My own personal Basic Repertoire List

[RebLem]

Classics Today has a list of what they think should be the first 100 CDs in a classical collection. I decided, for this list, to take that as a starting point, paste it in here, ignore the 100 part, and then make my own changes. I have put an asterik after every recommendation that remains unchanged from the Classics Today list. In a few cases,. I didn't check to see if these things were all currently available. I mostly used my own collection as a resource. 
This is a work in progress.  My hope, eventually--and I am pretty close to it now, is to have a list of exactly 300 CDs.  I suggest that most people could follow a 5 year plan to purchase these CDs.  If you buy 4 CDs per month (with an occasional month in which you buy a 5 CD set, and then the next month only 3 CDs, so that you average 4 per month) you will have 240 CDs in 5 years.  What of the other 60? 
Well, the.first group of CDs on this list is of sets of CDs with more than 5 CDs in each.  These are potential plan busters.  I suggest you keep a separate printout of these CD sets, and whenever someone asks what you want for your birthday (or Christmas, or Channukah, or Festivus. for a graduation gift, or whatever),  just give him/her this list of sets and say, "Get me something from this list."  Pretty simple, eh?
The second group of CDs are a series of multi-composer records.  When mixed in with the other listings, some people just don't see any but the first composer listed, so I decided to segregate them in their own section. 
And then finally, the single composer CDs and 2, 3, 4, and 5 CD boxes.

Group 1—sets of 6 CDs or more
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas.  Annie Fischer (9 Hungaroton)
Dvorak: Complete String Quartets, incl. 18 Cypresses. Prague Qr. (9 DG)
Dvorak: Symphonies (complete)—Kubelik, Berlin PO (6 DGG)
Mahler: Symphonies (complete); Segerstam, Danish NRSO,  (12 Chandos)
Schubert: Piano Sonatas (complete) Kempff (7 DG)
Shostakovich: Symphonies (complete). Kondrashin, (11 CD Melodiya)
Strauss R.: Complete Orchestral Music. Kempe (9 Brilliant)
Vaughan Williams: Symphonies (9, complete) + 10 other orch. works. Boult (8 EMI)

Beethoven:  Piano Concerti. Fleisher, Szell, Cleveland Orch (Mozart PC 25, too) (3 Sony)

Group 2—multi composer CDs

Berg: Violin Conc. Szeryng |Schoenberg: Violin Conc; Piano Conc.  Zetlin, Brendel, Kubelik, Bav RSO  (DG)
Britten, Berg: Violin Concerti.  Hope, Watkins, BBC Phil (Warner Classics)
Britten: Young Person's Guide |Prokofiev: Peter & the Wolf; Lt. Kije Suite.  Connery, Dorati (London Phase 4)
Brahms: Piano Conc 2 |Beethoven: Appassionata Sonata. Richter, Leinsdorf, CSO (RCA)
Faure, Franck: Violin Sonatas.  Grumiaux (Philips)*
Franck: Piano Quintet.  Curzon | Mozart: Clarinet Qn |Strauss: Prelude for Str. Sextet. Amadeus Qt+ (BBC Legends mono)
Holst: Planets |Elgar: Enigma Vars--Boultt (EMI)
Liszt: Piano Conc (2) |Prokofiev: Piano Conc 3, 5: Pn Son 7 |Schumann: Pn Conc. Samson Francois (2 EMI)
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana |Leoncavallo: Pagliacci. Callas, Serafin (2 EMI mono)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade |Borodin: Polovtsian Dances. Beecham, RPO (EMI)
Tchaikovsky, Brahms: Violin Concerti. Heifetz, Reiner, CSO (RCA)

Group 3—single composer CDs and 2, 3, 4, and 5 CD boxes.
Bach: Brandenburg Concerti. Marriner, ASMF (2 Philips CDs)
Bach: Toccata & Fuge in D Minor, S. 565 & 17 other organ works.  Peter Hurford (2 Decca)
Bach: 4 Secular Cantatas. Collegium Aureum, Elly Ameling, et al (2 DHM Edito Classica CDs)
Bartok: Complete String Quarterts (6).—Takacs Quartet (2 Decca/London)
Bartók:  3 Piano Concerti—Ashkenazy, piano |2 Violin Concerti—Chung, violin—Solti, cond, London Phil (CSO in VC 1)—2 CD Decca set
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. Reiner, Chicago Sym (RCA)
Bartok: Bluebeard's Castle. Kertesz, Ludwig, Berry, LSO (Decca) (although mine is from MHS relicensed from Decca)

Beethoven: Violin Concerto. Violin Romances 1 & 2. Grumiaux, Galleira (in concetro) (Philips)
Beethoven: Fidelio. Klemperer (2 EMI)*
Beethoven: Complete Symphonies. Szell (5 Sony)
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis. Bernstein (either recording, 2 CDs on Sony or DGG)
Beethoven: Late String Quartets.  Yale Quartet.  (3 Vanguard)
Beethoven: Piano Trios + Kempff, Szerying, Fournier. (5 DG)
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 5, 8, 9. Szerying, Rubinstein. (RCA)
Bellini: Norma. Callas-Serafin (2 EMI).*
Berlioz: Les Nuits d'ete; La Mort de Cleopatre; Les Troyens excerpts. Janet Baker, Barbirolli, Gibson (EMI)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique. Le Roi Lear Over. Le Carnaval romain. Beecham (EMI)
Biber: Rosary Sonatas. Maier, Lehrndorfer, Engel, Junghanel. (2 DHM Edito Classica)
Bizet: Carmen--De los Angeles, Beecham (2 EMI)
Brahms: Violin Concerto. Szerying, Monteux, LSO (RCA))
Brahms: Violin Sonatas. Suk-Katchen (2 Decca)*
Brahms: Symphonies + Solti, Chicago SO (4 Decca).*
Brahms: Piano Trios; Horn Trio; Clarinet Trio. Trio di Trieste in Pn Trios; Eschenbach, BPO players in others. (2 DG)
Britten: 11 orchestral works, incl. Diversions for piano left hand & orch, & Sinfonia da Requiem. Rattle, CBSO (2 EMI)
Britten: 4 String Quartets; Simple Symphony. Britten Q (2 Collins Classics)
Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn, & Strings; Noye's Fludde. Hickox (Virgin Classics)
Britten: War Requiem. Britten (2 Decca).*
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4. Kertesz, LSO (Decca)
Byrd: 3 Masses. Tallis Scholars. (Gimell)
Charpentier: Anthems for Advent; In Nativitatem DNJC Canticum. Christie, Les Arts Florissants (FHM)
Chavez: Complete Syms (6)—Mata, LSO—2 CD Vox set
Chopin: 4 Impromptus; 3 Nouvelle etudes, Andante spianato & grande polonaise, 4 other pieces.  Rubinstein  RCA
Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo-4 dance episodes: Billy the Kid SuiteEl salon Mexico; Fanfare for the common man; Quiet City; Down a Country Land, Nonet for strings.  Copland, cond.  (2 Sony)
Debussy:Complete Piano Works, incl. Fantasy for Piano & Orch. Gieseking (4 EMI)
Debussy: Complete Meloidies (i.e. that's French for Songs). Baldwin, piano, Elly Ameling & 4 other singers. (3 EMI)
Debussy: La Mer, Nocturnes. Tilson Thomas (Sony)*
Debussy: The Martyrdom of St Sebastian. Bernstein, NYPO (Sony)
Dutilleux: Complete Orchestral Works (11). Tortelier, BBC Phil (4 Chandos)
Dvorak: Cello Concerto; Othello; The Noon Witch. Rostropovich, Talich, Czech Phil (Suprophon mono)
Dvorak: Syms 7, 8, & 9 |Carnival Overture—Szell, CO (2 SONY)
Dvorak: Symphony 6: My Home Ov; Hussite Ov; Carnival Ov. Ancerl, Czech Phil (Supraphon)
Dvorak: Symphony 9; Symphonic Var.  Macal, London PO (EMI Classics for Pleasure)

Falla: The Three-Cornered Hat + 5 other de Falla works. de los Angeles, De Burgos (2 EMI)
Fauré: Requiem. Cluytens. (EMI)
Franck: Symphonie in D minor. Monteux, Chicago SO. (RCA)*
Franck: Les Beatitudes.(oratorio) Rilling. (2 MHS, lic from Hanssler)
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue. An American in Paris. Tilson Thomas (RCA)*
Gounod: Faust. Cluytens (3 EMI)*

Handel: Water Music, Royal Fireworks Music. Concerti grossi, Op. 6—Orpheus Chamber Orch—3 DGG Trio box
Handel: Messiah. Mackerras (2 EMI)*
Haydn: The Creation. Bernstein (2 Sony)
Haydn: London Symphonies. Jochum (4 DG)*
Janácek: Glagolitic Mass; Sinfonietta; Taras Bulba. Ancerl (Supraphon)*
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde. Ferrier, Patzak, Walter, VPO (Decca mono)
Mendelssohn: Symphonies (complete) Abbado (3 DG)*
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition. Giulini, Chicago Sym (DG)
Mozart: Piano Sonatas (complete) Klara Wurtz (5 Brilliant)
Mozart: Piano Concerti 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27. Casadesus-Szell (3 Sony)*
Mozart: Don Giovanni. Giulini (3 EMI)*
Mozart: Syms 35-41. 3 Flute Conc. Posthorn Serenade; Serenata notturni, 2 other works--Menuhin (5 Virgin Classics)
Mozart: String Quartets 14-19 "Haydn"   Hagen Q  (3 DGG)
Mozart: Requiem. Giulini (Sony)
Nielsen: String Quartets (4, complete): String Qn; Wind Qn. Nielsen SQ + (2 DG)
Nielsen: Syms (compl) + 4 other orch. works. Blomstedt, San Francisco SO (4 Decca [2 sets of 2 CDs each])
Orff: Carmina Burana. Jochum (DG)
Paganini: Caprices. Accardo (DG Galleria)
Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas (complete). Boris Berman. (2 MHS, lic from Chandos)
Prokofiev: Piano Conc 1. Moravec. Sym 1; Scythian Suite; Seven They Are. Ancerl, Czech Phil (Praga)
Prokofiev: Violin Concerti. Mintz, Abbado, Chicago S.O. (DG)
Prokofiev: Syms  1 & 5—Levine, Chicago SO--DGG
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky; Lt. Kije. Previn, LAPO (Telarc)
Puccini: La Bohème. de los Angeles, Bjorling, Beecham (2 EMI mono)
Puccini: Madame Butterfly. de los Angeles, Bjorling, Santini (2 EMI)
Puccini: Tosca. Callas-de Sabata (2 EMI mono)*

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerti. Wild, Horenstein (2 Chandos)
Ravel: Complete Solo Piano Music. Monique Haas. (2 Erato)
Ravel: Piano Concerti (2) Francois, Cluytens (EMI)
Ravel: Orchestral Works.. Cluytens (2 EMI)*
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez |Elogio de la guitarra |Fantasia para un gentilhombre—Angel Romero, guitar, Previn, con. LSO
Rossini: Overtures. Reiner (RCA)*
Schubert: Die schone Mullerin song cycle. Fischer-Dieskau, Moore (EMI)*
Schubert: Schwanengasang song cycle. Fischer-Dieskau, Moore. (EMI)*
Schubert:Winterreise song cycle. Hotter, Moore. (EMI)
Schubert: Complete Trios (2 str trios, 3 piano trios+) various artists. (2 Philips)
Schubert: String Q "Rosamunde"; String Q "Death & the Maiden"; Stri Q, D 887, Quarttr movement in C minor; String Quintet. Emerson Quartet, Rostropovich in Quintet. (3 DG)
Schubert: Symphonies (complete); Rosamundo Over; Grand Duo. Abbado (5 DG)

Schumann: 14 solo piano works. Kempff. (4 DG)
Schumann: Complete Piano Trios (4); Piano Quartet, Op. 47, Piano Quintet. Beaux Arts Trio + (2 Philips)
Schumann: Complete String Quartets (3). Eroica Quartet (HM)
Schumann: Symphonies (compl); Manfred Over. Szell, Cleveland Orch (2 Sony)
Shostakovich: String Quartets (15)—Shostakovich Quartet (5 Regis)
Sibelius: Symphonies (7, complete); 9 other orch works. Barbirolli, Halle Orch., (5 EMI)
Smetana: Ma Vlast (My Country). Ancerl, Czech Phil (Supraphon)
Strauss J.: Waltzes. 1992 New Year's Concert. Kleiber (Sony)*                              Strauss, R:  Metamorphosen, Oboe Concerto, 9 Songs, Violin Sonata—Stamp, cond. Academy of London, Ray Still, oboe, conc, Gundula Janowitz (songs) D Sitkovetsky, violin, P Gililov, piano in Sonata.  2 Virgin CDs
Strauss,R. Four Last Songs; Capriccio (closing scene); Arabela (excerpts) Schwarzkopf, Ackermann, von Matacic (EMI)
Strauss R.: Der Rosenkavalier. Solti (3 Decca)

Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps |The Firebird |The Card Party |Petrushka |Pulcinella—Abbado, LSO—2 DGG
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6. Monteux, Boston SO (2 RCA)
Tchaikovsky: The ballets (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker). Previn, London SO (6 EMI)
Verdi: Aida. Price, Solti (3 Decca)*
Verdi: Don Carlos.  Giulini (3 EMI)
Verdi: Requiem. 4 Sacred Pieces. Price, Bjorling +, Reiner, Viennal Phil (2 London)
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras 1-9 |Guitar Concerto—Batiz, cond. OFCM, Alfonso Moreno, guitar (in conc)—3 EMI
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons. Standage. (MHS)
Wagner: Overtures and Preludes. Szell, Cleveland Orch (2 Sony)
Wagner: Tristan and Isolde. Bernstein. (3 DG)
Walton: Sym. 2; Variations on a theme by Hindemith; Partita for Orch. Szell, Cleveland (Sony)
Zwilich: Sym. 1; Prologue & Variations; Celebration. Nelson, Indianapolis Sym. (New World)

[PerfectWagnerite]

whenever someone asks what you want for your birthday (or Christmas, or Channukah, or Festivus. for a graduation gift, or whatever),  just give him/her this list of sets and say, "Get me something from this list."  Pretty simple, eh?

Yes except some of the stuff is either really expensive (the Annie Fischer Beethoven PS set) or totally OOP (the Sergerstam Mahler set). Shouldn't you recommend cds that are of high quality AND cheap and easy to get for a beginner?

[Que]

I suggest that most people could follow a 5 year plan to purchase these CDs. 
I suggest you keep a separate printout of these CD sets, and whenever someone asks what you want for your birthday (or Christmas, or Channukah, or Festivus. for a graduation gift, or whatever),  just give him/her this list of sets and say, "Get me something from this list."  Pretty simple, eh?

I won't follow your sugestions, but all in all it looks like a fairly reasonable list.

Must confess some relieve to see that Helmut Rilling's Bach with the "usual suspects" did not make it to your top 100.... On the other hand, there is very little Bach on the list at all.

Q

[RebLem]

Yes except some of the stuff is either really expensive (the Annie Fischer Beethoven PS set) or totally OOP (the Sergerstam Mahler set). Shouldn't you recommend cds that are of high quality AND cheap and easy to get for a beginner?

No, I shouldn't.  I try to recommend only the best.  If you want something to hold you 'til you're richer re: the Beethoven sonatas, try  the 2 CD Hungerford/Vanguard set of the Pathetique, Moonlight, Tempest, and Waldstein sonatas plus 3 other "unnamed" Beethoven piano sonatas.  But, of course, as I said, the Annie Fischer is one of those things you should ask people to give you as a gift for some gift-giving occasion.  That way, its FREE! 

As for some stuff being OOP, yes, some of it is.  Wanna bet they'll all be back in one form or another within that 5 year plan period I wrote about?  Another one, besides the Segerstam, that is in that category is the Samson Francois 2 CD EMI set of piano concerti, which I left in anyway because it is one of my strongest recommendations.  That set is one of the great glories of the recorded concerto repertoire, and I just do not believe it will be gone for long.

And don't tell me what to do, or what I should or shouldn't do.  If the most judicious combination of quality and price is your objective, make up your own damn list.  Don't expect me to do it for you.  My criterion is quality, and if people want to make compromises with quality with price as a consideration, they should at least be aware that that is, in fact, what they are doing.

[BachQ]

And don't tell me what to do, or what I should or shouldn't do. 

OK, we won't tell you to consider adding:

Bruckner 9
Bruckner 8
Bruckner 7
Bruckner 6
Brahms 1st Piano Concerto

[Don]

I think it's a fine list as far as quality is concerned.  However, I do question the paltry entries for Bach as Que pointed out and the missing in action Janacek quartets.

[RebLem]

OK, we won't tell you to consider adding:
Bruckner 9
Bruckner 8
Bruckner 7
Bruckner 6
Brahms 1st Piano Concerto

I'm not a big Bruckner fan.  I do like the 6th a lot, though, but my favorite recordings are all not generally available.  One is a limited issue from the CSO "From the Archives" series with, I believe, Tennstedt conducting; another is an OOP version by Joseph Kielberth.  Of those generally available, I guess the Klemperer would be my recommendation. 

As for the Brahms PC 1, its a work I have a very hard time relating to.  I have never particularly liked it, or understood it.  It just leaves me cold and mystified as to why people like it.   Everyone whose opinion on these matters I respect tells me it is a great work, and I accept that it must be true.  Its just that I can't relate.  I suppose if I had to recommend one, it would be Fleisher/Szell, Serkin/Szell, Curzon/Szell, or Pollini/Abbado. Moravec/Belohlavek/Czech Phil looks interesting too, though I haven't heard it, and the recently issued Friere/Chailly/Gewandhaus set has been getting excellent reviews, too.

[marvinbrown]

Classics Today has a list of what they think should be the first 100 CDs in a classical collection. I decided, for this list, to take that as a starting point, paste it in here, ignore the 100 part, and then make my own changes. I have put an asterik after every recommendation that remains unchanged from the Classics Today list. In a few cases,. I didn't check to see if these things were all currently available. I mostly used my own collection as a resource. 
This is a work in progress.  My hope, eventually--and I am pretty close to it now, is to have a list of exactly 300 CDs.  I suggest that most people could follow a 5 year plan to purchase these CDs.  If you buy 4 CDs per month (with an occasional month in which you buy a 5 CD set, and then the next month only 3 CDs, so that you average 4 per month) you will have 240 CDs in 5 years.  What of the other 60? 
Well, the.first group of CDs on this list is of sets of CDs with more than 5 CDs in each.  These are potential plan busters.  I suggest you keep a separate printout of these CD sets, and whenever someone asks what you want for your birthday (or Christmas, or Channukah, or Festivus. for a graduation gift, or whatever),  just give him/her this list of sets and say, "Get me something from this list."  Pretty simple, eh?
The second group of CDs are a series of multi-composer records.  When mixed in with the other listings, some people just don't see any but the first composer listed, so I decided to segregate them in their own section. 
And then finally, the single composer CDs and 2, 3, 4, and 5 CD boxes.


Wagner: Overtures and Preludes. Szell, Cleveland Orch (2 Sony)  NB: (marvinbrown strongly disagrees on principal)
Wagner: Tristan and Isolde. Bernstein. (3 DG)  NB: (marvinbrown agrees with the choice of opera but questions the recording)

  While I agree with the choice of Tristan und Isolde as a must have opera for any Wagner collection I have doubts about the Bernstein recording.  Furtwangler's Tristan with Flagstad on EMI or Bohm's Tristan with Nilsson at Bayreuth are the ideal choices.  In addition I am 100% against the overtures and preludes CD- to listen to these exclusively is to negate or destroy the very essence of Wagner.  Vocals are a crucial part of Wagner's art work- I would argue that the vocal roles are just as important in transporting the drama to the listener as the music is. 

  PS:  Other Wagnerian GMG members are of course  free to disagree with me.
  marvin   

[RebLem]

  While I agree with the choice of Tristan und Isolde as a must have opera for any Wagner collection I have doubts about the Bernstein recording.  Furtwangler's Tristan with Flagstad on EMI or Bohm's Tristan with Nilsson at Bayreuth are the ideal choices.  In addition I am 100% against the overtures and preludes CD- to listen to these exclusively is to negate or destroy the very essence of Wagner.  Vocals are a crucial part of Wagner's art work- I would argue that the vocal roles are just as important in transporting the drama to the listener as the music is. 

  PS:  Other Wagnerian GMG members are of course  free to disagree with me.
  marvin   

I just disagree about the excerpts, but I won't argue the point extensively.  Tristan is a music drama that has been well treated on CD generally.  Bernstein is one of the better ones.  I wouldn't object to the Bohm either, and I most emphatically certainly wouldn't object to the Furtwangler, which is probably the best performance ever.  However, there are so many folk here who get really hyper about any dimunition in sound quality that I thought I'd avoid that by recommending something with pretty up to date sound.  But certainly, if performance quality alone is your goal, Furtwangler is your man here, without a doubt.

[PerfectWagnerite]

And don't tell me what to do, or what I should or shouldn't do. 

Hey it's your list.

I am interested in the ANnie Fischer. So you think it is the best ? That's saying a lot considering there must be at least 20-30 complete sets out there.

Anyway I have heard Sergerstam's Mahler and frankly it probably ranks near the bottom of any of the Mahler I own so I am surprised at your recommendation.

[RebLem]

Hey it's your list.

I am interested in the ANnie Fischer. So you think it is the best ? That's saying a lot considering there must be at least 20-30 complete sets out there.

Anyway I have heard Sergerstam's Mahler and frankly it probably ranks near the bottom of any of the Mahler I own so I am surprised at your recommendation.

Yes, I think Annie Fischer is best, and by a country mile.  Lots of folk like the Schnabel, too, but I never warmed to it.  I don't have it on CD, but I do have the LP set.  In addition to the Annie Fischer, I have 6 other CD sets--Brendel/Philips, Goode, Gulda, Jando, Kempff/stereo,  and Sheppard.  But the 22 sonata incomplete set by Bruce Hungerford is second only to Fischer, IMO, on the sonatas he recorded.  Unfortunately, he died in a tragic auto accident on January 26, 1977 at the age of only 54 before he could complete the set.

As for Mahler, I just disagree with you about Segerstam.  The only one I think is almost as good is the Kubelik, which is currently available, and at a budget price.  When I get the MT Thomas 8th, which has been recorded but not yet released, I will have 16 complete Mahler symphony sets--Abbado, Abravanel, Boulez, Bernstein/SONY, Bernstein/DGG, Bertini, Chailly, Haitink, Inbal, Kubelik, Segerstam, Sinopoli, Solti, Tabakov, Tennstedt, and Thomas.

I guess you could say I really like Mahler.   

[PerfectWagnerite]

Yes, I think Annie Fischer is best, and by a country mile.  Lots of folk like the Schnabel, too, but I never warmed to it.  I don't have it on CD, but I do have the LP set.  In addition to the Annie Fischer, I have 6 other CD sets--Brendel/Philips, Goode, Gulda, Jando, Kempff/stereo,  and Sheppard.  But the 22 sonata incomplete set by Bruce Hungerford is second only to Fischer, IMO, on the sonatas he recorded.  Unfortunately, he died in a tragic auto accident on January 26, 1977 at the age of only 54 before he could complete the set.

Okay, so if I want a set that pretty much sticks to Beethoven's written tempo indications (including the ludicrous MM=138 in the Op. 106) yet played on a modern piano which one would you recommend?

As for Mahler, I just disagree with you about Segerstam.  The only one I think is almost as good is the Kubelik, which is currently available, and at a budget price.  When I get the MT Thomas 8th, which has been recorded but not yet released, I will have 16 complete Mahler symphony sets--Abbado, Abravanel, Boulez, Bernstein/SONY, Bernstein/DGG, Bertini, Chailly, Haitink, Inbal, Kubelik, Segerstam, Sinopoli, Solti, Tabakov, Tennstedt, and Thomas.

I guess you could say I really like Mahler.   

Well who doesn't. Well I don't have as much Mahler as you do, obviously, but I do have a lot of the sets you have, like Bernstein(both), Kubelik, Bertini, Chailly, Inbal, Tennstedt and Sinopoli. Boulez I am missing 2, 9, and 8. Segerstam is not BAD per say but his readings seems overtly self-indulging. Too often he just washes everything away in walls and walls of sound without the fine details of some of the other readings. For example in the second movement of the 5th those rifts in the horn (when they play really fast in the upper register leading to a sort of scream) are much too tame compared to the BP under Karajan let's say. And his Ninth just misses the extra "bite" that you hear in Haitink for example. I think Mahler does bring out the best in an orchestra though, as Segerstams Mahler is much better than his Sibelius on Chandos with the same group.

[Fëanor]

Classics Today has a list of what they think should be the first 100 CDs in a classical collection. I decided, for this list, to take that as a starting point, paste it in here, ignore the 100 part, and then make my own changes. I have put an asterik after every recommendation that remains unchanged from the Classics Today list. In a few cases,. I didn't check to see if these things were all currently available. I mostly used my own collection as a resource. 
This is a work in progress.  My hope, eventually--and I am pretty close to it now, is to have a list of exactly 300 CDs.
 ...

Thanks, RebLem.  As a perpetual classical beginner, I appreciate such lists.  I will take your recommendations under advisement since I'm always looking for good recordings, especially for compositions I don't already have in my collection.

I do have my own 250 "core" classical list of compositions, (compiled for my own education), but I didn't presume to recommend specific recordings.

By the way, I don't mind if you are a bit light on Bruckner or Brahms;  nor would I mind fewer Schumann.  It's not that they aren't great composers, only that I don't (yet) appreciate them.