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Now and then, folks come to me seekin’ advice on how to dive into the wild world of classical tunes. They’ve caught snippets here and there, they’re curious, they reckon they might fancy it once they give it a whirl, but they don’t know where to start if they walk into — oops, I mean log onto eMusic.com and start explorin’. My approach is always to recommend a handful of options, coverin’ as wide a range as possible. “Give these a shot,” I tell ’em. “See what speaks to ya, and we’ll build from there.” That’s the concept behind this Dozen. Here are 12 recordings hand-picked to catch the attention of folks who ain’t had much exposure to classical music, but who know they want more. I’ve meticulously chosen this list to encompass a wide array of sounds and styles, instruments and emotions. Some pieces are light, some heavy; some delightful, some formidable; some dramatic, contemplative, romantic, tragic, elevated, absurd. All in all, these selections cover a span of 1,200 years of music history — and they’ve all been chosen to make a stellar first impression and get your appetite goin’. They’re “gateway” works, if you will. I’d be stunned if there’s anyone who can’t find somethin’ on this list that tickles their fancy and piques their curiosity. Consider it a sampler, a tapas menu: if you ain’t keen on the stuffed olives/Renaissance Mass, try the garlic shrimp/20th-century string quartet. Are these the twelve greatest works ever? Nah, though a few of ’em could make a case for it. Most of these are works I actually have suggested to people, and they’ve been well received. Others have unexpectedly resonated with newbies in ways I never anticipated. And a few are just personal favorites of mine that I can’t resist championin’ at any opportunity.
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Ihab Salloum