It'n not just about the composers

Classical vocal music is either loved or really hated.

• If you've heard Beethoven's Ninth or Orff's "Carmina Burana" and liked them, look at Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde", which is a symphony of six songs based on Chinese poetry.
• Two gems are Richard Strauss's "Four Last ...

• For conventional music, listen to the piano works of Cecile Chaminade or Lili Boulanger's Nocturne for Violin and Piano.
• You can find different musical timbres and textures in Lou Harrison's Suite for Violin and American Gamelan.
• Bach's un...

Classical music makes a particular kind of musical statement longer than other forms and in a complex manner. It cannot be understood quickly or conveyed in any other form.

You have to think about what it is or isn't, listen to the distinct sounds it offers, recognize ear...

Very few art forms offer something as big as an orchestra—one hundred people playing music that can last over half an hour.

To start with, try to identify some of the different things you hear.

• Pick one of the nine Beethoven symphonies, then add to the Western...

The piano is a classical instrument, and the keyboard will give you a variety from all over the world, from Bach's Goldberg Variations to Beethoven's 32 sonatas to Frederic Rzewski's contemporary variations on "The People United Will Never be Defeated." Listen to Chopin's piano w...