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| The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever! | 
 enlarge | Artists: Johann Sebastian Bach, Leo Delibes, Gabriel Faure, Erik Satie, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Edvard Grieg, Johann Pachelbel, Claude Debussy, Felix Mendelssohn, Camille Saint-saens, Henryk Gorecki, Antonio Vivaldi, Edward Elgar, Jocelyn Pook, Sergey Rachmaninov, Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, Luigi Boccherini, Jules Massenet, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Jacques Offenbach, Pietro Mascagni, Antonin Dvorak, Giacomo Puccini, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Alexander Borodin, Joaquin Rodrigo, Samuel Barber
Label: Angel Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $3.98
You Save: $15.00 (79%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $3.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  (84 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1189
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 44890
UPC: 724384489021
EAN: 0724384489021
ASIN: B00000I93Z
Release Date: March 30, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Does what it set out to do, very well November 15, 2006
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
So i'm a classical music veteran, someone who prefers to collect a complete work, rather than classical compilations. I probably would not have listened to this album at all if my dad didnt buy it for me as a gift. By now, i own the complete works that over half of the excepts on this disc come from. I am a purist if ever there was one.
That said, i totally adore this set because i have learned to take it on its own terms. These discs weren't meant for expert classical listeners, so a review from that sort of mindset is useless. This set was meant for pure, easy listening, and for a basic starters kit for classical newbies. Most of all, it was just meant to do what the title says, to relax the average human being. classical expert or not.
Yes, some of these pieces have been altered or shortened, like Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto Andantino, but they have been edited for a good enough reason: the full versions would have been too long to flow with the rest of the album. And also, the full versions contain so much development that they don't become easy listening anymore. The shortened versions work in the context of the album. Most essentially, the shortened versions on the discs still convey the main flavor the composers were going for. The melodies and themes remain unchanged.
To sum up, it is true that when i want to actually listen deeply to classical music, this album would never be a choice. I would want to hear the complete works like the composers intended. But at certain times when i simply don't mind about that stuff, when i just need to loosen up and free my mind of stress with some nice melodies, this set does the job well enough.
Last but not least: being a purist and a classical buff, i am very particular about performance quality. I was very glad to find that EMI did not get lazy about this. All the artists are world-class, and all the performances are at least exceptional. Some performances are even quite excellent, like the Clair De Lune, which is one of the best i've heard. (Credit to Dame Lympany, the pianist.)
So once again, recommended for its stated purpose, to relax. I am a purist, a classical buff, and i still enjoy this disc. That says something.
TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written. November 10, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This album along with Volume 2 are now the two most valued albums in my music collection. I have all of the songs contained on these two albums but they are scattered through at least a dozen different albums and several are not performed by artists such as those that recorded this album and Volume 2.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!
Far Better Than Expected November 3, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Asked Amazon for a list of best selling classical CDs. This two disk collection of most people's favorites topped that list. We took a chance on it. It has far exceeded our expectations. The quality of the selections is superb. Guests in our home frequently ask "What is this wonderful music you are playing?" We have given at least half a dozen copies as gifts. It is a gem.
 Good for those new to classical music, but not so much for those who know their stuff. October 24, 2006
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm cautious about the words, "most relaxing." Being a huge fan of classical music and one who has performed various classical works for about 5 years now, I wouldn't listen to this CD to decompress and help me take a nap. I feel as if the title of "relaxing" is given in accordance with society's assumption that classical music is "boring" or "soporific."
So why isn't this compilation relaxing? For one, the instrumentation of some pieces prevent it. As an example, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is done as a choral piece. While this is perfectly acceptable, it certainly isn't calming (but more invigorating). Again, an invigorating, well-performed classical piece is great EXCEPT when claiming to be a relaxing album. Should more pieces be performed with a soft piano and the occasional violin entrace (as peformed in the piece, Herz Mund und Tat und Leben) I would safely classify it as relaxing.
Considering classical music has no copyright, I felt a little miffed at paying $16 since I was paying for someone's judgement of assembling works they perceived to be the most relaxing (in the world...ever, at that). Granted, it was a huge claim to live up to, but I was disappointed.
Pros of the album: for someone not familiar with some of the best and most well-known classical titles and composers, this compilation provides a great introduction. Starting with some more well-known composers like Pachelbel, it verges into some lesser-known territory like Gorecki and Grieg.
Even those who aren't familiar with composers, some tunes can be recognized by just about everyone. Most everyone can comment on "Morning" as, "haven't I heard this in the cartoons before?" or can say, "Hey, I heard this Barber piece in the movie Platoon and it was gorgeous."
Understandably, cutting some pieces can irritate die-hard fans of the original works. However, this album is clearly going for breadth vs. depth. An obvious indicator of this goal is by mixing several genres, from baroque to romantic to contemporary artists. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of baroque so I personally skip over some of the Bach pieces that I find a little too dry. But again, the breadth is what makes this a good intro to classical music piece.
For whom would I recommend this album? Anyone who is thinking of getting their feet wet in the classical music world and doesn't want to do a lot of research, this is just about perfect. As for anyone who already knows about classical music enough to know which composers and styles they like, I would suggest compiling their own relaxing album using iTunes and skip over this one.
Perfect for Quieting the Noise August 27, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I play this at the office and it reduces my reaction to the stress. A keeper!
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