CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces

from: Decca

Release Date March 13, 2001
You get Mozart's best works in 2 CD. The sound is flawless to the common ear. Get it! if you love Mozart

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

The #1 Opera Album

by: Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Léo Delibes, Georges Bizet, Umberto Giordano, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner, Gioachino Rossini, Alfredo Catalani, Jacques Offenbach, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Charles Gounod, Gaetano Donizetti, Pietro Mascagni, Antonin Dvorak, Richard Bonynge, Herbert von Karajan, Alberto Erede, Lamberto Gardelli, Giuseppe Patane, John Mauceri, Zubin Mehta, Charles Dutoit, Gyorgy Fischer, Riccardo Chailly, Istvan Kertesz, Leone Magiera, Evelino Pido, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Luciano Pavarotti, Jussi Bjorling, Renata Tebaldi

Release Date February 27, 2001
I heard this CD on a PBS pledge drive (it was a premium) and found myself loving every cut on it! I was in my car and just wanted to keep on driving and listening. This is by far my most-played CD - I've had to make it a weekend only listen to prevent getting burned out on it. HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are unfamiliar with some of the pieces, you will quickly learn to love them. . . . I must end this review - I'm off to listen to the "flower duet" for the 100th time. . .

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs

by: Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Lotti, Antonio Cesti, Giovanni Paisiello, Anonymous, Benedetto Marcello, Giuseppe Giordani, Giulio Caccini, Alessandro Parisotti, Pietro Francesco Cavalli, Antonio Vivaldi, Giacomo Carissimi, Cecilia Bartoli, György Fischer

Release Date October 13, 1992
Cecilia Bartoli may not be the finest mezzo-soprano extant but few would doubt her exceptional artistry and professionalism. In "Se tu m'ami", she transforms simple, even primitive, melodies into beautiful, dare I say, rapturous arias, in the finest bel canto tradition. I now understand why Paisiello was a favourite of Buonaparte and why I should now acknowledge Vivaldi for his considerable versatility and creativity. The disc now occupies a top shelf in my CD rack. Bravissimo Cecilia.

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)

from: Delta

Release Date October 25, 1990
I think that this is really one of the best values you're going to find anywhere in the world of classical music, especially for beginners. You're getting 10 CDs, each filled almost to capacity, with the most famous works from the most famous composers in the history of classical music. The sound quality is excellent on every disc.

While I would have made some replacements on the list of who was included, I feel that this collection is a must-buy for anyone interested in exploring classical music in depth. Quality is high, quantity is high, you really can't go wrong.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

The Greatest Opera Show on Earth

from: Polygram Records

Release Date September 16, 1997
I just bought my second copy of this excellent CD because I literally wore the first one out. No matter how I feel before I play this music, I feel joy whenever I listen to it. Highly recommended to beginners and the more experienced opera listeners as well.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias

by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, György Fischer, Cecilia Bartoli

Release Date January 16, 1992
I have owned this cd for ages, and it is still a favorite. Bartoli is undoubtably a great singer. If you want to hear great singing, you will not be disappointed. But, she is also a brilliant musician and interpreter if Mozart. Her "Soave sia il vento" alone is worth the purchase price.

On this cd you will hear a younger and somewhat lighter Bartoli. It was originally released back in 1996. She has a clear and light but still full Bartoli sound I prefer when listening to Mozart.

Undoubtedly Bartoli is one of the great singers of our age. I highly reommend this CD.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

from: Delta

Release Date August 24, 1999
i can't believe this set is selling for $80 here. i bought this set years ago at circuit city for $35. last time i visited, there was still one on the shelf. *shrug* i would definitely try and find it cheaper, but even at this price you're not getting ripped off completely. all of the recordings are of good quality and the selections are actually pretty damn good compared to other "best of" sets.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Cecilia Bartoli - A Portrait

by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gioachino Rossini, Giulio Caccini, Guiseppe Giordani, Alessandro Parisotti, Ion Marin, Christopher Hogwood, Riccardo Chailly, György Fischer, Lesley Schatzberger, Cecilia Bartoli, The Academy of Ancient Music

Release Date September 19, 1995
The greatness in art lies in its flexibility and Bartoli exemplifies this greatness in everything she sings! Bartoli reveals different things at different times. In the world of opera Bartoli stands at the summit of achievement, her work is so perfect, so inspired and heartfelt, so gloriously engaging that it is almost impossible to do it violence. She is, of course, frequently staged and as a result has been at the mercy of numerous operatic fads. Yet Bartoli has faced such slings and arrows bravely. Bartoli's effusive Susanna forced audiences to consider the opera with her at its center. Her chemistry as Susanna is explosive. Bartoli's roles and characterizations must never be minimized. Thanks to her unusual exuberance, Bartoli is reveling in opera's virtues and it is a never ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Rendezvous of Angels - Concert Collection [20 CD Set]

from: Delta

Release Date December 09, 2003
This box set, along with 2 others, Passion - Most Famous Orchestral Spectaculars & Rhapsody in Blue - Ultimate Piano Collection, from the same company, have been offered at incredibly low prices (around $15) and that is a value that you just cannot pass up. And if the price is back to it's normal range of about $50.00 I would say it is still worth it. But, I think the prices on these sets go up and down a lot, so if you can be patient, keep watching and you should be able to get it for a steal.
The pieces on this collection of 20 CDs focus on the strings and the flute. Every CD has been remastered and is great quality. The list of music, as you can see, is huge, as is the number of composers. This being the case, I can highly recommend this as a PERFECT starting point ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set)

from: Delta

Release Date July 14, 1994
I had this collection and lost it in 2000 when moving to a new house. I took me a time to find it but after having it again I can say it is the most valuable selection of classic music, it is truly the 100 top masterpieces and the sound is excellent.