L1 A list for rank beginners who want a general survey.
 L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance music
 L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works
 L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works
 L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works
 L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works
 L7 A list of representative Lieder
 L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic
 choral works
 L9 A list of operas spanning the history of the genre
 L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918
 L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945
 L12 A list of music written since 1945
 L13 A list of piano concerti
 L14 A list of violin concerti
 L15 A list of symphonies
 L16 A list of piano/harpsichord music
 L17 A list of chamber music
 L18 A list of modern chamber music
 L19 A list of viola and cello concerti
 L20 A list of violin and piano music

L1 A list of recommended works for those who have no experience
 with "classical" music. This list gives representative examples
 of all the major periods, or so we believe.
 1. Hildegard: Symphoniae
 1. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame
 2. Dufay: Chansons
 3. Josquin: Benedicta es
 4. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
 5. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #5
 6. Bach: Cantata #140, "Wachet auf!"
 7. Handel: Messiah
 8. Mozart: Symphony #40, K. 550
 9. Mozart: Selections from "The Marriage of Figaro"
 10. Haydn: Op. 76 String Quartets
 11. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6
 12. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
 13. Chopin: The "Horowitz Plays Chopin" disc, or
 Rubinstein: "Highlights from the Chopin Collection"
 14. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
 15. Wagner: "Ring" cycle selections
 16. Brahms: Symphony #3
 17. Mahler Symphony #1
 18. Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite
 19. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire
 20. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
 21. Prokofiev: Piano Concerto #3
 22. Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
 23. Berg: Violin Concerto
 24. Reich: Desert Music

L2 A list of representative medieval/renaissance works
 1. A recording of Gregorian chant/organum
 2. Hildegard: Columba Aspexit
 3. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame
 4. Dufay: Missa Se la Face ay Pale
 5. Ockeghem: Chansons
 6. Josquin: Benedicta es
 7: Italian madrigals by Rore, Gesualdo, Monteverdi, etc.
 8. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
 9. English madrigals by Morley, Weelkes, Gibbons, etc.
 10. Byrd: The Great Service
 11. Dowland: Lute songs
 12. Gabrieli: Canzonas
 13. Tallis: Lamentations of Jeremiah

L3 A list of representative Baroque instrumental works
 1. Corelli: Violin Sonatas
 2. Couperin: Pieces de Clavecin (harpsichord)
 3. Bach: The six Brandenburg Concerti
 4. Bach: Keyboard partitas
 5. Bach: Sonata in E major for Violin
 6. Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
 7. Handel: Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks
 8. Handel: Organ Concerto #13 ("Cuckoo & Nightingale")
 9. Handel: Trio Sonatas
 10. Boyce: The Eight Symphonies
 11. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
 12. Telemann: Trio Sonatas
 13. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas
 14. Pachelbel: Canon in D
 15. LeClair: Trio Sonatas

L4 A list of representative Baroque choral works
 1. Monteverdi: 1610 Vespers (Vespro Della Beata Vergine)
 2. Carissimi Jepthe
 3. Handel: Messiah
 4. Handel: Saul
 5. Purcell: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day
 6. Bach: Magnificat
 7. Bach: Cantata 140, "Wachet auf!"
 8. Schutz: Musikalische Exequien
 9. Vivaldi: Gloria
 10. Charpentier: Te Deum

L5 A list of representative Classical instrumental works
 1. Mozart: Symphony #40, K.550
 2. Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525
 3. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20 (K.466), #21 (K.467)
 4. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581
 5. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3
 6. Haydn: London Symphonies ("Surprise" and "Clock")
 7. Beethoven: Symphonies #5, #6, #9 (also choral)
 8. Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 59 #1
 9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas, Op. 13

L6 A list of representative Romantic instrumental works
 1. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90
 2. Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4
 3. Brahms: Hungarian Dances
 4. Rossini: Overtures
 5. Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream
 6. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
 7. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
 8. Chopin: Preludes Op. 28
 9. Liszt: Les Preludes
 10. Rimsky-Korsakov:
 Scheherazade
 11. Dvorak: Symphony #8, Slavonic Dances
 12: Saint-Saens:Symphony #3 ("Organ")
 13. Smetana: The Moldau
 14. Strauss: Don Juan
 15. Bruckner: 4th Symphony
 16. Tchaikovsky: 6th Symphony
 17. Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
 18. Barber: Adagio for strings

L7 A list of representative Romantic vocal works (Lieder)
 1. Schubert: Erlkonig
 2. Schubert: Die Schone Muellerin
 3. Mahler: Kindertotenlieder
 4. Schumann Dichterliebe
 5. Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch
 6. Brahms: Liebeslieder Walzer
 7. Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Ete
 8. Faure: Melodies
 9. Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel
 10. Ravel: Chansons Madecasses
 11. Strauss: Four Last Songs
 12. Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne

L8 A list of representative Classical and Romantic choral works
 1. Mozart: Requiem, K.626
 2. Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K.427
 3. Haydn: The Creation
 4. Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass
 5. Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
 6. Beethoven: Choral Fantasy, Sym. #9
 7. Mendelssohn: Elijah
 8. Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzer
 9. Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
 10. Verdi: Requiem
 11. Berlioz: Te Deum
 12. Dvorak: Stabat Mater
 13. Faure: Requiem
 14. Bruckner: Te Deum

L9 A listing of operas spanning the history of the genre:
 1. Monteverdi: Orfeo
 2. Charpentier: Les Arts Florissants
 3. Lully: Atys
 4. Handel: Giulio Cesare
 5. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
 6. Mozart: Don Giovanni, K.527
 7. Mozart: The Magic Flute, K.620
 8. Beethoven: Fidelio
 9. Verdi: La Traviata
 10. Puccini: La Boheme
 11. Rossini: The Barber of Seville
 12. Wagner: Die Walkuere
 13. Bizet: Carmen
 14. Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
 15. Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
 16. Weill: Threepenny Opera
 17. Strauss: Salome
 18. Berg: Wozzeck
 19. Britten: Billy Budd
 20. Glass: Akhnaten

L10 A list of music written between 1900 and 1918:
 1. Debussy: La Mer
 2. Strauss: Salome, Rosenkavalier
 3. Mahler: Symphony #9
 4. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, 5 Pieces for Orch.
 5. Sibelius: Symphony #2
 6. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Petrushka
 7. Webern: 6 Pieces, Op. 10
 8. Berg: Altenberg Songs
 9. Holst: The Planets
 10. Ives 3rd symphony, Concord Sonata
 11. Reger: Clarinet Quintet
 12. Scriabin: Piano Sonatas
 13. Rachmaninov: 2nd Symphony
 14. Bartok: Bagatelles
 15. Prokofiev: Classical Symphony, Scythian Suite
 16. Satie: Parade
 17. Vaughan-Williams: Lark Ascending

L11 A list of music written between 1920 and 1945:
 1. Berg: Violin Concerto
 2. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
 3. Webern: Symphony
 4. Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo
 5. Bartok: Music for Strings
 6. Shostakovich: Symphonies #1, #5
 7. Prokofiev: Alex. Nevsky
 8. Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
 9. Orff: Carmina Burana
 10. Durufle: Requiem
 11. Ellington: Black and Tan Fantasy
 12. Milhaud: Le creation du monde
 13. Honnegger: Pacific 231
 14. Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
 15. Harris: Symphony #3
 16. Hanson: Symphony #2
 17. Janacek: Katya Kabanova
 18. Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
 19. Sibelius: Symphony #7

L12 A list of music written since 1945:
 1. Boulez: Pli selon pli
 2. Babbitt: A Solo Requiem, 2nd Quartet
 3. Carter: A Mirror on Which to Dwell
 4. Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
 5. Poulenc: Gloria
 6. Britten: War Requiem
 7. Riley: In C
 8. Reich: Desert Music
 9. Glass: Glassworks
 10. Rochberg: 3rd Quartet
 11. Crumb: Black Angels
 12. Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles, Rake's Progress
 13. Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw

L13 A list of piano concerti
 1. Bach: Brandenburg #5 (Harpsichord)
 2. Mozart: Piano Concerti #20, #21, #23 (K.466, 467, 488)
 3. Beethoven: Concerti #4, #5
 4. Chopin: Concerti #1, #2
 5. Grieg: Piano Concerto
 6. Schumann: Piano Concerto
 7. Liszt: Concerto #1
 8. Tchaikovsky: Concerto #1
 9. Brahms: Concerti #1, #2
 10. Rachmaninov: Concerti #2, #3
 11. Bartok: Concerto #2
 12. Prokofiev: Concerto #3
 13. Mendelssohn: Concerto #1

L14 A list of violin concerti
 1. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
 2. Bach: Concerti #1, #2; for 2 violins
 3. Mozart: Concerti #3-5 (K.216, 218, 219)
 4. Beethoven: Violin Concerto
 5. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
 6. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
 7. Brahms: Violin Concerto
 8. Bruch: Concerto #1
 9. Bartok: Concerto #2
 10. Prokofiev: Concerto #1
 11. Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
 12. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto
 13. Sibelius: Violin Concerto
 14. Elgar: Violin Concerto

L15 A list of symphonies
 1. Mozart: Symphony #38, #40, #41 (K.504, 550, 551)
 2. Beethoven: Symphonies #3, #5, #6, #9 ("Choral")
 3. Haydn: Symphonies #94, #101, #104
 4. Schubert: Symphonies #8 "Unfinished" & #9 "The Great"
 5. Schumann: Symphonies #1, #3
 6. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
 7. Saint-Saens: Symphony #3 ("Organ")
 8. Bruckner: Symphonies #4, #9
 9: Tchaikovsky: Symphonies #4-6
 10.Brahms: Symphonies #3, #4
 11.Franck: Symphony in d
 12.Borodin: Symphony #2
 13.Dvorak: Symphony #7, #8, #9 "New World"
 14.Mahler: Symphonies #5, #9
 15.Sibelius: Symphony #2
 16.Rachmaninov: Symphony #2
 17.Nielsen: Symphony #4
 18.Prokofiev: Symphony #5
 19.Elgar: Symphony #1
 20.Copland: Symphony #3

L16 A list of representative piano/harpsichord music:
 1. Frescobaldi: Toccatas
 2. Bach: Goldberg Variations
 3. Scarlatti: Harpsichord Sonatas
 4. Mozart: Sonatas #8, #11, #13, #15 (K.310,331,333,545)
 Sonata in D, K.576, Rondo K.511, Adagio K.540
 5. Haydn: Sonata #52
 6. Chopin: Ballades, Nocturnes, Etudes, etc.
 7. Mendelssohn: Songs without Words
 8. Schubert: Impromptus Op. 90,
 Sonatas for Piano D. 959, 960
 F minor fantasy for piano 4-hands
 9. Beethoven: Piano sonatas #14, 23
 10. Schumann: Carnaval, Op.9; Fantasy in C, Op. 17
 11. Liszt: Sonata in b minor
 12. Ravel: Miroirs, Gaspard de la nuit
 13. Debussy: Preludes
 14. Liszt: Transcendental Etudes
 15. Rachmaninov: Etudes, Preludes (inc. Op. 3 #2)

L17 A list of chamber music:
 1. Purcell: Trio Sonatas
 2. Telemann: Trio Sonatas
 3. Mozart Divertimento, K.563
 4. Mozart: String Quartets K.387,421,428,458,464,465,590
 5. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K.581
 6. Mozart String Quintets (K.515, 516, 593, 614)
 7. Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 76 #3
 8. Beethoven: String Quartets #8, #14
 9. Beethoven: Piano Quintet
 10. Schubert: String Quartet #14 "Death & the Maiden"
 11. Schubert: Piano Quintet "Trout"
 12. Mendelssohn: String Octet
 13. Schumann: Piano Quintet
 14. Dvorak: String Quartets #10, #14
 15. Dvorak: Piano Trio #4
 16. Borodin: String Quartet #2
 17. Brahms: Piano Trio #1

L18 A list of modern chamber music:
 1. Bartok: 6 quartets
 2. Schoenberg: 4 quartets, Op.. 7,10 (w/soprano),30, 37
 3. Berg: Lyric Suite
 4. Webern: Quartet for Sax, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano.
 5. Debussy: Quartet, sonata for flute, viola, harp.
 6. Ravel: Quartet, duo for violin and cello
 7. Shostakovich: Quartets, No. 8, 13-15.
 8. Janacek: Mladi, Intimate Letters Quartet
 9. Stravinsky: Octet
 10. Babbitt: 2nd quartet
 11. Carter: 3rd quartet
 12. Quartets by Scelsi and Schnittke.

L19 A list of viola and cello concerti
 1. Telemann: Viola Concerto
 2. Haydn: Cello concerto in D op.101
 3. Boccherini: Cello concerto in B flat
 4. Schumann: Cello concerto
 3. Dvorak: Cello concerto op.104
 5. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a rococo theme
 6. Saint Saens: Cello Concerto #1
 7. Lalo: Cello Concerto
 8. Walton: Viola Concerto, Cello Concerto
 9. Bartok: Viola Concerto
 10. Elgar: Cello Concerto op.85
 11. Hindemith: Viola Concerto
 12. Barber: Cello Concerto
 13. Shostakovitch: Cello Concerto #1
 14. Khachaturian: Cello Concerto
 15. Moeran: Cello Concerto
 16. Delius: Cello Concerto
 17. Bloch: Schelomo
 18. Penderecki: Cello Concerto #2

L20 A list of violin and piano music
 1. Mozart: Sonata K.454
 2. Beethoven: Sonata #5 op.24 "Spring"
 3. Schumann: Sonatas op.105 & 121
 3. Brahms: Sonata #3
 4. Franck: Sonata in A
 5. Faure: Sonata #1
 6. Lekeu: Sonata in G
 7. Strauss: Sonata in E flat
 8. Respighi: Sonata in B minor
 9. Saint-Saens: Sonata op.75
 10. Lalo: Sonata
 11. Grieg: Sonata #3
 12. Pierne: Sonata
 13. Debussy: Sonata
 14. Elgar: Sonata
 15. Janacek: Sonata
 16. Walton: Sonata
 17. Bartok: Sonata #2