If you listen to Western classical music (WCM) seriously, you can skip this review. I’m sure you wouldn’t be listening to this stuff. If however, you’re thinking about venturing into WCM listening, and you think this would be a good starting point, think twice.
What compilations like these give the listener, is a platter of movements from different works of a composer. Sounds like a promising concept, doesn’t it? But, and I can’t stress it enough, this is not the way to go. A symphony or a concerto, for example, is a whole experience. It has a structure of its own, and each movement contributes to it. No movement is complete on its own. Listening to a Greatest Hit album is like reading quotations or excerpts from a novel. It’s highly superficial.
For those, who want to explore Mozart’s music, and don’t know where to start, here are few suggestion:
Pick up Symphony No. 40 (will sound familiar, as Salil Choudhary picked up the tune of itna na muzhse to pyar badha from this one) or Symphony No. 25 (Titan Ad score is based on this one). Basically, familiar tunes make it easier to grasp the progression, and you can start paying more attention to finer nuances right-away. Another good starting point is Piano Concerto No. 21 or the very easy to follow
Eine Kleine Nachmusik (literally - a little night music). But whatever you pick up, listen to it as a whole. It would seem daunting at the start, but once you get comfortable with this mode of listening, a whole new world will open up for you. If you ask me, it’s worth all the pain.