Nate DeMaria writes:

>I am relatively new to the classical music repertiore, and I am looking to
>expand my personal listening repertiore.  Over the past year I have fell in
>love with Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony, the Brahms Symphonies, Scheherezade
>by Rimsky-Korsakov, the Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Brahms Violin Concertos,
>and the short pieces of Samuel Barber. ...

Tchaikovsky's other symphonies are fine too - the 4th and 5th are the
most popular (with good reason), and I'd add a recommendation for the 3rd.
There are also the overtures - Romeo & Juliet is probably the best-known,
and IMO Hamlet and Francesca da Rimini are at least as good.

Dvorak is a pretty safe recommendation to anyone who likes both Tchaikovsky
and Brahms.  The 7th, 8th and 9th symphonies are all well-constructed works
full of good tunes.  Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto is another piece which
fits in well with the ones you list - it's often paired on CDs with one or
other of the concertos you mention.

Following the idea of well-constructed works full of good romantic tunes
brings Rachmaninov to mind - the 2nd piano concerto and 2nd symphony are
the works to try first.

Stating the obvious doesn't worry me, so:  if you like Barber's shorter
pieces and the Sibelius Violin Concerto, then Sibelius's shorter pieces
and the Barber Violin Concerto are also pretty safe recommendations.  For
Sibelius I would suggest En Saga, the Swan of Tuonela and Lemminkainen's
Return; in addition to the Barber Violin Concerto, which is beautiful,
there is also his 1st Symphony, which is IMO a masterpiece.

If the Adagio is among those of Barber's shorter works that appeal to you,
then Vaughan Williams's Tallis Fantasia is a strong recommendation, as is
his 5th Symphony.

I'd be surprised if you disliked any of the above.  There are other pieces
I would suggest are worth listening to - you may end up loving them or
hating them:

Chamber music (which some people just don't like):  Brahms's Clarinet
Quintet and Dvorak's American Quartet for starters.

Parry's Symphonic Variations.

Sibelius's symphonies, all seven of them.

Walton's 1st Symphony (Walton and Barber have a similar late-romantic style).

Shostakovich - the 5th and 10th Symphonies are generally recommended, but
I'd suggest the two Piano Concertos or the 8th String Quartet as a way in.

Mahler - the first five Symphonies (if you can find time to listen to a
100-minute symphony, No 3 is particularly fine).

Hope this helps,

Peter Varley
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