Does anybody know of a website that has a lot of quality articles (or possibly one that aggregates links to such articles) about individual pieces, their historical context, significance and so on?

I'm asking since I noticed that in the case of many of my favourite classical pieces I discovered them via first reading about what makes them special. I figure it's probably the best way to decide what first/next to get from a specific composer you're interested in. Places like rateyourmusic.com are little use for that since they only show ratings/reviews for records, not works. Sampling them on Youtube isn't so optimal either in my experience, because in the case of classical music, more so than with other kinds of music, its personality and subtlety only begins revealing itself slowly over the course of repeated listens. With only one listen I could hardly say that I like a piece more than any other one by a given composer. The thing is that with the often vast ouevres, it seems most sensible to get familiar with the more remarkable works first, and leave the exploration of the more peripheral stuff for later. A source for decent introductory articles would not only help me identify those pieces, but also prepare me for them so I can be in the right state of mind when listening.

By the way, how do you others usually go about exploring new classical?

^ I think your best bet would be to look at some biographies of the great composers. Wikipedia articles might work but there is a great 'Lives of the Conposers' book that compiles biographical sketches of all the important composers as well as breakdowns on their best compositions - context of their creation, the aesthetic goals of the composers, reception to the pieces in that day and age. Fascinating stuff. Some of it reads like the biographies of war generals, lol.

My classical obsession at the moment is Rachmaninov's symphonic poem Isle of the Dead, inspired by the great painting. It does the work justice, the music is a knockout.

See:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbtmskCRUY

I could never get into Schoenberg's strict serialism either. Maybe this is too obvious, but basically every composer in the early 20th century moved away from tonality to some extent. Any one of those guys could have what you're looking for. I like Debussy's preludes (and solo piano work in general) a whole lot myself.


I cheat and listen to the classical station whenever I commute. Okay so my car sounds like crap and constant traffic noise definitely makes it a terrible place to listen to music (esp. classical), but it's the main way I try to get a feeling for various composers and stylistic periods. I don't really listen to anybody obscure or anything, but the station has introduced me to composers that are not as obvious that I love (e.g. William Walton). If I like a composer enough, I'll try to find a reasonably priced boxset/compilation. But yeah, it's just something you really have to listen to over and over again to really appreciate especially with the more complicated stuff.

Alexander mafakin Scriabin.

Alban Berg's chamber concerto perhaps?

When I started to get in to "classical" music I really liked string quartets. I listened to a lot of Haydn, who invented that format, and moved on from that. That way I had a reference point when listening to other composers string quartets, and it didn't become too overwhelming when hearing different styles. Most composers when writing string quartets in some way or another relates to Haydn's original form.
Then I found Shostakovitch's string quartets, started reading about him, and I was hooked. Now symphonies are my favourite genre.

So my tip is: take a form of classical music you enjoy and are perhaps somewhat familiar with, like piano sonatas, piano concertos, violin concertos, trumpet concertos etc. and what different composers has done with that same form. Then read up a bit about your farvourite composers. As with metal, the more you understand where the music is coming from, the more enjoyment you'll get out of it.
I'm sure there's a lot of composer portraits on Youtube as well.

Thanks guys! i'm familiar with the names mentioned except Berg, but i'll check them out more in depth!

by the way i'm going to see my girl performing the Beethoven's "Tempest Sonata"! i hardly heard that composition mentioned, but i'm listening to it and i'm finding it really good, especially the third movement!

Rezzing this thread because of the gig I just watched, Noord Nederlands Orkest performing Beethoven's 9th symphony at Lowlands, a big pop festival. Must have been a challenge for conductor and musicians alike with a noisy audience like that but also tons of fun, I'm sure.

I listen to classical all day no matter what else I'm playing..........always on in my house on a radio and on all night too for the bugs
My preference is this station:
https://theclassicalstation.org/