Haydn or Schubert?

[Worm of Despite]

Tell me who I should go for first, and what stuff I should look for, specifically. Thanks!

[Fist and Faith]

Not even a contest, imo. Schubert is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!. I'll get a list for you, probably tonight.

[Worm of Despite]

Haydn's such a nice chap, though! Oh, fooie. Thanks ahead of time for the list!

[Fist and Faith]

Haydn is incredibly important to the history/development of music. He is the biggest figure for establishing extremely important things, like sonata form and the string quartet, as well as being a gigantic influence on Mozart and Beethoven. But for me, his music is seldom more than pleasant. Same way I feel about Mozart. Just my subjective tastes, but the classical period doesn't do nearly as much for me as the baroque and romantic periods, or even a lot of 20th C stuff.

Sorry, no time for the Schubert list yet.

[Worm of Despite]

No prob! Couple things by Schubert I'm definitely going to get:

Winterreise
Trout Quintet

UPDATE:

After some surfing at Amazon, I've decided on getting the following:

Schubert: Trout Quintet, Death and the Maiden / Amadeus Quartet
Schubert: Die Winterreise / Fischer-Dieskau
Schubert: String Quintet in C, D. 956

[Fist and Faith]

OK then, excellent choices!!

Schubert's great genius was with songs. He reinvented the genre, forcing anyone who came after him to be damned good, or not bother. Winterreise is dark and glorious, and the recording you picked is second to none. Die Schöne Mullerin is his other cycle, and death is also big. The same performers did it here:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

And for the love of God, get this collection of songs!
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

The String Quintet D.956 is among the greatest masterpieces of chamber music, and I was going to recommend it violently. If you want a less expensive recording that's just as good, you can go for this:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

Schubert's amazing piano sonata D. 960 is also a must. Here's two great ones:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

[seven reds, seven blacks]

check out Schubert´s last string quartet.

this is one of the most brilliant pieces of music, even better than the quintet imho.

[Worm of Despite]

OK then, excellent choices!!

Schubert's great genius was with songs. He reinvented the genre, forcing anyone who came after him to be damned good, or not bother. Winterreise is dark and glorious, and the recording you picked is second to none. Die Schöne Mullerin is his other cycle, and death is also big. The same performers did it here:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

And for the love of God, get this collection of songs!
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

The String Quintet D.956 is among the greatest masterpieces of chamber music, and I was going to recommend it violently. If you want a less expensive recording that's just as good, you can go for this:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

Schubert's amazing piano sonata D. 960 is also a must. Here's two great ones:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/ ... =classical

Wow, thanks Fist! My music professor let me borrow Winterreise, the Impromptus, and Schubert's last three piano sonatas (960 included)--all of which I saved to my harddrive. I won't need to buy anymore piano stuff, I think, but I'm still going to buy my own Winterreise, as I don't think this one is up to snuff with the best versions. Nevertheless--amazing songs!

And I must say, the Ii-Andante Sostenuto movement of 960 is the best piano I've ever heard; the moment it begins, I feel like I'm up in the air, my mind too infantile to even begin describing its beauty. It really speaks to me.