I’ve recently gotten quite into classical music, and have been listening to it more frequently than singing as of late. Still, I’ve very little idea what I’m talking about and am looking for more singular pieces, so please do recommend. I’ve gotten it into my head to pick up the cello again sometime soon, and plan to go to all the symphonies I can manage. Exciting times!

Anyhow, here are some pieces that have stuck with me, and how they came to be so–I know it’s a sorry list, but I’m keeping it to only the most compelling pieces I’ve come across.

• Violin Concerto in D Major (Op. 35), Tchaikovsky. I’ve not been taken with much else Tchaikovsky, but then again, maybe that’s because much of it is piano. This is wonderful though! I love the base melody.
• Orange, Caroline Shaw. Ellie put me on this a while ago but I find for a lot of classical music I just need to listen to it less actively to allow my brain to pick up on the pieces it likes. Really enjoyed the second time around, and cool to see such a young composer. I also pick up echoes of Ravel’s String Quartet here.
• String Quartet in F Major, Ravel. This is one of the most unique, singularly wonderful pieces I’ve come across to date. Like, wat? Listen to this.
• Humoresque No.7 (Op. 101), Dvořák. I cannot describe how this piece makes me feel but it’s genuinely wonderful. And then you watch Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak go at it in the video and what more do you want?
• Tango, Itzhak Perlman. Heart wrenching and sad–go listen. Not sure who this is really by, but boy does Itzhak do a lovely job of playing it.
• Cello Concerto (Op. 33), Saint-Saëns. Very intense and I like. Saint-Saëns is pretty good at that, and especially the turns.
• Slavonic March (Op. 31), Tchaikovsky. I’m kind of a simp for marches. This one is very nice. Patterns make brain go brrr.
• Violin Concerto in A minor (Op. 53), Dvořák. The beginning of this is quite beautiful, and there’s a really good recurring rhythm throughout that has been stuck in my head for days. Not as full as the cello concerto, but very catchy and fun nonetheless!
• Violin Concerto in D major (Op. 77), Brahms. There are some dry parts, but when the violin gets going,,, wowee!
• Sinfonietta, Janáček. I stumbled across this via 1Q84 (thanks, Haruki) and was genuinely unimpressed when I first listened to it, at least when compared to the glorious and strange description given in the book. Some big banging noises, big deal, right? I’ve listened to many more times since though, and I’ve come to enjoy the dramaticism. The winds are beautiful and confounding beyond my own comprehension and make the piece.
• Introduction + Rondo Capriccioso (Op. 28), Saint-Saëns. This one is a must-listen; always gets me very energized. And how can it not be great with a name like Capriccioso, and certainly it is that! I came across this thanks to Ellie and Sophia (a.k.a. Camille) and was an instant favorite given all of the action and how distinct the sounds are.
• Prelude in G Minor (Op. 23 No. 5), Rachmaninoff. I just love the turn in this piece–Travis introduced me to.
• Liebesleid, Kreisler (arr. Rachmaninoff). A shorter piece that Matthew also put me onto when I was getting started out. It translates to “Love’s sorrow” and, well, sounds just like that (though perhaps not as sorrowful as you’d expect).
• Cello Concerto in B minor (Op. 104), Dvořák. This is my other favorite cello concerto. There’s so much going on, so many riveting bits interspersed with plenty of excitement but even moreso that something dark lurking, the sense of loss. This and Elgar were the “musical wallpaper”, if you will, to my read of House of Leaves and they’re very fitting at that.
• Cello Concerto in E minor (Op. 85), Elgar. A lovely cello concerto that Matthew put me onto. You can tell from the first 10 seconds that it’s going to be wonderful, and the refrain (is that what you call it? or a motif?) is one of the most beautiful segments I’ve heard.
• Archduke Trio (Op. 97), Beethoven. This one started it all, honestly–I listened to it after its mention in Murakami’s Kafka by the Shore and was captivated. Many thanks to Rachel for putting me onto Murakami and thus his frequent classical music references.