This latest compilation release from Deutsche Grammophon, hot on the heels of The Yellow Guide to Opera, consists of not only three CDs, but also a 144-page booklet that provides biographies of 100 composers, a glossary explaining 100 musical terms, and notes on each of the 42 tracks on the discs. Aimed, clearly, at newcomers to classical music, the three discs cover almost five centuries of music, arranged chronologically from the Kyrie of Palestrina"s Missa Papae Marcelli to Philip Glass"s Violin Concerto. Orchestral, chamber, and vocal are all represented, performed by a roster of celebrated names: the Amadeus Quartet, Martha Argerich, the Vienna Philharmonic, and Herbert von Karajan, to name but a few. All in all, a value-for-your-money way to either become more familiar with classical music or glimpse some of the treasures of the DG archive. --Rebecca Agnew