Some very popular classic's for beginners are Beethoven 5th and 6th Symphonies, Rachmaninoff's 2d Symphony, Tchaikovsky's 5th and 6th Symphonies, Sibelius' 2nd Symphony, Dvorak's 6th (one of my fav's), 8th and 9th, and St Saens Symphony #3. I would also recommend Prokoviev's Romeo & Juliet Suite, the Berlioz and the Mussorgsky mentioned above, and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances (thats a really big exciting piece). When you hone in on what you're going to expiriment with ask for specific recommendations on each piece or look up the peice in a reference such as Penguin Guide or some such. Enjoy - there are thousands more.............
