[Borges]

Most people take up Mozart as they get older and wise. The Beethoven symphonies are still great in a good performance. The 3rd (Eroica) might be the best of all time.

[Pharmboy]

I must admit, that although there are a few of Wolfie's symphonies that I love (yeah...the usual suspects) and some concerti are beautiful, I find his music too frilly (as Frederick said: "Too many notes"). With that being said, I wish he lived past his mid-thirties since I believe that what he might have written at age 45 would have blown his previous stuff away. I say this because I never tire of his Requiem, a piece that I believe is one of the top compositions of all time.

But as a music teacher of mine in college said, Mozart was primarily a composer of opera, and even his symphonies sound as if there should be words attached to the themes.

If I were on a desert island and had to choose the complete works of three composers to take along, it would be Bach, Beethoven and Chopin. If I could bring five, I would add Haydn (his choral music, IMO, is brilliant) and Schubert.

Who would be the 3 or 5 you would bring along?