# Opinions on "Highlight" discs



## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

We've all seen then (this probably isn't true). How many when shopping for classical discs have come across "Highlights of (insert Opera or Ballet Here)" or discs containing the best known movements from a composers discography. What are you general feelings on the worth of such discs?


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

When I first started out in Classical I bought a few of the Best Of Composer Type Discs - I enjoyed them and it eventually led to me aquiring and listening to the complete works.
Nowadays I dont buy any highlight Discs and always get the work in full, knowing that is what I am ultimately interested in!


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Same as above - great for entry into the genre, useless once you become acquainted. The way they are marketed sometimes can be annoying though.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I never got into classical through such discs. I sort of jumped right into the deep end. I have a largely negative view of such albums because I feel it presents the work in a bastardized manner. I suppose I could see the usefulness of them in various situations, however. The idea of a "Greatest Hits" seems absurd to me. This is ART music, but I guess it cannot transcend the capitalist system.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> I never got into classical through such discs. I sort of jumped right into the deep end. I have a largely negative view of such albums because I feel it presents the work in a bastardized manner. I suppose I could see the usefulness of them in various situations, however. The idea of a "Greatest Hits" seems absurd to me. This is ART music, but I guess it cannot transcend the capitalist system.


My first classical music was these type of discs. "100 classical masterpieces" it was called. They made me think that the only music that existed in the "1812 Overture" was the loud section at the end. Ya, it was one of those. The ones that not only took a movement out of the context of the piece, but took the most famous section from a movement of a piece and cut out the rest. They made no effort to make the cuts not so obvious either as on numerous tracks you can hear the music "coming in" in the middle from music beforehand, but it was the beginning of the track.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Ahahaha, sounds like something you'd pick up in the bargain bin. I just find it sad that the art has been chopped to pieces to cater to pop sensibilities. I'm curious to how much of the sales these type of discs make up of Classical sales, and if not a significantly high percentage, than is it worth maligning the art over? It seems like it may be beneficial, since three of my favorite posters on here got into the music this way. To those who said they got into it this way, do you think you would have become a classical music listener without them/by taking a different approach?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I may have got into classical by a different route - it would have been performing, if so. My general interest was cultivated when I started taking piano lessons as a teenager, as the requisite exam pieces were mainly classical, and they appealed to me greatly. My parents then got me these highlight-esque CDs. I wouldn't have known where to start otherwise (I did buy a totally random Mozart CD once though - I can't remember my reaction, but the randomness of such an approach rests too heavily on chance).

I wonder if there is perhaps a way for similar discs to be arranged and marketed so that they're not horrible cuts made for pop sensibilities, and instead a kind of "Classical Beginners" set - something like Beethoven #5 and Mozart #40 with liner notes that point you to the famous bits, but don't take them out of context and explain the pieces without assuming any prior knowledge.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

That sounds like a great idea, Polednice. Whenever I listen to a new composer or piece by any composer I go and read all I can about it, from the composition to the performances, everything. I think it is wonderful that people have some sort of knowledge about the music and the composers. It feel it makes me appreciate the music even more. Music is thought of as purely entertainment by a lot of people though, so I don't know how well that would go over. 

Do you think the greatest amount of resources on the internet now allows for an easier avenue into classical? It does span a lot of time and there are so many forms to learn about, so many recordings of the same pieces, and also the issue coming from pop music where the very format of the titles of the pieces and movements might throw people for a loop. I can see why people would have absolutely no idea where or how to start. I don't really feel like these highlight discs, especially the ones that take things out of context, do anything to combat any of the confusion either though.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Polednice said:


> I wonder if there is perhaps a way for similar discs to be arranged and marketed so that they're not horrible cuts made for pop sensibilities, and instead a kind of "Classical Beginners" set - something like Beethoven #5 and Mozart #40 with liner notes that point you to the famous bits, but don't take them out of context and explain the pieces without assuming any prior knowledge.


Those exist. I have ones similar to that and they were very helpful for me in getting into classical music. I can't find them on Amazon because I dont remember the name of the series but, for example, they had 4 Beethoven CD's that included Symphony 5 and 6, The violin concerto, two romances, Lenore Overture, The 5th Piano Concerto, Moonlight Sonata, Egmont Overture and the 3rd symphony. They were good recording too, not bargain CD sounding recordings and the liner notes were very helpful.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

That doesn't sound like the best way to give a beginner a wide range of selection at first purchase, though.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> That doesn't sound like the best way to give a beginner a wide range of selection at first purchase, though.


There were others in the set though too. I just listed the ones for Beethoven. But there were 4 Mozart CDs, 2 Bach CDs, 2 Handel CDs, 2 Chopin CDs and 2 Tchaikovsky CDs. So there were 2 composers for each (acceptable) era of music.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Aha, "acceptable". That's not bad though! How much did this run you?


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> Aha, "acceptable". That's not bad though! How much did this run you?


You mean how much did I listen to these? I think I spent about half a year or so with them before I started to move on. But honestly I'm not sure because most of my life except for the most recent few years is kind of a blur to me.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I knew I shouldn't have used that terminology  I meant, "How much did it cost you?"


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> I knew I shouldn't have used that terminology  I meant, "How much did it cost you?"


OH! Well that was going to be my second guess. It cost me nothing because it was a Christmas gift from my Grandparents.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

So you have no clue how much this set would cost in general? This is such a long process for an answer


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> So you have no clue how much this set would cost in general? This is such a long process for an answer


OH! YOU are wondering personally how much it would cost for yourself. Well hmm I'm not sure they are in print anymore. But I reckon now you could probably get the whole set for about 20 or 30 dollars.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I got interested in classical music by listening to an old Reader's Digest classical sampler mono box set left behind by my deceased grandfather.
Thanks, gramps!


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

violadude said:


> OH! YOU are wondering personally how much it would cost for yourself. Well hmm I'm not sure they are in print anymore. But I reckon now you could probably get the whole set for about 20 or 30 dollars.


Well no, not for myself, but I'm interested in if it would be a good investment for beginners. People who aren't sure if they will like something aren't typically willing to spend too much on something that will be an unknown to them. Perhaps that is why the bargain bin, 2 dollar albums are perfect for some people. While that whole set sounds like a great deal at 20 dollars, I'm not sure if it is perfect for somebody who isn't sure if they like the music whatsoever to begin with.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Cnote11 said:


> Well no, not for myself, but I'm interested in if it would be a good investment for beginners. People who aren't sure if they will like something aren't typically willing to spend too much on something that will be an unknown to them. Perhaps that is why the bargain bin, 2 dollar albums are perfect for some people. While that whole set sounds like a great deal at 20 dollars, I'm not sure if it is perfect for somebody who isn't sure if they like the music whatsoever to begin with.


eh, it's about the same cost as two nights out to dinner by yourself. All you have to do is make a sandwich for two meals and you have enough money to buy the CDs :lol:


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Well... it would seem to me that there are several types of "highlights" discs when it comes to classical music. There are discs such as these...



















... which I suppose may act as an introduction to classical music... especially for individuals who aren't really serious about music at all.

But then there are "highlights" discs such as these:




























In the instance of operas and ballets these works have often been edited and presented as suites... and overtures and other orchestral highlights have been presented in collections as a means of enjoyment of such music by those who aren't enamored of the ballet or opera as a whole. Personally, I far prefer the experience of the work as intended... but there are times (such as when I am working in my art studio) when I do enjoy such great "bleeding chunks" of Wagner, Verdi, Rossini, etc... as opposed to not listening to them at all as I can't really focus upon an opera (unless I really know it well) without following along with the libretto.

*****


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Yes, I don't really consider the second set to be "highlight" discs. I do consider Solti's "Die Walkure Highlight" to be one. I only consider it if it takes a piece out of its context, as the Die Walkure one does, unless of course a suite was issued by the composer, such as The Nutcracker Suite. But I always find those themed ones (Most Relaxing/Only one you'll need) very gimmicky and odd... they don't serve me any purpose, but I suppose the fulfill someone out there...


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Now in some instances... such as with the operas of Rossini or Lehar... all I want are the highlights. I'm not saying of all Rossini's operas... but in some cases the overture and an aria or two is all that you really want. In other instances... Cinderella, The Barber of Seville, etc... the entire opera is worth having. The same is even more true of Lehar. Like Johann Strauss, he was a composer of marvelous bon-bons. There are any number of glorious and glittering tunes that are worth having... and yet not worth the price of admission to an otherwise inane operetta as a whole.





































And then there are what you might term "recital" discs in which an artist chooses a body of favorite works to perform... or the record company or producers select a body of performances by a given soloist that they feel represents the finest efforts of that performer. I have any number of such "highlight" discs... and in many instances count them among my favorites.


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

I've seen a lot of these at stores : http://www.100bestseries.com/emi_best100_catalogue_us.htm

I generally stay away from those, and own none of the kind.
Although I did just purchase, a few hours ago, a CD which comprises only of Russian operas overtures.


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

How about opera soloists' discs? Like Jonas Kaufmann's CD entitled "Verismo Arias". CDs like that, aren't they essentially "best of verismo" album?


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

I became interested in opera through a series of cheap 'highlights' of various operas. The series was called "Discovering Opera" and, judging by the credits, I would say that it was an EMI spin-off product. I have one of the CDs in front of me now, Cosi Fan Tutte, and the singers include Margaret Marshal, Kathleen Battle and Jose van Dam. 

There was a book which told the story, described the music etc. I have long since tossed the books in my quest to make living space, but I have kept the CDs. 

Now the point of my rambling is that these highlights of a particular opera actually contain all the interesting music in that opera, leaving out what is tedious unless (and sometimes even then) seen. It makes for a good introduction to those who are starting out, and even now, satisfies my desire to hear that opera. It is a great aural format, although it may not translate to audiovisual presentations.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

My first exposure to classical and opera was through my parents Readers Digest box sets in the 60's. Later on I explored Classics For Pleasure and certain tobacco companies promo compilations. They were inexpensive and mostly older, but first rate performances. Highlights discs still fulfill a need for those new to classical music. Long may they live!


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Hate'em: would rather a noob be given a list of youtube links -- and if purchasing that it be a full-length piece.

A tiny minority of the market purchasers for those are noobs looking for intros: the majority are those who want a little classical snack, and will never go further. 

Sad thing is if the "best bits / highlights" compilations are available, there may be a tiny group who start and stop there who would have gone further if the 'best of' / highlights albums did not exist.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I bought a couple of Wagner highlights albums on CFP (plus I got one free with an 80s part-work magazine on famous composers) before the CD era but buying whole operas on vinyl was financially off-limits especially as rock was then my first priority. Nevertheless, they sufficiently whetted my appetite and I eventually ended up getting all the operas from Flying Dutchman onwards on CD, so job done.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

PetrB said:


> Hate'em: would rather a noob be given a list of youtube links -- and if purchasing that it be a full-length piece.
> 
> A tiny minority of the market purchasers for those are noobs looking for intros: the majority are those who want a little classical snack, and will never go further.
> 
> Sad thing is if the "best bits / highlights" compilations are available, there may be a tiny group who start and stop there who would have gone further if the 'best of' / highlights albums did not exist.


It doesn't help matters much that some of these CD's are called things like "The Only Classical Album You Will Ever Need." What kind of ludicrous is that???


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

Must contain the entirety of Erik Satie's work if the statement is to be true.


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## thetrout (Jan 28, 2012)

I have a load of free cds from the newspapers like this. Edited version of Beethoven's 5th/1st mv etc. The one thing that annoys me is they are organised around soundtracks. So, Schubert's 8th becomes 'the theme from Minority Report'!

Free I suppose so you cannot really complain.


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