CD-Charts Position 1
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The Only Opera Album You'll Ever Need

by: Covent Garden Royal Opera House Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Release Date March 31, 2001
The tracks on this cd are excellent and well worth the money. I get worried about the packaging of this sort of disc though because it reminds me of Tesco's attempt to sell wine to the masses by renaming a mediocre chablis as 'Good with meat' or whatever. If this was called 'Fine Opera' or 'An Opera Sampler' then I'd be a lot happier but the dumb approach of 'The Only Opera Album You'll Ever Need' makes me cringe. Once again though: the music is very good and the performances are excellent on the whole.

CD-Charts Position 2
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The Only Classical Album You'll Ever Need

from: Classics

Release Date November 03, 2003

The budget price doesn't reflect the quality of this 2 disc collection of classical music highlights, for the soloists, orchestras, conductors and the recordings themselves ensure it is a good quality selection of mostly familiar music from the classical music repertoire.

The choices lean heavily towards the opera style, so for that reason alone will not be the only album necessary to cover everyone's taste - even the complete classical beginner will find many of their familiar favourites are absent.

The tracks are mostly single movements from the whole score, which may not please the more enthusiastic classical fan, but it's unavoidable given the short time permitted by only 2 CDs. In any case, this album really ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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100 Classical Hits

by: Various Artists

Release Date October 13, 2003

This is a great low cost box set which does exactly what it says on the box - it gives you 100 classical music hits, covering all the styles such as baroque, classical, romantic and modern, and includes music from all the popular composers.

Some of the tracks are simply excerpts from the full piece, for example Beethoven's Ninth symphony, originally over 60 minutes long, is reduced to a two and a half minute rousing chorus of the popular `Ode to Joy'. Likewise, Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture is cut from 15 minutes down to the last few minutes of the exciting thunder and fireworks finale.

This editing enables a great range of `hits' to be squeezed onto five discs, and gives the classical music novice a chance to dip their ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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The Only Choral Album You'll Ever Need

from: Victor

Release Date October 06, 2003
whoever wrote the 'whats on this cd' blurb mislead me to buy this item - I needed the WHOLE of the Messiah AND THE WHOLE of Faure's Requiem and reading this blurb you think you have it - but guess what - there are only extracts - the titles given are just for the whole work - not the individual piece of music - so I cannot learn the pieces for two concerts I am performing in before Christmas off this - very misleading. Sorry - but it is not the only album Ill ever need.

CD-Charts Position 5
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Puccini: La Bohème

from: Decca

Release Date August 05, 1987
In a recent BBC3 "CD Review" broadcast, Alexandra Wilson made a gallant attempt to achieve the impossible task of choosing amongst forty or so recordings of "La Boheme" - and while I agreed with her ultimate choice of the Beecham recording with Bjorling, Merrill and De Los Angeles, I have rather more regard for this discarded Karajan recording simply because Pavarotti's voice, in its prime, as she herself put it, "runs through the recording like a golden seam". The rest of the cast is wonderful, too, although Karajan's love for the score is manifested in a rather deliberately "beautiful" approach and thereby slightly undercuts the drama. I cannot be without either recording of this eternally youthful and moving opera, and although Freni was captured in slightly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Puccini: Turandot

from: Decca

Release Date February 07, 1985
Read all the other reviews for soloist analysis etc. What I wish to add is do not be put off by the age of this recording. This was recorded by Decca in their glory days.The dynamic range, frequency range, soundstaging, capture of the hall sound, can (and does) put many a modern recording to shame. The breathing sounds and creaking stage boards only cement the performance. If you want to know how good your system is, can you hear the tube trains passing underneath and the birds outside.

For many including myself this is and will always be a definitive/landmark recording/performance.

CD-Charts Position 7
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Russell Watson: The Voice

from: Decca

Release Date September 25, 2000

The Voice, released in May 2001, is Russell Watson's debut album and marks the end of his progression from the pub and club circuit, and the start of his recording career after signing with the Decca label.

The album hit No.1 in the UK Classical charts and reached No.5 in the UK Album Chart. Following its release in the US it also hit the top spot, making history as the first time a British artist has topped both the UK and US Classical Charts, and if that wasn't enough, it was awarded `Album of the Year' and 'Best Selling Classical Album' at the Classical BRIT awards in 2001.

The songs are a mix of classical and popular, with the emphasis on the classics to enable its eligibility for that chart: 60% of the playing time must consist of `classical ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the World

by: Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Cambridge King's College Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Symphony Orchestra, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

Release Date June 06, 2005
My knowledge of classical music is not so advanced, but it is a breed of music you must learn to appreciate if you get what I mean. I am to keen to expand my knowledge of classical music, so buying this album is a great starting point. Classical music is a breed of music which existed long time ago and is really old fashioned, but a real pleasure to listen to. It is very much instrumental orientated. You can hear the piano, violin or the flute with their distinctive sounds in the background.

The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the World is an excellent album featuring and honouring the talents of all the major acts to embrace their names in classical music combined in four CDs. Remember The Four Seasons, Fantasia, Concerto For Two Mandolins and other famous acts. There are ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
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The Best Classical Album in the World...Ever!

from: Virgin TV

Release Date November 08, 2004
I have never been into classical music, however the TV programs Maestro and Last Choir standing (I know trash TV... sorry) made me realise I did like some classical music. So time to test that theory, and of course this CD fitted the bill perfectly, a bit of everything and 99% you will probably know. Good album, maybe I may have discovered culture :-)

CD-Charts Position 10
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Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert

from: Decca

Release Date June 29, 1998

Living in Oman/ Arabia, working in Abu Dhabi & Dubai/ U.A. Emirates and travelling for business reasons all over the Gulf region and the Middle East I like to discuss with my Arabian friends and customers about the world most famous opera singers and most popular popmusic singers of both cultures - the Western (European & North American) and the Oriental culture.

We enjoy to listen to the best opera singers in Europe and in the Middle East. I was astonished to find CDs with music of Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti in the homes of my Arabian friends - no wonder, many of them studied in their youth in the U.S. or in U.K.! My friends in Arabia deeply admire and truly appreciate CARRERAS, DOMINGO and PAVAROTTI !


LUCIANO PAVAROTTI received the Grammy ... Read More: