and yet classical is boring.
Yes, I believe you. Everything in this world can be at the same time boaring or interesting or exciting. It just depends on the person. You and only you make things boaring or interesting. Maybe you see in the "classical" a image of yourself.
Bill, In the (what appears to be highly unlikely) event that you are actually interested in a serious reply to your implied question, check out our Beginners' Guide to Classical Music. There's plenty of non-boring music there, and I'd particularly suggest trying (all wonderfully exciting and marvellous orchestral colour): Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain, maybe also "Pictures". Dukas - Sorcerer's Apprentice. Ravel - Piano Concertos (particularly Zimmerman/Boulez on DG) R. Strauss - Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome, and Don Juan (particularly as played by Karajan and the BPO) For something a more populist, oozing Americana Bernstein - "Westside Story" and "On the Waterfront" Suites Copland - "Hoe-down" from Rodeo, also Harris' 3rd Symphony. For something a bit more structured but real white-knuckle rides try the last movements of Beethoven 5th, 7th and Brahms' 2nd symphonies, and 2nd and 4th movements of Beethoven's "Choral" (9th).
Or burn the intermediate steps and go directly for Bartok (Strings, percussion and Celesta) or Bruckner (5th Synmphony slow movement and the Finale), the 8th - all of it really, and the 9th. If you are really out of touch with classical music, try Pictures at an Exibition (Mussorgsly, orchestrated by Ravel) and, as Graham said, Beethoven: the 5th, the 7th, may make you warm to music. Also the 4th and 5th Beethoven piano concertos, the 1st Brahms symphony (by Klemperer, no one else), the Beethoven, Mendelsohn, Brahms and Sibelius's violin concerts. If all that fails, turn to the Wagner Ouvertures. If you don't like them you may really have a problem with classical music. ..
B/Phil - I'd actually disagree with RdS here and suggest you steer clear of the Bartok and Bruckner for now. These are both actually quite academic works (particularly the Bartok), superbly constructed (RdS is seriously into fugues and structural beauty)but may well epitomise the tag of "boring" until you "get" what it's all about. If you want to check for yourself though the Bruckner's on the Radio (R3) at the moment (and will be until about 9pm)! The Wagner overtures are a good recco though - particularly "The Flying Dutchman" and Act3 Prelude to "Lohengrin" - the Lohengrin Act1 and Parsifal are quite sublime, but may not be what you're looking for (more chillout and otherworldly).
You could also try Resphigi The Pines of Rome and Roman Fountains, and also Richard Strauss. Particularly the tone-poems, Also Sprach Zarathrustra, Ein Heldenleben, Till Eulenspiegels merry pranks, Don Juan. Another biggie that I haven't seen anyone mention is the Saint Saens Organ Symphony. Finally you could also try the Janacek Sinfonietta, that really is awesome