'Must-hear' Baroque works?

[Shiva]

Not owning a massive amount of Baroque music, I'd be grateful to anyone who can recommend some 'must-hear' works

[Majesty]

Bach's Brandenburg Concerti, Bach's Keyboard Concerti, Cecelia Bartoli's recording of Vivaldi opera arias, Bach's Christmas Oratorio/B Minor Mass/Cantatas, Telemann Recorder Concerto.

Is this what you mean? I could name more, but I figured this is a lot already.
Hope this helps

[high_school_bassoonist]

Handel's Israel in Egypt, Air by Bach, a range of cello suites by Bach,. and the ever-popular Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

[MaestroX]

Handel's Messiah is a great work to listen to listen out for forms which were expanded in the classical period such as arias and the rececitives

[Paul Stefan Ort]

I would recommend the Vivaldi concerto for two violins in A-minor, Op. 3, No. 8.

The Sonatas and Partitas for unaccompanied violin by J.S. Bach are also "must-hear" works (at least some of them). One of the most popular movements is the Chaconne from the second Partita (in d minor). Several piano transcriptions of it have been written, including one by Brahms, and (more notably) the Busoni transcription (one recording of which is available at http://www.musicalselections.com/compositions/78/).

Vladimir Horowitz made some impressive recordings of a few Couperin sonatas.

[Shiva]

Thanks for the link, interesting sugesstions, i'll check them out. Thanks all

[kenm]

A couple of solo cantatas, a motet and a trio sonata by J S Bach, just to show his range:

"Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen", BWV 51. I have this on CD sung by Emma Kirkby and with Crispian Steele-Perkins playing natural trumpet. This is a stunning recording. She has just recorded it again; I haven't heard the second, but I shall be surprised if it is any better.

"Ich habe genug", BWV 82. This comes in several varieties. It is most often sung by baritone with oboe obligato, but a soprano and flute version by JSB also exists, and Janet Baker has recorded it in yet another version which I think may be a modern arrangement. Recordings exist by Fischer-Diskau and many other famous singers.

The motet, "Jesu meine Freude", usually sung a capella, but sometimes, in live performance, with a 'cello or a double bass, to help with the pitch.

The trio sonata for flute, violin and B.C. from the Musical Offering, BWV 1079.