featured classical albums
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- Mike Oldfield
- Two Sides: The Very Best…
- This self-chosen set makes a great introduction to Mike Oldfield's work, although ardent fans will no doubt have everything here in their longer forms.
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- John Zorn
- John Zorn: Rimbaud
- Rimbaud is a terrific collection of Zorn's stylistically diverse, wildly imaginative, mostly manic works inspired by the 19th century French Symbolist poet.
- Chilly Gonzales / Gonz …
- Solo Piano II
- An engaging record with a personality all its own, sometimes contemplative but also playful.
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- Mike Morasky
- Portal 2: Songs to Test…
- Featuring the first Portal game soundtrack and a mini comic, the deluxe edition of Portal 2's score caters to the game's hardcore fans.
- Renée Fleming
- The Art of Renée Fleming
- Essentially a collection of Fleming's most popular hits, the album showcases the creamy richness of her voice and her gift for lyrical, soaring lines.
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- Various Artists
- Wreck-It Ralph
- Wreck-It-Ralph's soundtrack relishes video game culture from the '80s onward.
- Lang Lang
- The Chopin Album
- The Chopin Album is Lang Lang's first recording devoted to the solo piano music of the Romantic master.
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- Chris Mann
- Roads
- Showcases the burnished pop and classical vocals that helped him finish second on the 2012 season of The Voice.
- Nelson Freire
- Brasileiro: Villa-Lobos…
- Nelson Freire serves up a generous program of colorful and evocative piano works by his compatriots on Brasileiro.
significant music
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about classical
Classical music is hard to define in specific terms, but it is generally understood to be music rooted in Western European traditions performed by trained musicians in formal settings like concert halls, opera houses, and churches. Its key emphasis is the faithful interpretation of composers' written scores. Classical music's roots lie in the chant melodies of Medieval religious rites. Its contemporary incarnation encompasses everything from opera and the symphony orchestra to chamber ensembles, solo works, choral music, songs, film music, and the avant-garde. Works from the intervening centuries make up the bulk of the recorded repertory, and they mirror the artistic and architectural trends of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras in their sound worlds and conception. The dichotomy between classical and popular music is a fairly recent cultural development. In fact, much of what is considered classical music today grew out of, was influenced by, or was popular music of its time.