Get me into classical/piano music

[Maelstrom]

I really should be studying for my Ochem test now, but someone posted a Rachmaninoff prelude on Daj's discord server and I remembered that I always enjoyed this music. Then I remembered why I don't listen to more: There's so much of it that it's overwhelming and I have no clue where to start. I'm sure there's enough music nerds here to help me figure out where I can start and what I'd like. I just want to say I hate baroque and if you suggest that I'm ignoring everything else you say. Orchestral stuff is cool in addition to piano music.
So yeah, I'm can't give much more information because, quite frankly, I'm kinda clueless in this aspect, aside from a few pieces I've heard here and there, and watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes which has all the classical music from Dvorak to Mahler to Wagner.

[Dudeman]

say, have you ever tried baroque music

[Olimar12345]

classical music from Dvorak to Mahler to Wagner.

lol Dvořák and Wagner aren't Classical composers. Start with Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

[mikey]

mozart's 40th symphony is the best thing I have ever heard from the classical era
I don't listen to classical music but it kind of got me into listening to some more stuff like vivaldi's four seasons (winter is best) and gymnopedie which I think is kinda boring but still interesting to listen to
anyway despite my general lack of interest toward the dead guys 40th symphony is amazing on its own and I guess it's kind of a pretty basic thing to like but idc cause it's gas

[Maelstrom]

Correction: By classical music, I mean music from all eras that's not 20th century wackiness. I apologize for not knowing a better term for this.

[mikey]

"dead guy music"

[Maelstrom]

Henry Cowell is dead but he didn't play music I want to hear

[Greg]

Okay sure here's a few piano things I liked

(technically Kapustin is still alive but eh whatever)

[Sebastian]

Check out Chopin. One of my favorite composers from the Romantic period.

[Dekkadeci]

I second Mozart's 40th symphony being highly recommended gas. I like 3 out of 4 movements and that's pretty impressive for Mozart from my experience. The 1st movement is the most famous, but I have a soft spot for the stern 3rd movement.

Among Dvorak's pieces, I think I like his fast Slavonic Dances the best. I highly recommend the syncopated, energetic Furiants in that set. The Kolo's a lot of fun, too.

Part of me hopes that Sousa's marches still count as classical music. I've never been quite certain what genre(s) marching band and concert band really are.

[Maelstrom]

Also forgot to say it but just saying composer names doesn't help that much when they wrote 100+ songs. The idea of this is to give starting points.

[The Deku Trombonist]

Recommending something is tough because there's such a wide variety out there and I'm not sure what you'd be more into. If you get around to listening to any, could you let us know what you liked to make recommending pieces easier?

Anyway, here's one suggestion: Ravel's Jeux d'eau

[MaestroUGC]

Well if you're looking for specific works I have a few you might want to check out.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Gotta start with the Beethoven Symphonies. All of them are worth a listen, but the big ones are Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9. I'll just post the fifth for now, as it's pretty much the "quintessential symphony" in my opinion, and probably the best representative of Beethoven's music.
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor

Alexander Borodin
This guy didn't write much, but he was a chemist so I figured it was appropriate since you're studying Ochem.
String Quartet No. 2, special highlights to the third movement "Notturno: Andante"

Johannes Brahms
Brahms wrote a great amount of music, and I believe somebody already mentioned the Hungarian Dances (No. 10 is a personal favorite) but I think, like Beethoven, the symphonies are the way to go. Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, it's basically his love-letter to Beethoven.

Frederic Chopin
Chopin is fundamental if you're building a classical library, though 90% of his music is for the piano alone.
Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor

Claude Debussy
He's been mentioned before, but I'll throw out one of his few orchestral works.
La Mer

Frederick Delius
This guy's a bit of an unknown, and a recent discover for myself, but Dvorak gets all the attention for writing American-inspired music.
Florida Suite, particular mention to the third movement.

Antonin Dvorak
Speaking of which...
Cello Concerto

George Gershwin
Always gotta give it up for my man Gershwin, everything of his is great, but of course...
Rhapsody in Blue

Gustav Holst
Everybody knows The Planets, but I'm gonna include it anyway.
The Planets

Franz Liszt
This list needs some more piano music, and while Liszt isn't a lyrical as Chopin he's just as important for piano music. The Hungarian Rhapsodies are classic (personal favorite is No. 6) but I'll go with...
Piano Sonata in B Minor

Gustav Mahler
This guy combines the scale of a Wagner Opera with the precision of a Beethoven Symphony and is just pure magic.
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection"

Modest Mussorgsky
Another guy who didn't write much, but with another essential piece.
Pictures at an Exhibition (there is also an orchestral version by Ravel worth checking out)

Sergei Prokofiev
While his "Romeo and Juliet" ballet is probably his most famous work, I'll instead stick with one of his concerti. (Though by all means give at least the second suite a listen.)
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C

Sergei Rachmaninoff
He's come up already, but here he is again.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor

Einojuhani Rautavaara
Who? A modern composer, recently deceased (07/27/2016) who's work could use a little more attention, though his work is a bit much at first glance.
Piano Concerto No. 1

Camille Saint-Saëns
Insert French jokes here.
Carnival of the Animals

Maurice Ravel
Another Frenchie who's often overshadowed by Debussy as both were considered "impressionists", but he still wrote great music nonetheless. Bolero gets all the attention, so I'll go with something else.
Concerto for the Left Hand Alone

Ottorino Respighi
Finally have an Italian on this list, wow!
The Pines of Rome

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Rimsky-Korsakov was probably the most professional amateur composer out there, but that doesn't mean his works are amateur.
Scheherazade

Franz Schubert
Schubert was an early disciple of Beethoven, being one of the composer to brigde the gap between the Classicists and the Romantics.
Symphony No. 9 in C

Richard Strauss
No, not Johann, but Richard. Possibly the greatest composer of symphonic poems, he sits somewhere between Wagner and Mahler in terms of scale and emotional depth. He also wrote  a few songs which are absolutely sublime.
Also Sprach Zarathustra

Igor Stravinsky
Best known for causing a riot in Paris. I'd start with this, though.
The Firebird Suite

Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Possibly the most emotional composer out there, but where to begin?
Romeo and Juliet Overture

Giuseppe Verdi
This man defined Opera in the latter half of the 19th century, so it's no surprise that this selection is possibly his most famous excerpt.
Aida - "Gloria all' Egitto, Triumphal March"

Richard Wagner
From Beethoven to Wagner, this list is pretty comprehensive, but not complete without a Wagner opera. Or should I say four "music dramas"?
The Ring Without Words, a musical summary of Wagner's four operas from The Ring Cycle, which is basically all you need to know about Wagner.

So, there's my list of recommendations. Have at it.

[SlowPokemon]

Beethoven Hammerklavier op. 106, just take 45 minutes and listen to Jeno Jando's recording (it's the most classical and clear to listen to if you don't know the piece) and follow along with a score and immerse yourself.

Also, for a recent delight of mine that's somewhat more fun, Ravel's La Valse (Boulez's recording is very good). It's kind of a send up of Viennese waltzes that Johann Strauss would write, and it's kind of like that type of music taken to its logical extreme—it starts out as a kind of impression of nineteenth century court waltz music, and sort of collapses in on itself and builds to be intense and chaotic. It's just a great time.

Any of the Mahler symphonies is great, but as a personal favorite, check out the andante movement of Mahler 6. It's such a powerful piece.

There's an insanely big world of classical music out there, and you're also limiting yourself intensely by barring 20th century music. Please don't close yourself off. I have lots of beginner recommendations for any composer or period you'd like to learn more about, and I've been reading and listening a lot to the extent that I'm considering going into musicology for my doctorate, so hmu in a private message sometime for a more in depth convo.

Also works older than 50-100 years will likely have the scores on IMSLP so I recommend looking them up and following when possible.

Seriously hit me up on here or Facebook anytime to chat!

[Maelstrom]

Okay sure here's a few piano things I liked

(technically Kapustin is still alive but eh whatever)

1. The intro felt a bit too predictable but I found myself enjoying it by the end. Cool song, but not sure if it's exactly my style
2. I was going to complain about the recording quality, but then 1:15 hit and I wished I could have heard this live. I really enjoyed this one. The performer was amazing.
3. This song was so relaxing I forgot it was playing until it stopped.
4. A fun little song. Enjoyable to listen to.