Only a snob can be aghast at the mere existence of Classic FM. It may be easier to excuse people's protestations at the idea of putting classical music into any form of list (although it is a lot of fun).
Who can really complain when you have, on one album, 30 of the most beautiful and inspiring peices of music ever written. As an adjunct to this is the inevitability of these mesmerising pieces becoming so tired and mundane after their inclusion on every Best Of CD, every car advert, every daily Classic FM schedule!
And so the Intermezzo from Cavelleria Rusticana loses much of its beauty and becomes bland and almost self-parodying; Pachelbel's Cannon sounds as uninspired and dull as any modern dance track; and the Planets Suite begs for a karaoke singalong. Most of the composers would be rotating in their graves at more than 33rpm!
It is wonderful that Classic FM has brought such delights as Shostakovich's 2nd Piano Concerto to (undoubtedly) its widest British audience ever, and it is good to see Allegri's Misere included. However, for the most parts, this is an album of sometimes beautiful, but usually cheap and bland, thrills. It would have been wonderful if it had included a few pieces not instantly recognisable to the average Guiseppe. This does not mean such pieces need be ultra-obscure or wholly lacking in melody. Where is Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, Shostakovich's 1st piano concerto, Bellini's Casta Diva, Tallis's Spem in Allium, Satie's Gnoisiennes etc. Most are played on the station, most featured (lower down) on the list, yet none is included here. No wonder the list is so static!
Classic FM took over the classical music revival in this country started by Kennedy and the three tenors. Now they need to follow it up a bit. More and more people I know, who were originally turned on to classical music by the station, are now switching to Radio 3 (which is no bad thing). The ball is in Classic FM's court to continue our education. With this CD, it's as if we are forced to repeat the year.