Simply the Best Classical Anthems
Simply the Best Classical Anthems
Customer Review: Snippets but no volume
A selection of snippets, a taste test, a combi meal of classical anthems. Ideal for the first time classical virgin but not the full bodied classical feast that was expected. It’s a shame to expect to be listening to a comprehensive selection of the worlds finest classical music to find that the start, end and most of the rest has been cut out of some wonderful pieces of music to leave only the bit that anyone who doesn’t nip out for a cup of tea as soon as the adverts come on television would recognise. OK, so how did I expect them to get 38 full versions of classical pieces of music onto a double CD?, well, my mistake.
Customer Review: **An Exquisite Album**
Simply The Best Classical Anthems
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is a compilation album of ‘36 of the most powerful Anthems on Earth’. But, it is also said to be something else. It is said to be a gateway. A gateway to another world. A world where our imagination can run free without being shackled down by any borders or boundaries or rules or limits. A world that we have all seen or perhaps more accurately have all heard of but for many of us a world that we have never dared to enter. Never dared to enter because of fear. The fear of being ostracised and shunned by our community.
THE MYTH
‘Classical Music!’, I can hear some of you cry. ‘That isn’t another world. That’s just music for the upperclass, the high-brow, and the pompous.’ Surprisingly, I too felt this way for a long time until I accepted the invitation made to me by Simply The Best Classical Anthems. I always felt that Classical Music was nice to listen to as background music for a Levis ad or a Car ad but I would consider people strange if they chose to hear it on its own. However, after having listened to this album I realised how wrong I was in my assumptions.
THE TRUTH
Music as with all forms of amusement helps to take you away from where you are now. It helps to relax you when you are stressed with anger; it helps to give you strength when you are vulnerable; it helps to keep your spirits up when you have faced tragedy or loss. It helps. And, for me the type of music that best conjures up the most passionate emotions (love, hate, courage and anger) at our most testing times is Classical Music.
How? I don’t know.
Why? I don’t know.
I can only promise you that in my experience it does.
THE CHEST
The album, in visual terms, is very difficult to overlook amongst the plethora of records that may surround it. This is because the album has a very distinct purple sleeve cover. Not any kind of purple mind you but the Cadbury’s kind of purple. The kind of purple that carries with it an invitation. An invitation that if accepted promises you a treasure inside.
And since, I have always enjoyed the treasure within the purple Cadbury’s Dairy Milk wrapper, I asked myself why would an album carrying the same invitation promise to be anything different? Thus, I parted with my tuppence worth and went back home to open this purple chest of promised treasures.
THE PROMISED TREASURE
As you may have guessed, the contents of the album are somewhat different to the contents of a Cadbury’s bar. When I opened the album, I was presented with two compact discs. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything special about them. They were just your average, everyday, run of the mill compact discs. To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed because I suppose I had hoped for something more.
However, looks can be deceptive. (Afterall, a Cadbury’s Dairy Milk does not seem very appetising until you taste it!) And, also come November each year, I am always bemused and surprised at how the shabby contents of a cardboard box can both light up the sky and light up the faces of the neighbourhood. Thus, I pushed aside my assumptions and I ignited the discs (not literally of course, I just pressed the play button on the CD player). And, I let the fireworks begin.
THE KEY
From the very beginning, you will feel like you have unlocked the doorway to something special. And, after a full two hours of listening to both discs, you will feel like you have been taken out of this world and transported to another. Welcome to the world of Classical Music.
GUIDANCE
In the beginning, continue to listen to both discs in one go (i.e. one after the other). After a while, you will know which tracks you enjoy listening to the most. For those tracks you enjoyed the most make a promise to yourself that you will listen to the whole of the piece from which that track came from.
Good Luck on your quest if you choose to accept it.
Ride amongst the Valkyries, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebees, and use The Planets to keep you on the path.
I am not a good reviewer because as with all of my reviews I refuse to comment too much about what is inside the product but rather more about what effect the product has had on me. (Me, me, me. Vain & Egotistic, I know, so my friends and family keep telling me). But, I just want to cause a raucous about the product, enough not to spoil but enough of a raucous to let you experience it for yourself.
So my final words are:
Simply The Best Classical Anthems is an invitation. An invitation to the world of classical music. A world where you can begin a never-ending quest of curiosity. A curiosity that will always be rewarded with fulfilment.
Do you accept such an invitation?
Hope you found this review helpful.
–
The Classical Midi Connection Sitemap
Pavarotti – The Ultimate Collection
Pavarotti – The Ultimate Collection
Customer Reviews
THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 8 Sep 2007
By Mr Frank Lee Bland (Carmarthen / Caerfyrddin) – See all my reviews
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 7 Sep 2007
By Mart Classic Review (UK) – See all my reviews
Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti’s most popular performances. The word ’special’ should really be included before the front cover’s mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.
The album opens with ‘Nessun Dorma’, the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti’s subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.
Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way’.
This is a fine example of Pavarotti’s skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.
A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.
Pavarotti’s finest, 17 Mar 2004
By “thestupidman” – See all my reviews
HE’S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL
–
Opera ~ Anna Netrebko
Track Listings
1. O mio babbino caro
2. Libiamo ne’lieti calici (Brindisi)
3. Mesicku na nebi hlubok?m
4. Suis-je gentille ainsi? / Ob?issons, quand leur voix appelle
5. Quando me’n v? (Musette’s Waltz)
6. Ah, non credea mirarti
7. Ah! non giunge uman pensiero
8. Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo
9. Chanson du roi de Thule – Air des Bijoux
10. E strano! – Ah, fors’? lui
11. Sempre libera
12. Crudele! – Ah no, mio bene! – Non mi dir, bell’idol (Donna Anna)
13. Un d? felice, eterea
14. Elvino! E me tu lasci… Son geloso del zefiro errante
15. Ave Maria, piena di grazia
Description
Collection of opera classics sung by the inimitable Russiansoprano Amma Netrebko. A selection of recordings that will appeal to the casual fan as well as the hardened opera fans,’Opera’ highlights the timeless beauty of the songs selected, which are sung beautifully by Netrebko. Includes the tracks ‘Song To The Moon’, ‘Jewel Song’ and ‘Sempre Libera’.
–
Classical Music – Streaming Classical Music
Karadar Bertholdi Classical Music Dictionary
Pavarotti – The Ultimate Collection
Pavarotti – The Ultimate Collection
Customer Reviews
THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 8 Sep 2007
By Mr Frank Lee Bland (Carmarthen / Caerfyrddin) – See all my reviews
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes
Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 7 Sep 2007
By Mart Classic Review (UK) – See all my reviews
Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti’s most popular performances. The word ’special’ should really be included before the front cover’s mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.
The album opens with ‘Nessun Dorma’, the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti’s subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.
Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way’.
This is a fine example of Pavarotti’s skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.
A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.
Pavarotti’s finest, 17 Mar 2004
By “thestupidman” – See all my reviews
HE’S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL
–
WCPE – Great Classical Music 24 Hours a Day
