Adventures in Classical Music
The Apple Classical app has opened up new worlds to my ears...
Confession: My classical music knowledge has been sorely lacking for too many years. I’ve long wanted to deepen my knowledge beyond the choral music I loved in high school and the handful of pieces that grabbed me when I took Music Listening & Appreciation at UGA.
For a long time, it seemed like the playlists I could find most places were pretty predictable and derivative. But in March, Apple launched Apple Music Classical, a companion app to Apple Music. In six short months, I’m confident I made up for years of trying and failing to broaden my knowledge and appreciation of classical music.
I started out with “The Story of Classical,” which is basically a podcast series designed to expose the listener to a representative sampling of the music of various eras. Narrated and curated playlists help listeners understand what (and who) was important and popular in different eras.
For me, “The Story of Classical” was an incubation in the various time periods. It deepened my understanding of the evolution of classical music and helped me realize that I hate most everything from the 20th and 21st centuries (sorry y’all; I call it as I see it). I should listen to it again soon — except for the episodes about the 20th and 21st centuries.
The app has tons of full albums, including the latest and greatest in classical recordings. You’ll find playlists of composer essentials along with “undiscovered” works from certain composers, artist-curated playlists, playlists centered on certain instruments, and playlists designed around chamber music ensembles (as I write this, I’m listening to a playlist of trios).
I’ve grown in my depth of knowledge of my favorite composers (Bach, Handel, Smetana), developed a love for Chopin, and enjoyed what I think is the most underrated instrument in all of historical classical music — the harpsichord. I even explored the music of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
I’m glad I fell in love with Apple Music Classical. I know it’s not perfect, but I hope as it grows, Apple will continue to improve it.
What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments.
Photo by Larisa Birta on Unsplash