1000 Years Of Classical Music

Proving that Classical music is a living tradition stretching across the millennia, ABC Classics have released 1000 Years of Classical Music (ABC 4812456) a new 8 CD compilation of 100 musical tracks spanning 1000 years giving a panoramic overview of classical music from the earliest chant to the present day and creating a soundtrack that is intricately linked to the development of our world.

As well as being a collection of CDs, 1000 Years of Classical Music has a website which links music with history, art, politics and the spectrum of events which have shaped culture and civilisation.

The CDs clock up over 10 hours of music from the Baroque & Before through the Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. The extensive accompanying booklet provides a guide to the historical moments and key moments.

BAROQUE & BEFORE (c.1000 to c.1750) – The age of the church and the court – with music from ancient chant to the treasures of the baroque, including Hildegard, Tallis, Monteverdi, Vivaldi, JS Bach and Handel.

THE CLASSICAL ERA (c.1750 to c.1820) – The era of innovation – the birth of the symphony, the arrival of the piano, the first concerts, and the towering geniuses of Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

THE ROMANTIC ERA (c.1820 to c.1900) – Revolution, heroism and ambition – told in music through the virtuosic concertos of Chopin, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, and the operas of Puccini, Verdi and Wagner.

THE MODERN ERA (c.1900 to the present day) – A world of fragmentation and a flourishing of diversity – from music born out of World War I to 21st-century Australia, via French Impressionism, Eastern European minimalism and American classics.

Starting with the ancient chants like Sumer Is Icumen In, Tallis’ Spem in Alium and Nigra sum from Monteverdi’s Vespers, there are overtures, excerpts from concertos, chamber works and symphonies, ballet music, arias from operas and choral works which bring the collection into the present day works of composers like Takemitsu, Glass and Sculthorpe. 

The tracks:

BAROQUE & BEFORE

VOLUME I CD1: 1 ANONYMOUS Crux fidelis • 2 ANONYMOUS Sumer Is Icumen In • 3 TALLIS Spem in alium • 4 DOWLAND Lachrimae • 5 MONTEVERDI Vespers: Nigra sum • 6 PURCELL Dido’s Lament • 7 BIBER Rosary Sonatas: The Crucifixion • 8 SCARLATTI Lidio e Clori: Ah! si, purtroppo e vero • 9 VIVALDI The Four Seasons – Spring: Allegro • 10 RAMEAU Dardanus: Paix favorable • 11 PERGOLESI Stabat mater dolorosa • 12 BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: Allegro • 13 BACH Concerto for Two Violins: Vivace • 14 BACH Loben dem Herrn • 15 BACH The Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude in C major • 16 HANDEL Water Music: Hornpipe • 17 HANDEL Messiah: And the glory of the Lord • 18 HANDEL Julius Caesar: Piangero la sorte mia

THE CLASSICAL ERA

VOLUME I CD2: 1 CPE BACH Symphony for Strings: Allegro di molto • 2 HAYDN Cello Concerto No. 1: Adagio • 3 HAYDN The Seasons: Welche Labung fur die Sinne! • 4 MOZART Jupiter Symphony: Allegro vivace • 5 MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24: Larghetto • 6 MOZART The Marriage of Figaro: Non piu andrai • 7 MOZART Requiem: Dies irae • 8 MOZART Clarinet Concerto: Adagio • 9 BEETHOVEN String Quartet in F minor: Larghetto espressivo • 10 BEETHOVEN Sonata Pathétique: Adagio cantabile • 11 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5: Allegro con brio • 12 BEETHOVEN Choral Symphony: Molto vivace • VOLUME I CD3: 1 BEETHOVEN Emperor Concerto: Adagio • 2 HUMMEL Piano Trio No. 4: Rondo • 3 ROSSINI The Barber of Seville: Overture

THE ROMANTIC ERA

4 SCHUBERT Trout Quintet: Finale • 5 SCHUBERT Unfinished Symphony: Allegro moderato • 6 BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique: March to the Scaffold • 7 MENDELSSOHN The Hebrides • 8 MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto No. 2: Allegretto non troppo • 9 CHOPIN Nocturne in B major • 10 SCHUMANN Kinderscenen: Traumerei • 11 SCHUMANN Rhenish Symphony: Scherzo • VOLUME I CD4: 1 LISZT Years of Pilgrimage: Au lac de Wallenstadt 2 BIZET Carmen: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle • 3 BRAHMS A German Requiem: Wielieblich sind deine Wohnungen • 4 BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2: Allegro non troppo • 5 BRUCKNER Romantic Symphony: Scherzo • 6 JOHANN STRAUSS II Voices of Spring – Waltz • 7 DVOŘAK Cello Concerto: Allegro • 8 DVOŘAK New World Symphony: Adagio • 9 GRIEG Peer Gynt: In the Hall of the Mountain King • VOLUME II CD1: 1 GRIEG Piano Concerto: Allegro molto moderato • 2 TCHAIKOVSKY The Nutcracker: Dance of the Mirlitons • 3 TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto: Finale • 4 WAGNER Tannhäuser: Dich teure Halle • 5 VERDI Nabucco: Va’, pensiero • 6 VERDI Requiem: Sanctus • 7 SAINT-SAËNS Organ Symphony: Maestoso • 8 MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition: Ballet of the Chicks in Their Shells • 9 FAURÉ Requiem: Pie Jesu • 10 PUCCINI Turandot: Nessun dorma • 11 MAHLER Symphony No. 4: Sehr behaglich 12 MAHLER Symphony No. 5: Adagietto

THE MODERN ERA

VOLUME II CD2: 1 DEBUSSY Prélude à ‘L’Après-midi d’un faun’ • 2 DEBUSSY Préludes: Des pas sur la neige • 3 ELGAR Cello Concerto: Adagio • 4 ELGAR Enigma Variations: ‘Nimrod’ • 5 HOLST The Planets: Mercury • 6 ALBÉNIZ Iberia: El puerto • 7 STRAUSS Four Last Songs: Frühling • 8 SIBELIUS Violin Concerto: Allegro, ma non tanto • 9 SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2: Allegretto • 10 RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2: Allegro molto • 11 RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2: Moderato • VOLUME II CD3: 1 SATIE Three Gymnopédies: No. 1 (Lent et douloureux) • 2 RAVEL Boléro • 3 RAVEL String Quartet in F major: Assez vif • 4 RESPIGHI Pines of Rome: The Pine Trees of the Janiculum • 5 SCHOENBERG Pelleas und Melisande: Langsam • 6 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra: Intermezzo interrotto • 7 STRAVINSKY Le Sacre du printemps, Part 2 – Le Sacrifice: Danse sacrale – L’Élue • 8 PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet: Montagues and Capulets • 9 CANTELOUBE Songs of the Auvergne: Baïlèro • 10 GRAINGER Brigg Fair • 11 ORFF Carmina burana: O Fortuna • 12 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on Greensleeves • 13 POULENC Les Soirées de Nazelles: Le Comble de la distinction • 14 BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes: Moonlight • VOLUME II CD4: 1 COPLAND Appalachian Spring: Shaker Melody ‘The Gift to be Simple’ • 2 RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez: Allegro con spirito • 3 GERSHWIN Preludes: Allegro ben ritmato e deciso • 4 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 8: Allegretto • 5 MESSIAEN Turangalîla-symphonie: Turangalîla 1 • 6 BARBER Adagio for Strings • 7 MORRICONE Gabriel’s Oboe • 8 SCULTHORPE Djilile • 9 TAKEMITSU A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden • 10 GÓRECKI Symphony of Sorrowful Songs: Lento e largo • 11 GLASS Metamorphosis III • 12 GLANVILLE-HICKS Gymnopédie No. 1 • 13 EDWARDS Dawn Mantras