Best Classical Requiems, Elegies & Tombeau
4 in E Flat; Rondo for Horn and Orchestra in E Flat; Serenade in G "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"; Divertimento in D , and more, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Georg Solti; Neville Marriner, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful music for seeping and listening."
"I'm not a connoisseur, but this seems like a terrific buy to me."
"This is just what I wanted."
"The set offers exactly what I wanted, a wide range of Mozart pieces."
"Amazing collection; I bought this set to listen to with my baby and he loves it :)."
"Nice collection of music, well performed, at a very reasonable price."
"Meet my expectations."
This is a collection of choral repertoire spanning 400 years including Agnus Dei, the choral setting of Barber's Adagio for Strings, and the world premiere of a new choral arrangement of the Nimrod movement from Elgar's Enigma Variations.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I owned this cd already but it has a different cover....the same cover that the one I received has!"
"I'm listening to it right now and have been everyday nearly since it's arrival along sith some CDs from "Sacred Treasures"."
"This is a wonderful collection of classical choral beauty which I play whenever I need to be uplifted or inspired."
"Excellent soothing, spiritual music for all year round."
"I have been searching for the recording of For The Love of the Dove, or something like that....anyway, I used to own that recording and didn't know what's its, name was, I kept thinking it was "Hear My Prayer", lovely music, it is my "tranquility" cd that calms me down and let's me drive with calm."
It's also a feast of thrills--one selection after another offers Pavarotti's remarkable, full-throated excitement in the music, whether the infectious spirit of his renditions of Neapolitan songs or the trumpet-like High C's he effortlessly tears off in the extended scene from Donizetti's La fille du regiment . Apparent throughout is Pavarotti's big-hearted emotional generosity that infuses this superb collection with an immediacy and communicative power that's impossible to resist. He's as compelling in the "Ingemisco" from Verdi's Requiem , the voice blooming in the "Inter oves" section and then fined down to a gorgeous pianissimo.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Good quality CD yet the box was broken when shipped with others."
"Excellent quality and performance."
"I love listening to these cd's."
"Great music - great voice."
"He is missed very much, I listen to him when driving and I find his voice soothing and always comforting."
"The sound quality is poor."
Best Elegies
From time to time pianists have experimented with recording on less than full-sized instruments and/or on especially well-preserved or reconditioned pre-modern Steinways. And here is another.As Leif Ove Andsnes tells us, Grieg's model B Steinway of 1892 sits 'in the high-ceilinged, wood-floored and wood-panelled drawing room at Troldhaugen', the villa on the outskirts of Bergen now preserved as a Grieg museum. This is partly a feature of the instrument itself, with its absence of excessive resonance, its harp-like bass, nut-brown middle register and bell-like treble; and it's partly that the open perspectives of the recording allow you to imagine the surroundings of pure Norwegian air.As with all the best early-piano recordings, this means that the instrument can be pushed to the limit without screaming blue murder. 38 Andsnes can pedal richly without endangering clarity; the resulting halo effect is one that composers of Grieg's time knew well but that the modern piano struggles to re-create.The same instrument played by a less-than-comprehensively equipped pianist might not occasion any special comment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The present CD - published in December 2001 - includes 24 of the 66 Pieces, several of them among Grieg’s more recognizable music, for example, Arietta, Norwegian Melody, Elegy, March of the Trolls, The Brook, Summer Evening. For the few readers who have been out of touch with the latest in classical music, Leif Ove Andsnes, already an accomplished pianist, became incredibly popular following his recent production (2012-2014) of the “The Beethoven Journey“ CD set, with the composer‘s five piano concerti and the Choral Fantasy."
"This is a very sensitive, delightful album."
"Andsnes plays these pieces beautifully, with abundant heart (and on Grieg's own 1892 piano at Grieg's Troldhaugen home)."
"The less familiar pieces are well performed, and, hopefully, he will record all of the Lyric Pieces some day. The novelty of this recording is, of course, that Andsnes plays Grieg's own Steinway but there also is a very performance as well."
"We all have our favorite performers, but I've heard enough of Andsnes by now--not only his version of the Lyric Pieces, but also the Grieg Concerto and the Rachmaninov Second and Third--to know that, at least for me, his technique and musicality are superb."
"The best I have. ever heard."
"A wonderful addition to any music collection."
"While Mr. Andsnes showed dazzling technique, by comparison Gilels' refined elegance lent the piece the gentle and simple grace that it deserved."
Best Requiems
Tuscan tenor Andrea Bocelli was already an international superstar (for Romanza, Aria, and Sogno) when he made his first album of arias and sacred music. "I have known these pieces since childhood," he explains, and it's clear that he loves them all.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I first saw Bocelli in the DVD version of this same CD at a local shopping mall at Christmastime a few years ago, and just thought he looked cool standing there singing well. Saw Bocelli live at the 15,000 capacity MCI Center in Washington in December 05 where he performed some of the same material; it was great; next day was dismayed to read snide newspaper review of "the man from Tuscany." But Bocelli has a more conversation tone in his singing (think Frank Sinatra versus Caruso) and has a straight-up noblility rather than continuous breathless desperation that I just like to listen to better."
"This collection of sacred arias is truly inspired!"
"So thankful that God gave us Andrea and his fantastic voice."
"He has such a beautiful voice."
"Inspirational and beautiful."
"CD didn't work write."
Best Pavanes
The Piano Guys have become a YouTube sensation with their clever and inspiring takes on popular music and creative videos that accompany them. Their debut album on Sony Masterworks includes songs featured in their hit videos, including their latest viral smash, a distinctive take on One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." The deluxe release of their self-titled 2012 album, with 3 bonus tracks plus an accompanying DVD containing 8 of their most popular music videos.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is excellent music to work by, especially if you work with words. There's not much singing, the music is uplifting without being exhausting (Hans Zimmer soundtracks, I'm looking at you here), it's like a mental massage while you work."
"I can't remember who first introduced me to The Piano Guys, but I saw them first on YouTube."
"We really enjoy listening to these two musical geniuses."
"I love the upbeat quality of some of my favorite classical pieces blended with more contemporary music."
"Lest that makes them sound stuffy, it was precisely because they were so completely different from anything I'd heard before that I wanted to know if I was really hearing them accurately. My favorite piece involves a topless piano so they can pluck the strings, play percussion with their hands on the side of the piano from the inside, carry a beat by lightly hitting the keyboard cover to the full-up position in rhythm to, yes, someone actually playing the keys on the keyboard."
"Their sound is. deep, soulful, and expressive, which only comes from truly gifted and trained artists."
"Whatever, "Piano Guys" is at least as much "Cello Guys" as piano."
"This album is a good value for your money."
Best Classical Lullabies & Berceuse
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Classical Suites
New product.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Simply transcendent!"
"Great music."
"Great cello pieces to listen to when stressed out!"
"I listen to this while painting and truly feel elevated and ennobled, which is then embedded into my painting, in which I seek to dignify life."
"Yo - Yo Ma is spectacular, and of course the Bach Cello suite is spectacular as well."
Best Classical Fantasies
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Classical Rondos
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My 8 yr old son LOVES these."
"This was a gift and the recipient was delighted to receive it; she had a very happy day and plays it often."
"We have this set, as well as volume 1."
"The CDs arrived promptly, and my niece loves them!"
"a must have for long car rides... great stories about composers and their music for the family."
"bought as a gift for nephew's family."
"My son listens to these over and over since he was 5 and he is now 13. if you pic any classical children's cds, pick these!!!"
Best Classical Fugues
No Description Available. No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: BACH,J.S.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Listening to the Art of the Fugue is a nearly daily ritual for me."
"Best recording of this ensemble."
"Wonderful new reading of a classic!"
"I am a Bach fan and found this an excellent addition to my library."
"Had never heard of Emerson String Quartet before (I'm a piano fan) but knew this set from several other performances such as Tatiana Nikolaeva & Glenn Gould."
"Hypnotic."
"The Emerson string quartet is one of the tops in the world and their presentationof this work is exceptional."
Best Classical Serenades & Divertimentos
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This collection of Classical music is superb."
"I love listening to this on the speake's of our travel trailer."
"Very good for relaxing."
"love this collection of classical music."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Classical Etudes
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Classical Toccatas
This Collection of Three Centuries of Trumpet Music Ranges from Baroque Concertos by Vivaldi and Albinoni and Cornerstones of the Trumpet Repertory Such as the Concertos by Haydn and Hummel, to Contemporary Classics Such as Luciano Berio's Sequenza for Trumpet.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Hakan Hardenberger is a FANTASTIC trumpet player....this cd is FULL. of songs with his exceptional finesse."
"Wonderful CD- Don't pass it up!"
"The person who got this was happy to receive this."
"Super performance, and sound."
"Arrived in good shape and ahead of time."
"Born in 1961, and originally schooled at the Paris Conservatory, Haredenberger is a fantastic performer--The Times once called him "The greatest trumpet player on Earth", and his own website confirms that he is the greatest trumpet soloist today, so it must be true. He performs an impressively wide repertorie, from the baroque to the present--the 5 CDs in this collection include one of the Classical concerti I've mentioned; two of baroque music; one of unaccompanied modern pieces, and one of works from various periods for trumpet or cornet and piano. But I have to admit to feeling let down by someone who bills themself as the greatest trumpet soloist today, if that's all I'm going to get."
"This was a gift to my brother, and within 24 hours of giving it to him, he was already raving about it."
Best Classical Preludes
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enjoyable and helps to unwind the day's events."
"Very good for relaxing."
"love this collection of classical music."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Classical Sonatas
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enjoyable and helps to unwind the day's events."
"Very good for relaxing."
"love this collection of classical music."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Classical Scherzo
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"His exquisite control of tone and timbre, his sense of dramatic timing, his effortless fluency, his dedicated and intelligent musicianship, all conspire to make one fall in love anew with this thrice-familiar music. As many critics have opined, this pianist's rubato as well as his agogic stresses and hesitations can sound either revelatory or arbitrary depending on one's tastes and mood. Every pianophile should hear these performances, which convey such effortless virtuosity and such authentic involvment with the music that Arrau's distinctive interpretive gestures scarcely obrtude, and one can even forgive Inbal for making the long ritornelli in the two concertos seem interminable. Not only is the price right, but the remastering is splendid, correcting some of the tubbiness that afflicted the original LPs (and earlier CD incarnations) and bringing this great artist right into one's listening space."
"I have several recordings of Chopin by different artists and appreciate them all....I used to love to listen to Askenazy live in Toronto in the 1970's as he was a regular performer there and still like his recordings. To have seen him and heard him play live ( as I did) was a mesmerizing thing of beauty..I shall never forget the live performances....(I feel so fortunate)."
"I am no Chopin expert, and I am sure there are better exponents than Claudio Arrau, but I have owned this set for a few years now, and each time I listen to it, I feel like I am still only scratching the surface of its beauty."
"The good people of Chile need to know - in fact the whole world needs to know - that in Claudio Arrau they produced one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Chopin interpreter of all time."
Best Classical Ballads
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I always believe Rubinstein's Chopin performance is the greatest."
"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Classical Variations
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This collection of Classical music is superb."
"I am new to classical music but i must say this cd is fantastic."
"I love listening to this on the speake's of our travel trailer."
"Very good for relaxing."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Classical Inventions
In the capable hands of Carlos, Bach's keyboard masterpieces sound like they were made for the otherworldly blurps, farts, and chimes of a Moog synthesizer. Whether performing Bach's "Two-Part Inventions," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," or "Wachet Auf," Carlos offers one-of-a-kind interpretations, her synthesizers still sounding as otherworldly as they did in 1968.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Modern synths can do a lot of things the older ones can't, but there is a sound quality the old ones had that the new ones just cannot touch."
"If you are at all interested in "classical" music, you should grab this."
"Word was that the great organist and Bach scholar, E. Power Biggs, was extremely pained to witness the Master's work being so desecrated. ); almost got into a fist fight over whether this was genuine music or a coarse mechanical device imitating art and making a fast buck for the artist."
"I remember people had never heard of Walter Carlos, & a short while later no one did again, for he'd returned as a she named Wendy."
"Different than the LP i have from years ago, but fun listening all the same."
"Wendy Carlos, with the perfectionism that drives all great artists, explores vintage tunings in this offering, but the result leaves the untrained listener somewhat non-plussed."
"For those who remember, this was and IS a great album."
"When it was still in an experimental stage, Wendy (back then it was Walter) Carlos, achieved a flawless orchestration with bits and pieces of electronics."
Best Classical Canons
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful baroque beautiful Music."
"Great recording, good value."
"i love this album.."
"This is a beautiful recording of a beautiful collection of music; I bought it on a whim without knowing much about it."
"Baroque as I've never heard it."
Best Classical Improvisation
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We loved these collections years ago when our kids were much younger and we listened to the stories on cassette tapes in our very first mini-van on long trips to visit family."
"This was a gift and the recipient was delighted to receive it; she had a very happy day and plays it often."
"We have this set, as well as volume 1."
"My grandsons love DVDs with a story behind each composer and I enjoy listening with them."
"My 8 yr old son LOVES these."
"The CDs arrived promptly, and my niece loves them!"
"I remember distinctly my youngest identifying a musical sound bed underneath an Audi commercial by exclaiming "that's bibaldi!" All of our kids grew up playing several instruments and singing in choirs."
"a must have for long car rides... great stories about composers and their music for the family."
Best Classical Concertos
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This collection of Classical music is superb."
"I love listening to this on the speake's of our travel trailer."
"Very good for relaxing."
"love this collection of classical music."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Classical Short Forms
A classic collection of 11 CDs that compiles every recording that the late Arthur Rubinstein released on the RCA label from 1946-1967!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A must-have for Chopin lovers."
"I'm not that professional, well I like the ballade No.1 very much when first listening to it on a plane."
"I have to admit that i am addicted to the Nocturnes."
"Rubenstein and Chopin."
"This is a gift for my birthday for my husband to give me!"
"Marvelous!"
Best Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in The Universe, the 1st 2-CD set in the & Most Relaxing, series features some of the most well known classical pieces of all time, including Canon in D, Clair De Lune, Fur Elise, Ave Marie, Moonlight Sonata, Adagio for Strings, Greensleeves, and More!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enjoyable and helps to unwind the day's events."
"Very good for relaxing."
"love this collection of classical music."
"Added this to my collection of relaxing music to fall asleep to."
"great music, very soothing."
Best Symphonies
Led by conductor David Parry, the LPO performed 50 pieces selected from every classical era & every thinkable composer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"32: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. Debussy: Suite bergamasque, L 75: Clair de lune. Verdi: Nabucco: Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, "Va pensiero, sull'ali dorate". Mozart: Concerto No. 95, "From the New World": Largo. Strauss: An der schönen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), Op. 1. Mozart: Requiem, K. 626: Lacrimosa dies illa. Beethoven: Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59, "Für Elise". Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance, Op. 125, "Choral": An die Freude. Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann): Barcarolle. Albinoni: Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ. Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik": Allegro. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville): Overture. Beethoven: Sonata No. 27:2, "Moonlight Sonata": Adagio sostenuto. Smetana: Má Vlast (My Fatherland): Vltava (The Moldau River). Boccherini: String Quintet in E Major, Op. 11 in A Major, K. 331: Rondo: Alla turca. Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620: Overture. Handel: Messiah, HWV 56: Hallelujah Chorus. Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 34. Mozart: Messa da Requiem: Dies irae - Tuba mirum. Mahler: Symphony No."
"I listen to this music as I drive to and from work."
"Every human on the planet should know about our classical geniuses and forget the deplorable rhythms of rap and hip-hop which somehow seem to return the evolution at the cavemen era."
"This is regrettable both since, if you're a musical novice like me, you may not always be aware of who you're listening to and enjoying (in the sense of the original source) and because it can't be used as a potential means of moving from these pieces to pursuing more deeply individual composers and their work."
"I walk to this every morning!"
"A fun listen and all of the classical songs you've heard your whole life, but don't get if you're looking to explore newer music by classical artists."
"This box set is perfect for any lover of classical music, containing 50 wonderful pieces performed beautifully by the London Philharmonic Orchestra."
"I'm not actually a fan of "greatest hits" albums, far preferring to listen to complete works."
Best Oratorio
No Description Available. No Track Information Available Media Type: CD Artist: HANDEL,G.F.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is Handel's masterpiece, performed by the best orchestra, soloists and choir that I ever heard."
"it seems to be ok but the plastic case was badly damaged in shipping."
"Excellent, excellent service -- in all aspects."
"Great music!"
"I have had the album for over twenty years and this is my absolute favorite version."