The Best Classical Album in the World... Ever!

Stanley Myers (Artist), Antonio Vivaldi (Artist), John Williams (Artist), Gregorian Chant (Artist), Giuseppe Verdi (Artist), Edward Elgar (Artist), Michael Nyman (Artist), Giacomo Puccini (Artist), Ludwig van Beethoven (Artist), Edvard Grieg (Artist), Riccardo Muti (Artist), Umberto Giordano (Artist), Fryderyk Chopin (Artist), Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (Artist), Georges Bizet (Artist), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Artist), Johann Pachelbel (Artist), Antonin Dvorak (Artist), Carl Orff (Artist), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Artist), Léo Delibes (Artist), George Gershwin (Artist), Maurice Ravel (Artist), Charles Gounod (Artist), Erik Satie (Artist), Sergey Prokofiev (Artist), Sergey Rachmaninov (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 23, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002S6K
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,403 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( N ) > Nyman, Michael
  #3 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( G ) > Górecki, Henryk Mikolaj
  #5 in	Music > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Chants

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in E major ('La Primavera,' The Four Seasons; 'Il cimento' No. 1), Op.8/1, RV 269: 1.

2. Schindler's List, film score: Theme

3. Requiem Mass, for soloists, chorus & orchestra (Manzoni Requiem): Ingemisco

4. The Piano, film score: The Heart asks Pleasure First

5. Symphony No. 5 in C minor ('Fate'), Op. 67: 1. Allegro con brio

6. The Deer Hunter, film score: Cavatina

7. Paer natus est nobis et filius datus est nobis

8. Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85: 1. Adagio - Moderato

9. Turandot, opera: Act 3: Nessun dorma!

10. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16: 1. Allegro molto moderato

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso (opening)

2. Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 ('Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'): 2. Lento e largo - Tranquillissimo

3. Concerto for flute, harp & orchestra in C major, K. 299 (K. 297c): 2. Andantino

4. Lakmé, opera: Flower Duet

5. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in F minor ('L'inverno,' The Four Seasons; 'Il cimento' No. 4), Op. 8/4, RV 297: 1.

6. Summertime, song (from Porgy and Bess, opera)

7. Boléro, ballet for orchestra: [conclusion]

8. Ave Maria, for voice & piano (after Bach's Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1)

9. Gymnopedie for piano No. 1

10. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2 for orchestra, Op. 64 ter: Montagues and Capulets

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant recordings!, February 9, 2000

By	Craig Johnson (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

It should probably go without saying that it's not just a matter of finding a classical CD with the songs you want, it has to be the ideal recording of the song. For example, you don't just want to buy any random recording of "Beethoven's Ninth"; you want to get the recording that has the right accoustics in the theater where it was recorded, the full orchestra, the conductor making the perfect dramatic emphasis during the critical moments in the music.

That's one of the best reasons to buy this particular CD. It's not just the fact that so many essential pieces of classical music are on this CD; it's the fact that they are some of the greatest versions of these pieces you will ever find.

If I have any complaints about this compilation, it's the manner in which some of these recordings are shortened down so as to accommodate 40 tracks on to the CD. The most frustrating track is a beautiful recording of my all time favourite Puccini song "Nessun Dorma" which fades out just before arriving at the dramatic final bars.

Nevertheless owning this CD became a must for me, after hearing the incredibly stirring version of Albanoni's "Adagio in G minor"; one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard!

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners, July 14, 2000

By	City Girl "weller477" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This is a nice recording for folks who don't know much about classical music, and would serve as a wonderful introduction. It covers centuries of great music in a very listener-friendly format. I am sure that I will use this CD in my music classroom. For a seasoned classical music lover, however, the CD proves a bit frustrating, including only segments of masterworks (not even the entire movement of the Holst). I bought the CD for a few recordings, which I truly enjoy and make the CD a worthwile purchase. But I found (and I think that most classical musicians will find) that I already had many of these works in their entirety.

45 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant collection, May 26, 1999

By A Customer

This collection is an absolute masteripiece for those who prefer to listen to extremely well performed classics. Covering boroque, classical and romantic styles these CDs are a mix of fragmens from such classics as Grieg's first piano concerto, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture or Rachmaninoff's Variations on the theme of Paganini. These CDs would make you want to listen to the complete works of these great composers. A stunning performance from such conductors as Previn, Karajan or Sir Simon Rattle and from performers like Nigel Kennedy, Jacquelin du Pre, Cecile Ousset and many more. This album is 100% worth its price.