Robert Peters writes: >So this is my question: Which, say, 25 works, do you think are absolutely >essential for every serious classical CD collection? The works should be >of every period (from the Middle Ages to the present) and from every genre >(opera, Lied, symphony, chamber music, concert, etc.). Bach: The Well Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, Mass in b minor Mozart: Divertimento for Strings, K. 563 Haydn: Symphony #102, String Quartets, opus 76 Beethoven: Symphony #7, Almost any piano sonata, Quartets opus 59 Schubert: String Trios Chopin: Preludes Liszt: A Faust Symphony Bruckner: Symphony #7 Brahms: Symphony #4, Piano Quintet Mahler: Symphony #2. (with others to follow), Das Lied von der Erde Debussy: La Mer Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring Ives: Fourth Symphony Sibelius: Symphony #4. Nielsen: Symphony #5. Strauss: Four Last Songs Bartok: Quartet #2 Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra Shostakovitch: Piano Trio #2, Symphony #4 Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time Schnittke: Viola Concerto Vaughn Williams- Symphony #4 or 5. This is meant to complement what you have and in common with other such lists it is a matter of individual choice - but this is my story and I am sticking to it. Professor Bernard Chasan Physics Department, Boston University