A to Z of Classical Music

Various (Artist, Conductor), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Hector Berlioz (Composer), Johannes Brahms (Composer), Benjamin Britten (Composer), Frederic Chopin (Composer), Arcangelo Corelli (Composer), Claude Debussy (Composer), Antonin Dvorak (Composer), Edward Elgar (Composer), Philip Glass (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Franz Joseph Haydn (Composer), Hildegard von Bingen (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: Various
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Hector Berlioz, Johannes Brahms, Benjamin Britten, et al.
• Audio CD (October 17, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B00004YYRT
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,188 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Historical Periods > Baroque (c.1600-1750)
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Historical Periods > Renaissance (c.1450-1600)
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Renaissance (c.1450-1600) > Composers

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Adams: Short Ride in a Fast...

2. Bach: Double Violin Concerto

3. Bartok: 44 Duos for Two Violins

4. Beethoven: I. Grave

5. Berlioz: IV. Marche au supplice

6. Brahms: III. Poco allegretto

7. Britten: II. Playful Pizzicato

8. Chopin: Impromptu No.

9. Debussy: No. 2: Fêtes

10. Dvorak: III. Allegretto grazioso

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Mendelssohn: Andante con moto...

2. Monteverdi: Occhi, un tempo mia.

3. Mozart: II. Larghetto

4. Palestrina: Hodie Christus ...

5. Prokoviev: IV. Vivace

6. Schicchi: O mio babbino caro

7. Rachmaninov: Prelude in G minor,

8. Rossini: Sinfonia

9. Schoenberg: II. Langsam

10. Schubert: IV. Theme and Vari...

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Is it a two-CD set with a particularly thick booklet, or a 562-page book with a compilation album attached? Either way, the unpretentious text by Keith Anderson offers an introduction to the lives and works of dozens of composers, together with recommended recordings from the Naxos and Marco Polo catalogs. Anderson includes a useful 59-page glossary of musical terms and an extensive listing of classical pieces used in films. The odd thing about the 36 extracts and complete pieces on the CDs is that they do not form an A-to-Z at all. Rather, they are arranged chronologically, from 1,000-year-old Gregorian chant to the opening movement of contemporary composer Philip Glass's Violin Concerto. Between these two points is the early music of Palestrina and Byrd; the Baroque glories of Vivaldi and Bach; the 19th-century Romantic masters, from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky; and such 20th-century greats as Rachmaninov and Stravinsky. Opera, song, and chamber music are barely represented, but only so much can fit into 151 minutes. Essentially a deluxe sampler of the vast Naxos catalogue, the discs offer a good introduction to some of the most famous and melodic music ever composed, while the book will be very useful to newcomers to the potentially confusing world of classical music. --Gary S. Dalkin

Product Description

A-Z of Classical Music is a remarkable 932-page, illustrated book, detailing the lives of all the great composers as well as many less known, but equally fascinating, musical masters. Like the Naxos range of recordings itself, A-Z of Classical Music is a rich source of inspiration for anyone either just embarking on a lifetime of musical enjoyment or for whom classical music has long been a way of life. Included within is an extensive glossary of musical terms plus a unique guide to classical music used in acclaimed films. Two-and-a-half hours of the finest music from across the centuries are contained on the accompanying CDs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At this price, how can one complain?, September 29, 2001

By 

Spiff (Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A to Z of Classical Music (Audio CD)

This is pretty much a CD version of a mini-Naxos and Marco Polo catalog. All the pieces and extracts are ordered chronologically on the 2 CDs and are of very acceptable quality, but don't expect excellence in every track. Personally, I was particularly disappointed with one of my favourite Pachelbel pieces. The Naxos Canon & Gigue lacks all the emotion of my favourite versions.

Still, any possible weaker performances are of little importance after you get your hands on the fat booklet with over 500 pages. The booklet offers a short intro about the great composers, a glossary of musical terms, a list of works used in films and dozens of illustrations of several composers.

Overall, at this price, this is a must-have pack for any beginner, and might be useful for the occasion "quick check" of the work of many composers. Do not expect many detail, nor references to all the works of some composers; I often got frustrated with the lack of detail in some cases, but in general, the booklet is very effective for a quick reference.
You will need more titles that offer more complete information, and you won't truly learn to love classical music just by reading it, but it is small and compact.

It really puzzles me why Naxos did not include a full index of composers, a serious omission. To find a particular composer you will have to look for it yourself in over 500 pages. Also, the separation of the text is not so good, making the search even a bit slower. The lack of the index is truly annoying and I am sure it will be corrected in future editions.

Even with a few weaker pieces and the lack of the index, at this price, there isn't much to argue about. This is truly a bargain that you should not miss. I would also recommend the A-Z of Opera, which offers a bigger booklet with over 700 pages, focusing on opera works and mentioning several composers that are absent from the A-Z of Classical. That other booklet has a very complete index, and much clearer text layout and separation, that's the way both booklets should have been designed.

The two sets complement each other very well. Highly recommended.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LETTER PERFECT CLASS(ICAL) ACT!, January 19, 2003

By 

Alan W. Petrucelli (THE ENTERTAINMENT REPORT (ALAN W. PETRUCELLI)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A to Z of Classical Music (Audio CD)

It's only natural we sometimes hit the high seas....make that Cs. This is one box set about which we sing praises. This set features more than two hours of the finest music from across the centuries by such composers as Schubert, Chopin, Mozart, Handel, Stravinsky and Glass. The set also comes with a 562-page illustrated book, detailing the lives of hundreds of composers, a
glossary of musical terms and a unique guide to the classical music used in 360 top films.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3rd expanded edition has a lot to offer to people wanting to learn about classical music, March 2, 2010

By 

Matthew Wilcox (Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A to Z of Classical Music (Audio CD)

The 2-CD set included in the new 3rd expanded edition of this release has a track listing different than what you see on this page. Click on the "back cover" picture, and it will show that the tracks (on this edition) are listed alphabetically, by composer. Of course, it's impossible to sum up the best classical works ever written on only 2 CDs, and the selections will always be debatable. But the CDs are maxed out at over 2 and a half hours total, and from Adams to Wagner, you're given a good cross-section of the different periods of classical music, and what they have to offer.

The book has been expanded to 930+ pages, and although there are a few surprising omissions (Maw, Tan Dun, Whitacre... maybe the only composers in the book are ones on the Naxos label?), it's still a good source of reference for casual listeners, and those curious about composers they weren't otherwise familiar with. The price is definitely right, and you may wind up turning yourself onto something new!