re: MB, tell me the best and most essential classical music I need to listen to

Beethoven's 9th symphony is absolutely necessary. I'll also throw some support behind Vivaldi's 4 seasons. Various piano pieces by Chopin are nice. It's hard for me to keep a lot of the titles straight since they are pretty much just all numbered.

Stravinsky's Firebird Suite is a worth listening too.

This should keep you busy for a little while.