Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Zadok the Priest, coronation anthem No. 1 for chorus & orchestra, HWV 258
2. The Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary) for brass, winds & percussion (or keyboard or trumpet & organ) in D major
3. Lachrimae Doolande, instrumental music: Pavane: Lachrymae antique
4. Abdelazer, or, the Moor's Revenge, incidental music, Z. 570: Rondeau
5. Spem in Alium (also set as 'Sing and glorify'), motet for 40 voices, P. 299
6. With lilies white, consort song for voice & 4 viols
7. Dido and Aeneas, opera, Z. 626: Overture
8. Dido and Aeneas, opera, Z. 626: Act 3. Your counsel all... Great minds... Thy hand, Belinda... When I am laid in earth... With droo
9. Come ye sons of art away (Birthday ode for Queen Mary), for soloists, chorus & instruments, Z. 323: Symphony - Come, ye sons of art,
10. O solitude, my sweetest choice, song, Z. 406
11. Solomon, oratorio, HWV 67: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
12. Messiah, oratorio, HWV 56: Hallelujah
13. Messiah, oratorio, HWV 56: He was despised
14. Water Music Suite No.2 for orchestra in D major, HWV 349: Overture - Hornpipe

Disc 2:

1. Serse (Xerxes), opera, HWV 40: Ombra mai fu
2. Dixit Dominus, hymn for soloists, chorus & orchestra in G minor, HWV 232
3. Giulio Cesare in Egitto, opera, HWV 17: Dall'ondoso periglio... Aure, deh, per pieta
4. Alcina, opera, HWV 34: Verdi prati
5. La favola d'Orfeo, opera, SV 318: Sinfonia
6. Altri canti d'amor, dramatic madrigal for 6 voices, 2 violins & 4 violas (from Book 8), SV 146
7. Work(s): Beatus vir
8. L'incoronazione di Poppea, opera in 3 acts, SV 308: Pur ti miro
9. Adagio, for violin, strings & organ in G minor, T. Mi 26 (composed by Remo Giazotto; not by Albinoni)
10. Miserere mei Deus (Psalm 51), motet for chorus
11. Work(s): Sonata pian' e forte
12. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in G minor ('L'estate,' The Four Seasons; 'Il cimento' No. 2), Op. 8/2, RV 315: 1. Al

Disc 3:

1. Gloria, for 3 solo voices, chorus, trumpet, oboe, violin (ad lib), 2 violas, 2 cellos, strings & continuo in D major, RV 589
2. Oboe Concerto in C minor, SF. 799 (attributed to A. Marcello): 2. Adagio
3. Work(s): Guitar Quintet in E~3. Menuetto
4. Sonata for keyboard in D minor, K. 9 (L. 413), 'Pastorale'
5. Stabat mater, for soprano, alto, strings & organ in F major: opening
6. Double Mandolin Concerto, for 2 mandolins, strings & continuo in G major, RV 532: 1. Allegro
7. Work(s): Crucifixus
8. Sonata for violin & continuo in G minor, B. g5 ('The Devil's Trill'): 3. Allegro
9. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in E major ('La Primavera,' The Four Seasons; 'Il cimento' No. 1), Op.8/1, RV 269
10. Piccolo (Flautino) Concerto, for piccolo (or recorder/flute), strings & continuo in C major, RV 444: 1. Allegro
11. Work(s): Fandango
12. O vos omnes, responsory for 4 voices
13. Diferencias sobre las Folias
14. Ay luna que reluzes
15. Pavan and galliard d'Alexandra, for vihuela

Disc 4:

1. Marche de triomphe avec des trompettos et des timbales, for orchestra
2. Première Marche des Mousquetaires, for orchesetra, LWV 10
3. Symphonies du Festin Royal, Suite No 4, Nos 1-11, complete: Contredanse
4. Marche de triomphe, for instruments, H. 547
5. Les Symphonies de M de La Lande pour les soupers du Roy, for orchestra, S. 155-72: Caprice de Villers-Cotterets
6. Chaconne for orchestra, S. 173/2
7. Prélude pour le Te Deum à 8, for strings, H. 145a
8. Mass for the convents, for organ: Offertoire sur les grands jeux
9. Work(s): Regina coeli
10. Panis angelicus, motet for alto, tenor, bass & continuo, C. 131
11. Requiem Mass: Introit (extract)
12. In convertendo, grand motet for soloists, chorus, 2 flutes, 2 horns, violin, viola & continuo: Tunc repletum est gaudio nostrum
13. Suite for theorbo in C minor: La Plainte, ou le Tombeau de Mesdemoiselles de Visée, filles de l'auteur
14. Plainte sur la mort de Monsieur Lambert
15. Tambourins I and II, for harpsichord, violin & viol (Pièces de clavecin en concerts)
16. Suite for 2 treble instruments & continuo in C minor (Pièces en trio): La Plainte
17. Le Canal de Versailles, ballet: Overture
18. Isis, opera, LWV 54: Air des trembleurs: L'Hiver qui nous tourmente s'obstine à nous geler
19. Les Indes galantes, opéra-ballet: Chaconne

Disc 5:

1. Canon in D major, instrumental arrangement
2. Canzonetta for organ in A minor, BuxWV 225
3. Cello Concerto in G minor: 3. Allegro non tanto
4. Cantata No. 147, 'Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben,' BWV 147 (BC A174): jesus bleibet meine Freude
5. Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068: Air
6. Concerto for 4 harpsichords, strings & continuo in A minor (after Vivaldi, RV 580), BWV 1065: 1. Allegro
7. Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37): Toccata
8. Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37): Fugue
9. Cantata No. 51, 'Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen,' BWV 51 (BC A134): Aria: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen
10. Suite for flute, harpsichord (or violin) & continuo in A minor (Concerts et Suites No. 5/11), TWV 42:a3
11. Work(s): Oboe Concerto in F minor~2. Largo
12. Cantata No. 29, 'Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir,' BWV 29 (BC B8): Sinfonia
13. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Aria
14. St. John Passion (Johannespassion), BWV 245 (BC D2): Es ist vollbracht
15. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049: 3. Presto
16. Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: 1. Prelude
17. Magnificat, for 5 voices, 5-part chorus, orchestra & continuo in D major, BWV 243 (BC E14): Magnificat anima mea
18. Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056: 1. Allegro - 2. Largo - 3. Presto
19. Sonata for flute & keyboard in E flat major, BWV 1031: 2. Siciliano

Disc 6:

1. Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 1. Preludio
2. St. John Passion (Johannespassion), BWV 245 (BC D2): Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine
3. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047: 1. Allegro
4. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047: 2. Andante
5. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047: 3. Allegro assai
6. Mass in B minor, for soloists, chorus & orchestra, BWV 232 (BC E1): Gloria in excelsis... Et in terra pax
7. The Well-Tempered Clavier (24), collection of preludes & fugues, Book I, BWV 846-869 (BC L80-103): Prelude & Fugue in C BWV 846
8. Concerto for 2 violins, strings & continuo in D minor ('Double'), BWV 1043: 2. Largo ma non tanto
9. Suite for lute in E minor, BWV 996 (BC L166): 5. Bourrée
10. Suite for lute in E minor, BWV 996 (BC L166): 6. Gigue
11. Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067: 1. Ouverture - 6. Menuet - 7. Badinerie
12. Partita for keyboard No. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825 (BC L1): 1. Präludium
13. Partita for keyboard No. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825 (BC L1): 6. Gigue
14. Magnificat, for 5 voices, 5-part chorus, orchestra & continuo in D major, BWV 243 (BC E14): Deposuit potentes
15. Mass in B minor, for soloists, chorus & orchestra, BWV 232 (BC E1): Agnus Dei
16. Keyboard Sonata in E flat major, F. 5 (BR A7): 2. Largo - 3. Presto
17. Concerto for cello, strings & continuo ('No. 3') in A major, H. 439, Wq. 172: 3. Allegro assai
18. Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, oratorio for 3 voices, chorus, orchestra & continuo, H. 777, Wq. 240: Triumph! Der Fürst des Leben

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68317 in Music
• Released on: 2006-01-01
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: .52 pounds

Customer Reviews

Great value, if slightly substandard recordings, for classical newbie
"100 Best Baroque" is what it seems - a compilation of the 100 definitive Baroque compositions. For a very low price you get a complete overview of the Baroque style, and while the sound quality of the recordings will not satisfy a serious student or fan of classical music, they are more than enough for a classical neophyte such as myself.

The compilation breaks down the songs into six categories on six separate CDs:

1. England and the Baroque - Handel's Zadok the Priest and Messiah, Purcell's O Solitude, Byrd's With Lillies White, etc.

2. The Best of Italian Baroque - Handel's Alcina and others, Albinoni's Adagio, Gabrielli's Sonata Pian e forte, Vivaldi's "Summer," etc.

3. Treasures of the Mediterranean Baroque - Vivaldi's Gloria, Boccherini's Guitar Quintet in E, Soler's Fandango, etc.

4. The Glory of French Baroque - Philidor, Lully, De Lalande, etc.

5. Bach and His Time - Pachelbel's Canon in D, J.S. Bach's Cantanta, Telemann, etc.

6. The Genius of Bach - all Bach selections.

The sound recordings are of secondary quality as one could expect for such a low-budget item as this. Still, this collection is perfect for the casual listener or for background music. That does not mean that the quality is poor - far from it - it's just not as good as what you can expect from some higher-priced CDs.

All in all, a fantastic value.

Good but Poorly Organized Music Selection
Let me start by saying that I am definitely not a Baroque music expert by any means, so my thinking about how poorly organized the music selection is might be off-base. If so, please correct me, because I really want to know!

Upon receiving this set, I noticed pretty immediately that the "Treasures Of Mediterranean Baroque" contained many composers that I always just thought of as Italian, such as Vivaldi and Tartini, which should have been a part of the set's "The Best of Italian Baroque" Disk -- and actually, there are also Vivaldi pieces on "The Best of Italian Baroque", and I don't understand what factors are considered in deciding which pieces went on which disk.

There are also several Handel pieces on "The Best of Italian Baroque", which should actually belong on a German Baroque Disk (which the set does not contain), or on the set's "England & The Baroque" disk -- and actually, there are also Handel pieces on the "England & The Baroque" disk.

I enjoyed the music, and especially appreciated the Bach selections for the two Bach disks. However, I was hoping I would be able to learn more about regional Baroque sounds, and because of the confusing way the set is organized, that won't be part of my listening experience.