Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

Mischa Maisky (Performer), Tomaso Albinoni (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Georges Bizet (Composer), Luigi Boccherini (Composer), Alexander Borodin (Composer), Johannes Brahms (Composer), Frederic Chopin (Composer), Claude Debussy (Composer), Antonin Dvorak (Composer), Edward Elgar (Composer), George Gershwin (Composer), Edvard Grieg (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Franz Liszt (Composer), Pietro Mascagni (Composer), Felix Mendelssohn (Composer), Jean-Joseph Mouret (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer)

Product Details

• Performer: Mischa Maisky
• Composer: Tomaso Albinoni, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Georges Bizet, Luigi Boccherini, et al.
• Audio CD (February 8, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Utv Records
• ASIN: B00004GOZA
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,995 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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

  #13 in	Music > Classical > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( R ) > Russian National Orchestra
  #19 in	Music > Classical > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( P ) > Paris Symphony Orchestra
  #35 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( O ) > Orff, Carl

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
For those who want the most remembered passages of classical music's best-loved works, here's a package for you. On this bargain priced double-CD, you'll find music from 40 different classical composers; for the most part, the recordings excerpted here are some of the very best. Of course, you only get one Bach sampling (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, played by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) and one Mozart (A Little Night Music conducted by Herbert von Karajan), but this is still a nice collection--perhaps the starting point for a budding collection of classical music. This set's downfall? Unfortunately, though the liner notes discuss the evolution of classical music chronologically, the tracks are programmed in alphabetical order by composer's last name. This makes for some startling transitions! Emil Gilels's reflective performance of the Adagio from Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata is followed by the crashing cymbals and bombast of Carmen's "March of the Toreadors," a recipe for a heart attack if there ever was one. Still, there's something here for everyone and the liner notes even explain what movies this music can be found in. A nice touch. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars If you like classical music don't buy this CD., March 10, 2005

By	Benjamin Y. Durkee (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most of the tracks were chopped down to 3-4 minutes so some of the best parts of the compositions are missing. I don't know what I was thinking trying to buy 40 classical songs on two CD's. If you really want to enjoy the music you would do better to purchase a CD with fewer, but better quality tracks.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Relied heavily on reviews for purchase- not dissapointed, January 3, 2002

By	Elizabeth Sutherland "dragn" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wanted to select a "best of" classical music compilation and read through Amazon's reviews to make my selection. This CD met my needs perfectly. If the songs are edited, I can't tell. Many are familiar but not "cliche". The version of "Canon in D" included is a little too fast for my tastes, and that is my only dissapointment. Transistion from song to song is smooth with the exception of the sleep-inducing "Moonlight Sonata" being immediately followed by the bombastic "March of the Toreadors".
The use of human voice (opera) is limited, I feel, to those songs which were originally written to include it. (Ex: Halleluja Chorus).

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not that good., November 21, 2003

By	Steven Burns (-) - See all my reviews

The only good thing I can say is that it includes about 10 songs I personally love.
But I can also say it includes at least 5 songs that are extremely cheesy.
The rest of the songs are in the so-so category :)
But what I find really dissappointing is the volume leveling, its terrible!
Just to mention a few, Monlight Sonata (Beethoven) and Clair De Lune (Debussy) are barely hearable, increasing the volume not only causes white noise but it will break your ears when playing one of the loud songs (like the March Of The Toreadors).