CD-Charts Position 1

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Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies

by: Herbert von Karajan

Release Date February 04, 2008

CD-Charts Position 2
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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 3
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Classic FM Babies

by: Katherine Jenkins, Elin Manahan Thomas, Julian Lloyd-Webber, Pascal Roge, Herbert Von Karajan, Charles Dutoit, Harry Christophers, London Symphony Orchestra

Release Date July 23, 2007

A lovely 2CD Classic FM compilation of relaxing music - for mothers as much as their babies - consisting of an interesting assortment of baroque, classical, romantic and modern music with the underlying theme of aiming to relax the listener.

Some pieces are chosen partly for their title as well as the soothing effect they have, these include the 'Lullaby' by Brahms and 'The Swan' from 'Carnival of the Animals' by Saint-Saens. The more contemporary offerings are by popular composers such as Patrick Hawes. These are good recordings, as expected by Classic FM, many of which will be comfortably familiar to most of the radio shows listeners.

Comfortably safe by Classic FM maybe, but comfortably relaxing too.

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 ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Beethoven - Triple Concerto. Brahms - Double Concerto

from: EMI Classics

Release Date October 05, 1998
I have owned this recording since it first came out and I wore out two LP's. I am not Karajan's greatest fan but here he is in the repertoire he does best and he has three soloists who all thoroughly deserve the epithet "great". The tempi are spot on. The playing of Oistrakh and Rostropovich in the slow movement still takes my breath away. Throughout the three soloists empathise and play together perfectly and in the final movement with real playfulness. I have never tired of this recording in the near 40 years I have owned it. The CD coupling with the Brahms is a sensible one and it is well played. Oistrakh remains my favourite violinist not just for his richness of tone but for his breadth of repertoire. Rostropovich was, arguably, the finest cellist of his generation ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites

from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date April 17, 1989
This marvellous suite is the very embodiment of the Henrik Ibsen's unparalelled work of fantasy. The music is more than an accompaniment to the play, it is essential to a successful performance, enabling both the actors and the audience alike to become completely absorbed by Ibsen's stunning world.

CD-Charts Position 8
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Mozart: Horn Concertos

from: Great Recordings of the Century

Release Date October 05, 1998
I am often concerned when purchasing old analogue recordings, such as those in this EMI series, that there may be a considerable amount of background noise. Fear not! Dennis Brain's renditions of the vivacious Mozart Horn Concertoes are presented excellently here, with only a minimum amount of 'antique hiss'. The age should not put you off.

Besides this, Brain's tone is superb - clear and rich. His phrasing throughout is well-considered, and perfectly matches the spirit of the Horn Concertoes. I wholeheartedly recommend this recording!

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

from: Classics

Release Date October 27, 1997
While there are some lovely pieces of music on these CDs they don't match the titles. When I bought this 2-set CD I thought that maybe I had received Vol2. or something by mistake as none of the tracks match the information on the CD insert. I decided to check by listening to the samples here on Amazon & discovered that they too are incorrect. Just to ensure I wasn't going mad I found the CD set on a US website and listened to their samples & they were correct!!! I wish someone could explain.

CD-Charts Position 10
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Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies

by: Berliner Philharmoniker Herbert Karajan

Release Date October 11, 1999
I recently purchased this box set, knowing that Karajan is one of the all time greats. The performance its self is very good, however on my high quality audio equipment I was diappointed by the sound quality of the recording. There is a constant noise of static in the background of every single recording... it is very off putting during the quiet sequences eg. opening of the 9th. I do not know what to do now, should I put up with it or seek another recording? Disappointed.