I was reviewing my CDs and realized that my selection of classical music was rather thin. My musical tastes tends to shift depending on my mood and lately, I have found myself listening to more classical. So…My question to you is this: If you were to select 10 CDs that were essential to any classical music library, what would they be? Not just composer and work, but which performance of that work. I am fairly liberal in my definition of classical, including choral, chamber, and orchestral works.
Visit the NPR “Performance Today” site - they have a list of either 50 or 100 CDs that they recommend. That’s probably a pretty good place to start.
I would recomend getting Beethovan’s 9th Symphony.
Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons.
Berloiz (sp) Symphony Fantastice (sombody help me speel there?)
A collection of Bach Brandenburg Concertos
Tchicovski 
1812 overture.
Mozart’s Requium
Get some classical compelations at Costco or Walmart that contain these.
My first choice would be any Mahler, conducted by Bernstein. All of those CDs are mid-price, IIRC.
I’ll add to the list:
Britten War Requiem – the original recording with Britten conducting (the one with the all-black cover). Not only is this a deeply moving work that improves every time I hear it, but the performances by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Peter Pears and Galina Vishnevskaya are amazing. A must-have.
Johann Sebastian Bach Toccata&Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, Ton Koopman
W.A. Mozart Symphonien 40 & 41 JUPITER , Leonard Bernstein, Wiener Philharmoniker
Georg Friedrich Haendel Belshazzar, Oratorio, Kölner Kammerchor, Peter Neumann
Gustav Holst The Planets, BSO, Willam Steinberg
Carl ORFF Carmina Burana, André Previn, LSO & Chorus
Johannes Brahms Violin concerto D major, op. 77, Berliner Philharmoniker, Von Karajan
W.A. MozartRequiem,Wiener Philharmoniker, Von Karajan
Georg Friedrich Haendel Julius Ceasar, Opera, DVD, Sir Charles Mackerras, ENO
Anonio Vivaldi 4 seasons, many good recordings exist
Sergej Rachmaninov 2nd and 3th piano concerto, only the best can play it…