Classical Music CD recommendations???

Though it pains me to suggest a compilation, you could do worse than the Classic FM series, as many as mastered from Decca, DG and Philips originals.  Their 2012 Hall of Fame (3CDs) is £12.99 from Amazon.   

If you have a preference for a particular style of music, opera, song, piano solo, orchestral, etc., then pick something from here:-

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/editorial/gramophone-guide-to-the-essentials-–-orchestral 

If I've understood your system, then you could try a download or ten from Linn.  They have a great range of 'classical' music, much of it on their own label.

Hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for the suggestions. I will take a look at the Linn site as I already have a few of their SACD sampler discs, though I prefer to have a physical disc where possible.

I don't really know what classical areas I might prefer at this point, hence the need to "dip a musical toe".

While you're on the Gramophone site, sign up and try the Gramophone Player – you'll find a variety of music on there, some of which may point you in directions worth exploring...

Readers Digest Favourites from the Classics

This is my favourite Mozart compilation. It's only £1.45 and contains 3CD's. The quality is good and it has a nice selection of his best known pieces. The Beethoven version of this album is good too but the Mozart one is my favourite out of the two.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Favourites-classics-Readers-Digest/dp/B00113ABYA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335120644&sr=8-1

This is in my opinion by far the best version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons that I've ever heard. It has emotion and energy that makes every other version sound dull and lifeless by comparison.

It's intended to sound like it would have when played in the 18th century and proper Baroque instruments are used rather than their modern counterparts. Most Baroque composers often wrote in a kind of shorthand that performers of the time understood and that they assumed would naturally, even automatically, add personal improvisations and ornamentations to the printed notes. Most modern versions of the Four Seasons are accurate and correct in every detail except for this heartbeat that makes the music breath life!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vivaldi-Four-Seasons-Concertos-RV257/dp/B00004T2PT/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Best-Film-Classics-100/2734278/product.html?cid=133635

lots of good  stuff to get you started, minus the Titanic theme. Bits of opera as well. I regularly play this compliation as it helps off set my love of Wagner, which can get heavy.

P.s.  Its also on Spotify

this link had more info as to disc contents

http://www.allmusicimport.com/832129.html?campaign=GoogleBaseUK

Try and get as many of these as you can...

Clicky.

I was lucky and got the whole collection of original Decca CDs as a box set, unused, for £25 a few years ago on ebay.

It's not a compilation, but I'd recommend this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trumpet-Concertos-Haydn-Hummel-Mozart/dp/B000026...

[quote=CnoEvil]It's not a compilation, but I'd recommend this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trumpet-Concertos-Haydn-Hummel-Mozart/dp/B0000265PK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1340871945&sr=1-1[/quote]

nice

I agree it's a gem! Virtuosity unparalleled is apt, I think. 

And the Top 20 double CD from Chebby's 100 Best Tunes series recommendation is s/h on Amazon for less than £2 inc postage!  (I thought it cost £2.20 these days just in stamps!)  

Have you tried your local library?

Ours, in Stafford, has an excellent range of classical CDs available for loan

You could also sign up to B&W Society of Sound.

£34 a year gets you 2 hi res albums for download each month, 1 of which is normally a well known piece from LSO (London Symphony Orchestra).

Best bit though is you get to download the whole back catalogue too - loads of Mahler & Beethoven in there, along with Debussy La Mer and Verdi Requiem. If you like the scale and power of big orchestral pieces you won't go far wrong with Mahler and Beethoven.

Some nice non classical albums too.

Wow! Many thanks for all of the suggestions guys - I will give some of them a try a see how I go.

I think compilations are not a good way to explore classical music. The best way may be to spend some time listening to Radio 3 on a good analogue tuner or Internet source

If you feel like investing in a great start to a future library of classical music, try this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Decca-Sound-Various-Artists/dp/B005D51II0/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1

I know its more than a few quid but it is a bargain for 50 discs of such high quality and with so many top-notch performers in Decca's renowned recording quality you are more likely to get into the music.

The beauty of a collection like this is that if you really get into classical music you will still keep listening to these discs, whereas some more 'bitty' compilations will inevitably end up gathering dust.  I've got 2 similar sets from DG (making 111 discs overall) and one from Chandos (30 discs) and they are brilliant and a valued part of my very extensive collection.