VA - Classical Music 101 (2004)

RCA's Classical Music 101 is a clever execution of a timely concept, collecting (you guessed it) 101 famous classical themes and associating them with the movies, television shows, and commercials that have brought them to the public at large. The intent is to show newcomers that they already know more classical music than they think they do, and in doing so entice them to learn more by exploring RCA's catalog of full-length recordings (conveniently indexed in the track listing). But it is also a convenient reference for those who might need to remind themselves of how a famous tune goes, or forget where the melody that's been stuck in their head all day came from.

Classical Music 101 is not a real listening experience any more than collecting the hooks from every famous pop song onto one CD would be. It's a reference -- a reminder of already familiar things that allows you to connect them with their original contexts. When considered that way, it's a brilliant execution. And since every recording is in splendid RCA sound, often performed by the finest musicians of the last 50 years, the quality is superb.