Classical Music Suggestions for a Metal Head

Judas Priest

Super Member
I really only listen to rock and Metal, but I was channel flipping the other day, and I came across some classical music. I watched for a few minutes and liked it. I was very impressed by the talent of the guy playing the violin. It was kind of like a good, electric guitar solo :)

It was The Four Seasons from Vivaldi. Impresive. I downloaded a free recording and listened to it all. I ordered the real CD from ebay.

I know I will probably be completely overwhelmed with suggestions, but what other "peppy" classical music might I also like?
 
Yes you might be inundated. :)

Here's one you a metal head might like, and though it's not what I would call "peppy", you will certainly appreciate the virtuosity.

 
Yeah, the virtuosity factor is similar between a good violinist and a heavy metal axeman. Paganini has been covered by a few guitarists like Steve Vai.

Try these metal covers of classical pieces and seek the originals.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2014/oct/30/10-of-the-best-metal-meets-classical

And then there's this!

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/sep/08/classical.metal.fans.study

A study finds that Mozart and Metallica fans share a delicate disposition. We're guessing they didn't test this idea by introducing a Proms audience to a Reading festival moshpit
Sean Michaels
Monday 8 September 2008 21.04 AEST

Classical music and heavy metal fans might not be different after all. New research by scientists at Heriot-Watt University has found that not only are peoples' personalities linked to their taste in music – classical and heavy metal listeners often have very similar dispositions.

"The general public has held a stereotype of heavy metal fans being suicidally depressed and a danger to themselves and society in general," explained Adrian North, the professor who led the study. "But they are quite delicate things."

Metal fans, like classical listeners, tend to be creative, gentle people, at ease with themselves. "We think the answer is that both types of music, classical and heavy metal, have something of the spiritual about them — they're very dramatic — a lot happens," North said to the BBC.​

As part of North's study, researchers at Heriot-Watt University, outside Edinburgh, spoke to 36,000 people from six different countries. They found that music listeners had more in common with fans of the same music than with fellow citizens who listened to different styles of music.

Researchers also found a link between income bracket and musical tastes, with lower income music-listeners enjoying relaxing music while wealthier people preferred exciting, punchy tunes.​
 
I really only listen to rock and Metal, but I was channel flipping the other day, and I came across some classical music. I watched for a few minutes and liked it. I was very impressed by the talent of the guy playing the violin. It was kind of like a good, electric guitar solo :)

It was The Four Seasons from Vivaldi. Impresive. I downloaded a free recording and listened to it all. I ordered the real CD from ebay.

I know I will probably be completely overwhelmed with suggestions, but what other "peppy" classical music might I also like?
If you like Vivaldi and violin you may appreciate his La Stravaganza.
This version gets a lot of play around here:
https://www.amazon.ca/Vivaldi-Stravaganza/dp/B00008IUW2
 
Thanks for the suggestions!

I will slowly start checking some classical stuff soon.

I am going to listen to the new Megadeth tonight, though :)
 
Check out some YTs of Iannis Xenakis. His orchestral, chamber and computer music. The Arditti String Quartet stuff is exceptional.
 
Check this out if you like powerful jams...Mahler 5th



The audience doesn't look like metal heads at all, however.
 
My CD came yesterday from Ebay. It seems to be a recording from 1969 from the English Chamber Orchester. I gave it a listen tonight.

It blew me away! The free recording I downloaded was from the Witchita State Universaty Chamber Players. The quality was okay, but the CD that I now have is fantastic! I´m new to classical music, but this is probably the best recorded music I have ever heard. Unbelieveable dynamics and deep, black silence when the music is quiet or between songs.

And I listened to this on my humble second system: Laptop/ 30 euro DAC/ DIY preamp/DIY TDA8932 chip amp/DIY 18" sub/Grundig Box 5600 speakers. Volume ranged from near my hearing threshhold to about 75 dBA because of the dynamics.

Truly amazing!

Rock and Metal music can move me to tears, but I didn´t expect that emotional reaction from classical. Well, guess what :) ?

This is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. This 291 year old music has truly stood the test of time.

When I listened to the Witchita recordings for the first time, I recognized the opening melody. Visions of stuck up rich people, dressed in tuxedos and evening dresses came to mind; something you might see in a movie like "The Naked Gun" or "Ace Ventura" :) :) :) Those images are gone now :)

I would love to hear this performed live.

Now, I have a few hundred years worth of classical music to discover....
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I believe that Bach has a Toccata and Fugue that was entirely music derived from an ancient cathedral steam organ. The keys were so hot he had to wear insulated gloves.... The sound is onumous !

Bach's Toccato and Fugue in D minor !

The classic Dracula song....
 
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Serge Prokofiev produced some very intense, even violent, violin and piano compositions.

Violin Concerto No 3
For violin, this is not the recording that I was looking for and the quality is not the best but it will give you an idea of the skills required of the artist.


Piano Concerto No 3
For piano, this is also not the best sound quality but it does give you a good view of the pianist's hands at work.


Niccolo Paganini was a virtuoso composer and performer. At the time, he would have been seen in the same light as we see Jimi Hendrix in the rock age. His style was different and his
performances were designed to show complex skills rather than compositions. He also used his reputation as "The Devil's Violinist" to his advantage.
One of his sets in known as The 24 Caprices. Taken separately, they are difficult for all but the most talented. The following is a recording of a virtuoso performing them all non-stop. Note
the intensity in his expressions.

 
Don't dismiss Beethoven either and I as well would have recommended Mahler.

The thing about classical music as you've alluded to is that your enjoyment of it can not only be influenced by the quality of the recording but the quality of the performance... it can be a rabbit hole (or you just end up with 15 different recordings of e.g. the four seasons or Beethoven's seventh...)
 
I've been into Rock, Blues, Metal and the like all my life (I'm mid 50s now).
One day while picking CDs to rip for my PC home music server, I came across Yanni's Live at the Acropolis DVD.
I'd never heard of him before but out of curiosity I made the purchase and took it home.
I really liked it and found that he had Jim Copley on drums for the video along with other famous musicians.
Copley had previously worked with Tears For Fears who I loved to listen to on drives out to the mountains to go skiing. I think Terry Bozzio even worked with him on drums too.
I was impressed and have been listening to a lot of "classical" type stuff. So have a listen and don't be scared to crank it up and listen to a few pieces from that album.
It won't hurt ya to try.

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v16884086ZxKrN3qx
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

I am completely overwhelmed right now; there is so much classical to discover!

I listened to Beethoven´s 5th last night for the first time. It was fantastic!
 
Good man! Most people really like the 9th, but IMHO if you aren't moved by the 7th especially the 2nd movement, IMHO you have no soul.

The good news is we live in an age where you can explore all of this far easier than at any time in the past.
 
Within Temptations "Black Symphony" is good. If you like metal their is a lot of great heavy metal with symphonic overtures. The Danish have quite a number of bands.



 
Like most other rockers,I discovered classical music much later in life.But man, I caught up fast! I've always been a Hammond B3/Jon Lord fan,and the first time I heard this,I realized where he got some of his inspiration:) It don't get much heavier than this...

 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

I am completely overwhelmed right now; there is so much classical to discover!

I listened to Beethoven´s 5th last night for the first time. It was fantastic!

Don't worry; those guys had a couple of hundred years' head start.
 
Like most other rockers,I discovered classical music much later in life.But man, I caught up fast! I've always been a Hammond B3/Jon Lord fan,and the first time I heard this,I realized where he got some of his inspiration:) It don't get much heavier than this...


I love how people claim "best version ever" but they have no idea who the artist is. It might be E. Power Biggs though my money is on Robert Owen as on The Power Of The Organ.

 
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