Customer Reviews

Five Hours of Classical Adagios (Amazon Exclusive)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This collection obviously isn't about understanding the aesthetics of classical music. I drink inexpensive wine, go to bargain shows in huge theatres and shop at grocery stores where I have to bag my own stuff. Snobs may not appreciate this collection but for the price, I am in. Put this on when you want to have some good clean non-obtrusive background music. Woohoo!! Here's to a 'trippin' balls' weekend!

Just what I was looking for, some relaxing classical music. We think we are really going to enjoy this compilation. Hats off to Amazon.

This product is exactly as advertised. 5 hours of Adagios of varying quality, nothing outstanding. I do not know why you would need 5 hours of such a thing, but the price is right and so what if the OSHA, the ATF and the FDA have weighed in on the subject. It's your body, and if you want to do this to it should be no one's business but your own. Just use some common sense, make a play list, don't play the whole damn thing through. Be safe, you only need 45 minutes to induce hallucinations and will be tripping balls in about an hour. More than 90 minutes though will induce vomiting and substantially increase your risk for early onset dementia.

Minus one star because of the "ok" performances, minus two stars because you really only need a little bit. Plus one star because $3 is less than the bathtub crystal meth the kids are selling down the street and this is reusable.

Another excellent value on classical mp3s by amazon (even if you missed out on the special daily offer). I subtract one star because I believe people should have the choice of listening to the music they purchase in full resolution when they want, and not be restricted to only hearing compressed lossy 256 kbs versions (a format introduced out of necessity years ago when mp3 players were limited to about 64 Mb of memory and before broadband became commonplace). Why can't amazon offer optional lossless flac file downloads for customers who like to occasionally listen to music at a high volume level on a decent stereo system rather than only offering it to us in a format more suited for listening to it as background music while surfing the web? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only customer who is willing to pay an extra buck or so for a full resolution download. Amazon offers HD downloads of their Video on Demand rentals for slightly more money than the standard version ($4.99 per movie vs. $3.99) so why not do the same with their music downloads.

Regarding the opinion expressed here by one reviewer about the importance of listening to an entire composition instead of just excerpts, I fully appreciate his point and feel exactly the same way about many of my favorite pieces of music. However, (as an example) I personally find it difficult to sit through 3-hour operas, especially when lacking the visual aspect of the performance, but I treasure my collection of arias and overtures. So I believe this is really a matter of personal choice, and I'm pretty sure that most great composers would be far more upset about having their music degraded into lossy formats (and even converted into ringtones of all things) than they would about having their fans sometimes choose to listen to their favorite parts out of context with the whole. Also, on many occasions after hearing certain excerpts for the first time, I have gone on to purchase a recording of the complete work and/or seek out other works by the same composer. No doubt other listeners often do the same.

Taking the Adagio sections out of pieces and compiling them into an album is lame. Each movement of a classical piece is meant to flow together, to create a cohesive musical statement. The whole point of the original piece is lost when individual movements are removed and strung together to make an album of "Adagios." The whole idea is lame. Strictly for people who don't understand the aesthetics of classical music but want to feel like they do. By the way, I am putting together compilations of the first 43 seconds of each #1 Beatles song and the last 26 seconds of each song on "Kind of Blue." I hope you enjoy them.