Chopin, Impromptu - Led Zeppelin - Stevie Wonder - Dave Brubeck

I was wondering... with classical music, where to start ? What should be the very first piece of music we should listen ?
Some great symphony maybe ?
No. We should start with something more intimate, delicate, but also with passion. Some piano piece.

I know now, I found it ! We will start with the delightful Fantaisie-Impromptu, by Chopin !
Played by Arthur Rubinstein, in 1963. Chopin music is romantic by itself, no need to overdo it, or it can quickly get pompous. Rubinstein's playing is straight and just rightly fiery, nothing overdone, it's spontaneous, I like it very much.
Spontaneous... for a pianist, I find this essential. Revealing the life which lies in the music. That's why Arthur Rubinstein is admittedly not the most virtuoso/refined/whatever musician, but nevertheless, in a large repertory, it's a real pleasure to listen to him, because his music is spontaneous and like obvious (plus other qualities of course, amongst which, a very good taste in his performances). And it's the case here with Chopin. For the same reasons, if we consider 2 extreme cases (so with their share of counterexamples where the performance may lack good taste), I prefer Martha Argerich to Claudio Arrau by a large margin (yes, let's start having hostile readers starting with my very first article :) .

Have a nice time here !

This album also contains the other impromptus by Chopin, as well as waltzes, and Chopin is the master of waltzes 🙂 , so this is an excellent first record of piano pieces by Chopin.

I'm a big, a huge fan of rock music from the sixties.
It was such a creative period, with new ideas everywhere, in compositions, in playing, music with soul and energy.
Led Zeppelin is amongst the best bands in this golden era.
So I think it's a rather good idea to start with them 🙂

Now, which album ?
Well, on second thoughts, even though other albums are equally good, I have a special feeling for the first album : it's raw, but with incredible compositions. All Led Zeppelin is already there.
And, it's a first album, so it's like having the real, uncompromised band.

There are many incredible tracks in this album : Good times bad times, Babe I'm gonna live you, Dazed and confused (yeah... so incredible), and Communication breakdown.
Full of energy & drive, let's listen to Communication Breakdown !

Stevie Wonder is one of a kind.
A blend of blues & gospel roots, soul music, with a touch of funky rythms.
And of course, a very talended musician and composer, with great feeling, a usage of the keyboards... one of a kind.

I believe his best period is undoubtly the early-to-mid 70'. This is where this magical blend occurs the best, where everything flows.

This album, "Innervisions" from 1973, has several hits : Living for the City, Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing, or Higher Ground which we listen here.
The whole album is brilliant. A perfect blend.

First jazz tune.
Here I have no hesitation as to what to listen.
While I love "stronger" things, hard bop, or more "swinging" things, I am also fond of this album by Dave Brubeck.
It's one of these very few jazz albums which has become a timeless standard, which success has stepped over jazz music boundaries.

"Take Five" is the track we will listen here. Quiet, soulful, swinging. This is a timeless standard.

And it's not the only one on this album, the others being "Blue Rondo a la Turk", and "Three to Get Ready".

Dave Brubeck has left us not long ago, in December 2012. This article is also in tribute to him.