Apropos of nada, I have a 1972 edition of Martin Bookspan's _101
Masterpieces of Music and Their Composers_.  It was one of the first
books I read when I began listening and studying classical music.  It
features all the standards, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and even Bruckner's
7th and 9th.  Each chapter has a brief bio of the composer, a discussion
of the particular piece of music and then a few recommendations for
recordings.  It is of some interest that most of the recommendations are
still available.  Then, too, in those days, the people who got recorded
were the stars like Karajan, Ormandy, etc.

Peace from he who is stumpf
aka Sisyphus