Barrett Reynolds wrote:

>Anyway, I suppose the first question I'd like to pose to this group
>is, what pieces comprise your absolute musical zenith?  What's that
>piece of music that, when you hear it, it totally rejuvenates your
>spirit, gives you mental clarity, and elevates your being to a
>consciousness worlds above the earth?  Once again, I'm ecstatic to
>be a part of this group and I look forward to talking music with
>each and every one of you!  Thank you for having me!

As others have said, your question has many answers and all of them
are correct.  It is not a matter of taste, however, but of relationships
between the listener, his or her experiences (both musical and nonmusical)
the composer and most important the performance.  I recall my own begining
when I did not appreciate Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" or Brahms' Fourth.
In those days I thought I didn't like the music but realized later I
just didn't understand it and now appreciate it.

Some of the "greats" include Beethoven's 9th and his 5th is the most
perfect piece of music ever written.  (Notice I said most perfect, not
the best).  Early in my learning I came across Sibelius' 2nd Symphony
and then had to have them all.  Schubert's "Unfinished" and "The Great"
were also tastes I developed about the same time.  Of course there is
Dvorak's "From the New World".

Later I came to really love Beethoven's "Eroica" and now have more
recordings of it than any other piece of music.

Only after digesting many symphonic fare I began to explore chamber and
instrumental music.  Schubert wrote some of the finest ever and any of
it is excellent.  You might want to start with the "Trout"

At this time I find the music of Martinu to be the most stimulating of
any I listen to.  Currently I am listening to his string quartets and
studying them.

It is important to understand, however, that a piece of music is only
as good as the recording/performance.  Recordings by Leopold Stokowski
are very different from others.  Bruno Walter, Pierre Monteux, Rafael
Kubelik, Sir John Barbirolli and Sir Thomas Beecham are other conductors
you should listen to.  All of them have stereo recordings available (if
you shun older, monaural ones) Today all of the conductors sound
more-or-less the same to me.  As with symphonic works you will discover
that individual artists vary a lot and here there are a lot of players
around today that have the individuality lacking in conductors.  Martha
Argerich is one of the finest pianists ever.

You get the idea.  Welcome to a world where you will discover a lot.

Stumpf