I admit to being a bit of a naif where classical music is concerned. I like it, but I am nowhere near as well-versed in it as I'd like to be. I have Beethoven's 9th, a Brahms disc, Mendelssohn's "Hebrides Overture" (a personal favorite) and one or two others I'm not thinking of off hand. So my question to those of you who are more knowledgeable in classical music is "What works do you recommend?" (Composers are fairly obvious: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc.)

I would recommend:
Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries
Beethoven's 5th or 6th Symphony
Perhaps Bolero by M. Ravel
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by P. Dukas
Maybe The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky
Anything by John Phillip Sousa

"Carmina Burana" Orff

Bach -- his brass chorales are wonderful, and the Brandenberg Concerti are among the finest pieces of music EVER composed (IMHO). I second all of Derf's recommendations, and would also bring in Handel's Water Music and Fireworks Music.

I'm also personally fond of Dvorak's From the New World (also known as the "New World Symphony").

Let's see... here are some more in addition:

Beethoven
7th Symphony
Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2 "Emperor"
Piano Sonatas "Moonlight" and "Pathetique" (don't remember their numbers)

Mozart
Requiem
Symphony no. 40

Bach
Tocatta and Fugue in D minor

Berlioz
Symphonie Fantastique

Mendelssohn
Symphony no. 4 "Italian" (at least I think it's no. 4)
Violin Concerto

Tchaikovsky
Symphonies no. 4-6
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture

Wagner
Get a CD of highlights from The Ring Cycle ("Der Ring des Nibelungen"). Make sure it has both "The Ride of the Valkyries" and "Magic Fire Music."

Mahler
Symphonies no. 1&2

Mussogorsky
A Night on Bald Mountain
Pictures at an Exhibition

Stravinsky
Firebird Suite
The Rite of Spring

Holst
The Planets

Shostakovich
Symphony no. 10

Schoenberg
Verklärte Nacht

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll be on the lookout for them. (Wagner's "The Ride of the Valkyries" is one I definitely had in mind.)

The Brahms I have is "Symphony no. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68". It's performed by the Israel Philarmonic Orchestra. I also have a National Public Radio disc, Milestones of the Millenium * The Great War. On it are
1. "Pomp and Circumstance" by Elgar
2. "Der Rosenkavalier Suite" by Richard Strauss
3. "Das Lied von der Erde" - Mahler
4. "La Mer" - Debussey
5. "'Classical' Symphony" - Prokofiev
6-7. "L'histoire du soldat Suite" - Stravinsky
8-9. "Le tombeau de Couperin" - Ravel
10. "Pulcinella Suite" - Stravinsky
11. "Funf Klavierstucke" - Schoenberg (Is it possible to use umlauts here?)
12. "Wozzeck" - Berg
and
13. "Music for the Theatre" - Copland

I guess you could also count the three Scott Joplin discs I have. (I've seen Joplin classified as both jazz and classical.) But this should give y'all a more complete idea of where my classical music collection currently stands. Which admittedly, is pretty pathetic.

Just thought of a couple more ...

Espana Rhapsody for Orchestra by A.E. Chabrier (couldn't figger out how to put the tilde over the "n", so just imagine it there)
The Carnival of Animals by Saint-Saens

Oh, yes, also look into Saint-Saens's Symphony No. 3 "Organ."

For a more modern feel, but not avant garde or inaccessible, try some of these:

Shastakovich, Symphony #5 (I love most all his work, but this is definatately the one to start with if you're looking primarily at orchestral work.)

Prokofiev, Synphony #5

Anything by Mahler (he bridged the romantic and the modern eras)

Corgliano, the AIDS Symphony (#1). I've heard excellent performances of this work live, but the only recording I know is by Chicago, and it's pretty flat.

Glass. Everyone prefers Koyaanisqatsi, but I prefer Powaqqatsi. Also, the Low Symphony is quite good.

Or Bartok. How could I have forgotten him? Try his "Concerto for Orchestra" or "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta."

Again, Goog, everyone, thanks for the recommendations. I'll be sure to pick up as many as I can, just as soon as I can.

I don't listen to classical music very often, either, Benn, but one album that I really like is the opera Carmen. It's easy for a rock music fan to get into because it's lively and you are sure to recognize at least two or three songs.

Oh yeah, Bizet's "Carmen". Yeah, through various sources (Warner Bros. cartoons anyone?), I've heard some of it. I could probably get into it, too. I'll definitely keep it in mind also. Thanks Juli.

You're welcome, Benn (11 days later...sorry about that).

I was going to mention Bugs Bunny, but I was afraid you might think I was insulting your intelligence. (I'm pretty sure that's how I got to know "Carmen", too. And "Figaro." And "The Barber of Seville." And...well, you get the idea.)

So, how is your collection coming?

To be honest, I haven't started on this yet. I was basically looking for a list for future references, I must admit. However, here of late I find myself frequently listening to WRR 101.1, Dallas' classical music station. Actually, I'm starting to listen to the radio more often these days. For the longest time I've turned my back on the radio. Now I'm coming back to it.

Here are some of my own recommendations:

Elgar - "Symphony no.1 in Ab" and the famous "Cello Concerto"
Gershwin - "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Piano Concerto in F"
Rachmaninov - "Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini" and "Piano Concerto no. 2" if you're in a romantic mood. I also quite like his "Symphony no. 2" if only for the third movement.
Berg - "Violin Concerto" (for something a little more visceral and unsettling)
Mozart - any Piano Concerto you like.
Saint-Saens - "Cello concerto"
Pachelbel - "Canon and Fugue in D" (pure and simple)
If you're into Beethoven, I should also point you towards his Fantasia for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra ("Choral Fantasy") in C major - it's been unfairly described as a "dry run for the Choral Symphony" but is still an interesting work to look up.

As for choral work, I can also recommend:
Allegri - "Miserere" (a truly beautiful early choral work)
Anything by Sir John Tavener (a little modern and dischord-like, but always spine-chilling). He recently wrote a new choral piece that premiered on the BBC Proms last year - I can't remember the title but it was epic in scale.
Verdi - "Requiem" (now this is MY idea of a choral work!)
Mendelssohn - "Elijah"
Faure - "Requiem" (what else?)

I like some of Caesar Giovannini's stuff, too...

Ack, if I was going to suggest a list of classical works to enjoy, I would start with Sven's post just above - contains nearly everything I like (with a few addendums, some of which have already been mentioned)
{Sven, Elgar Cello conc, Rhapsody in Blue, and Rach 2 are superb choices. Have you tried Rach Symphony 2??}

Mozart, Piano concerto's 21 and 22 are superb, as is the requiem mass (Watch Amadeus), and Symphony 40 is a dream too.

Someone mentioned Brahms symphonies earlier, try the third - very powerful and emotive.

I also recommend looking at European and American music for some of this century - John Adams (not the former president) has some lovely works, Samuel Barber's Adagio is so relaxing too (but you need to purchase a version with a good orchestra playing it - it can easily be murdered!)

If you like that American feel then try Gershwin (American in Paris) or Bernstein (Candide)

If you want to try something completely bizarre and so far off the scale - look towards Europe after 1950 - Harrison Birtwistle - Howard Skempton - or Penderecki. Of course, for the wierd, but intense stuff you can get some Steve Reich - Piano Phase, or 'It's gonna rain'

Hope this helps - and also adds to some of the wonderful stuff that other people have mentioned.

Make sure to look for some good Impressionism too... Debussy and Ravel for example.

Ravel's "La miroir" (a piano work) is magnificent, and you can't go wrong with Debussy's "Clair de lune."

Someone above mentioned Shostakovich's 5th Symphony - in my opinion among the very best symphonies of the 20th Century, and a personal favourite of mine. However, it also has a wide variety of interpretations by different conductors especially when it comes to the final movement - it's probably best to shop around, listen before you buy if you can, and choose a recording of that symphony that you prefer.

If you want grittier 20th Century stuff, however, I could also point you to some of Arthur Bliss's work, such as the first Bliss piece I heard, "Meditations on a theme of John Blow" (based upon the "Lord is my shepherd" psalm).

Stevie W mentioned several piano pieces, might I add to the list ...
Beethoven's Fir Elise
Mozart's Turkish Rondo

That would be Für Elise, Derf.

Thou art most astute, Josh G. ...
I standeth corrected.

Ah, Mozart's sublime "Rondo Alla Turca." I wonder, has anyone produced a happy-hardcore dance remix composed a series of variations on that theme before (a la Brahms on a theme of Haydn's, or Rachmaninov on a theme of Paganini's)? I can imagine it being the sort of thing one could easily pull off - well, not me personally, but perhaps some brilliant classical composer of a more modern age than Mozart's.

Some seven years ago, I started this thread. In the intervening years, I've acquired several classical CDs. I thought I'd let y'all know what all I've gotten. Here goes:

1. The Masterpiece Collection: Bach II - This has Johann's "Ave Maria", "Concerto In D Minor for 2 Violins, Strings and Basso Continuo in D Minor", "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major", "Christmas Oratorio" and, "Toccata & Fugue in D Minor".

2. The Brandenburg Concertos Vol. 2 - J.S. Bach - It has "Concertos 3, 5 and 4" and "Concerto In the Italian Style BMV 971".

3. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing Beethoven's "Overture to 'Fidelio', Op. 72c" and "Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, 'Eroica'."

4. Beethoven's "Symphonien Nos 5 & 7" performed by the Wiener Philharmoniker, Carlos Kleiber, conducting.

5. Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony's performance of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9 'Choral'".

6. Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique op. 14", performed by the Suddeutsche Philharmonic, conducted by Alberto Lizzio.

7. Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic, performing Mussorgsky's "Pictures At an Exhibition" and "Night On Bald Mountain".

That'll do for a start, I reckon. I'll list more later.

I recommend "Ma Vlast" by Smetana

Never heard of it. Have to look it up, I guess.

To continue with the list:

8. Piano Masterpieces 4 Impromptus, 4 Nocturnes, Fantasy Op. 49 - Chopin

9. Mussorgsky's "Pictures At an Exhibition" and Ravel's "La Valse" performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eduardo Mata

10. Tchaikovsky Spectaculars, also by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under Mata. This disc features "Cossack Dance" from "Mazeppa", "Coronation March", "Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy Overture)", "March Slav" and "Overture Solenelle '1812'" (aka "the 1812 Overture").

11. Chausson's "Symphony In B-Flat, Op. 20" and Ibert "Escales/Divertissement" by performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

12. Shostakovich's "Symphonies No. 6 and No. 10", again by the DSO. This time under Andrew Litton's conducting.

13. Gustav Mahler's "Symphony No. 10", the Carpenter Completion, again by the DSO under Andrew Litton. It's the most recent addition to my collection.

14. The Slovak Phiharmonic Orchestra under Stephen Gunzenhauser, performing Dvorak's "Symphony No. 5, Op. 76" and "Symphony #7, Op. 70".

15. Kathleen Ferrier and the Vienna Philharmonic performing Mahler's "Kindertotenlieder". This disc also features Gluck's "Orfeo Ed Euridice", Purcell's "Sound the Trumpet" and "Let Us Not Wander Unseen", Haendel's "Spring Is Coming" and "Coming to Me, Soothing Sleep", Green's "O Praise the Lord" and "I Will Lay Me Down In Peace" and finally, Mendelssohn's "I Would That My Love". It was because of M*A*S*H's Major Winchester, that I picked up this disc for the Mahler.

16. Franz Liszt, featuring "Rhapsodie Hongroise No. 2", "Album D'un Voyageur", "Concerto pour Piano No. 1", "Valse-Caprice", "Faust Symphonie" "Mephisto Waltz", "Meditations (Ave Maria)", "Meditations (Ad Benedictus Antiphona", "Meditations (Requiem aeternam)", "Concerto No. #2", "Apres une lecture de Dante - Fantasia quasi Sonata" and "Bunte Reihe".

17. Mendelssohn's "Ein Sommernachtstraum Op. 61" and "Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Op. 60", both performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

18. The Hanover Band under Roy Goodman, director performing Mendelssohn's "Symphony No. 3 (Scottish)", "Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)" (one of my favorite classical pieces) and "Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage".

I'll stop here for now. When I start back up, it'll be with my Mozart discs.

Mussorgsky's "Pictures At an Exhibition" is fantastic.