Shirley D. (lavendy) from SALEM, OR Reviewed on 5/20/2011...
A very good introduction to classical music. There are some familiar pieces as well as some not so familiar. The quality of the sound is very good, too. A great place to start learning about what you like in the classical genre.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Charlotte E. from BURLEY, ID Reviewed on 8/9/2007...
This is a very wonderful collection of piano classics! If you only have one CD of piano classics, this would be a good one to have.
CD Reviews
The Sound Quality Really Bugs Me
Joseph Stembler | Tampa, FL USA | 08/26/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This is a good intro CD to famous piano pieces. However, the sound quality is really *poor*. Of course, what do you expect for the price? I'm sure there are better Piano Sample CDs out there that sound much better. It's worth the extra money, trust me."
Good Disc for the Price
L. Ku | New York | 01/19/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A good compilation of excerpts from the rich and vast piano repertoire. Sure they are merely excerpts and are meant to just introduce the piano to someone unfamiliar with the instrument or classical music, but that doesn't mean that an experienced person can't just pop it into the CD player and enjoy. While there's no classic recordings here or big names, most of the tracks are well played and acceptable in sound quality. There are some interesting pieces here that are unfamiliar to most, such as the Dvorak Humoresque or the Paderewski Minuet, as well as classics such as the Debussy Clair de Lune or the Mozart Concerto.The rendition of the Rhapsody in Blue is a nice performance with a well done ending that may even be better than some other CD's made by big named pianists."
A Wealth Of Memorable Classics
Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 11/15/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a steal and yet it has a wealth of memorable classical pieces put together in one CD. What an inexpensive way to listen and appreciate 25 masterpieces by the world's greatest composers from Baroque Era to Modern Era (Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederyk Chopin, Peter Tchaikovsky, Franz Schubert, Sergei Rachmaninoff and George Gershwin, to name a few), as interpreted by various talented pianists. Piano, for me, is the ultimate musical instrument. It brings us range of emotions from blissful, sentimental and passionate to melancholy, blue and nostalgic.
One of my personal favorites is the finale track, "Rhapsody In Blue." It's awesome, spellbinding and I just love it! It's a masterpiece by one of the world-class composers I admire, the unforgettable Mr. George Gershwin. Two tracks were my pieces, track # 5 "Dvorak: Humoresque No. 7" and track # 11 "Rubinstein: Melody In F."
I would highlight my top favorites such as "Liszt: Liebestraum" (this was one my sister's pieces and she plays this sublimely!), "Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor," "Debussy: Reverie," "Chopin: Etude In E Op. 10," "Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini," "Mozart: Sonata No. 11 Rondo Alla Turca," "Chopin: Waltz in D Flat - Minute Waltz," and last but not least, "Debussy: Clair De Lune."
I highly recommend this CD to all classical music enthusiasts' listening pleasure. You'll enjoy it as much as I do!"
Good for the price.....
Surface to Air Missle | USA | 11/30/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I listen to this CD while reading or when I need inspiration to play the piano. There are many classic pieces here that will have many recognizable sections to the non classical music fans. The sound quality is not amazing but the essence and technical difficulty of these pieces can still be heard. Most of the songs are under 5 mins and there is a mix of faster and slower tempos.
This is a bargain bin CD that you usually see at Fry's Electronics. There are more detailed and comprehensive collections out there but for 5 bucks this isn't bad and you basically get what you expect. There are much better classical CD's out there of course but for a beginner compilation album, this one has a great price."