Can anybody suggest me a few Classical Music pieces I might enjoy?

Here's a list of very famous classical works composed between 1650 and 1950 which might help you build your own ''Basic Classical Music Library'' (including 10 'really basic' works identified with an *).

-----Baroque era (c. 1600-1750)-----

- Pachelbel: Canon in D major

* Vivaldi: ''The Four Seasons'', Violin Concertos Op. 8 Nos 1 to 4

* Bach: 6 Brandenburg Concertos BWV 1046-1051

- Bach: 4 Orchestral Suites, BWV 1066-1069

- Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ, BWV 565

- Handel: Water Music

- Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks

- Handel: Messiah (in particular the ''Hallelujah'' chorus)

-----Classical era (c. 1750-1800)-----

* Mozart: ''Eine kleine Nachtmusik'', Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K. 525

- Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550

- Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K.626

* Haydn: Symphony No. 94 in G major ''The Surprise''

- Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ''Moonlight Sonata''

* Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op.67

- Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ''Choral'' (4th movement with ''Ode to Joy'')

-----Romantic era (c. 1800-1900)-----

- Rossini: Overtures (William Tell, The Barber of Seville)

* Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D.759 ''Unfinished Symphony''

- Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

- Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 ''Italian''

* Chopin: Various piano works (Polonaise No. 6 in A-flat major, Op. 53 + Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12 ''Revolutionary + Nocturne No.2 in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2, etc.)

- Liszt: Various piano works (Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 + Liebestraum No. 3 + Sonata in B minor, etc.)

- Wagner: ''Ride of the Valkyries'' from Die Walküre (+Various orchestral works)

- J. Strauss II: An der schönen blauen Donau (''Blue Danube Waltz), Op. 314 + Various waltzes

- Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances (orchestrated)

- Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Suite Op 71a

* Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

- Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 ''From the New World''

- Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade Op. 35

- Mahler: Symphony No. 5

- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

- Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

-----Since 1900-----

* Ravel: Boléro

- Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

- Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26

* Orff: Carmina Burana

- Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra

- Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

- Barber: Adagio for Strings, adapt. of String Quartet No. 2, Op.11, 2nd mvt.

Best regards

Chopin - funeral march

Beethoven - symphony number 7, especially 2nd movement

Tchaikovsky - 6th symphony

Dvorak - new world symphony, especially 4th movement

Beethoven - fur Elise

Chopin - nocturne (any of)

Tchaikovsky - swan lake

Bach - toccata and fugue in D minor

boellmann - suite gothique toccata

Carl Orf - Carmina burana

Elgar - cello concerto

...

the Brandenburg concertos (available on Amazon): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9qWpa2rIg

Quite seriously, I'd recommend PDQ Bach if you're getting acquainted with baroque & classical music.

New Horizons in Music Appreciation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0vHpeUO5mw

My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXOyvL-eJ-M&feature...

compare with --

My Bonnie Lass She Smileth -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npi6YRX6oIs&feature...

The Farmer On The Dole -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhE5CI6mI88

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Also, compare Tchaikowsky's 1812 Overture with PDQ Bach's 1712 Overture -- some people say that Tchaikowsky stole a lot of his musical ideas from PDQ Bach

1712 --- > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz9y9hMKeSs

1812 -- > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgOGl_OWOqg

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Also, the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas can be lots of fun -- you ought to be able to rent a few from somewhere . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGWoXDFM64

Compare that one with Tom Leher's rewriting the lyrics to include all the elements:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmwlzwGMMwc&feature...

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Lots of good stuff out there.

Best advice I can offer is to listen to what you like, dabble in stuff you've not heard of yet, but stick with what you like.

Oh yeah -- nevermind the "culture." Most of the composers who wrote this stuff were not particularly cultured, and wouldn't care if you were cultured or not.

Enjoy,

Edward Elgar, Elgar Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op.85, Adagio-Moderato

I recently played this in the symphony I play in and it melted my heart!

I can give you a cross section of some of my favourites:

Chopin: Nocturne Op 27 No 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3AvUMmXasA

Bach: Goldberg Variations (for strings):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je8brwUWOew

Sarasate: Navarra (for two violins):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTIjJIbtuK0

Faure Requiem, 'Sanctus':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJJ_cA3PhUU

One of the best pieces to check out:

The Thieving Magpie by Gioachino Rossini

Beetoven symphony number X, Mozart, four seasons (I like spring)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxeGu-RKC-Q&feature...