music Classical music ALBUMS for beginners?

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

I want to get into classical music, but it's too overwhelming to even start. I need some essential albums list that can help me please. (like synthwave essentials list or death metal essentials list.)

It would help if it's in an album format. (don't just name the writer and the piece.) I'd also prefer it being recorded in the 50s - 80s, but that's just my peculiar taste, probably you can ignore that if you want. Just give me something to start with. So far, I like Antonio Vivaldi - The Seasons (Chamber Orchestra of the Leningrad State Philharmonic, violin Mikhail Vaiman, artistic director - Lev Shinder) 1976 and Igor Oistrakh plays Paganini 1975. I'd prefer to start from the most popular and easy listening songs. (like what Master of Puppets is to thrash metal recommendation list)

So, in short,

1. A list of essential classical music albums.
2. Early recorded ones are better for me. (especially if it's available in vinyl).
3. Beginner level.

Any suggestions?

[Envy 6,169]

I've never really thought of classical music in terms of albums, but I can try.

Since you like Vivaldi's Four Seasons I can't help but recommend the two most popular Baroque composers, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friderick Handel.

Water Music by Handel is something I guess I could consider "beginner level". It is this particular movement right here that got my interest in classical music started off:

Not quite from your time range, as it was originally released in 1993, but here's the album.

Johann Sebastian Bach was a very talented man who pulled in influences from all over Western Europe to compose his music. That included Italian style concerti like Vivaldi. In fact, IIRC, he studied from Vivaldi's pieces to learn the Italian style. So you can definitely find some similarities in his concerti and other works.

Here's an album of some of Bach's Violin Concerti:

I know this probably isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I'm just giving you some base ideas there.

[Rebel the Wolfgirl 5,605]

Billy Joel's Fantasies and Delusions album. Yes, Billy Joel did a classical music album as his final studio recording.