How to get to grips with Classical Music
Its quite a challenge to know how to get started with classical music. It has the reputation of being complex, too complicated to know where to start , and 'intellectual' - that the classical music world is made of clever people who 'know it all' - so how can you even start to compete. Is it a competition ? it feels like a world where if you ' dont know' about a particular composer or a famous piece of music , then you are in - " really - you have never heard of X,Y or Z ??!!" land and there can be no salvation.
If this feels like you then please remember
1. you have to start somewhere
2. as soon as you have started you will realise you have heard a lot of this music before
3. once you have read some of this website, listened to some spotify tracks and most important ! - been to some live concerts , you will be well on your way to being able to hold your own in any 'classical music' conversation
I have written this website specially for anyone wanting to make a start. So here are my top tips to getting going:
1. realise that the Classical music world includes the composers, the music, the performers, and the venues, as well as the audience - ie you and everyone else in the concert hall
2. Scroll down this page and I have written a brief introduction to each
3. go to the All the Music page and you will find the music divided into easily accessible categories, like symphonies, concertos and solo works. Start with Symphonies
4. I have entered about 25 symphonies that make up the core 'ouvre'. I have reduced this list right down to the10 symphonies that regularly top the poles, so use the filters to find the 'Hit List' sypmphonies
5. Pick one and click on the link to the Spotify music, sit down and listen to it . If you want to find out more about the music, check out the wikipaedia page to find out more. Each piece of music has a history, when it was written, why, by whom, was it a success on its first night or did it flop, get booed off stage, only to become famous many years after the impoverished composer had died. As you read you begin to know the 'folk lore of classical music, its myths and legends and this is what will give you that extra bounce in your step when you reach the concert hall. " I know about this music"
6. Listening to the music takes some learning about the form of classical music, especially the 'sonata' form with is the formula that the 18th and 19th century composers made central to their work. Once you understand it , you can pick out the tunes or 'themes' and notice when they repeat or come back in different keys. This knowledge will give your listening experience a real boost
7. there is no substitute for listening to the live concert. Spotify and You-Tube give but pale renderings of the real thing, even if you have a huge stereo system, which you probably dont, as we are all on blue tooth speakers these days ? So get out to Londons many amazing venues especially the Royal Fetival Hall , the Barbican and Wigmore Hall Its there that the music really comes alive. The secret here is to use the amazing website Bachtrack, which has a search engine to locate when and where your symphony is next on in London.
8 GO FOR IT
9. please let me know how you get on: jeremypieter@hotmail.co.uk Thank you !
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The Performers
Dont forget the musicians. As we move from the knowledge of the core music we realise its the performers that keep it alive and work so hard to present these amazing works. We have listed all the performers we have seen or look forward to seeing. inevitably its pianists, violinists and conductors who take centre stage but we have seen two solo clarinet players this year and several string quartets too!
The Venues
We maybe take it for granted that London has some fabulous concert venues. Often said that living in London means you take Londons cultural offerings for granted and never actually go to any of the events whereas living in for example Cardiff when the Opera arrives on tour everyone makes a point of going and end up seeing more than we do bang in the middle of London . Year 2025 is the year of MUSIC for myself and I am to be there !
What we have learnt in the year of music 2025
What have we learnt
The best concerts get booked up 2 - 3 months in advance. It pays to join the big venues' membership schemes to use the members bars and to get early access to the best performances.
Look at our hit lists and make a plan of which pieces you want to see live. Use Bach- track or to go direct to your chosen venue to book tickets ahead.
Make a concert plan that extends for 12 months
What have we learnt - 3
Listen to the music before going to the concert. It really helps to have identified the main themes in advance.
Dont worry if you miss a lot of the concert on first viewing It requires several goes to really get familiar with the music and then the concerts become more enjoyable with the sense of expectation and recognition of the themes and 'motifs'
