John, it doesn't surprise me that Satie is an unusual place to begin. I became interested in his music after hearing "Gnossiennes No.1 - Lent" on an episode of NPR's "All Songs Considered." This is the one CD of Satie's I already own. I've never listened to any classical/piano/orchestral music before, but something about Satie really caught my ear.

Any suggestions for a small starter collection for piano and orchestral music would be appreciated. My knowledge of classical music in general is very thin, so nothing you could recommend would be too obvious for me. I'll be sure to check your recommendations in the "Stunning Recordings" thread too.

Thanks.