Western Classical music CD's for a newbie?

I have been listening to pop, rock and jazz all along and I would like to venture into the world of classical music. I am not sure if I will become a classical music fan but I would like some recommendations to start with... like which cd's should I buy??

Top 10 Essential Classical Music CDs

1 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 -- Carlos Kleiber
The most famous piece of classical music ever written.
Beethoven's Fifth is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written, and deservedly so. The famous opening four note motif serves as the thematic material for the whole first movement, and it reappears in the third and fourth movements to make the symphony into a unified whole rather than a collection of four individual movements. This unity is apparent in other respects as well: the stormy opening movement is in a dark minor key, and the mood gradually shifts through the middle two movements and culminates in a glorious brass fanfare that opens the finale. Carlos Kleiber's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic still stands as one of the all-time greats.

and some more...

2 Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, 21 -- Vladimir Ashkenazy
Symphonic brilliance and pianistic virtuosity.

3 Beethoven: "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" Piano Sonatas -- Alfred Brendel
Beethoven's more intimate medium of expression.

4 Bach: Brandenburg Concertos -- Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Baroque bravura.

5 Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 -- Eroica Trio
A chamber masterpiece 25 years in the making.

6 Stravinsky: Rite of Spring -- Igor Stravinsky
A scandalous ballet.

7 Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet -- Amadeus String Quartet
A dying man's outpouring of grief.

8 Tchaikovsky: "Pathétique" Symphony -- Mariss Jansons
So tragic it must have been written by a Russian.

9 Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass -- David Willcocks
A joyous celebration of life.

10 Bizet: Carmen -- Victoria de los Angeles, Sir Thomas Beecham
The world's most popular opera.

If you are new to western classical music give yourself some time with these CD's. Of course not to mention to really enjoy this music you also need a good system.

Hi! Cyrus,
The western classical list sure will help a lot of music lovers, thanks.
Rgds

Prithvi

Hello!

Beethoven's Sixth Symphony (Pastoral) on JVC XRCD (Chicago Symphony orchestra,conducted by Fritz Reiner) is an excellent CD...great music, mastered and recorded to perfection.The warmth, smoothness and palpability is as good as it gets...almost like vinyl LP.

Buy it.Though costly, you will never repent.

Aniruddha.

Hi Aniruddha,

Any idea where I can buy this XRCD in Mumbai?

Hi Anil,

To my knowledge, Prithvi (Absolute Phase) is a dealer of JVC XRCDs in India.
He will definitely help you.

rhythm house-kala ghoda --the best place to buy at the cheapest prices--even less than london

Hey that is news. I visit Rhythm House at least once a week and I never noticed that they sell XRCD there.

DR. do I have to ask for it specially or do they have a seperate section for XRCD?

ASK FOR MR WAYNE IN THE CLASSICAL SECTION AND GIVE HIM MY NAME=HE'LL SHIOW YOU ALL THE SACD AND THE REST
MY MOBILE 98200 35734

Confusion !!

Anil wants XRCD - JVC & Dr. is suggesting SACD.

Basically, RH [Rhythm House] does not have any XRCD's.

They are sold in Balgalore through Mr. Prithvi. He has a lot, I have purchased more than 62 XRCD's from him. Call him, he will help you.

RH will sell SACD's to you. Do not buy them. the CD Layer plays very very poor. Only if you have a SACD Player, will the dual layer SACD play well.

SHANTI