Dvorak's Violin Concerto
For those that know Dvorak realize the instrument he knew best; the violin. Needless to say, this concerto is a test for any virtuoso. The concerto itself rocks! Requiring the first and second movement being played with no break! The third movement starts with a theme anyone can hum! A true addition to any serious concerto library. Ranks up there with the best!

Brahms clarinet quintet
Brahms wrote this near the end of his career. Sources say he was depressed and musical exhausted. But one evening he heard this musician play this instrument, the clarinet. Brahms immediately got inspired. Some call this is his best work. It's another gem in the Brahms assemble, buy it now.

Prokofiev's piano concerto number 3
Words cannot express the skill and speed required for this concerto. He takes the orchestra and harmonizes with the soloist like no other. Instead of the two bodies colliding, they work off each other offering a sound like nothing I have heard before. The first movement is a speed test with the orchestra the second is practically a sonata, and the third movement was an abandoned quartet reworked with an impressive finale. BUY IT NOW!! This ranks in the top ten concertos of all time!!

Prokofiev's piano concerto number 1
How many classical music graduates play their own music on graduation day? Most of them play extremely difficult symphonies of masters past and present. Prokofiev unveils his first concerto for full orchestra on that evening, he was only 19 at the time? As you expect, it's simply magical, with a theme you can hum and a complexity of a matured composer. Its an excellent piece to start with for the music novice.

Brahms's Symphony Number 1
Some call this mockingly Beethoven's tenth, I call it a beginning of an already distinguished master. This symphony was twenty years in the making, boy was it worth it!! Brahms didn't write any symphonies till he was about forty years old. Some say because of his unwillingness to be Beethoven shadow or his own self doubt of the genre. For any music novice this man is the master.

Stravinsky's Fire bird suite
All I can say is "DAMN"! This man was one of the forming fathers of modernism. How can classical music be modern, it's anything other than that? This man throws together extremely complicated rhythms, beats, themes like no other! Another Russian composer that reigns supreme! By the way, Stravinsky and Prokefiev were musical rivals!

Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
For those people that truly know me, Damon has to listen to one of his Brahms Cds at least once a week. This week's selection was written after his infamous symphony No. 4. Buy this CD!!!! Nuff said! The power of the cello and the violin dueling each other is incredible! The virtuoso in this performance is bar none! The amazement of how the violin and cello work together to achieve such beauty is beyond me?

Prokefiev's Violin concerto number 1 & 2
After hearing the opening movement, words cannot express the elegance of these well crafted concertos. From the modern thematic, to the inventive use of the drum in the second concerto Prokefiev reminds us why he was a prodigy.

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake
Alright, you can say what you like about this infamous ballet. Its still the freaking bomb!! From the main overture to the magnificent waltzes. What more can asked for? In respect of the performance in my hometown of Houston, Texas I have made this the Cd of the week.

Brahms
Listen to what ever this man has written! I can't express enough how great his music is. Everything from his concertos to quartets is simply the best in the genre. His music is as important now, as it was back in the day before my great-grandafther was a twinkle in his father's eyes. My recommended recordings for the novice is his symphonies, pick any one... they are all great. I would try number 1,2,3,4 in that order. Save the best for last, which I MO is the fourth, even though technically the 1st will always reign supreme. His music is best described as dark and complex, full of bass and emotion, one of the last true greats in the romantic period. Not only is his symphonies phenomenal, try his piano quartets (especially no. 1), cello sonata ( written for his mother after her death), concertos (no. 2 piano), and the epic requiem. This man created the best of the best for almost every genre but Opera! As many music critics agree,"Its not the question of what Brahms not to hear, but which one to hear first?".

Tchaikovsky
Extremely easy to love, his music is full of melodic lines that will simply blow you away. After listening to Tchaikovsky expect to be humming the themes to his music on the way to work or in the car. He is best known for his Ballets like "Swan Lake", "Nutcracker", and "Sleeping Beauty". But I MO I love his symphonies the best. Very abstract and experimental, Tchaikovsky explores new ground with each symphony. My recommended symphonies are start with 2,1,3,4,5,6. Two has a startling finale, as with four will knock you on your asz. Also check out his pain concertos and the awesome String serenade (the best one in the genre), the tone poems, the string quartets.

Beethoven
The master, the man, the myth.... Just buy anything, you wont be sorry! Be warned, some of his stuff is extremely complicated, not for the modern listener at times, stick to the concertos and symphonies, start with that infamous 5th symphony then try 3,6,7,9.

Mozart
Ditto, same as above, this man is freaking boring to me at times, but he invented a lot of classical rules in the music he made. Try the last 4 symphonies and the requiem. If that to your liking, listen for he is famous for: the opera! If he is boring to your opinion, don't say I didn't warn you! Mozart is like beer, you have to acquire a taste for it. After the first one, you are probably going to call it piss water, but after a few, its as if you were made for each other!!

Prokofiev
This MOFO is bad! He throws together polyphonic structures like they are nothing. Hell, he wrote his first opera at age 9! He wrote is first concerto at the age of 20? This modernist is the earned the title " BAD MOFO"! I love his symphony number 5 and his piano concertos, violin concertos, trios, peter and the wolf.. Damn shame he died on the same day Stalin did! His music was always subject to censorship in Russia. What? Classical music that was censored? Buy him to find out why!! Buy the piano concertos and symphony number 5 first.

Dvorak
This man was one of the true greats. I love this man's symphonies, all of them. The new world, no. 8, 4, 3 ,6 it doesn't matter, all works of art. A true master of the romantic period.