A personal "7 Wonders of (classical) music"

My list is going to be substantially different than any that I have seen so far.

I want to be challenged, not calmed or relaxed, when I listen to classical music.  

Elliott Carter - Concerto for Orchestra (1969)

Charles Wuorinen - Fourth Piano Concerto (2003)

 Bruno Maderna - Concerto no. 3 for Oboe and Orchestra (1973)

Kaija Anneli Saariaho - Laterna Magica (2008)

Beat Furrer - Konzert, for piano and orchestra (2007)

Ernst Krenek - Static and Ecstatic for chamber orchestra (1972)

Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki - Violin Concerto No. 2: Metamorphosen (1992–95)

Brian Ferneyhough - Prometheus (1967)

I could very easily list a couple dozen more, but I’ve been listening to these most recently, so they made my list this time. 

Ask me again in a few days, and at least some of these will be different.

Astounding! On  more than one millenium of Western Music you picked  all composers in the almost same few decades.

When i listen music i dont want to sleep but i dont want  only secondary masters because they all want to be recognised  "original".. Why not Scriabin sonatas a top of pianistic writing ?  Why not Sorabji transcendental studies ?  Why not Robert Simpsons or an opera from Weil  or Busoni  (Faust) or Akhnaten From Glass ? 

Where is Jakob Obrecht ? Not mentioning the hundred years of French Flamish school composers.or italian genius as Gesualdo no composer ever replicate as poweful emotional engine and more modern in his expressionism  than most modern composers.

My list is going to be substantially different than any that I have seen so far.

I want to be challenged, not calmed or relaxed, when I listen to classical music.  

Elliott Carter - Concerto for Orchestra (1969)

Charles Wuorinen - Fourth Piano Concerto (2003)

 Bruno Maderna - Concerto no. 3 for Oboe and Orchestra (1973)

Kaija Anneli Saariaho - Laterna Magica (2008)

Beat Furrer - Konzert, for piano and orchestra (2007)

Ernst Krenek - Static and Ecstatic for chamber orchestra (1972)

Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki - Violin Concerto No. 2: Metamorphosen (1992–95)

Brian Ferneyhough - Prometheus (1967)

I could very easily list a couple dozen more, but I’ve been listening to these most recently, so they made my list this time. 

Ask me again in a few days, and at least some of these will be different

There are too many choices.  Many pieces that people are listing are good choices even though they would not be my first choices. 

I would add Beethoven string quartet in C sharp minor, 

Bach, Brandenburg Concertos and some of his Cantatas

Wagner, Die Walkure

Schubert, Trios for Piano Trios

Carter, String Quartets, especially # 2

For jazz, I would add recordings by Fletcher Henderson, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Duke Ellington, Bennie Moten, Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk, and Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday.

For Blues, I would start with recordings by Blind Blake.

Many thanks to all who have responded.  @jsalerno277 Yes - I was looking for subjective opinions - I like your choices of works by period.

What is interesting is that though the genre is known as "classical" very few of the iconic pieces are from the classical period!  I think the only classical works mentioned are by Mozart and one by Haydn.

I had wondered whether there would be much mention of early / medieval / renaissance music - I listen frequently to my collection of Archiv recordings - Ockeghem, Josquin et al. but the only pre-baroque piece in the list is by Hildegard von Bingen - some 300 years earlier than my renaissance listening.

Beethoven symphonies and late quartets appearing often was no surprise.

Over the next few weeks I shall listen to all of the works that have been mentioned - and perhaps explore the late 20th century.

It is wonderful how streaming (especially Presto) makes exploration feasible.

Ancient music requires a certain state of mind personally, but when in that state, I find it hypnotic.   The recording of Bingin Ordo Virtutum I usually stream is performed by Sequential on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi/Sony Music Entertainment 1998 from Qobuz.  Great hall ambience retrieval, good timbre.  

For samplers I usually stream any of the 2L Recordings such as Psallat Ecclesia, Fingergull, Yule, Exaudiam Eum.  I am a fan of 2L Tecordings engineering.  If you are not familiar, read on their multi mike recording technique.  Any of their offerings are an audiophile sound quality dream.  On orchestra, their philosophy is to Mike as the conductor hears the performance, so it’s a up front presentation which some in this forum do not prefer, but I love.  
 

With exploring 20th century compositions do not leave out works Part, Cage, Adams, Schoenberg, and Glass.  Part is interesting from a tonal and structural perspective with his tintinnabuli (bell-like) minimalist style.  From a sound quality perspective, and with an eclectic choice of instruments, try streaming the 2L recording Borders.  
 

Enjoy exploring.