Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings
2. Mascagni - Intermezzo [from Cavelleria Rusticana]
3. Puccini - O Mio Babbino Caro
4. Marcello - Oboe Concerto (Adagio)
5. Pachelbel - Canon
6. Albinoni - Adagio for strings in G Minor
7. JSBach Orch Suite No3 - Air (2nd Mvt)
8. Albinini - Oboe Conc No2 (Adagio)
9. Mahler - Adagietto 5th Symphony
10. Sibelius - Lento [from Valse Triste]
11. Bizet - Adagietto [from L'Arlesienne Suite]
12. Schubert - String Quintet in C (Adagio)

Disc 2:

1. Palestrina - Kyrie [from Missa Papae Marcelli]
2. Lotti - Crucifixus
3. Allegri - Miserere
4. Barber - Adagio (arranged Daryl Runswick)
5. Tallis - O Nata Lux
6. Byrd - Ave Verum Corpus
7. Traditional - Veni Creator Spiritus
8. Bruckner - Locus Iste
9. Melgas arr Poulenc - Salve Regina
10. Stanford - The Bluebird
11. Mozart - Ave Verum Corpus
12. Gounod - Ave Maria
13. Faur� - Pavane Op. 50
14. John Tavener - Exhortation
15. Ravel - Pavane Pour Une Infante D�funte
16. Handel - Crux Fidelis
17. Faur� - In Paradisum [from Requiem]
18. Elgar - Sancte Deus [Nimrod]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28735 in Music
• Released on: 2009-04-20
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set

CD Description
Adagio is a collection of the most relaxing classical music ever made. In troubled times, this music provides consolation and relaxation, slowing the pace of a world moving at a frantic pace. 30 of the world's best loved classical melodies appear across two CDs, featuring melodies from composers such as Barber, Albinoni and Bach. Disc one presents music performed in an orchestral setting, while disc 2 celebrates the beauty of the human voice, with a collection of choral works. Adagio--over two hours of the world's most peaceful music.

Customer Reviews

Music to put you at ease

While not all the music on this 2CD selection may strictly be defined as `adagios' (word derived from Latin meaning `at ease'), they do provide a calming collection of slow movements from classical music's most familiar composers and a few lesser known works too.

Nice inclusions are early Rennaisance music by Byrd, Tallis, Palestrina and Allegri, familiar ones include adagios by composers Barber and Albinoni, and Mahler's `Adagietto' (a bit quicker than adagio) used in the film `Death in Venice' is an essential listen.

A few less familiar yet equally valid choices like Bruckner's `Locus Iste' and John Tavener's `Exhortation' make this a worthy addition to the `chillout' section of the CD pile.

An uninterrupted string of gems
The two disc compilation is among the finest I have listened to. The discs are appropriately entitled:disc 1 comprising 12 tracks "Orchestral Adagios" and disc 2 comprising 18 tracks "Choral Adagios".

Some of the most beautiful Classical music pieces have been collated in the two discs. The pieces were meticulously selected for their sublime beauty but also for their intrinsic ability to soothe, relax and inspire and promote a feeling of calm and tranquility. Tracks mesh seamlessly and convey the feeling of an underlying unity in their variety. The quality of both rendition and sound is exemplary.

While I appreciate the difficulty of selecting tracks in this "uninterrupted string of gems" still I shall make an attempt recognizing that a variety of alternatives would be perfectly feasible and viable.

Disc 1

Track 1. Barber's Adagio for Strings, possibly one of the most emotional pieces of classical music ever written, the Adagio by the American composer Samuel Barber has made very many public appearances - at the funeral of President Kennedy and in the films "Platoon" and "The Elephant Man".

Track 6. Albinoni's Adagio for Strings, one of the most famous pieces of classical music, heard in many commercials and always tugging at the heart strings.

Track 9. Mahler's Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No.5 made famous from the film "Death In Venice".

Disc 2

Track 3. Allegri's Miserere

Track 8. Bruckner's Locus Iste

Track 13. Faure's Pavane, Faure composed his famous Pavane in 1886 and added the chorus parts in 1887 at the request of his patroness at the time - this beautiful piece featured in many TV comercials, and was used as the BBC theme for the 1998 Football World Cup.

Track 14. Tavener's Exhortation

Track 15. Ravel's Pavane pour une infante Defunte

Track 17. Faure's In Paradisum (Requiem), the ethereal "In Paradisum" is the final section of Faure's famous Requiem, this peaceful work, which suggets the idea of eternal rest so well, was played at Faure's own funeral.

Adagio
An excellent compliation of relaxing music. I particularly enjoyed the orchestral DVD but having one DVD orchestral and one choral makes for variety.