*HOT* 9 Hours of Classical Music $5.99! - 100 Greatest Classical Masterpieces Vol. 2

T

Thunderbird1400

Gawd
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Messages
1,002
You guys know that I love classical music and I stumbled on this gem last night.

It's Volume 2 of the 100 Greatest Classical Masterpieces of All Time series.

9 Hours of Classical Music
100 Tracks

Price: $5.99
Album Savings: $83.01 compared to buying all songs


http://www.amazon.com/100-Greatest-Classical-Masterpieces-Time/dp/B002LIB8SM/


I bought volume 1 a few months ago and the quality on some of the recordings was a little questionable, but I am half way through this one and the quality is outstanding!

I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in classical music, or anybody who doesn't own any classical music
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
For 6 bucks, I'll give it a go.

If anything it will be good background music while we have company.
 
Ugh. I really wish people wouldn't support crap like this. Would you buy 100 Greatest Rock & Roll Songs Vol 3, that was half assed recordings of mediocre cover bands doing Zeppelin and Beatles tunes? Yeah didn't think so.

And it's sad to think that the some of the greatest pieces of human art and intellectualism have been relegated to "background music".

/soapbox
 
bonsai said:
Ugh. I really wish people wouldn't support crap like this. Would you buy 100 Greatest Rock & Roll Songs Vol 3, that was half assed recordings of mediocre cover bands doing Zeppelin and Beatles tunes? Yeah didn't think so.

And it's sad to think that the some of the greatest pieces of human art and intellectualism have been relegated to "background music".

/soapbox
Click to expand...

Actually the quality is pretty good, if not great on these recordings. I would buy the 100 greatest classic rock songs if they were from the original artists.
 
Thunderbird1400 said:
Actually the quality is pretty good.
Click to expand...

I listened to a few of the previews and it sounds like some of them were recorded off of vinyl collections, and some of them are live concert recordings complete with audience coughing and background noise. And as is common with collections like this, there's no normalization between tracks, some are loud some are soft, different recording techniques, orchestras, venues, and eras. Not exactly what I would consider high quality.
 
om, classical & orchestral music.

I've been on the lookout for huge packs. And this.. is inexpensive and awesome. Buying!

Thanks for the share.
 
bonsai said:
I listened to a few of the previews and it sounds like some of them were recorded off of vinyl collections, and some of them are live concert recordings complete with audience coughing and background noise. And as is common with collections like this, there's no normalization between tracks, some are loud some are soft, different recording techniques, venues, and eras. Not exactly what I would consider high quality.
Click to expand...

Coughing, etc. is common in live recordings. I love live recordings - with good groups.

However this is not a good group, and these are not good live recordings.
 
Valkhorn said:
I love live recordings - with good groups.
Click to expand...

My feelings on live recordings goes back and forth. On one hand it's fantastic to capture the spontaneity, the true essence of the music, with a high caliber group, but on the other, unless it's done really well a recording will very rarely actually capture the raw emotion and the experience of hearing it live first hand.
 
bonsai said:
My feelings on live recordings goes back and forth. On one hand it's fantastic to capture the spontaneity, the true essence of the music, with a high caliber group, but on the other, unless it's done really well a recording will very rarely actually capture the raw emotion and the experience of hearing it live first hand.
Click to expand...

Well I love live concerts too, but I also like to listen to classical music in the truck on my commute. This is a very nice way way to unwind and ignore traffic sounds for a small price.
 
Can anybody find volume 1 for me? I'm trying to send my father a link and I've been searching but cant seem to find it.

Thanks in advance.
 
Quality-wise I would have to say this is definitely a step-up from the last collection. http://www.amazon.com/100-Greatest-..._1_10?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1243898722&sr=1-10 I did like this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...UTF8&child=B001U1OMTI&qid=1243988740&sr=102-5 better from a quality stand-point. I don't think that listening to "classical" music in the background is a bad thing...it doesn't always have to be about just the music. Pictures were painted and hung on walls as decoration, that isn't so very different.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
bonsai said:
Ugh. I really wish people wouldn't support crap like this. Would you buy 100 Greatest Rock & Roll Songs Vol 3, that was half assed recordings of mediocre cover bands doing Zeppelin and Beatles tunes? Yeah didn't think so.

And it's sad to think that the some of the greatest pieces of human art and intellectualism have been relegated to "background music".

/soapbox
Click to expand...

only took a couple of posts this time for the snobs to show up
 
This is neat, unfortunately I have 80% of this music in my library already, but it is always better to have a different recording of the same piece, especially when preparing for musical auditions or concerts.

Im in for 1.
 
I just noticed that song #97 ("Concerto for Flute In G Major, Largo") didn't download for me. Did anybody else have this issue, or is this a problem with my computer?
 
Technoob said:
only took a couple of posts this time for the snobs to show up
Click to expand...

Listen to a professional group, like the RPO and listen to say, a student group.

BTW, is there DRM crap on this? "Requires Amazon MP3 Downloader"
 
Technoob said:
only took a couple of posts this time for the snobs to show up
Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with being a snob in a musical sense. Some people honestly know way more than others in terms of music or have a much better ear. Why shouldn't they be proud of what they've learned or how they've trained their ear? I mean we don't take plumbing advice from someone who fiddles with pipes in the store on the weekend out of boredom.
 
Valkhorn said:
There's nothing wrong with being a snob in a musical sense. Some people honestly know way more than others in terms of music or have a much better ear. Why shouldn't they be proud of what they've learned or how they've trained their ear? I mean we don't take plumbing advice from someone who fiddles with pipes in the store on the weekend out of boredom.
Click to expand...

It wouldn't be so bad if they gave us their opinion (after all it is an opinion, not fact) with a more helpful attitude, and less like they were trying to show off just how "trained" their ear was. I don't think you'd appreciate it if you were enjoying a lunch at a local restaurant and some food critic came in, ordered what you ordered, and then proceded to pick appart all of its imperfections with a snobby attitude in front of you. I honestly wouldn't mind getting a little collection of classical music going, but instead of showing me the light, comments like bonsai's really just turn me off. :(
 
Crash250f said:
It wouldn't be so bad if they gave us their opinion (after all it is an opinion, not fact) with a more helpful attitude, and less like they were trying to show off just how "trained" their ear was. I don't think you'd appreciate it if you were enjoying a lunch at a local restaurant and some food critic came in, ordered what you ordered, and then proceded to pick appart all of its imperfections with a snobby attitude in front of you. I honestly wouldn't mind getting a little collection of classical music going, but instead of showing me the light, comments like bonsai's really just turn me off. :(
Click to expand...

We let me be the first to encourage you! Listening to Classical music is a wonderful way to relax and learn to appreciate "refined" music. An inexpensive collection such as this is a great way to learn what you like. I do encourage you to go to a live concert when you find a composer that you enjoy. But in the meantime, listen to the folks that actually own this collection to see if it will work for you.
 
You haven't seen snobs till you've talked to audiophiles who claim they can hear 'day and night' differences between power cables and speaker cords and will spend thousands on stuff that has no measurable impact whatsoever on sound.

Classical and jazz seem to be their favorite choice of music as well :D
 
Apallohadas said:
That I'm aware of, all amazon downloads require their downloader.
Click to expand...
Well, using Freebsd and Opera, it never asks for its install... So *maybe* only
if it detects you are running a windows operating system, or mac if they have
a downloader for it also...
 
By all means by this for background music, because that's pretty much all the majority of these performances are good for.

It's not the actual "recording quality" that sucks, it's the performances and performers themselves. A performance of a concerto by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra is basically a completely different piece than the same concerto performed by most of these groups.

And no, it's not "opinion". I could point to a million different spots in the score where these performers are either making honest mistakes or outright ignoring the composer's directions and intent.

EDIT: That's not to say there aren't some good performances in there, I haven't listened to all of them. But I did sample about 15 of them and almost uniformly they are poor performances.
 
computerpro3, I don't know if I've asked you this before but where could I get some good examples of classical music? I heard Telarc recordings are generally good. Do you have any other recommendations?
 
all you worried about downloader etc. if you want to download an album you have to use the downloader, you can download each song individually without it if you want.

IT IS NOT tied to any kind of drm or anything, no advertisements no anything, its just a downloader, thats it. think steam only it has nothing to do with you playing the mp3, it just downloads a song and cues the next one in the album when its done
 
450 said:
computerpro3, I don't know if I've asked you this before but where could I get some good examples of classical music? I heard Telarc recordings are generally good. Do you have any other recommendations?
Click to expand...

It's more about the actual performance as opposed to the label, but certain labels like Telarc are generally better than others.

Pretty much anything by the following is fantastic for piano:

Horowitz
Cliburn
Ashkenazy
Argerich
Gould
Arrau
Rubinstein
Richter
Gilels
Michaelangeli
Andre-Hamelin
Schiff
Horsowski
Kissin
Geeza Anda

I'm blanking out on one of my favorite bach artists and it's driving me nuts...I'll update this when I can check my music collection.



As for what to listen to, it depends on your style. Some of the stuff you won't get into at first, but will grow to LOVE later (Bach, for me). Some stuff will be immediately accessible for you (Rachmaninoff Concerti for me). Some, you might never get into.

Check out the following, preferrably performed by someone above:

Bach: Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D Minor (I love performing this piece, possibly above all else), all of the Well Tempered Clavier (some really deep stuff), various partitas and french suites. Goldberg Variations are fantastic. For Bach, Gould is the default reccomendation but check out some of the lesser known names as well (I don't like Gould for everything).

Mozart: All of his sonatas, most of his concerti (I play the 21st and really love it). I love Horsowski and Schiff's mozart, as well as Geeza Anda (I LOVE his version of the 21st concerto)

Beethoven: 32 Sonatas will be a good starting point. I really like Arrau for this.

Rachmanionff: Of course, Concertos 2 and 3. Also check out his preludes, and etude-tableaux's. For the concerti, I like Cliburn, Volodos, Ashkenazy, and Horowitz (all very different). For the preludes, I like Ashkenazy.

Brahms: Check out Piano Concertos 1 and 2, and his ballades. He has some amazing piano and violin sonatas as well.


Keep in mind that's mostly piano music, as that is what I major in. It should at least get you started with some quality stuff instead of generic garbage.
 
computerpro3 said:
It's more about the actual performance as opposed to the label, but certain labels like Telarc are generally better than others.

Pretty much anything by the following is fantastic for piano:

Horowitz
Cliburn
Ashkenazy
Argerich
Gould
Arrau
Rubinstein
Richter
Gilels
Michaelangeli
Andre-Hamelin
Schiff
Horsowski
Kissin
Geeza Anda

I'm blanking out on one of my favorite bach artists and it's driving me nuts...I'll update this when I can check my music collection.



As for what to listen to, it depends on your style. Some of the stuff you won't get into at first, but will grow to LOVE later (Bach, for me). Some stuff will be immediately accessible for you (Rachmaninoff Concerti for me). Some, you might never get into.

Check out the following, preferrably performed by someone above:

Bach: Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D Minor (I love performing this piece, possibly above all else), all of the Well Tempered Clavier (some really deep stuff), various partitas and french suites. Goldberg Variations are fantastic. For Bach, Gould is the default reccomendation but check out some of the lesser known names as well (I don't like Gould for everything).

Mozart: All of his sonatas, most of his concerti (I play the 21st and really love it). I love Horsowski and Schiff's mozart, as well as Geeza Anda (I LOVE his version of the 21st concerto)

Beethoven: 32 Sonatas will be a good starting point. I really like Arrau for this.

Rachmanionff: Of course, Concertos 2 and 3. Also check out his preludes, and etude-tableaux's. For the concerti, I like Cliburn, Volodos, Ashkenazy, and Horowitz (all very different). For the preludes, I like Ashkenazy.

Brahms: Check out Piano Concertos 1 and 2, and his ballades. He has some amazing piano and violin sonatas as well.


Keep in mind that's mostly piano music, as that is what I major in. It should at least get you started with some quality stuff instead of generic garbage.
Click to expand...

No love for the dramatic Langlang? ;)
 
I just read this on a different forum:

" if you use the code "FIRSTMIL" that you can get an additional $1.29 off the price "
 
computerpro3 said:
Rachmanionff: Of course, Concertos 2 and 3. Also check out his preludes, and etude-tableaux's. For the concerti, I like Cliburn, Volodos, Ashkenazy, and Horowitz (all very different). For the preludes, I like Ashkenazy.
Click to expand...

Any reason you left out Concertos 1 and 4? I have the whole set (Ashkenazy) and they are superb...

I would also highly recommend Chopin, not just his well-known pieces like fantasie impromptu and heroic polonaise, but also his etudes (like op.10-3).

Debussy has all the nice pretty pieces you've probably heard, but he also has some fun ones.
 
black0ut said:
Any reason you left out Concertos 1 and 4? I have the whole set (Ashkenazy) and they are superb...
Click to expand...

I left them out because while they are fantastic, they are usually not as accessible for first time listeners.

I would also highly recommend Chopin, not just his well-known pieces like fantasie impromptu and heroic polonaise, but also his etudes (like op.10-3).

Debussy has all the nice pretty pieces you've probably heard, but he also has some fun ones.
Click to expand...

Definetely! Omitting Chopin was just a brain fart. And Debussy is fantastic, as is Ravel.
 
I don't know, man, 9 hours of music for $6? How's the quality? 9 hours is like what, one thousand songs? They can't all be that good. I would rather pay $15 for a CD with 20 awesome tracks then listen to 9 hours of music of which maybe 10% is good.
 
Hulk said:
I don't know, man, 9 hours of music for $6? How's the quality? 9 hours is like what, one thousand songs? They can't all be that good. I would rather pay $15 for a CD with 20 awesome tracks then listen to 9 hours of music of which maybe 10% is good.
Click to expand...



The quality was pretty good. I finally finished listening to all of them about a week ago. I would rate it a B+ or A-, but I am happy with my $6 purchase. I also like how it is DRM free :)
 
Hulk said:
I don't know, man, 9 hours of music for $6? How's the quality? 9 hours is like what, one thousand songs? They can't all be that good. I would rather pay $15 for a CD with 20 awesome tracks then listen to 9 hours of music of which maybe 10% is good.
Click to expand...

So how did you like it? This was my second classical music purchase (the first was the 100 Beethoven tracks for $0.99) and it was all new to me. What tracks did you like the best? My favorite was the guitar concert from Vivaldi. I liked that type of relaxing guitar, almost like spanish guitar.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top