Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(29 customer reviews) 175 of 182 people found the following review helpful
Not for purists, but a great introduction nevertheless,
April 29, 2001 "pspa" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces (Audio CD)
I don't think Mozart purists would want a collection that consists in large part of excerpts or single movements from various works, but I bought this for my kids and it really is an entertaining, first-rate, diverse introduction to the endless repertoire of Mozart. Perfect for someone who is only a casual fan of classical music, or kids who need memorable tunes to sustain their interest in classical music, or I suppose for someone who just wants beautiful music in the background.
95 of 97 people found the following review helpful
a Mozart sampler for any reason you want,
November 11, 2002 R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces (Audio CD)
This is a great sampler of the world's greatest composer (well, Bach and Beethoven are contenders)! Rather than deciding where to begin -- operas? symphonies? concertos? sonatas? -- you can begin everywhere at once. The performances are not second-rate, they are excerpts from world-class recordings. You can use this set as the basis for further listening adventures, or you can use it as an end in itself. As such, it is surely a contender for Best CD In The World. If you bought complete recordings of every composition excerpted on this disc, you might have to file for bankruptcy, so don't let purism stand in the way of enjoying Mozart.
I used this set as my introduction (it was previously packaged as THE GREATEST MOZART SHOW ON EARTH) when I first ventured into classical music a couple of years ago, and so far I've expanded into operas, piano concertos, violin concertos, and string quintets. The genius revealed over the range of forms led to love at first listening!
68 of 71 people found the following review helpful
Purists Be Damned!,
June 22, 2005 Suzanne (Oklahoma City, OK United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces (Audio CD)
This is an excellent collection and the perfect starting point for anyone interested in getting into classical music or, more specifically, Mozart. It was because of my love for this set that I ended up buying the 180 cd "Complete Mozart Edition" from Phillips. Now, spending $1000+ on everything Mozart ever wrote is a bit extreme and those who aren't kooks and completests like myself most likely won't be inclined to do so. But my love for Mozart and classical really began with this set. I found myself playing this album several times a day because I couldn't believed I had lived 16+ years without ever hearing such wonderful, awe-inspiring music.
Not to mention this set is filled with big-named conductors and orchestras who turn in wonderful performances of many of Mozart's best loved pieces. I swear everytime I hear the Adagio to Mozart's 23rd Piano Concerto I still get chills. This collection also contains a wide range of styles; from opera to symphonies and serenades,...Read more
