CD Charts
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Music : Classic FM - Relax and Escape - The No.1 Collection of Smooth Classics
Rating: 
- Excellent variety of classical relaxation
There are numerous great value compilation sets of classical music claiming to have the power of relaxation - Classic FM alone have a few variants such as `Relax', `Relax More' and `Time to Relax' - and all appear to offer the ultimate relaxing experience so it's a difficult task to decide which to buy.
There is no `best' compilation though for it's a matter of personal choice, but there are several advantages of choosing the Classic FM range of relaxation therapy. There is not too much repetition between each set (if there was, we wouldn't buy their next relax release would we?), the recordings are invariably good (and recent) ones, and most importantly they usually offer a selection of some of today's big names in the Classical world.
For the classical novice this is an excellent selection of music, offering the traditional favourites such as Mozart and Beethoven alongside the best of today's living `classical' composers like Patrick Hawes, John Rutter and Karl Jenkins.
Rating:
- not for snobs
I bought this because I know next to nothing about classical music and thought that it would serve as an a starting point from which to explore works by composers I liked. After all what's the point in buying a whole album by a composer and then finding out you don't like any of it? It's a good album from that point of view, but it is certainly not soothing. Several of the pieces are too jolly or bouncy. The classical interpretation of 'Summertime' is a travesty and I no longer play any of the cd it's on in case I catch the beginning of it. There are also too many film scores which I find rather syrupy. This cd is dead cheap and I'd recommend it as an introduction to classical music.
Rating:
- Pointless if you genuinely like music
Why some people (a very small minority I suspect) would go out of their way to buy these soulless classical music compilations is beyond me. As someone already pointed out, they bought this not because they like classical music, but to relax to. Well why not go for a sauna then?
I listen to a fair chunk of classical music on my hi-fi, but to me Classic FM is an anathema to any half serious music fan with its awful 'smooth classics' policy and its patronising presenters. This formula is very much what this compilation is about. There are excerpts from some famous works by Beethoven, Chopin, Dvorak, but nothing you can get your teeth into. The only way to appreciate a classical work properly is to hear it in its entirety. There's also some famous film scores by Morricone, John Williams, John Barry etc. If the CD was based purely on this theme there might be some point to it. But they are just thrown in to pad out the listings. That's the problem with this CD. You just cannot become involved with what you are listening to, as there are too many diverse styles to capture your attention, so it ends up as musical wallpaper instead.
If you are new to classical music or beginning to discover it, forget this CD. To take one example, Dvorak's familiar Symphony 9 (New World) 2nd movement listed here, which was used as the background music for the Hovis bread advert many years ago. If you like that track, instead of spending £13 on this compilation, why not buy the whole symphony for far less on one of the classic budget labels, DG, HMV etc. It's a grest work on its own, that has general appeal to a classical newbie or seasoned listener. You'll discover that classical music isn't about smoothness or necessarily relaxing to in the way Classic FM intended.
Rating:
- Excellent relaxation!
I'll be honest - I don't know the first thing about classical music, but these CDs are ideal for relaxation. I got them for listening on the tube, and can happily say that even for a non-classical listener, these CDs give a nice range of music to keep the blood pressure down, even when the idiot next to you is trying to take over three seats with his newspaper.
This has also served as a nice starting point to get me looking at more complete works by folks like Dvorak and Morricone. If you don't know classical, you'll find you recognise plenty of the music on these CDs, and may find yourself saying "aha, so that's who this is..."
Rating: - Not Just Another Set of Smooth Classics
If there's one objection one could have to the regular appearance of the Classic FM box-set, its that all the music is designed to soothe and relax you - where are the upbeat, adrenaline powering numbers? Not all composers spend their time soothing the listener to sleep.
Having said that, this collection is a great way to unwind and contains a number of pieces even the classical music buff might not already have in their collection, Talbot's Cumulonimbus for example, or Reade's Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite (which was indeed the theme music for the programme of the same name, but is a lovely, typically English piece nonetheless and deserving of wider recognition).
Even among the "standards" there are a few surprises - Bailero played on cello rather than being sung, and Che Gelida Manina done orchestrally. As ever there are hits and misses but overall this is the best of the sets thus far in my view, and should set anyone on the road to more lovely music by new composers as well as providing a handy anthology of old favourites.
- Excellent variety of classical relaxationThere are numerous great value compilation sets of classical music claiming to have the power of relaxation - Classic FM alone have a few variants such as `Relax', `Relax More' and `Time to Relax' - and all appear to offer the ultimate relaxing experience so it's a difficult task to decide which to buy.
There is no `best' compilation though for it's a matter of personal choice, but there are several advantages of choosing the Classic FM range of relaxation therapy. There is not too much repetition between each set (if there was, we wouldn't buy their next relax release would we?), the recordings are invariably good (and recent) ones, and most importantly they usually offer a selection of some of today's big names in the Classical world.
For the classical novice this is an excellent selection of music, offering the traditional favourites such as Mozart and Beethoven alongside the best of today's living `classical' composers like Patrick Hawes, John Rutter and Karl Jenkins.
Rating:
- not for snobsI bought this because I know next to nothing about classical music and thought that it would serve as an a starting point from which to explore works by composers I liked. After all what's the point in buying a whole album by a composer and then finding out you don't like any of it? It's a good album from that point of view, but it is certainly not soothing. Several of the pieces are too jolly or bouncy. The classical interpretation of 'Summertime' is a travesty and I no longer play any of the cd it's on in case I catch the beginning of it. There are also too many film scores which I find rather syrupy. This cd is dead cheap and I'd recommend it as an introduction to classical music.
Rating:
- Pointless if you genuinely like musicWhy some people (a very small minority I suspect) would go out of their way to buy these soulless classical music compilations is beyond me. As someone already pointed out, they bought this not because they like classical music, but to relax to. Well why not go for a sauna then?
I listen to a fair chunk of classical music on my hi-fi, but to me Classic FM is an anathema to any half serious music fan with its awful 'smooth classics' policy and its patronising presenters. This formula is very much what this compilation is about. There are excerpts from some famous works by Beethoven, Chopin, Dvorak, but nothing you can get your teeth into. The only way to appreciate a classical work properly is to hear it in its entirety. There's also some famous film scores by Morricone, John Williams, John Barry etc. If the CD was based purely on this theme there might be some point to it. But they are just thrown in to pad out the listings. That's the problem with this CD. You just cannot become involved with what you are listening to, as there are too many diverse styles to capture your attention, so it ends up as musical wallpaper instead.
If you are new to classical music or beginning to discover it, forget this CD. To take one example, Dvorak's familiar Symphony 9 (New World) 2nd movement listed here, which was used as the background music for the Hovis bread advert many years ago. If you like that track, instead of spending £13 on this compilation, why not buy the whole symphony for far less on one of the classic budget labels, DG, HMV etc. It's a grest work on its own, that has general appeal to a classical newbie or seasoned listener. You'll discover that classical music isn't about smoothness or necessarily relaxing to in the way Classic FM intended.
Rating:
- Excellent relaxation!I'll be honest - I don't know the first thing about classical music, but these CDs are ideal for relaxation. I got them for listening on the tube, and can happily say that even for a non-classical listener, these CDs give a nice range of music to keep the blood pressure down, even when the idiot next to you is trying to take over three seats with his newspaper.
This has also served as a nice starting point to get me looking at more complete works by folks like Dvorak and Morricone. If you don't know classical, you'll find you recognise plenty of the music on these CDs, and may find yourself saying "aha, so that's who this is..."
Rating:
- Not Just Another Set of Smooth ClassicsIf there's one objection one could have to the regular appearance of the Classic FM box-set, its that all the music is designed to soothe and relax you - where are the upbeat, adrenaline powering numbers? Not all composers spend their time soothing the listener to sleep.
Having said that, this collection is a great way to unwind and contains a number of pieces even the classical music buff might not already have in their collection, Talbot's Cumulonimbus for example, or Reade's Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite (which was indeed the theme music for the programme of the same name, but is a lovely, typically English piece nonetheless and deserving of wider recognition).
Even among the "standards" there are a few surprises - Bailero played on cello rather than being sung, and Che Gelida Manina done orchestrally. As ever there are hits and misses but overall this is the best of the sets thus far in my view, and should set anyone on the road to more lovely music by new composers as well as providing a handy anthology of old favourites.