Fifteen Albums

Think of 15 albums, CDs or LPs that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the ass, socked you in the gut. Then when you finish, tag others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill.

J.S. Bach, Brandenburg Concertos - Karl Munchinger, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

First classical recording I heard - so old school, there's a piano playing the keyboard parts.

Karl Stamitz, variations on "Ach, Du Feiner Reiter."

Second classical recording I heard - wonderfully crunchy out-of-tune harpsichord.

Carole King, Tapestry

My parents listened to this one; I got it by osmosis.

Early German Brass - New York Cornet and Sackbut Ensemble

Girl whom I had a crush on had a father or stepfather in the band.

Johannes Brahms, 1st Symphony - Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch

Brain-expanding - almost psychedelic. Theme in fourth movement was comfort food.

Henry Purcell, Te Deum and Jubilate Deo, Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Simon Preston

Sang these in high school, taking a college music performance class.

Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

At the time, it was beautiful and sophisticated.

J.S. Bach, Goldberg Variations (1981), Glenn Gould

For many years, Glenn Gould was Bach's keyboard music for me.

J.S. Bach, Christ Lag In Todesbanden (BWV 4), Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien

Girl with whom I was in love had complete cantata series with scores, and played it for me.

Claudio Monteverdi, 1610 Vespers, Andrew Parrott, Taverner Consort and Players

I didn't know you could do that quasi-instrumental stuff with voices (concitato genere).

W.A. Mozart, Der Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Karl Böhm, Lucia Popp, Theo Adam

Humane and loving performance - the first opera I ever liked.

W.A. Mozart, Mozart, Piano Sonatas, Maria João Pires

Turned me on to the silence between notes.

They Might Be Giants, Lincoln

First modern pop I liked. Too bad they've jumped the shark.

Gustav Mahler, Symphony #2 ("Resurrection") (1966), Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

Earth-shattering, especially in its final movement.

Phillip Glass, Koyaanisquatsi, Phillip Glass Ensemble

First modern music I liked.