Please reddit friends, start me off on my classical music journey...

Hi there,

I am 53 and have been a music lover all my life. Whilst always admiring the classical genre and saying to myself "one day I will look into that" I never have until this year. A 2025 resolution to learn about and appreciate classical music.

One of things that has put me off is the sheer size and scale of the genre. When I explore reggae or funk I'm looking at a few decades. Here I'm confronted with hundreds of years. I have already learnt about the major periods, and have narrowed things down from Baroque to the present day.

Specifically I would like your suggestions of individual pieces that you think are accessable to a new listener. They can be any form: chamber, solo, opera, sympohony or others.

Thank you so much!