Classical in surround for rock fans

Hey I think we should have a list of Classical recordings that appeal to those who are not fans of most classical music, as there are so many great MC classical disc out.

I myself think Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is a great place to start. the Living Stereo 3 channel version is fun.
The Debussy and Ravel string Quartets also rock me like a hurricane.
I picked both of these for their driving rhythms. I find the Bartok has a darkness to it that I love.

I've always thought that Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" was the first prog rock composition. It's one of the most hyped pieces of music ever, and it totally lives up to the hype.

J. D.

I couldn't agree more https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7260&highlight=spring. Of course, Mussorgksy's "Pictures At An Exhibtion" was given the prog treatment by ELP and there are several classical surround versions including an old Mobile Fidelity quad version that is quite excellent.

- others to seek out for great WOW factors;

Firebird Suite - Stravinsky
Beethoven's Ninth
Symphony Fantastique - Berlioz
Rhapsody In Blue - Gershwin
The Planets - Holst
Also Sprach Zarathustra - Strauss
Fanfare For The Common Man - Copeland

These are all fairly well known and have been pillaged by many proggers and fusion bands - and all are available as surround discs - there are thousands really to pick from really - this could be a long thread

Petrushka rules man, that's the Stravinsky to own

really
Firebird Suite or Rite of Spring or Petrushka
all great stuff

In concert band in high school we did a piece called Geometrics No. 4 by Martin Mailman, which was a very interesting piece. It's probably what eventually got me started in becoming interested in 20th century classical music. Unfortunately, the music of Martin Mailman is not widely available, or at all. Unless you track down his son and get him to make you some CDs. I'll have to dig those out, but I don't recall anything else sticking out to me like Geometrics No. 4 did. Although I have the score to Geometrics No. 3, and played around with it some, and find that very interesting...just that no recording exists of it, so I can't ever really hear it performed. I was going to attempt to use moog plug-ins with midi to make a switched on Mailman version of it, but I never got very far with that, another in a long list of abandoned projects that I just don't have the time to do...but now I'm veering off the topic of this thread.

I find the Isao Tomita recordings of the classics a lot of fun that really gives your surround system a workout.

Justin

Orff's "Carmina Burana" is superb.
The version by Zubin Mehta is the one I have, and it is really good.
Also, Rachmaninov's "Piano Concertos Nos 2 & 3 from Naxos. Very moody, very more-ish.
I also like the 2 Chopin DVD-A that are available:
Selected Piano Works by Roberto Prosseda & the "Four Ballades" played by Anita Chang.

I am a big fan of classical music in all its forms. At the top of my list is Beethoven's Fifth, not the "rock and roll" or moog versions, but the original, although I do enjoy other versions of this classic.
Also Sprach Zarathustra is also a favorite, both the original and the other versions.

There are so many classical works I enjoy that to list them all would overload this server and my fingers.

Thanks,

MTGC (Michael)

Might try some Zappa first. His music is definitely classical. "Rite of Spring" may be easier listening.

Midway between our usual fare and symphonic:

RUSSO: STREET MUSIC(SACD hybrid)

Too expensive for you?

Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances From West Side Story: William Russo: Three Pieces for Blues Band and Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/ Seiji Ozawa (German Import)

Plus Carmen, the opera by Bizet:

Bizet: Carmen (The Metropolitan Opera LIVE in HD)

or better:

Carmen [Blu-ray]

elmer said:

I couldn't agree more https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7260&highlight=spring. Of course, Mussorgksy's "Pictures At An Exhibtion" was given the prog treatment by ELP and there are several classical surround versions including an old Mobile Fidelity quad version that is quite excellent.

- others to seek out for great WOW factors;

Firebird Suite - Stravinsky
Beethoven's Ninth
Symphony Fantastique - Berlioz
Rhapsody In Blue - Gershwin
The Planets - Holst
Also Sprach Zarathustra - Strauss
Fanfare For The Common Man - Copeland

These are all fairly well known and have been pillaged by many proggers and fusion bands - and all are available as surround discs - there are thousands really to pick from really - this could be a long thread

Click to expand...

Wow - almost identical to my list...add the following slightly-less well-known pieces:

1) The Wasps (V. Williams)
2) Enigma Variations (E. Elgar)

As it turns out, there is an excellent KC Symphony performance of both of these available in multichannel surround.

Oh - and the second movement of Beethoven's 9th is just rocking. You can just about see the troops coming over the hill. Everyone thinks of the 4th (choral) Movement when they think of the 9th, and everyone thinks of the 5th for excitement - but for pure high-horsepower high-torque classical music, very little rocks like that 2nd movement of the 9th Symphony.

Of course, if you've seen "Clockwork Orange" then your impressions of the 9th may be, well, a bit warped. :yikes