Classical music for Rockers

Hi Nate. Wagner and R.Strauss have alot of gusto,that could get you interested. Wagner's "Ring of the Niebelung" is a piece that you have probably heard parts of before, like the helicopter scene in "Apocalypse Now!". R. Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" has an opening that was used in "2001: A Space Oddysey". They are both cool.

Another one that I like alot is Dvorak "New World Symphony". It is a beautiful work, in my opinion.

Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Scheherezade" is full of fireworks, and some beautiful interludes.

I love the gypsy flair of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto.

I also think you might like Holst "The Planets".

Just a few to try out. You'll like them.

Check out Mussorgsky's Pictures at a Exhibition. The XRCD with Reiner and Chicago is excellent sonically.

You may also like tone poems like Respighi's Pines of Rome.If you've never heard Stravinsky's Rite of Spring,it's worth a listen.

Lately I've been spinning Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.

Kronos Quartet did an arrangement of Hendrix's "Purple Haze."

First classical piece after LedZeps, Tulls, Zappas etc I turned on Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" conducted and soloed by Nigel Kennedy. This version of performance stayed the best for me after listening other different performances.
Yesterday I listened to "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovski with only breaks while I flipped over records conducted by G. Rozhdestvenski. Recording was made jointly by Melodia and Columbia labels.
Among the vocal classics I recommend first Beethoven 9th choral symphony. Now I'm "getting high" of Pergolessi -- a least known italian baroque composer who created stunning operas with great music.

Beethoven. The original punk rocker. I particularly recommend the Hammerklavier Sonata, op. 106 but really all the piano concertos, symphonies, everything.