Many people ask what music influenced my orchestrating style. Not sure of that, the question got me to thinking what the most important recordings were for me growing up. Here's a brief list. I wore them all out.

Classical Recordings:

Berio, Folk Songs (original chamber music version, Cathy Berberian)

Stravinsky, Renard (I grew up with the now-out-of-print Boulez recording, though the Esa-Pekka Salonen is quite good).

Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time (Tashi)

Berio, Sinfonia (the original out-of-print NY Phil recording)

Berio, Recital I (for Cathy)

Berio, Laborintus II

Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring (Boulez)

Ravel, Daphnis and Chloe (Dutoit)

Weill, The Seven Deadly Sins (Gisela May)

Weill, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

Bernstein, Mass

Berg, Wozzeck

Pop / Jazz Recordings:

Beatles, The White Album

Beatles, Abbey Road

Bjork, Post

Talking Heads (pretty much anything)

Blondie

Cream, Wheels of Fire

Tori Amos, From the Choir Girl Hotel

The Doors, Strange Days

Nirvana, Nevermind

Parton, Harris, Ronstadt: Trio

Coltrane, My Favorite Things

Oliver Nelson, Blues and the Abstract Truth

The Dirty Dozen Band, Voodoo

Lenny Pickett with the Borneo Horns

Show Recordings:

West Side Story

Candide

Gypsy

Pacific Overtures

Follies

Current Listening:

I tend to listen to a lot of music, mostly alt pop at home. A lot of it is stuff I listen to briefly and move on, but here are few from the past several years that got endless play:

Beck (esp. Odelay), Sufjan Stevens (Illinois), Brazilian Girls, Blur, The Killers (esp Hot Fuss), Bjork, Tori Amos, No Doubt (and Gwen, too), Green Day, Rufus Wainwright (esp Want One), The Shins, The Dixie Chicks, Of Montreal, The Flaming Lips.