In the mid-'90s, Deutsche Grammophon scored a hit with Adagio, a single-disc compilation of slow orchestral movements led by the late conductor
Herbert von Karajan that were programmed to help take your mind off the daily grind. While Decca is well aware that the average listener no longer knows the difference between a symphony, an overture, or a concerto, they are hoping that the general consumer will remember that an adagio is a slow musical piece. At least Decca is banking on that to the tune of ten double-disc Adagio sets, in which Midnight Adagios is a single entry. All ten releases sport Sierra Club-calendar quality covers and feature recordings drawn from the combined resources of the Universal Music Group classical label holdings: Decca, Philips, and Deutsche Grammophon. Midnight Adagios is drawn mostly from recordings from the Decca side of the vault and extends its program in favor of a few vocal selections in addition to the expected instrumental ones. The range of nocturnal offerings here is extensive and eclectic, featuring slow movements ranging from an obscure Baroque oboe concerto by Benedetto Marcello to the entire 11-and-a-half minute second-movement Adagio from
Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. Collecting slow movements from larger works into a single entity is a time-honored practice; even in the eighteenth century, publishers such as John Walsh used to smack them together in low-budget editions for sale to the general public. Given its scope, generous program, and top-notch artists, Midnight Adagios is a safe bet for musical enjoyment, in addition to providing the relaxation trumpeted on the front cover.