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I've just found that when someone wants to get into classical they often have some sense of what classical is that is helpful to follow up on... sorry in advance for the long post.
I second the advice here that one of the best things you can do is just start listening and pick a few names, pieces, or styles that you would like to explore more. This is the most important thing, I think, and the most fun. Even choosing a form that most intrigues you is good: do you like big orchestral works, solo piano, or smaller chamber orchestra settings? String quartets? As you listen, note the things that interest you and follow up on them. Many classical lovers become fans of a form or two because they find it speaks to them most --- so they fall in love with string quartets or piano work, and they really immerse themselves in that material. I'll come back later with some composer/period suggestions.
That being said, enjoyment of classical musics is often further developed by getting to know its histories and mechanics a bit more. The fact is that we're dealing with music that often operates with rules that are very different from our own --- and the goals of the music are often different, too. Getting a sense for classical's history can help you contextualize what you are hearing. There are lots of great primers on listening to classical music out there (off the top: Aaron Copeland wrote one, Karl Haas wrote "Inside Music" or something like that, there even used to be a few NPR-published guides that were pretty decent). These can also help with some of the terminology that new listeners often find confusing or overwhelming, and for making sense of the structure of a lot of the music.
A lot of folks have given good advice for listening and discovery here. I would especially endorse the Spotify playlists for classical composers. I can't remember the guy's name, but one person putting them together used to run a pretty nice classical-related blog and knows his stuff... they are great places to go exploring.
Other tips for discovery and listening:
- almost every mid-size town or urban area has a radio station that is either exclusively classical or classical mixed with jazz and news --- it's often related to the local NPR/public radio station or the local college station. These stations often air live (or previously recorded) performances of major orchestras (the New York Philharmonic is aired weekly, for instance) and operas as well. Of course, most stations air over the web now, too. My local station is at http://wbaa.org/ --- you can listen to all their stuff online. A great place for starting out might actually be a show called "Performance Today" --- it offers a pretty eclectic mix of live performances from around the world on every show, so you get a nice variety.
- Check out "Exploring Music" with Bill McLaughlin, a *really* great weekly classical radio show. (You can find it online.) McLaughlin picks a theme every week, plays a bunch of music, and breaks it down musically and historically. My only gripe with the show is that they make you pay for the podcasts through their website and even then the format is clunky, but you can listen to the most recent episodes for free --- or find a station that airs it and listen live or online. I have been listening to classical music for a long time and I still hear new music and learn new things with every episode.
- Find some live performances. Again, not sure where you are, but if you're near a college town or mid-size or larger city, there are classical performances around and they are often free or cheap. (Seriously -- even the big operations often offer easy ways to get cheap-ish seats.) The alternative city papers often have the most thorough classical listings. Most classical is meant to be performed and heard live, not on record (though that is a perfectly good medium). Take advantage of what is being performed around you: in churches, on concert stages, at museums, etc.
Saved two important tips for last:
-- Don't just look for what you "like" right off the bat --- look for things that challenge you, even things you don't understand but that intrigue you. One of the reasons I am passionate about classical musics is that they invite a different type of listening and engagement than what we are used to today (same with jazz and its related musics). If we only look for what we like, we miss out on the opportunity to cultivate an appreciation for other musical worlds that helped birth our own, and that technical appreciation often becomes a genuine love.
-- Listen to pieces multiple times. Listen closely, from the beginning to the end. Find time to listen without distraction (we do not do this enough today, just listen without doing anything else). Ask questions of the music.
Sorry for the long post - hope it is helpful in some way. I'll come back a bit later to talk about specific composers/periods.
-thebigfunk
~ i could still snort you under the table ~
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