CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM Music for Dinner Parties

from: Classic FM.(Export

Release Date July 12, 2004

Such is Classic FM's marketing team's enthusiasm for releasing these 'Music For' compilation albums we should soon have a CD in our collection to cover every eventuality in our lives!

This one is for dinner parties - although being a single CD it may need to be played several times depending on how quickly your guests eat - and the intention is to create a calm, relaxed atmosphere with perhaps an air of sophistication to those social events.

There should be something on this album to please everyone round the dinner table. Satie's 'Trois Gymnopedies' is soothing and familiar, Haydn's 'Cello Concerto no. 2' is more lively and Handel's 'Water Music' adds a bit of ceremony to the event.

The recordings, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM Music for Bathtime

from: Classic FM.(Export

Release Date July 12, 2004

This is a lovely collection of popular classical pieces, perfect for an hour's relaxation in the bath. As with the other albums in the `Classic FM For' series released in 2004 and 2005, each track is just a single movement (generally the best known one) from the entire score so it does provide a nice variety of music from a range of composers from Bach's baroque era to the modern classics of Ludovico Einaudi.

But, there is an abundance of classical music collections such as these and many are box sets offering better value than this single CD so it does face strong competition in an ever increasing market.

The others in the series are albums dedicated to Babies, Christmas, Dinner Parties, Driving, Fitness, Mothers, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM Music for Fitness

from: Classic FM

Release Date July 12, 2004

Getting fit and working out surely conjures visions of Rocky Bilbao pounding the streets to `Eye of the Tiger' or the gym sound-system pumping out the latest dance music hits rather than classical music?

Even if the intention is to take a bit of exercise in the home we would surely reach for the latest `I'm a Celebrity Look How Slim I've Got' DVD, so I think this collection of short classical pieces, stirring as they may be, has a slightly tenuous link to any form of activity for losing weight or toning up.

Nevertheless it is a good collection of classical music highlights, most will be familiar ones so it's a CD to get instantly into and enjoy, but anyone with more than a few `Best Of' classical collections will have ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM Relax 3CD

by: Various Artists

Release Date October 29, 2007

There are so many classical music compilations which claim to `relax' the listener that it becomes either daunting for the newcomer to know which to buy, or repetitive to others who have already purchased several such collections. There's no answer to which is best, for they all have their merits, some being better quality performances, others offer a better selection of music, and others may just be great value for money.

The Classic FM series of CD releases - and they are growing in number - generally offer a little of all these attributes, and are increasingly becoming the first choice of classical music compilation for many people.

This 3CD set entitled `relax' is certainly good value and as usual is well packaged ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM - Music for Christmas

by: Various Artists

Release Date November 15, 2004

This is a collection of traditional Christmas carols and music from two of today's most respected choirs - The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, and The Sixteen. These performances are subtle and restrained ones from a quiet chapel rather than a Songs of Praise edition from Westminster Abbey, so they are perfect for a quiet sit-down on Christmas Eve or calming Christmas Day morning reflection on life before the work begins.

Christmas CDs are in abundance, but this one offers some lovely traditional versions of songs as they were intended to be heard.

The others in the `Classic FM For' series are albums dedicated to Babies, Dinner Parties, Driving, Fitness, Mums, Romance, Studying, Weddings, so it will also appeal to ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

.

Music for Mum

from: Classic FM

Release Date January 31, 2005

Although this is a good collection of popular classical pieces, I'm not sure how Classic FM have concluded that they are specifically suited to Mums.

Nevertheless, they are good choices and as with the other albums in the `Classic FM For' series released in 2004 and 2005, each track is just a single movement (generally the best known one) from the entire score so it does provide a nice variety of music from a range of composers.

There is though an abundance of classical music collections such as these and many are box sets offering better value than this single CD so it does face strong competition in an ever increasing market.

The others in the series are albums dedicated to Babies, Bath time, Christmas, Dinner ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

.

Music for Romance

by: Covent Garden Royal Opera House Orchestra

Release Date January 31, 2005

This is a good collection of popular classical pieces, suitable for a bit of background music for a romantic evening or simply for an hour's relaxing listening. As with the other albums in the `Classic FM For' series released in 2004 and 2005, each track is just a single movement - generally the best known one - from the entire piece so it provides a nice variety of music from a range of composers.

But, there is an abundance of classical music collections like these and many are box sets offering better value than this single CD so it does face strong competition in an ever increasing market.

The others in the series are albums dedicated to Babies, Christmas, Dinner Parties, Driving, Fitness, Mums, Studying and Weddings so ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM Movies - The Ultimate Collection

by: Various Artists

Release Date February 18, 2008

The Classic FM `Movie Themes' 3 CD box sets appear on a annual basis. In 2006 we had `Classic FM at the Movies', in 2007 there was the `Sequel' and now we have the 2008 `Ultimate'.

The first and sequel sets were a good choice of music from popular films, the sequel making a particularly good buy because it consisted of tracks from a different selection of films than on the original.

The `Ultimate' title of this latest release implies that it's either the best one or the final one, but in my opinion it's neither. It's not the best for there is a considerable overlap with the music from the previous Classic FM Movie CDs, and it probably won't be the final one of its type thanks to the vast back catalogue of film music available. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

.

As Heard on TV

by: Various Artists

Release Date September 10, 2007

Once again this is a helpful Classic FM 2CD release, aimed this time at those who hear a piece of TV advert music and like it, but haven't a clue who wrote it.

The tracks generally expand on the shorter pieces heard during the advert, and although some are not by the same artist as the TV version, they are by no means inferior and the difference will often be unnoticeable.

Whether the version of music is the 'best one' is largely irrelevant, for these are all good performances and recordings of some of classical music's finest and most popular masterpieces.

This is a great chance for those unfamiliar to classical music to get to know a little bit more, even if it's just the composers name and title of the piece, for ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

.

Classic FM - Relax and Escape - The No.1 Collection of Smooth Classics

by: Various Composers

Release Date November 08, 2004

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.
... Read More: