Most of the musical pieces in this compilation are from versions as they appear in various movies. This is Classical music from classic movies such as: Somewhere in Time, Schindler's List, English Patient, The Piano, Platoon, et al. But make no mistake; the music is what's really worth mentioning here.The title says it all. It claims to have "the most moving Classical music of all time," and they certainly have a case, as it is chock full of the kind of emotional pieces that can easily bring you to tears. This double CD compilation with 37 passionately beautiful pieces is a steal at $16.99.
If you've ever recorded your favorite songs on to tape, or burned them on to a CD, you'll see that this compilation is exactly what EMI Records has done. It is like a greatest hits, volume 1, of poignant Classical music. Almost all of the musical pieces are classic favorites, though there are a few contemporary ones also.
I found the music on this CD powerful and moving as advertised, and I think that Classical music fans should truly enjoy it. It is well worth the price it's being sold for, and I highly recommend it.
Since there is some missing information as to who the composers and artists are, here they are:
Disk 1
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: I. Allegro Non Troppo E Mol; Andre Previn; Horacio Gutierrez; The London Symphony Orchestra
Mascagni - Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana) {Raging Bull}; Riccardo Muti; The Philharmonia Orchestra
Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini - Variation #18 {Somewhere in Time}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle
Puccini - O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) {A Room with a View};
Montserrat Caballe; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras
Bach - Viola da Gamba Sonata in G Minor BWV1029 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Truly, Madly, Deeply}; Jordi Savall; Ton Koopman
Richard Strauss - Beim Schlafengehen (Vier Letzte Lieder) {The Hours}; Klaus Tennstedt; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Lucia Popp
Williams - Schindler's List (Theme) {Schlinder's List}; Iain Sutherland; New World Philharmonic; Tasmin Little
Debussy - Clair de Lune {Frankie and Johnnie}; Dame Moura Lympany
Mahler - Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor: IV. Adagietto (Conclusion) {Death in Venice}; New Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli
Catalani - Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana (La Wally) {Diva}; Maria Callas; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Tullio Serafin
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor "Moonlight" Op. 27/2 - I. Adagio S; Dame Moura Lympany
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor - II. Adagio (Opening) Sir Yehudi Menuhin; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Walter Susskind
Puccini - E Lucevan le Stelle (Tosca) {The Man Who Cried}; Carlo Bergonzi; Georges Pretre; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire
Chopin - Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth {The Pianist}; Maria Tipo
Barber - Adagio for Strings {Platoon} Eugene Ormandy; Philadelphia Orchestra
Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 - I. Adagio - Moderato (Opening) {Hilary and Jackie}; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Norman Del Mar; Robert Cohen
Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Op.102 - II. Andante Dmitri Alexeev; English Chamber Orchestra; Jerzy Maksymiuk
Verdi - Va, Pensiero (Chorus of Hebrew Slaves) (Nabucco) {The Godfather, Pt. 3}; Bernard Haitink; Covent Garden Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Disk 2
Albinoni - Adagio in G Minor (Realised Giazotto) [Extract] {Gallipoli}; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Sir Neville Marriner
Nyman - Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise {The Piano}; Unknown artist
Quarantotto & Sartori - Time to Say Goodbye; David Abel
J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations - Aria {The English Patient}; Maria Tipo
Offenbach - Barcarolle (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) {Life Is Beautiful}; Choeurs Rene Ducios; Clu; Elisabeth Schwartskopf; Jeannine Collard; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor - II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) {Brief Encounter}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle
Elgar - Nimrod ("Enigma" Variations) {Elizabeth}; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Adrian Boult
Puccini - Vissi d'Arte (Tosca); Georges Pretre; Maria Callas; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire
Myers - Cavatina {The Deer Hunter}; Manuel Barrueco; Steve Morse
Schubert - String Quintet in C D956 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Carrington}; Hungarian Quartet; Laszlo Varga
Gluck - J'Ai Perdu Mon Eurydice (Orphee et Eurydice); Anne Sofie Von Otter; John Eliot Gardiner; Orchestre De L'Opera De Lyon
Chopin - Etude in E "Tristesse" Op.10/3; John Ogden
Verdi - Attendo, Attendo...Addio del Passato (La Traviata); Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; Myung-Whun Chung; The London Symphony Orchestra
Bach - Double Violin Concerto in D Minor BWV 1043 - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto {Children of a Lesser God}; Bath Festial Orchestra; Christian Ferras; Sir Yehudi Menuhin
Kashif - Queen Symphony - III. Adagio {Who Wants to Live Forever - Save Me}; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Tolga Kashif
Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor - II. Romance (Larghetto) (Opening) {The Truman Show}; Garrick Ohlsson; Jerzy Maksymiuk; Polish National Symphony Orchestra
Faure - In Paradisum (Requiem) {The Thin Red Line}; Cambridge Choir of Kings Choir; English Chamber Orchestra; Stephen Cleobury
Horner - My Heart Will Go On {Titanic}; David Abel
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (Conclusion) {Manhattan}; Andre Previn; The London Symphony Orchestra