Hey, y'all!  Greetings from Charlotte, NC.  I was ecstatic when I found
this list and joined immediately.  My name is Barrett, I'm 18, and am
looking forward to learning as much as I can about the old masters and
their music.  I'm brand new to classical, and not very well versed in
the terminology or technical aspects yet, so I hope I can keep up.  All
I know is that when I first heard Beethoven's Ninth Symphony only weeks
ago, it sparked in me a passion for classical music that has led to some
very rewarding hours of listening and learning.  I've since been soaking
up all the music I can with a voracious appetite.  I've come to savor
the divine works of Mozart and Handel, to bask in the sonorous strains
of Chopin, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky, and to be driven to heights of
ineffible euphoria by Strauss, Grieg, Schubert and Dvorak.  Everything
I've heard so far is so magnificent, I'm constantly searching for new
pieces to discover.  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!

Barrett