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."
On July 7, 1990, a magical night took place in Rome: Jose Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti sang together for the very first time in one of the most evocative temples of opera, the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome giving life to the biggest classical music project of the century, The Three Tenors. In February 2015 Il Volo won the Sanremo Festival in Italy with the song Grande Amore .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Il Volo singing as one is always very beautiful here Ginaluca, Piero and Ignazio take their solo side and show that each of these talented young men are in a class by them self."
"Under the beautiful deep blue night skies of Florence, they serenade you into an exquisite bliss, unimaginable, even to the most trained opera ears!"
"This is a terrific album of wonderful hits."
"Their voices speak for my rating."
"If you like the music of Tenors then you will love this CD."
"Maestros Domingo, who also sang a bit of "Non Ti Scordar Di Me" (as if I could ever forget the first tenor I ever saw at the Met) and Rota. were incredible in their knowledge and control of the music."
"All the songs are well done but Ignazio Boschetto's "Una Furtiva Lagrima" is simply splendid ... Those high, very soft notes take my breath away."
"I've always enjoyed Il Volo, and Notte Magica is their best yet."
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 Overtures
Sing along symphonies by Beethoven's Wig are zany stick-in-your-head lyrics set to the greatest hits of classical music. symphony no. You'll also marvel at the expertise throughout the CD, with all the pieces well played yet thoroughly fun. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have had to explain to him that the words to the songs were written by someone else, not the composer. It is has lead to some great discussions about what a composer is and the difference between the music and the lyrics."
"We used to hear these played every Saturday morning on Classic 99, KFUO, St. Louis' classical music station, till the Missouri Synod made the horrific mistake of selling the station in 2010."
"She has also started comparing the music to what she has heard from her Barbie Swan Lake movie and the Beauty and the Beast play we saw. I personally love that it creates a story for each song--which is what lots of people miss when listening to classic music."
"I bought this to share with the grandchildren but have played it for myself so often that I can now sing many of the tunes."
"We LOVE this!"
"If you are looking for a fun gift for someone who likes classical music, pick this one!"
"In less than a week, my kids could name all the pieces, who they were composed by, and had all the words memorized."
"The words are catchy to each song and they walk around the house singing them all day."
Best Sarabande
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If they can now be found, I actually prefer the later re-makes from the 1990s by de Leeuw of Satie's early works Piano Music [3 CD/DVD Box Set] -- they are played for the most part at marginally faster tempi, and I like the sound better (there are other reviewers that report audio short comings. These later versions are also paired with some of Satie's songs from an earlier LP, and a DVD of an artsy Satie film from the early 90s, which has a sound track also played by de Leeuw (alas, I believe this 4-disc set is very long out-of-print, find it if you can). For Satie played at just the right pace, the "golden mean" perhaps, one may wish to check out the work of Håkon Austbø Satie: Gymnopédies, Gnossiennes, who also tends to play rather slow, but not in the shocking manner of de Leeuw."
"These renditions are played incredibly slowly--that is the key feature of this recording, and if a listener is used to how these pieces are generally played, they may find the slow pace disconcerting."
"Compelling performances of the gymnopedies AND the much less known Gnostic fantasies."
"I feel de Leuuw's interpretation of Satie to be the most beautiful and satisfying."
"Very good recording if you like the style of the artist."
"Mr. de Leeuw's slow, spacious interpretations have caused some controversy."
"The best Gymnopdies and Gnossiennes performance."
"This is the man that brought real basic dark music to the piano."
Best Choruses
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 Odes
This 2-CD compilation captures the quintessentially English sound of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge set in the singular acoustics of their magnificent chapel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Others know more about music than I and a week or so ago, after reading the reviews I bought it."
"I love it, very enjoyable."
"This is great listening for anglophiles on this side of the "pond" as well as those fortunate to hear it at home!"
"Although English, the CD is for everyone and of everyone, a true classic."
"Exactly what I wanted for the holidays and other religious seasons of the year."
"A lot of repeats on this disk...but a wonderful selection none the less."
"excellent transaction.Fast shipping."
Best Gavottes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased this cd because I liked the 3rd symphony so much that I wanted to add the others to my library. Not only has this unnumbered symphony become my favorite from Saint-Saëns, it has become my favorite symphony (though I do prefer the first 3 movements to the last, which I find to be less distinctive). I have noticed that often times his phrases actually overlap, which might explain the natural flow, or which may just indicate that he took greater caution with his transitions that others did."
"My only quibble is that the Third Symphony is divided into only two tracks, the actual two movements as composed, not into the four sections customarily separated on CD recordings of this work."
"Yes, I do find listening to Saint Saens' Symphonies a wonderful musical experience although I do know it's not considered to be too musically "cool" to enjoy the Saint Saens' Symphonies, I really DON'T CARE! This two disc set (each disc running well over 70 minutes) of the Saint Saens' Symphonies is filled with some lovely late romantic charmers--Saint Saens' complete 5 symphonies. No, these symphonies ain't Mahler and no they don't require deep serious "brain-cramp" inducing contemplation; however, these symphonies by Camille Saint Saens are a real listening pleasure being so very easy to mentally grasp that I just allowed myself to be swept away in the sheer romantic sounds of the works. The most famous of Saint Saens' Symphonies is, of course, the "Organ" Symphony (the third) and it is indeed very exciting with the pipe organ at times full throttle up against a full orchestra at full throttle too. EMI sound engineers have done a great job of capturing the sound of these rather large orchestra works (Symphonies 1-3 plus two un-numbered symphonic works--Symphony in F major "Urbs Roma" and the Symphony in A major.)."
Best Songs & Lieder
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 Opera & Vocal
Aria ~ Aria.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Closing the gap in time and recognizing beauty in a relationship between the rhythms and sound effects of 21st century techno combined with the timeless passion of 19th century opera is an incredible concept!"
"Sexy."
"I had this cd in high school and lost it somewhere along the way."
"Strange new renditions of well-known classic arias, performed with great precision."
"Good quality audio."
"3 CD set."
"You've never heard interpretations such as are recorded here."
"Paul has a wonderfully classical, yet fantastic touch with these pieces, as I've come to expect from him."
Best Classical Tone Poems
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 Sacred & Religious Music
At times, the analog synthesizers used in this 1984 recording sound dated and a little cheesy, particularly on "Deck the Halls" and "Good King Wenceslas." As pleasant and soothing as a Willard Scott birthday wish, Christmas does offer one selection that truly merits "classic" status: the reverent, prayerful, slow-motion interpretation of "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") for piano and strings that closes the album--a beautiful and heart-touching work.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"arrived faster than expected and is perhaps my favorite manheim steamroller album played all the way through with out any notice of scratches as well."
"love all mannheim steamroller."
"Great music , but I should have looked at what the songs were."
"My favorite Christmas cd!"
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 Indian & Pakistani Music
Features performances from George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Leon Russell, and Billy Preston. The publicity-shy former Beatle could've easily written a check and forgotten all about the matter--impoverished East Pakistani refugees stranded in India--but instead recruited some of his most talented and compassionate friends and created an event remembered as much for the quality of its music as the purity of its intent. Highlights include Billy Preston's rousing "That's the Way God Planned It" and Dylan's heartfelt five-song set, starting with "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have this LP, but wanted it electronically for my smart phone."
"The CD was just great."
"great concert and good sound!"
"takes me back to the time."
"Amazing concert!"
"Harrison was on top of his game, great sound recording."
"So happy to have this."
Best Classical Passacaglias
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you just find 8 new recordings in this for your collection, the set will have paid for itself."
"If you are interested in baroque and earlier music, this is the set for you."
"This is an absurd bargain - very high quality stuff (nearly all the recordings are from the 90s) covering an enormous range, and at a low low price."
"The recordings are wonderful performances captured in the highest audiophile quality."
"There are few words that can describe the breath and quality of this wonderful set."
"Although I had some problems receiving the product, Grandmafred answered all my doubts and provided the solutions to all the drawbacks."
"I collected a few of these recordings over the years when they were first released, so when I saw this set come up for sale I ordered immediately."
"I have bought much of this music in individual CD's at many times the price, and so this collection represents a terrific value. The thing has 50 CD's and weighs close to four pounds and is housed in a formal presentation box, and they pathetically wrap it in a paper backed bubble wrap--with absolutely NO BOX--and send it media mail. This set does not use jewel cases--if it had, the plastic shards would have just poured out (as has happened several times in the past with these corner and cost-cutting affiliated sellers). It is terribly frustrating: you have to either do a send-back (and you'll have to find your own shipping box), or accept an expensive item which is in tatters. After this experience with this set (Movie Mars offered me a $5 credit--which I obviously declined), I have decided that in the future I'm just going to spend the extra dollars and buy directly from Amazon."