Great value, if slightly substandard recordings, for classical newbie
"100 Best Baroque" is what it seems - a compilation of the 100 definitive Baroque compositions. For a very low price you get a complete overview of the Baroque style, and while the sound quality of the recordings will not satisfy a serious student or fan of classical music, they are more than enough for a classical neophyte such as myself.

The compilation breaks down the songs into six categories on six separate CDs:

1. England and the Baroque - Handel's Zadok the Priest and Messiah, Purcell's O Solitude, Byrd's With Lillies White, etc.

2. The Best of Italian Baroque - Handel's Alcina and others, Albinoni's Adagio, Gabrielli's Sonata Pian e forte, Vivaldi's "Summer," etc.

3. Treasures of the Mediterranean Baroque - Vivaldi's Gloria, Boccherini's Guitar Quintet in E, Soler's Fandango, etc.

4. The Glory of French Baroque - Philidor, Lully, De Lalande, etc.

5. Bach and His Time - Pachelbel's Canon in D, J.S. Bach's Cantanta, Telemann, etc.

6. The Genius of Bach - all Bach selections.

The sound recordings are of secondary quality as one could expect for such a low-budget item as this. Still, this collection is perfect for the casual listener or for background music. That does not mean that the quality is poor - far from it - it's just not as good as what you can expect from some higher-priced CDs.

All in all, a fantastic value.