It could be said that there are two types of classical music. The first type is long, complex, and densely written that could be great, but you may not truly hear it on first listen. You may be lost at first in forms and structures that you don’t recognize, themes that never sink in, or worse, atonality that sounds more like random noise than coherent music. Perhaps another listen (or more) is due.
Then there is the other type of classical music: the kind that bowls you over the instant it fills your ears. Melodies with inescapable beauty. Orchestration that blows you away. Maybe something indescribable but which grabs your heart and won’t let go. It’s love at first listen.
Here are five works that we at IntoClassical loved at first listen. What are yours?
Sibelius: Violin Concerto
The muted, pianissimo opening notes of Sibelius’s lone concerto are like snowflakes gently falling over the Finnish wilderness; the plaintive solo violin that soon enters is like shimmering ice cutting through the clouds. There’s simply nothing else like this piece, which resulted in true, breathtaking love at first listen. Many critics will point you toward Jascha Heifetz’s famous 1960 record, but don’t sleep on Vilde Frang’s exceptional 2009 interpretation with Thomas Søndergård conducting the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln. It’s as icy as Sibelius gets.
Gershwin: “Rhapsody in Blue”
From the iconic opening glissando from the clarinet to the heart-melting love theme (used so effectively in countless films and TV commercials), “Rhapsody in Blue” is simply unforgettable. It’s hard to imagine Gershwin wrote this universal masterpiece at the age of 25. There are many great recordings, but we first fell in love with Leonard Bernstein soloing and conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Wagner: Overture to “Tannhäuser”
Wagner’s music is the quintessence of long, complex, and densely written, yet the overture to his opera “Tannhäuser” is that rare work with a sublime melody and straightforward form that is easy to love even for anti-Wagnerites. There are virtually no bad recordings, but Georg Solti was especially well known for his interpretation of “Tannhäuser” with the Vienna Philharmonic.
Tchaikovsky: “Capriccio Italien”
Often relegated to classical pops concerts or used as a light curtain-raiser (or album-filler), Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italian” is nonetheless a wild, raucous ride through the Italian countryside. With galloping strings and blazing brass, what’s not to love? Maris Jansons is as fine a Tchaikovsky conductor as any, and his complete symphony cycle, including a side of “Capriccio Italien,” is second to none.
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”)
Like Wagner, Mahler is also guilty of being long, dense, and overwrought. The first time you listen to the Second Symphony, however — especially when the chorus almost silently intones “Aufersteh’n,” beginning the act of resurrection that will lead to the cataclysmic conclusion — is an experience you will never forget. There are many outstanding recordings, but our choice is and always will be Simon Rattle leading the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Now tell us: what pieces did you love from your very first listen?
