1. stravinsky-rite of spring (the old cleveland/boulez one) tight rite
.
2. rimsky-korsakov sheherazade (CSO-reiner)-my intro to classical music, given to me by my band director in high school. never get tired of listening to it.
3. The Essential Michael Nyman Band (hypnotic. I'm a huge Nyman fan. It can almost get goofy, but you just can't turn it off. It rocks.)
4. Purcell Odes. English Concert/Trevor Pinnock-amazing recording of some of the best tunes by my favorite baroque composer.
5.Purcell-Dido and Aeneas. English Concert/Trevor Pinnock-unreal balance between orchestra and chorus. imaginative phrasing. just plain ethereal.
6. Nielsen-complete symphonies. Scottish National Orch/Bryden Thomson
Some truly fine brass playing on some much underappreciated music.
7. Empire Brass-music of gabrieli. yes I prefer it over the OTHER one. OK all you purists, don't start flaming just yet. Just another recording I got when I was young, and later I got the chance to study chamber music with these guys. It's a bunch of guys making music who are all on the same page, and it's bliss for me. I mean some starkedly different trumpet sounds (smedvig, curnow, tim morrison) but they're all thinking the same way, and it comes together. sweetness.
8. Chopin Nocturnes dreamy, soothing. sure-fire way to relax. good stuff.
9. Miles Davis Kind of Blue (no explanation needed)
10. Beatles White Album (none needed here either)