Noob question: I want to download some classical music (and pay for it, naturally), but don't know where to go! Help!
I am no music expert, but one thing I have learned is that the same piece can sound wildly different in different versions. I need some way to compare versions online. But most sellers only give the first 30 seconds: this is fine for a pop song but nowhere near enough for a classic (unless an interior 30 seconds is very carefully chosen). Any tips for comparing music without buying multiple versions or spending hours reading reviews?
I am convinced that pop music only outsells classical because it's so much easier to buy. I can find the definitive version of any pop song within seconds, but every attempt to find a particular classical piece ends in wasted hours and frustration as every version is not the one I remember. Some examples:
What prompted this post is that this morning I decided to start an MP3 collection. I thought I'd start with Khachaturian's Spartacus. I found some nice versions on YouTube, but these are not available from Amazon. I want to avoid iTunes if possible (because I like to feel in control of my music and computer: I don't want to manage music, I just want to download it and copy it to my other devices myself), and other sources either want a regular subscription or don't have what I want.
Any suggestions? Any sites that sell classical MP3s and let you compare them first? Or any sites where the recommendations are so good that, even if I hate them at first, I will grow to love them as my taste improves?
I am no music expert, but one thing I have learned is that the same piece can sound wildly different in different versions. I need some way to compare versions online. But most sellers only give the first 30 seconds: this is fine for a pop song but nowhere near enough for a classic (unless an interior 30 seconds is very carefully chosen). Any tips for comparing music without buying multiple versions or spending hours reading reviews?
I am convinced that pop music only outsells classical because it's so much easier to buy. I can find the definitive version of any pop song within seconds, but every attempt to find a particular classical piece ends in wasted hours and frustration as every version is not the one I remember. Some examples:
- I have copy of Solveig's song (from Peer Gynt) by the Moscow International Symphony Orchestra that's rich and lush, some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. But every other version I've heard seems dull and wooden.
- I used to have a version of Pachelbel's Canon by the Halle Orchestra that was so subtle, so lovingly produced that it became my favorite music ever. But every other version I've heard sounds like somebody just set the metronome and didn't bother rehearsing.
What prompted this post is that this morning I decided to start an MP3 collection. I thought I'd start with Khachaturian's Spartacus. I found some nice versions on YouTube, but these are not available from Amazon. I want to avoid iTunes if possible (because I like to feel in control of my music and computer: I don't want to manage music, I just want to download it and copy it to my other devices myself), and other sources either want a regular subscription or don't have what I want.
Any suggestions? Any sites that sell classical MP3s and let you compare them first? Or any sites where the recommendations are so good that, even if I hate them at first, I will grow to love them as my taste improves?