Originally Posted by xgngrpiratex (Post 1380543)

I am reading a book by Aaron Copeland called, "What to listen for in Music" and am also currently taking piano lessons on the side. I am finally finding classical music fascinating to me, and was wondering if anyone could help me "broaden my horizons" so to speak. I started listening to a couple of artists, but I am more into the cheerful and "adventurous side of classical" like "The Pastoral symphony 6" by Beethoven and other artists like "Adagio for Strings" by Leonard Bernstein and "Water Music - Air" By George Fredrick Handel. Can anyone throw me some more suggestions!? I really want to find music that soothes the soul and helps me understand music better! Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1392613)

Does anyone have any suggestions for something similar to the more adventurous early electronic classical composers like Iannis Xenakis, Luc Ferrari, and Karlheinz Stockhausen?

Originally Posted by Burning Down (Post 1392651)

YT isn't loading for me at the moment, so I'm going to simply leave a list of composers and a piece you should check out first. A lot of these guys also used electronic sounds to complement or influence their other compositions, so check those out too.

Edgard Varèse - Poème Électronique (1958). This is a later piece of his. Also check out his very early stuff. Varèse was especially influential to Stockhausen, and also to the following:

Milton Babbitt - Composition for Synthesizer (1961)

Luigi Nono - Non Consumiamo Marx (1969)

Alfred Schnittke - Steam (1969)

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1392657)

Ah yes, I love Varese's work. He's one of my favourite composers overall, tbh. I will check out the other recommendations, although I think I may have heard Babbitt before though I don't recognize him.

Also, thanks to rostasi for the informative PM, all great recommendations.

Originally Posted by Burning Down (Post 1392658)

Varèse is great. Density 21.5 is one of my favourite flute compositions.

Originally Posted by Lord Larehip (Post 1392892)

And if Frownland could swallow his moronic judgmental attitude towards me (what did I ever do to this putz?) and go check out my Concise History of Synthesation thread in the Electronica folder, he'd get a decent introduction to the avant-garde composers.

You know, I don't post this stuff for my health, folks, I post it for you. If you shut up your bitching and start reading, you COULD possibly learn something. I already know the s-hit.