Shopping for Christmas gifts, even for those closest to you, can be a difficult task - especially when you are shopping without Christmas lists. So, to make your holiday shopping season a little bit easier, I've compiled a list of classical music gifts that will surely please any classical music fan. If you're short on time, here are four last minute gift ideas!
01 of 19For those who can read music, listening to Beethoven's symphonies while reading the score is an amazing experience. Visually and aurally analyzing the notes on the page enables the listener to appreciate the genius and complexity of Beethoven's symphonies in an entirely new light. It's one thing to know it works, but it's another thing to know how it works! The full scores for all nine symphonies are separated into three editions: Symphonies 1, 2, 3 & 4 in one book; 5,6 & 7 in another book; and 8 & 9 in the last book.
02 of 19The perfect companion gift to Beethoven's Symphonies in Full Score as mentioned above. Though many classical music fans may already own several Beethoven symphonies, it is likely they do not own all nine. And even if they do, do they own conductor Otto Klemperer's interpretations of these famous masterworks?
03 of 19Perfect for any musician, this awesome portable stereo recorder allows you to record rehearsals, jam sessions, music lessons, conferences, meetings, and more in brilliant stereo sound. The H2 comes with earbuds, 1/8 inch stereo to RCA cable, mic clip adapter, tripod stand, USB cable, AC adapter and a 512MB SD card.
04 of 19This beautifully ornate brass music stand would go great next to the piano or in any music room. You can showcase your favorite scores or even use the stand as you rehearse. This brass music stand adjust from 42" to 55" tall.
05 of 19Like the movie Amadeus, Farinelli has become a quintessential viewing requirement for any classical singer. Farinelli is the true story of the castrato opera singer, Carlo Broschi. Broschi, under the stage name of Farinelli, captivated audiences during the 18th century and beautifully performed the works of many great baroque period composers. Farinelli won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1995 and was nominated that same year for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.
06 of 19Here's the book's synopsis: "Music lovers will delight in the beautiful color paintings and eloquent prose portraits in The Steinway Collection: Paintings of Great Composers. Chopin, Wagner, Liszt, Beethoven, Berlioz, Mozart, Verdi, Mendelssohn, Handel, and Schubert are among the composers celebrated in this historic book, which was originally printed in 1919 as an in-house publication of Steinway and Sons but has never before been released to the public. The paintings by esteemed American artists and accompanying essays by the brilliant critic James Gibbons Huneker are intended, in Mr. Huneker's words, to "evoke musical visions; for music is visionary, notwithstanding its primal appeal to the ear."
07 of 19For adults who enjoy fine cocktails, here's a little treat with a classical music reference. Mozart Chocolate Cream Gold Liqueur is made in Mozart's city of birth, Salzburg, Austria. The Mozart Distillery has been producing fine chocolate liqueur for over 30 years. During the production of the liqueur, the company uses a technique called sound-milling to further break apart and mix cocoa particles. What sound do they use?
08 of 19Ludovico Einaudi's Divenire is a polyphonic masterpiece with the ability to draw the listener inside him/herself wholeheartedly. Its calmness and tranquility are but a few of the many positive attributes of Einaudi's Divenire. When times are crazy, a good CD can calm even the most anxious of nerves!
09 of 19Perfect for any music collector, this faux leather CD organizer cabinet would look great in almost any decor. With nine CD drawers, this cabinet can hold quite the music collection and keep it neat and tidy. Right now, all of my CDs are on bookcases, perhaps it's time for me to get one of these.
10 of 19For only $89, the sound these speakers produce is unbelievable. I bought a pair for my laptop and I absolutely love them. Right out of the box, The Companion® 2 Series II multimedia speaker system was easy to set up (only 3 wires) and immediately functional. I can even plug them into my iPod and get great, well-balanced sound. From classical music to jazz, these speakers can handle anything.
11 of 19What a marvelous album! This unique spin on classical music is relaxing, refreshing, and wonderful in so many ways. With nothing but positive reviews, the smooth blend of Cuban salsa, jazz, and familiar classical tunes will easily win you over.
12 of 19From Beethoven to Wagner, these elegant, hand-crafted composers' busts are a great decorative accent in any room, especially for the office of any music professor.
13 of 19In a new version for piano, this album is a true delight. Faure's Requiem is one of my favorites, but I sometimes grow tired of listening to its original orchestration for voice and orchestra. Naoumoff does a fabulous job translating Faure's Requiem onto the piano without losing the work's depth and emotion. His dynamics, tempos, and musicality are superb.
14 of 19This useful gadget is the perfect gift for any budding musician. The Boss DB-30 Electronic Metronome can handle time signatures with up to 17 beats per measure. It also offers nine different types of rhythm patterns with over 24 variations, as well as a headphone jack for the noisiest places.
15 of 19This large collection of fine works by leading composers performed by many world renowned pianists is a unique gift, sure to be remembered for years on end. Though you'd be pretty hard pressed to find the box set, you can easily find single CDs from the collection. The box set included 10 two-disc sets each one featuring a separate artist: Vladimir Horowitz, Claudio Arrau, Maurizio Pollini, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mitsuko Uchida, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Wilhelm Kempff, Emil Gilels, Martha Argerich, and Alfred Brendel, plus a deluxe booklet and a bonus CD.
16 of 19Anyone with a taste for the finer things in life including writing instruments and musical instruments will simply love this gift. Mont Blanc's Hommage a Frederic Chopin classic Meisterstuck pen is, with out a doubt, a work of art.
17 of 19We all know that trying to read a playbill at a classical music performance can be quite challenging once the lights go out. However, this little L.E.D. light solves the problem in no time without distracting the paying audience next to you. Just shine the light directly on your playbill and you'll have a perfectly even bright white light exactly where you need it.
18 of 19This is the perfect gift for anyone who's into music history and students enrolled in classical music studies. With over 25,000 in-depth biographies contributed by 6,000+ music scholars from around the world, 45,000 articles covering a range of topics from instruments to music styles, this is possibly the greatest source of music history you'll ever find.
19 of 19Speaking from experience, these are awesome headphones. I've owned my pair for about two years and have no complaints. They are extremely comfortable, and the sound is fantastic. They do cancel out white noise and tone down sharper noises like speech. You can find these headphones at most retailers.