Verified answer

Congratulations on your excellent decision!

Rather than relying on other people's favourites (and these people's musical taste might be VERY different from yours, after all), I would steer you towards the three books below which give an excellent introduction to classical music and how to start building a collection. They are all cheaply available through sites like Amazon.

1) 'The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection' by Ted Libbey. It has good info on the 350 most renowned classical works.

2) 'The Rough Guide to Classical Music' (various contributors)

3) 'Classical Music for Dummies' by David Pogue and Scott Speck

Happy exploring!

First: What instrument do you play?! I can really help ya if you're a viola player!

1. Vaughan Williams Suite for viola and Small Orchestra, is a great piece! It is more modern an really doesn't have that classical tinge to it. It really emulates its own style!

2. Bach cello suites for viola- he is THE baroque God, and that music is widely popular (still) and his cello suites are being played by everyone! There are a couple of movements that are a tiny bit easier. I think the ranking and musicality required should be like this: mvmnt-- 1, 3(until you get to courante),4,2,5,6.

3. Max Reger 3 Suites for Viola- These are just awesome!

Violin:

1. Fisherman's Festival- it's amazingly fun to play (according to my friend) but it is a definite challenge! It requires a great deal of showmanship.

2. Mozart... Just do it :) it will change your skill level!

3. Bach Partitas are awesome!!!!

4. There are a lot of pieces transposed to violin, so you could Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe", and etc. other pop tunes.

Cello:

1. Idk

2. Possibly the Popper Études?

Bass:

1. Idk

I know nothing for anything else. If you play piano, you can find a score for anything nowadays! There is a new arrangement every day! You'll find something! I hope I helped! Good luck in your adventure.

Stephen Hough - Rachmaninoff Concertos - super recording. Evgeny Kissin - Chopin Preludes, Polonaise Op. 53 and Sonata op. 35 Jean-Efflam Bavouzet - Debussy Recordings (Debussy's complete piano song,) !!!! Zimerman, Debussy Preludes !!!! My favourite recordings, chiefly the Hough.

You know that Vltava (Die Moldau) is the second part of a six-movement piece called Ma Vlast? It's all worth listening to, but the other famous part of it is, From Bohemia's Woods And Fields

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQ6Ik2sm-w

I think you may also like Dvorak's Serenade For Strings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqFZTnhDg2M

You might also like some of the pieces suggested in answer to this recent question

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al...

Take Del's advice on books to read.

Try Sibelius' symphonies nos. 2 and 5.

Bach – Art of Fugue

Bach – Musical Offering

Bach – Well-Tempered Clavier book 1 and 2 (the C# minor triple fugue from book 1 is the greatest piece among both books)

Bach – Mass in B minor

Bach – St. Matthew Passion

Bach – Orchestral Suite no. 2 in B minor, BWV1067

Bach – Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV1043

Bach – Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV1041

Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV565

Bach – Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV582

Bach – Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV544

Bach – Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV537

Bach – Fantasia and Fugue in G minor “The Great”, BWV542

Bach – Little Organ Fugue in G minor, BWV578

Bach – Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV904

Bach – Six Sonatas and Partitas for solo Violin

Bach – Six Trio Sonatas for Organ

Bach – Brandenburg Concertos

Bach – Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes

Bach – Goldberg Variations

Mozart – Requiem in D minor

Mozart – Fugue in C Minor for Two Pianos, K426

Mozart – Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor, K466

Mozart – Piano Concerto no. 23 in A major, K488 (2nd mvt only)

Mozart – Clarinet Quintet in A major, K581

Mozart – Horn Quintet in Eb major, K407

Mozart – Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622

Mozart – Symphony no. 40 in G minor, K550

Mozart – Symphony no. 41 “Jupiter” in C major, K551

Mozart – Piano Sonata in A minor, K310

Mozart – Cosi fan Tutte (“Soave sia il vento” trio, “Un aura amorosa” aria)

Mozart – The Magic Flute (“Bei Mannern welche Liebe fuhlen” duet)

Elgar – Enigma Variations

Nielsen – Woodwind Quintet, Op. 43

Nielsen – Faith and Hope are playing

Nielsen – The Fog is lifting

Gluck – Dance of the Blessed Spirits (minor-key middle section only)

Handel – Messiah

Handel – Passacaglia in G minor, HWV432

Handel – Harpsichord Suite no. 4 in D minor, HWV437

Handel – Air and Variations, “Harmonious Blacksmith”, HWV430

Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata

Beethoven – Tempest Sonata

Holst – The Planets

Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

Vivaldi – Bassoon Concerto in A minor, RV497

Vivaldi – Oboe and Violin Concerto in Bb major, RV548

Vivaldi – Violin Concerto no. 6 in A minor, RV356

Vivaldi – Double Cello Concerto in G minor, RV531

Vivaldi – Double Oboe Concerto in A minor, RV536

Vivaldi – Six Flute Concertos, Op. 10

Faure – Sicilienne (flute & harp)

Bizet – Menuet from L’Arlesienne

Pachelbel – Canon & Gigue in D major

Telemann – Viola Concerto in G major

Beethoven Virus no. 9