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Member since:22.10.2003
Reviews:69
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CLASSICAL MUSIC is really boring. It's only for old people. You can't dance to it. It doesn't say anything about modern life. It's pants.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is just a selection of comments I've had from some of the teenagers in my classes. This is how they (and perhaps you?) sum up the last 500 years or so of music making across Western Europe. (Well, since you're reading this, I bet you don't really think that way- I take that last comment back). After asking the kids what they think, turn off the lights, close your eyes and pick a number between 1 and 50. After that, ask the kids again what they think about classical music. Every track on this CD box set is a winner, which is no surprise considering the test of time most of the pieces have withstood. And you CAN dance to lots of them….
This box set from Classic FM is a balanced mix of some of the most enduring music ever written. On each of the 4 CDs you'll find a broad range of pieces, mostly instrumental but with a few choral pieces thrown in for good measure. There is no particular theme to each CD; they are not divided up into various moods, eras, styles or instrumentations. Each CD is simply a collection of great music.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Classic FM is frequently compared with BBC Radio 3, and an oft-cited criticism
is that Classic FM only plays short pieces (excerpts, or single movements, rather than whole operas or symphonies). Radio 3 is considered by many (snobs?) to be superior in its talk about music, and more eclectic and daring in its selection of pieces. No doubt this is true, but I sincerely believe that the listener is offered a fantastic choice in having both stations, and one is not "better" than the other, but simply "different". What kind of mood are you in? Do you want to sit in the bath with a large glass of red wine and smoochy relaxing tunes you can hum along to, or do you feel energised, motivated to broaden your horizons and listen to something rather avant-garde and perhaps squawky, perhaps not, and maybe get to hear the composer's view on his, (or, rarely, her), own work? Classic FM fulfils a need that most of us in this busy world have- the need to shut out the bangs and crashes of everyday mayhem, and just listen to something beautiful. You could listen to the radio, or put on this CD. I don't see much difference in the overall effect, but with the CD you get to choose the pieces and can skip the ones that don't tickle your fancy. (Be careful not to get the booklet wet in the bath though…)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This CD set is 50 of the best pieces, from what it dubs "the world's greatest composers". Being interested in music from all over the world, I would take issue with this statement, as the set basically covers only Europe and North America. Here's a list of the composers included, and the countries they hail from: (note, there is one piece from each composer, oddly except Johann Strauss, who gets 2).
Mozart Austria Strauss, J Austria Schubert Austria Haydn Austria/UK Dvorak Czechoslovakia Sibelius Finland Gounod France Berlioz France Saint-Saens France Bizet France Widor France Satie France Ravel France Chopin France/Poland Handel Germany Beethoven Germany Bach Germany Orff Germany Mendelssohn Germany Wagner Germany Brahms Germany Strauss, R Germany Mahler Germany Offenbach Germany Liszt Hungary Rossini Italy Vivaldi Italy Puccini Italy Einaudi Italy Verdi Italy Grieg Norway Shostakovich Russia Mussorgsky Russia Rachmaninov Russia Rimsky-Korsakov Russia Stravinsky Russia Borodin Russia Tchaikovsky Russia Prokofiev Russia Nyman UK Holst UK Tavener UK Britten UK Elgar UK Rutter UK Williams US Copland US Gershwin US Preisner ?
How many names did you recognise? Probably most of them! You would imagine that most of "the world's greatest composers" had long lain in their graves (dare I say, decomposing…), But, in fact, a handful of them are young and consulting their muses as I type. Michael Nyman, for example, wrote the haunting soundtrack to the film "The Piano", and Tavener has become very popular in recent years for his dramatic and ultimately accessible style. The modern composers on these CDs do fit in with the overall premise that the music has to be Easy on the Ear. You will not be shocked, or offended by any of the material on this album.
So the content- what's on it will not surprise you. In fact, I bet you can probably guess quite a lot of the tracks. If you know any of the above composers, try to think of their most famous or definitive work, before you read on. Perhaps you can't remember the names (symphony no. something or other is never easy to recall). Don't worry, your guess will almost certainly be right. I won't list every track, you can find a list at the bottom of the category page, but here are some of the more predictable ones:
Vivaldi- The 4 seasons (summer) Saint-Saens- Carnival of the Animals Holst- The Planets (Mars) Rimsky-Korsakov- Flight of the Bumblebee Beethoven- Symphony no.5 (1st movement) (the one that goes da da da DUN, da da da DUN, you know the one I mean…) Gershwin- Rhapsody in Blue Ravel- Bolero Grieg- Peer Gynt (In the Hall of the Mountain King)
If you don't know these pieces, then this would be an ideal CD for you if you feel you ought to know what the most commonly known classical pieces are. It could be treated as a mini-course on accepted masterpieces, and the booklet, (minimal, 2 CD-sized sides per CD), gives you a pert selection of related anecdotes to astound your friends with. (For example, Rutter's pick is "A Gaelic Blessing". The notes tell you that choirboys refer to this piece as "garlic dressing". Radio 3 would not share this blasphemy with you I'm sure!
If you already know all these pieces (and are something of a music buff), don't instantly dismiss this CD. I'm a music graduate and knew almost all of them inside out, and I usually prefer to have "whole" works on CD. But this set does fill a gap- that "I can't decide what I really want to listen to but I want something jolly or that I haven't heard for ages because I only listen to "difficult" music, unless I'm home alone and no-one knows…." moment.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Issued April 2004. There are 12 tracks on CDs 2, 3 and 4, and 14 tracks on CD 1. The box is a nice sturdy cardboard, and everything is a uniform red. I think the box looks quite stylish, but the individual CDs are in those thinner, cheaper looking boxes. I got mine as a present, and was very chuffed with it. I like to put all 4 on and hit the random button (but then, I live abroad and don't have the luxury of listening to Classic FM when I want to!)
The average price of the box set is around £15.99.
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Not a great fan of classic music, listen to it occassionally but don't have any cd's, great review though, very helpful
bigfatdogs 06.04.2007 11:35
Another nice review !
Digbycat 26.02.2006 21:46
Must admit, its unusual for the Classic FM compilations to have any of the Baroque or early classical stuff on. They usually do the hall of fame stuff which to get anything pre-Beethoven is almost unheard of M xx
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