SHADES OF CLASSICS RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS

In alphabetical order by artist and album
The TOP recommended recordings in each genre are in RED print

This page was last updated on May 16, 2021

 Classical Crossover Albums 
  • All Angels - All Angels  (Universal)
  • Alvarez, Marcelo & Licitra, Salvatore - Duetto  (Sony Classical)
  • Amici Forever - The Opera Band  (Victor)
  • Anúna - Essential Anúna  (Universal)
  • Anúna - Sanctus  (Danu)
  • Ariaphonics - Act One  (iGram Music)
  • Ariaphonics - Remixes EP  (iGram Music)
  • Barlow, Merena - Moonsickness  (Independent)
  • Biggs, Julie - Passions: Art of Seduction  (Independent)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Classics  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - The Diva Collection  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Eden  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Harem  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Hymn  (Decca Gold)
  • Brightman, Sarah - La Luna  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Symphony  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Time To Say Goodbye  (Angel/EMI)
  • Canadian Tenors - Canadian Tenors  (Universal)
  • The Tenors (Canadian Tenors) - Lead With Your Heart  (Universal)
  • Evancho, Jackie - Awakening  (Sony)
  • Frangoulis, Mario - Sometimes I Dream  (Odyssey)
  • Fumanti, Giorgia - Elysium  (Universal)
  • Fumanti, Giorgia - From My Heart  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Fumanti, Giorgia - Je Suis  (Independent)
  • Fumanti, Giorgia - Magnificat  (Independent)
  • Grigolo, Vittorio - Ave Maria  (Sony Classical)
  • Grigolo, Vittorio - Vittorio  (Decca)
  • Katya (Shelehova) - Moonlight  (Marquis)
  • Kelly, Lisa - Lisa  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Marsh, Natasha - Amour  (EMI Classics)
  • Marsh, Natasha - Natasha Marsh  (Angel)
  • Meav with Anúna - Celtic Dreams  (Hearts of Space)
  • OperaBabes - Beyond Imagination  (Sony Classical)
  • OperaBabes - Renaissance  (Instant Karma Classics)
  • Pacheco, Nathan - Higher  (Shadow Mountain Records)
  • Pacheco, Nathan - Nathan Pacheco  (Disney Pearl)
  • Sasha & Shawna - Siren  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Schwartz, Paul - Aria, Aria II & Aria III  (Koch Records)
  • Schwartz, Paul - Earthbound  (Windham Hill)
  • Schwartz, Paul - State of Grace I & State of Grace II  (Windham Hill)
  • Schwartz, Paul - State of Grace III  (Koch Records)
  • Shapplin, Emma - Etterna  (Universal)
  • Sissel - Into Paradise  (Decca)
  • Sissel - My Heart  (Decca)
  • Sora - Ghostlines  (Independent)
  • Sora - Heartwood  (Independent)
  • Sora - Scorpion Moon  (Independent)
  • Vannelli, Gino - Canto  (ViK BMG)
  • ViVA Trio - Nothing Else Matters  (Independent)
  • Westenra, Hayley - Celtic Treasure  (Decca)
  • Westenra, Hayley - Odyssey  (Decca)
  • Westenra, Hayley - Paradiso  (Decca)
  • Westenra, Hayley - Pure  (Decca)
  • Yanni - Inspirato  (Sony Music)
  • Yanni - Voices  (Yanni Wake Entertainment)

Hayley Westenra - Odyssey
(Photo © Universal)

 New Age / Neo-Classical Albums 
  • 2002 - Celtic Fairy Dream  (Real Music)
  • 2002 - Damayanti  (Galactic Playground Music)
  • Ackerman, Will - Meditations  (Compass Productions)
  • Acoustic Ocean - Reflections on Still Water  (Independent)
  • Amethystium - Aphelion  (Neurodisc Records)
  • Arkenstone, David - Colors of the Ambient Sky  (Independent)
  • Arkenstone, David - Valley in the Clouds  (Narada)
  • Arkenstone, David & Diane - The Best of David & Diane Arkenstone  (EverSound & Neo Pacifica)
  • Avella, Vicente - All the Days of My Life - The Wedding Album  (Independent)
  • Barry, John - Out of Africa Soundtrack  (MCA)
  • Barry, John - Moviola  (Epic)
  • Bear - Untroubled  (Weaseltrap Records)
  • Bekker, Hennie - Spa  (Abbeywood Records)
  • Bekker, Hennie - Spectrum - An Anthology of Instrumental Music  (Abbeywood Records)
  • Bone, Richard - Infinite Plastic Creation  (Quirkworks Laboratory Discs)
  • Bongiorno, Joe - Somewhere Within  (Independent)
  • Bongiorno, Joe - Synfonia  (Independent)
  • Braheny, Kevin - Galaxies  (Hearts of Space)
  • Breyer, Heidi Anne - Another Place and Time...  (Independent)
  • Brown, Christine - Souvenirs  (Independent)
  • BryanEL - Boundaries of Imagination  (Independent)
  • BryanEL - Essence of Life  (Independent)
  • BryanEL - Out of This World  (Independent)
  • BryanEL - Spiritual Evolution  (Independent)
  • Budd, Harold & Eno, Brian - The Pearl  (Editions)
  • Cacciapaglia, Roberto - Quarto Tempo  (Universal)
  • Cacciapaglia, Roberto - Ten Directions  (Sony Music)
  • Cal - Horizon  (Independent)
  • Carothers, Kori Linae - Trillium  (Independent)
  • Carr, Richard - Momenté Intimate  (Independent)
  • Carr, Richard - When Heart & Soul Collide  (Independent)
  • Clannad - Legend  (RCA)
  • Clannad - Magical Ring  (RCA)
  • Clannad - Pastpresent  (RCA)
  • Conti, Al - Mystic  (Shadowside Music)
  • Conti, Al - Northern Seas  (Shadowside Music)
  • Conti, Al - Scheherazade  (Shadowside Music)
  • Cook, Jesse - Frontiers  (Virgin)
  • Cook, Jesse - Gravity  (Narada)
  • Cook, Jesse - Tempest  (Narada)
  • Cook, Jesse - Vertigo  (Narada)
  • Copely, Kirsten Agresta - Around the Sun  (Independent)
  • Cossu, Scott - Islands  (Windham Hill)
  • Coulter, Phil - Highland Cathedral  (RCA)
  • Coulter, Phil - Lake of Shadows  (Windham Hill)
  • Coxon, Robert Haig - Prelude to Infinity  (Independent)
  • Coxon, Robert Haig - The Infinite... Essence of Life  (Independent)
  • Coxon, Robert Haig - The Silent Path  (Independent)
  • Cunningham, Dana - The Color of Light  (Independent)
  • Danna, Mychael - Sirens  (Hearts of Space)
  • Danna, Mychael & Jeff - A Celtic Romance  (Hearts of Space)
  • Danna, Mychael & Jeff - A Celtic Tale  (Hearts of Space)
  • DeFrayne, Jennifer - By the Wire  (Independent)
  • deLise, Louis Anthony - A Gift of Moments  (Independent)
  • Dockery, Sean - Sojourns  (Independent)
  • Dockery, Sean (Christopher) - Transcendence  (Independent)
  • Dulin, Michael - Follow the River  (Equity Digital)
  • Enya - Shepherd Moons  (WEA)
  • Enya - Watermark  (WEA)
  • Fendrich, Sharon - Red Sky Prairie  (Independent)
  • Fendrich, Sharon - Sapphire Oak  (Independent)
  • Force for Good (Jonathan Sprout) - Innocence  (Independant)
  • Foster, Betsy - A Dream Come True  (Independant)
  • Gallo, Marcelo - Voices - Songs for the Moon  (World Sound Productions)
  • Gandalf - Sacred River  (Real Music)
  • Garrett, Karen Marie - It's About the Rose  (Independent)
  • Gauthier, Alysha - Candlelit Chandeliers  (Independent)
  • Glemser, Tim - Painted Echoes  (Independent)
  • Hale, Billy - Tales Thrice Travelled  (Independent)
  • Hand, Frederic - Frederic Hand's Jazzantiqua  (RCA)
  • Harry, Eric - Away Melancholy Away  (Calm Records)
  • Harry, Eric - Fly  (Calm Records)
  • Hawkins, Fiona Joy - Angel Above My Piano  (Independent)
  • Hawkins, Fiona Joy - Blue Dream  (Little Hartley Music)
  • Hawkins, Fiona Joy - Moving Through Worlds  (Little Hartley Music)
  • Hawkins, Fiona Joy - Signature - Solo  (Tiny Island Music)
  • Hisaishi, Joe - The Essential Joe Hisaishi  (Decca)
  • Hoppé, Michael - Solace  (Little Hartley Music)
  • Isham, Mark - Vapor Drawings  (Windham Hill)
  • Janelle, Amy - A New Direction  (Independent)
  • Janelle, Amy - Shining True  (Independent)
  • Jarre, Jean-Michel - Oxygene  (Polydor)
  • Jarre, Jean-Michel - Equinoxe  (Polydor)
  • Jennision, Peter - Longing for Home  (Independent)
  • Johnson, Donovan - Infinite Beauty  (Independent)
  • Johnson, Donovan - October  (Independent)
  • Johnson, Donovan - Pieces of Life (2011 Edition)  (Independent)
  • Johnson, Donovan - Road to Home  (Independent)
  • Johnson, Jeff - Prayers of St. Brendan  (Ark Music)
  • Johnson, Jeff - Psalmus  (Ark Music)
  • Johnson, Jeff & Chvatal, Janet - Vespers - Light into Light  (Ark Music)
  • Johnson, Jeff & Dunning, Brian - Byzantium  (Ark Music)
  • Johnson, Jeff & Dunning, Brian - Patrick  (Ark Music)
  • Johnston, Josh - The Shape of Things  (Shandon Records)
  • Kaye, Katherine - Solace of Mountains and Clouds  (Independent)
  • Keller, Kevin - In Absentia  (Independent)
  • Keller, Kevin - Not In My Name  (Independent)
  • Kerani - Equilibrium  (Independent)
  • KevOz - Canvas  (Independent)
  • KevOz - Lakefront  (Independent)
  • KevOz - Relaxation and Action  (Independent)
  • Kitaro - Modulations 1979 - 1992  (Domo Music Group)
  • Kitaro / London Symphony Orchestra - Silk Road Suite  (Politur)
  • Korb, Ron - Celtic Heartland  (Independent)
  • Korb, Ron - Europa  (Independent)
  • Korb, Ron - World Café  (Independent)
  • Kragnes, Rebecca - Surrender  (Independent)
  • Kragnes, Rebecca - Upstream  (Independent)
  • Kula, Kevin - Journey of a Dream  (Independent)
  • LaFond, Rachel - Encounters of the Beautiful Kind  (Independent)
  • Lanz, David - A Cup of Moonlight  (Independent)
  • Lanz, David - An Evening with David Lanz  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David - Beloved  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David - Cristofori's Dream  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David - Here Comes the Sun  (Independent)
  • Lanz, David - Liverpool: Re-imagining the Beatles  (Independent)
  • Lanz, David - Lovesongs  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David - Movements of the Heart  (Shanachie)
  • Lanz, David - Painting the Sun  (Shanachie)
  • Lanz, David - Return to the Heart  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David - Sacred Road Revisited  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David - Water Sign  (Independent)
  • Lanz, David & Speer, Paul - Desert Vision  (Narada)
  • Lanz, David & Speer, Paul - Natural States  (Narada)
  • Lauren, Amy - August  (Independent)
  • Lauren, Amy - On Water  (Independent)
  • Leslie, Bill - I Am a River  (Independent)
  • Leslie, Bill - Simple Beauty  (Independent)
  • Liebert, Ottmar - Nouveau Flamenco  (Higher Octave)
  • Liebert, Ottmar + Luna Negra - The Scent of Light  (Spiral Subwave Records)
  • Linstead, Johannes - Café Tropical  (Independent)
  • Linstead, Johannes - Mediterranea  (Independent)
  • Linstead, Johannes - Zabuca  (Real Music)
  • Linstead, Johannes & Gunn, Nicholas - Encanto  (Independent)
  • Long, Helen Jane - Embers  (Independent)
  • Long, Helen Jane - Porcelain  (Independent)
  • Luna Blanca - Guitar Island  (Independent)
  • Lynch, Ray - No Blue Thing  (Music West)
  • Masako - Call of the Mountains  (Independent)
  • Masako - Hidden Flowers  (Independent)
  • Masako - Masako  (Independent)
  • Masako - Piano Sanctuary  (Independent)
  • Masako - Underwater Whisperer  (Independent)
  • Mannheim Steamroller - Fresh Aire II, Fresh Aire III & Fresh Aire V  (American Gramaphone)
  • Maroney, Greg - The Journey  (Hen House Records)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - An Ancient Muse  (Quinlan Road)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - Book of Secrets  (Quinlan Road)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - Elemental  (Quinlan Road)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - Lost Souls  (Quinlan Road)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - The Mask and Mirror  (Quinlan Road)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - Parallel Dreams  (Quinlan Road)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - The Visit  (Quinlan Road)
  • Micarelli, Lucia - Music From a Farther Room  (Reprise Records)
  • Mitchell, Bruce - Celtic Compilation  (Millennia)
  • Mitchell, Bruce - New Earth Goddess  (Millennia)
  • Nichols, Terry Lee - The Pale Blue Dot  (Independent)
  • Oldfield, Mike - Music of the Spheres  (Universal)
  • Oakes, Cathy - Like a Song  (Independent)
  • Oakes, Cathy - To See You Again  (Independent)
  • Omar - Free as a Bird  (Real Music)
  • Oster, Jeff - Next  (Independent)
  • Ottaway, Jim - When Eternity Touches Time  (Independent)
  • Ottaway, Jim - Deep Space Blue  (Independent)
  • Ottaway, Jim - Yesterday Passing  (Independent)
  • Pacek, Antonija - Forever  (Navona Records)
  • Pacek, Antonija - In My Soul  (Independent)
  • Pacek, Antonija - Soul Colours  (Autentico Music)
  • Partafylla, Anastasia - Songs of the Soul  (Independent)
  • Perricelli, Marcangelo - Witch & Wizard  (Materson Records)
  • Phillips, Anthony & Skeet, Andrew - Seventh Heaven  (Independent)
  • Phoenix Rising - Ascension  (Copus Music)
  • Raphael - Music to Disappear In  (Hearts of Space)
  • Ryan, Greg. - Crossways  (Independent)
  • Saliba, Mark J. - The Continents  (Independent)
  • Salvatori, Tom and Litchfield, Iris - When Evening Falls  (Salvatori Productions)
  • Schoening, Matthew - Elements  (Independent)
  • Secret Garden - Dawn of a New Century  (Philips)
  • Secret Garden - Earthsongs  (Universal)
  • Secret Garden - Just the Two of Us  (Hearts of Space)
  • Secret Garden - Live at Kilden  (Hearts of Space)
  • Secret Garden - Once in a Red Moon  (Universal)
  • Secret Garden - Songs from a Secret Garden  (Philips)
  • Secret Garden - Storyteller  (Decca)
  • Secret Garden - White Stones  (Philips)
  • Secret Garden - Winter Poem  (Hearts of Space)
  • Secret Garden - You Raise Me Up - The Collection  (Universal/Decca)
  • Serrie, Jonn - Planetary Chronicles Vol. 1  (New World Music)
  • Sherry, Fionnuala - Songs from Before  (Independent)
  • Shoop-Wu, Nancy - Rainbow Road  (Independent)
  • Silvard - Life is Grand...  (The Musical Mollusk)
  • Southworth, Carolyn - At the End of the Day  (Heron's Point Music)
  • Smith, Frank - Gardens of Hope  (Independent)
  • Steven C - Signature  (Independent)
  • Stribling, Michael - Safely in the Arms of Love  (Leela Music)
  • Sweeten, Ann - Grey Sky and Bittersweet  (Orange Band Records)
  • Sweeten, Ann - Just This Side of Spring  (Orange Band Records)
  • Syversen, Tron - Piano Poems  (TK Music Production)
  • Trenning, Anne - Watching for Rain  (Shadetree Records)
  • Tucker, Lisa Marie - Solo Harp  (Independent)
  • Urquhart, Craig - Secret Spaces  (Heart Earth Music)
  • Urquhart, Craig - Within Memory  (Heart Earth Music)
  • Vangelis - Antarctica  (Polydor)
  • Vangelis - Chariots of Fire  (Polydor)
  • Vangelis - Juno to Jupiter  (Decca)
  • Vangelis - Mythodea  (Sony Classical)
  • Vangelis - Nocturne  (Decca)
  • Vangelis - Odyssey  (Universal)
  • Vangelis - Rosetta  (Decca)
  • Vangelis - Soil Festivities  (Polydor)
  • Vitali, Steven - Language of the Soul  (Independent)
  • Wahler, David - Antiquus  (Darius Productions)
  • Wahler, David - A Star Danced  (Darius Productions)
  • Wahler, David - Mosaic  (Independent)
  • Winston, George - Autumn  (Windham Hill)
  • Winston, George - December  (Windham Hill)
  • Winston, George - Forest  (Windham Hill)
  • Winston, George - Summer  (Windham Hill)
  • Winston, George - Winter Into Spring  (Windham Hill)
  • Wish, Evan - Forget-Me-Not, Blue  (Independent)
  • Wren, Bill / Ralls, Frank - Journey Around the Sun: A Mayan Odyssey  (Independent)
  • Yanni - Reflections of Passion  (Private Music)
  • Yiruma - The Rewritten Memories  (Universal)
  • Young, Denise - Something You Dream Of...  (Independent)

Secret Garden - Earthsongs
(Photo © Universal)

 Classical Albums 
  • Academy of Ancient Music: J.S. Bach - Violin Concertos  (L'Oiseau-Lyre)
  • Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Mozart - Clarinet Concerto / Flute & Harp Concerto  (DG)
  • Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Dvorak - Serenades  (Philips)
  • Ashkenazy, Vladimir / Cleveland Orchestra: Beethoven - Piano Concertos  (London)
  • Baker, Michael Conway: Remembrances  (Treetop Lane)
  • Bayrakdarian, Isabel: Joyous Light  (CBC Records)
  • Bayrakdarian, Isabel: Azulao  (CBC Records)
  • Bell, Joshua & Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Bruch & Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos  (London)
  • Bell, Joshua: Romance of the Violin  (Sony Classical)
  • Bell, Joshua: Voice of the Violin  (Sony Classical)
  • Berlin Philharmonic: Beethoven - Symphonies  (DG)
  • Boyd, Liona: The Best of Liona Boyd  (CBS)
  • Camerata Nova: Mystica  (Independent)
  • Camerata Nova: Camerata Nova  (Independent)
  • CBC Vancouver Orchestra: Michael Conway Baker - The Greater Vancouver Music Album  (Treetop Lane)
  • Chamber Orchestra Of Europe: Schubert - Symphonies  (DG)
  • Choir of New College, Oxford: Agnus Dei  (Erato)
  • Chvatal, Janet / Kritzer, Scott: In the Blue Hour  (Miramont)
  • Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: William Tell and Other Overtures  (Telarc)
  • Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: Star Tracks  (Telarc)
  • Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: Symphonic Star Trek  (Telarc)
  • Cleveland Orchestra: Dvorak - Symphony No. 9  (London)
  • Cura, José: Artist Portrait  (Warner Classics)
  • Cura, José: Boleros  (Warner Classics)
  • English Concert: J.S. Bach - Brandenburg Concertos  (Archiv)
  • English Concert: Handel - Water Music  (Archiv)
  • Gauk, Rachel: Danzas Y Canciones  (Marquis Classics)
  • Grumiaux, Arthur & London Symphony Orchestra: Mozart - Violin Concertos  (Philips)
  • Harnoy, Ofra: Masterworks for the Cello  (RCA)
  • Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra: Mark John McEncroe - Musical Images for Chamber Orchestra  (Navona Records)
  • Kennedy, Nigel & English Chamber Orchestra: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons  (EMI)
  • London Sinfonietta & Dawn Upshaw: Gorecki - Symphony No. 3  (Elektra Nonesuch)
  • London Symphony Orchestra: Holst - The Planets  (EMI)
  • London Symphony Orchestra: Mendelssohn - Symphonies  (DG)
  • O'Conor, John: John Field - 15 Nocturnes  (Telarc)
  • Paillard Chamber Orchestra: Pachelbel / Fasch  (Warner Classics)
  • Pavarotti, Luciano: O Holy Night  (London)
  • Prague Chamber Orchestra: Mozart - Symphonies  (Telarc)
  • Rieu, Andre: Dreaming  (Polydor)
  • Sinfonia of London: Michael Conway Baker - Cinderella: Frozen in Time  (Treetop Lane)
  • Sinfonia of London / ProMusica Chamber Orchestra: Michael Conway Baker - Hope's Journey  (Summit)

(Photos © Philips & Angel/EMI)

 Music DVD's 
  • Baker, Michael Conway - Cinderella: Frozen in Time  (Independent)
  • Brightman, Sarah - The Harem World Tour: Live From Las Vegas  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - La Luna Live in Concert  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - One Night in Eden - Sarah Brightman Live in Concert  (Angel/EMI)
  • Brightman, Sarah - Symphony Live in Vienna  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Canadian Tenors - Canadian Tenors Live at the Royal Conservatory of Music  (Universal)
  • Celtic Woman - Celtic Woman  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Celtic Woman & Hayley Westenra - A New Journey  (Manhattan Records/EMI)
  • Jarre, Jean Michel - Oxygene  (Capitol/EMI)
  • Lanz, David - Living Temples  (Third Planet)
  • Lanz, David / Speer, Paul - Desert Vision  (Rainstorm Records)
  • Lanz, David / Speer, Paul - Natural States  (Rainstorm Records)
  • McKennitt, Loreena - Nights from the Alhambra  (Quinlan Road)
  • Secret Garden - A Night with Secret Garden  (Philips)
  • Secret Garden - Live at Kilden  (Hearts of Space)
  • Sissel - Northern Lights  (Denon)
  • Sissel - Sissel in Concert: All Good Things  (Decca)
  • Westenra, Hayley - Live From New Zealand  (Decca)
  • Yanni Voices - Yanni Voices - Live in Concert  (Yanni Wake Entertainment)

More information and other recommendations can be obtained


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Shades of Classics