Orchestral Recommendations?

While doing some shopping last week, I ran into a former student who had taken music appreciation with me. It was nice to hear of her success and that things were going well in her new career. As our conversation continued, she told me that she still listened to the CDs from the class and was ready for some new music. Rather than plunging into unchartered music, she asked for some recommendations. That's music to this teacher's ears!

As we continued talking, I learned that she most enjoys the orchestral repertoire. With little forethought, these are the five pieces I recommended in the produce section of Wal-Mart.

• Piano Concerto #3 - Rachmaninoff
• Symphony #1 - Mahler
• Symphony #7 - Beethoven
• Adagio for Strings - Barber
• The Planets - Holst

What orchestral works would you have included in your list of recommendations for a musical novice (assuming they have already been exposed to several of the "major" works)? I'd love to hear your recommendations in the comment section below.