Sinfonias Listener's Guide to Classical Music, is a highly selective collection of resources relating mainly to symphonic, chamber and instrumental music from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. This site provides the listener with all the necessary information surrounding composers and their works as well as practical information and even trivial type entertainment focusing on classical music themes.
The core of Sinfonias is an unorthodox guide to classical music composers, works and recordings in the sense that it does not follow the typical chronological order of the history of western music, neither is divided according to music styles or main instruments for which pieces have been composed. The listener is guided from the well-known composers of western music and their works he may already be familiar with to the little known composers and their compositions through biographies, analyses of music pieces and suggested recordings.
SINFONIAS WEEKLY LISTENING HOME CONCERT PROGRAM
The Sinfonias composers section is divided into four cycles of composers, compositions and suggested recordings. The White Collection is an absolute beginner's guide to listen-first classical music composers and works. Beyond this, three other long lists of composers and their representative works are unfolded one by one in order to guide the beginner into more listening choices. Specifically, the Green Collection includes those composers that are generally well known among classical music lovers. After the listener has exhausted the green cycle can move on to the second broader list of composers, the Blue Collection. The blue cycle consists of composers that are known among the advanced listeners of classical music and may need some listening experience before their contribution is fully appreciated. The last cycle, the Red Collection, is a list of not-well-known composers whose work played an important although little known role in the development of western classical music. Most of them were teachers or students of the more-well-known composers whom they guided or were influenced by. The classical music listener who follows the four cycles will eventually be able to understand the similarities and the differences between two or more classical music styles, differentiate among the different epochs, and apprehend why musicality of compositions in the romantic period became music atonality in the 20th century.
Sinfonias is not though limited to the composers cycles. It provides the listener with links to sites with copyright-free audio files for listening and downloading (Weekly Listening Home Concert Program), music listening suggestions made on a range of media in the 150 years (ConneXions), selected book guide, links to classical music periodicals and buying guides (Biblios), information about instruments, the history of classical music, how to listen to classical music (Discuss), suggested classical music radio stations (radio), classical music periods (Times) and world history chronologies (Chronos) so that composers and works can be placed in their historical context, free CD/DVD cataloging program (Software), classical music CD/DVD buying advice (Practical), even links to sites that provide resources for classical music for children (Children).