplished pieces of creative work ever written.

Dimmukane:
I'm big on Brahms and Shostakovich.  Brahms was a master of counterpoint.  His first three symphonies are rockin'.  Shostakovich is probably more what you're looking for, though, he's another Russian, he's done everything from operas to soundtracks to concertos.

ampersandwitch:
Do you like big compositions or little ones?  Like, thick, rich orchestral stuff or chamber/solo pieces? 
In any case, try starting with Stravinsky.  A very good place to start.  It might be hard for you to find some chamber ensemble/solo pieces or more obscure works of his just because the popular stuff is so damn popular.
Actually, just look into the Russian stuff. . .Glinka onwards, dissonance is pretty popular.
While we're at it, did someone want to reup that Messiaen stuff in the mediafire thread?  It's so good and I figure as long as we're enthusiastic. . .

Thrillho:
Big. I hate that kind of, microtonally-composed bloke-and-piano stuff. I definitely prefer bigger orchestras over say, a string quartet. Classical seems like a place where nothing is too expansive, too grand, and I like that.

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