Desert Island Orchestral Works

I am in the last stage of completing a new orchestral commission for the Virginia Beach Symphony. It's a 10-minute fantasy on old Sea Shanties (think "Blow the Man Down" and "What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor"). While working on this piece I have come to realize that a handful of major Orchestral works have deeply influenced my composition (and orchestration) over the past few years. Here are the 6 Orchestral Works I couldn't bear to be without on a desert island!

Concerto for Orchestra - Bela Bartok
The Planets - Gustav Holst
Pictures at an Exhibition - Modest Moussorgsky (orch. Ravel)
Also Sprach Zarathustra - Richard Strauss
The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet) - Peter Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 2 - Johannes Brahms

In addition to inspiring the creative muse, these works provide indepth composition and orchestration training for any composer. The sheer volume of rich sonorites, unusual doublings and scoring techniques, and other-worldly sounds are some of the most inventive I've ever heard.

It's not a stretch to conclude that many modern composers (particularly in film music) have taken inspiration from these great masters as well. Though these works are 50-100 years old, they sound as fresh and compelling as any modern film music.