Editorial Reviews

As a compilation of soothing classical pieces, EMI's Best Relaxing Classics 100 should work as a satisfactory chill-out collection, at least theoretically, because it is full of slow, soft, and atmospheric music that most people will find very tranquil and pleasant, if played at a moderate-to-low volume. However, this six-disc set of recordings from EMI's extensive backlist has one obvious feature that seems to work against its calming qualities, and that is its striking variety of genres, instrumentation, and performance styles, which may be too changeable for the average person's relaxation needs. While most tracks are indeed peaceful -- especially the Baroque pieces on Disc 1 that favor small forces, uniformity of textures, and steady dynamics -- there are enough Classical and Romantic pieces that rely on sudden contrasts of mood, tone, and volume to make relaxation a bit more challenging. And if all six discs are lined up in a CD changer for continuous play, the stylistic variety of the thematically arranged programs may be sufficiently diverting to make one sit up and take notice, rather than kick back. Furthermore, there are a few vocal selections included, which some may find appealing for their beauty, though most listeners probably would favor instrumental music for rest, leisure, or meditation. Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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