Apple has produced a top 30 mastered for iTunes classical album list. I have started to wade through the options and must say I am impressed by their selection. Below is a list of their top 30.

1. Hildegard von Bingen, The Origin of Fire
Anonymous 4 (Harmonia Mundi)

2. Allegri, Miserere and Palestrina, Missa Papae Marcelli
Tallis Scholars, Peter Philips

3. Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
Janine Jansen (Decca)

4. Bach, The Brandenburg Concertos
Rinato Alessandrini (Naive)

5. Bach, The Goldberg Variations
Glenn Gould (Sony)

6. Handel, Messiah
Harry Christophers, The Sixteen (Coro)

7. Mozart, Piano Concertos 20 and 21
Friedrich Gulda, Abbado, Wiener Philharmoniker (DG)

8. Mozart, Late Symphonies 38-41
Sir Charles Mackerras, Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Linn)

9. Mozart, Requiem
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Wien (Sony)

10. Beethoven, Symphony No. 5
Kleiber, Wiener Philharmoniker (DG)

11. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9
Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker (DG)

12. Helene Grimaud of Beethoven Piano Works including the “Emperor” Concerto

13. Chopin, Nocturnes
Arthur Rubinstein (Sony)

14. Mendelssohn & Bruch Violin Concertos
Heifetz (Sony)

15. Verdi, La Traviata
Netrebko, Villazon, Rizzi, Wiener Philharmoniker (DG)

16. Wagner, The Ring of the Niebelungs
Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker (Decca)

17. Bizet, Carmen
Domingo, Abbado, LSO (DG)

18. Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake
Previn, LSO (EMI)

19. Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
Kubelik, Berliner Philharmoniker (DG)

20. Puccini, La Boheme
Pavarotti, Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker (Decca)

21. Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2
Ashkenazy, Previn, LSO (Decca)

22. Holst, The Planets
Rattle, Berliner Philharmoniker (EMI)

23. Elgar, Cello Concerto
Du Pre, Barbirolli, LSO (EMI)

24. Ravel, Bolero + Other Masterworks
Boulez, Berliner Philharmoniker (DG)

25. Stravinsky, Rite of Spring + Mussorgsky Night on Bare Mountain + Bartok Miraculous Mandarin
Salonen, LA Philharmonic (DG)

26. Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris; Bernstein, West Side Story Symphonic Dances
Bernstein, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic (Sony)

27. Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet
Gergiev, LSO (LSO Live)

28. Barber, Adagio for Strings + Copland, Appalachian Spring etc.
Bernstein, New York Philharmonic (Sony)

29. Glass: Various Concertos (Orange Mountain)

30. Elgar, Enigma Variations / LSO Live / Sir Colin Davis

Update. I bought numbers 16, 17, 20 and 29. All really good. 16 and 29 were my favourites.