Cheers to those with drive to attain "real" music student status. However, I just want to listen to music passages I have found enjoyable over the years. There is no pretense of this selection being a student workbook of classical music for the serious scholar - it is just an enjoyable alternative to that shared by those offensively loud vehicles near me at the stoplight.

I admit I am not a huge fan of Classical music, but I have throughly enjoyed this CD. I recognize the songs, even though I have no idea of most of their titles.

I had this cd set years ago and lost it, It is good. I am happy with the speed it was delivered and the fact that shipping wasn't an over price.
a.f.

Although I can see why classical music novices wouldn't care that this CD's recordings and interpretations aren't very good, I do think that there are much better quality compilations out there that serve the same purpose and are still affordable.

As a professional-level classical musician who has many friends and family who "hate" classical music, I always suggest the iTunes "essential" collections. iTunes picks top notch recordings and a nice balance of works - some are in the "top 40" category and others are slightly lesser known but give a great idea of what the composer's best work was like. (You'd be surprised to know that a lot of the top 40 classical pieces are not exemplary of their composers' works).

iTunes Essentials used to have a terrific "Classical 101" compilation, and now they have the follow-up "Classical 201," which is basically the same thing. You can buy the first level "The Basics" for $24.95, and if you like it you can branch out to the next levels. Also, iTunes has more Classical compilations organized by time period, if you find that you favor one period of classical over another. A very safe beginning spot if you want to start with a genre is "Classic: Romantic Period" for $21.78.

Happy listening and I hope you end up liking classical music!

It's probably too much to say that this collection is for those who "hate" classical music. But I think it's safe to say that it is for people who are not serious aficionados. It provides classical tunes that most of us have heard but don't necessarily know the names of and presents them in a very palatable way. A diverse array of composers is represented and there is something here for just about anyone. Some of the songs will be familiar to you from TV commercials, movies, weddings, and all sorts of places. For my money, this set was exactly what I was looking for. I would never have been able to do enough research to discover the names of all these songs and track them down. I would also not be interested in hearing most of them in their full presentation. I know that the purists absolutely hate that these are presented in excerpt form but I find it perfect. I simply don't WANT to listen to 25 minutes of a song to hear the 3 minutes that I actually enjoy. The hardcore classical fans really need to understand that this collection is not aimed at them or their tastes and some of us have no interest in becoming experts, we just want to enjoy some of the best songs that the great composers ever created.