Elisabeth Mass

On this CD:

1. Work(s)
Composed by Josquin Desprez
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

2. Missa "Faisant Regretz", for 4 parts
Composed by Josquin Desprez
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

3. Let Our Mouths Be Filled with Thy Praise, O Lord
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

4. Trisagion
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

5. Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

6. He rejoices because of you
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

7. Miserere (Oratorio de sas Animas)
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

8. Angel's voice
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

9. Adam's contrition before heaven
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

10. Hymn of Cherubins of Tikhon, Bulgarian melody
Composed by T. Makarievski
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

11. Chant des cherubins
Composed by Vasily Polikarpovich Titov
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

12. We sing the praises of you, Bulgarian melody for 4
Composed by Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

13. We sing Your Praises
Composed by Russian Anonymous
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

14. Your Holy Spirit
Composed by Simeon Pekalitski
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

15. My Heart is ready
Composed by Vasily Polikarpovich Titov
Performed by Tver Philharmony Madrigalist Choral Ensemble

Tracks:

Messa Da Requiem: I. Requiem & Kyrie: Requiem Aeternam - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: I. Requiem & Kyrie: Kyrie Eleison - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Dies Irae - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Tuba Mirum - Mors Stupebit - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Liber Scriptus - Dies Irae - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Quid Sum Miser - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Rex Tremendae - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Recordare - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Ingemisco - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Confutatis Maledictis - Dies Irae - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: II. Sequence (Dies Irae): Lacrimosa - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: III. Offertorio: Domine Jesu Christe - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: III. Offertorio: Hostias Et Preces - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: IV. Sanctus - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: V. Agnus Dei - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Christa Ludwig/Nicolai Gedda/Nicolai Ghiaurov/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz

Tracks:

Messa Da Requiem: VI. Lux Aeterna - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: VII. Libera Me: Libera Me - Dies Irae - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: VII. Libera Me: Requiem Aeternam - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Messa Da Requiem: VII. Libera Me: Libera Me - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Ave Maria - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Stabat Mater - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Laudi Alla Vergine - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz
Quattro Pezzi Sacri: Te Deum - Janet Baker/Philharmonia Chor/Wilhelm Pitz

Customer Reviews:

Schwarzkopf sings Verdi.......2007-04-04

There are very few recordings available of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf singing Verdi (anything beside Falstaff?), so for that reason alone, this CD deserves to be treasured.

Schwarzkopf's is a unique sound, and her Verdi Requiem sounds like no other. Another reviewer praised her high B-flat in the Libera Me - I totally agree, it is wonderful.

For those more accustomed to Pavarotti or Domingo as the tenor soloist, Gedda may not be for all tastes. His is a much more lyrical approach. But if conductor Giulini was looking for a more "reverent" sound among his soloists, he certainly didn't err in his choice of Gedda.

Nicolai Ghiaurov, on the other hand, is a pure blood & guts Verdian. From the first note out of his mouth, you know he is capable of blowing down the house with his immense cavernous sound. He is really fantastic to listen to.

The Requiem was recorded in September 1963 and April 1964, and digitally remastered in 1997. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if the remastering was very well done. The Philharmonia Chorus, a spectacular choral ensemble, sounds very distorted at times, especially when they come at you at full volume. The Dies Irae really suffers because of this.

The accompanying Quattro Pezzi Sacri, on the other hand, has fared much better. This recording was actually made earlier (December 1962), yet the engineered sound is positively heavenly. The spectacular sound of this chorus can be much better appreciated in this piece. This recording of the Quattro Pezzi Sacri is a real treasure that you won't forget.

Texts and translations included. One star off for the poor engineered sound of the Requiem.

TREMENDAE MAJESTATIS.......2005-09-13

This set can be recommended from two points of view. Firstly it contains all Verdi's mature choral works; and in the second place this account of the Requiem is perhaps the greatest ever recorded. After the Requiem came Otello and Faslstaff, and last of all he gave us the Four Sacred Pieces. Two of these are for unaccompanied voices, one in particular featuring an allegedly special scale, which I doubt we would be aware of if we had not been told. They are only described as `academic' or as `exercises' because they are by Verdi, who put up a smokescreen of self-ascribed simplicity all his career. In fact he had always studied and loved the mediaeval Italian polyphonists and these two compositions can easily rank with similar works by Brahms in my opinion. In Brahms or Bach we take the academic element for granted as all part of the style, which is entirely in the German tradition. Verdi was almost as exclusively based in his own country's music - all he took from German music was features of style that Italy had given to Germany in the first place, and we hear him at that with the explicit reference to Schubert's A minor quartet at the start of the Requiem. However there is more unaccompanied vocal work in his Requiem than in anything in the German choral/orchestral repertory, and that should not surprise us.

There is a slightly average liner-note that assures us solemnly that `it is not necessary to be a practising Catholic...to conduct Verdi's sacred music'. I guess that lets Toscanini off the hook, and I don't think Giulini's performance of the Te Deum is quite the equal of his. However in the Requiem Giulini seems to me to surpass everyone I've ever heard, Toscanini among them. There is not an Italian among the soloists, and when I listen to, say, Schwarzkopf's exquisite falling phrase at `Salva me' I still experience a slight longing to hear it dragged down in a lachrymose Italian tone, but they have too much integrity for cheap compromises, they are simply terrific in their own right, and Giulini supplies the Italian element. His sense for this great score seems to me perfect. He understands Verdi's alternations of fierce and almost brutal power with relaxed lyricism. Verdi's energy is physical, not nervous like Beethoven's. He is always powerful but rarely or never tense. The soloists do not miss a trick either. The monstrous demands of first climax of the Kyrie, with the soprano required to dominate her colleagues, choir and orchestra flat-out, are achieved grandly, and at the other extreme they are sublime in all their solos, and the great phrase at Tantus labor non sit cassus is wringing with emotion but perfectly under control. The Philharmonia chorus of the day (1963) was probably the best in the world, and the orchestra probably likewise. At full tilt in the Dies irae, with the spotlight on the brass at Tuba mirum, the cellos climbing above the treble clef at the start of the Offertorium, the celestial bassoon obbligato in the Quid sum miser - everything is just right and more.

For me Verdi's Requiem is the greatest choral masterpiece since Handel himself, and his Te Deum for me surpasses Berlioz and Bruckner and is indeed the finest setting since Handel's own mighty production celebrating the ludicrous victory at Dettingen. Giulini is excellent by any standard, but I still miss the incomparable surge and thrust that Toscanini brought to it. However there is a startling bonus here in the form of a solo of a few bars right at the end from Janet Baker no less. I wonder what that cost -- the spot is normally given to a member of the chorus. The Stabat Mater is powerful and affecting, and the chorus perform superbly on their own in the other two works. The recording is not awfully `forward' and it doesn't always treat Ghiaurov very well, but otherwise I must say my Sony equipment coped perfectly adequately, and it was a relief to be rid of the surface swish and pre-echo at points on my LP set.

I checked the text and translation of the Dies irae and the Stabat Mater, and the standard was a lot better than I have been encountering lately on other productions. There are two minor misprints in the Stabat Mater (`corni' for `cordi' and `pagis' for `plagis'). `Fac me crucem inebriari' is not Latin, and we can be pretty sure the text ought to be `...cruce...', with this line and the next meaning literally `Make me drunk with the cross and with the blood of the Son'. Otherwise my only comment is that the stanza `To stand with thee...' should be governed by the verb `I desire'. I lack the discernment of the liner-note author who finds the stanzas of varying literary merit.

Giulini did at least one later version, but I never yet heard one to equal this, from him or from anyone. I have no real difficulty with the recording, and I greatly hope you do not either.

Great Performance, TERRIBLE SOUND buyers beware !!!.......2005-05-25

This is indubitably a great performance. The quartet of soloist sing superbly. Schwarzkopf's high C (pianissimo) in the Liberame remains unsurpassed. The other famous recording of this work is the Shaw/Atlanta for Telarc. The soprano, in Shaw's recording, Susan Dunn, while also very good, cannot sing the same note in pianissimo as written by Verdi.

My beef with the Giulini recording is the sound. In loud passages such as the Dies Irae the distortion is so pronounced it is laughable. You would think that for a large record company such as EMI to reissue a recording they would spend a few bucks and do a decent remastering job. But this is not the case. The Shaw recording simply knocks the socks off the Giulini in terms of sonics. Hell, even the Toscannini sounds better and it was recording in the 40's.

In short, Giulini gets 5 stars for performance and no stars for sound.

An amazing achievement.......2004-06-21

Verdi's Requiem, like many of his later works, is extremely demanding when comes to bringing it to life in full strength. You need powerful orchestral and choral forces, extremely potent and expressive voices and of course a really insightfull conductor capable of holding all together and making the drama and meanings come to life.

Fortunately it looks that everyone who tried approaching this masterpiece tried its best. But among them are the real achievers. And I will mention only the three of them I think really need to be mentioned in this context: first, at least historically, is Da Sabata. I am one of not so many lucky listeners who has his edition feturing Maria Caniglia. And that is an achievement approaching perfection. The next one is Toscanini with his incisiveness which works its powerrs all the way through his 1951 live recording. And then is the recording at hand here.

This is one of the recordings documenting the glorious (so unfortunately dawned) era of music making at its highest. It shouldn't come as a surprise that behind it one finds Carlo Maria Giulini. This is just one of his greatest achievements that are landmarking the history of music. The attention to detail, so insightfull choice of tempo, the ability of conducting music so flowlessly to its highs and deep downs, the ability of using musical powers under his command to their very best and not least the profound understanding of the musical score are shown here in their full power. It grabs you from the beginning and you will find yourself under its powers everafter.

The choir might be the best you find on disc. It is highly responsive and produces some of the greatest moments of this piece. Along comes the Philarhmonia Orchestra in beatiful sound and very attentive and responsive to its mastreful conductor.

The soloists are as much as you could wish for. Envolved, musically perfect, rendering the amount of human drama that this piece comprises, the true voices of humanity you might say. I am especially delighted with Christa Ludwig which seems a different singer from her recording under Karajan (recording available from Deutsche Grammophone) and Ghiaurov who displays such a sensibility along with his powerful voice. Damme Schwartzkopf and Gedda are also very good although I couldn't stop myself dreaming at Franco Corelli, giving the amazing musical power unleashed here (you can hear him in the recording of the verdian requiem under Mehta).

As one of the other reviewers mentioned if you want only one recording of Verdi's Requiem you have to have this one. You will hear inner voices inside the orchestra, choir and soloists you will not hear anywhere else. The only real threat to this recording is Da Sabata's which is set back just by a poorer sound which makes it harder to come out with the greatest effect.

Heroic.......2003-11-06

Verdi's requiem often sounds more like opera than mass, and it seems Giulini and cast are not ashamed of that, either. The performance has tremendous dynamic range - heroically bright when the tenor first blasts out the "Kyrie", dark and brooding in the "Requiem", bleak and helpless in "Agnus Dei", and everything in between. The recording supports this - turn up the volume to audible levels at the start of "Requiem" and be blasted out of the room by "Dies Irae". Schwarzkopf is especially gripping, like she's trying to physically hold on to you with her voice.

Tracks:

Missa in tempore belli 'Paukenmesse', Hob. XXII: 9 In C Major: Kyrie
Missa in tempore belli 'Paukenmesse', Hob. XXII: 9 In C Major: Gloria
Missa in tempore belli 'Paukenmesse', Hob. XXII: 9 In C Major: Credo
Missa in tempore belli 'Paukenmesse', Hob. XXII: 9 In C Major: Sanctus
Missa in tempore belli 'Paukenmesse', Hob. XXII: 9 In C Major: Benedictus
Missa in tempore belli 'Paukenmesse', Hob. XXII: 9 In C Major: Agnus Dei
Salve regina Hob. XXIIIb:2 In G Minor: Salve Regina
Salve regina Hob. XXIIIb:2 In G Minor: Eja ergo, advocata nostra
Salve regina Hob. XXIIIb:2 In G Minor: Et Jesum

Customer Reviews:

Harnoncourt understands the baroque principle `sublime`.......2000-01-11

And he fully exploits it. Haydn is the example of what a baroque musician should/could be, and from the thundering tympani beginning to the last `give us peace` I stand completely in awe of the demanding way in which God`s grace and peace is invoked here. Haydn does not ASK, he demands, claims it. Beautifully performed. Once again, long musical lines, extreme contrats, and the beauty of sound for once not the most important thing, but rather a confrontation with the listener. Harnoncourt at his best!

Haydn's Paukenmesse.......1999-03-19

This is a wonderful recording of the Missa in Tempore Belli (also known as the Paukenmesse) of Haydn. (It gets the title Paukenmesse from its use of the tympani, or Pauken in German.) Nikolaus Harnoncourt does a wonderful job in conducting this great masterpiece of Haydn's. I thought that the tympani was a little much in the Kyrie, but it was fine, though.

Tracks:

German Mass D. 872: Zum Eingang
German Mass D. 872: Zum Gloria
German Mass D. 872: Zum Evangelium und Credo
German Mass D. 872: Zum Offertorium
German Mass D. 872: Zum Sanctus
German Mass D. 872: Nach der Wandlung
German Mass D. 872: Anhang: Das Gebet des Herrn
German Mass D. 872: Zum Agnus Dei
German Mass D. 872: Schlussgesang
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Kyrie
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Gloria
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Credo
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Sanctus
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Benedictus
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Agnus Dei
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Dona Nobis Pacem
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Kyrie
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Gloria
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Credo
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Sanctus
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Benedictus
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Kyrie
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Gloria
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Credo
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Sanctus
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Benedictus
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Agnus Dei
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Kyrie
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Gloria
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Credo
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Sanctus
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Benedictus
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Kyrie
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Gloria
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Credo
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Sanctus
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Benedictus
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Agnus Dei
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Kyrie
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Gloria
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Sanctus
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Benedictus
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

great price but there are some drawbacks.......2006-08-30

This is good but be aware that the German mass on this recording was recorded in 1962 and the rest of the masses in 1978. The sound quality isn't the best in the world but I'm sure to most people it will be tolerable. It's just that after hearing such good quality new recordings it's kind of hard to stomach an old analog recording.

The performance is good, probably not the best though. The singers seem to really over power the instruments. some times the instruments just seem a little small. There is some background noise just like on most recordings but it's nothing terrible.

I actually recommend the Brilliant Classics Schubert Masses. The sound quality is much better in that box set and it only costs a couple of dollars more.

Possibly Schubert's most intimate work!.......2005-10-07

These masses are Schubert's hymn-like works with an enormous melodic charm. He composed part of them to texts of Johann Philip Neumann, who was a professor at the Vienna Polytechnical Institute, and they were intended for use by the students congregation at that Institute. He finished the first mass when he was only 17 and the last one just a few months before he died, so his masses, the latin as well as his german ones, really span over a relatively long time of the creative part of his career.

Technically speaking these masses seem easy, but they surely rank among Franz Schubert's best works. They certainly constitute a very mature body of work, most part of which written by the great composer towards the end of his short but very prolific life. The choral part is not overly complex, and so is the orchestral one. To me the beauty of these works is in the interaction between choral, solos and orchestral sections. Sometimes a simple work can be magnificent.

I'm not a regular churchgoer, but just like another reviewer here at Amazon.com, I happened to attend a few masses in Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg, Germany, more than a decade ago. Masses in german and english, the softly spoken magic spell accompanied by Schubert's masses. What a blissful atmosphere! When I think about it, it's very difficult to describe that feeling now, but I guess "intimate" would be the word that comes closest to it.

Franz Schubert's "Deutsche Messe".......2000-06-16

I have listened to the "Deutsche Messe" over and over again. I also had the rare opportunity to be at a mass in a church in Germany where an orchestra played Franz Schubert's "Deutsche Messe". Wow! What an experience! The music pieces have so much depths and devotion in them. You can close your eyes and feel what Franz Schubert must have felt.

A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Robert Shaw Chorale
a perfect Ceremony of Carols!
Brilliant compilation
Didn't care for it that much

A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003D2M
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

O Come, Emmanuel
Alleluia
The First Nowell
The Carol Of The Birds
Allon, Gay Bergeres
A Hymn To The Virgin
O Magnum Mysterium
Christmas Oratorio: Rejoice And Sing
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While By My Sheep
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Heavenly Light
Adeste Fideles
Ceremony Of Carols: Procession - Hodie Christus Natus Est
Ceremony Of Carols: Wolcum Yole!
Ceremony Of Carols: There Is No Rose
Ceremony Of Carols: That Yonge Child
Ceremony Of Carols: Balulalow
Ceremony Of Carols: As Dew In Aprille
Ceremony Of Carols: This Little Babe
Interlude (Harp Solo)
Ceremony Of Carols: In Freezing Winter Night
Ceremony Of Carols: Spring Carol
Ceremony Of Carols: Deo Gracias
Ceremony Of Carols: Recession: Hodie Christus Natus Est

Amazon.com

In this beautifully chosen program of mostly a cappella arrangements, Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers deliver the Christmas story in tones of gentle and moving splendor. The carols and sacred settings recorded here are all of an intimate sort, and the rapturous, gently expressive realizations Shaw and his singers give them prove unfailingly appealing. Particularly moving is the newest work on the disc, a setting of "O magnum mysterium" by the American composer Morten Lauridsen. Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria" is another gem, as is the arrangement by Healy Willan of the French carol "What Is This Lovely Fragrance?" The offering includes a pair of chorales from Bach's Christmas Oratorio and two wonderful Christmas works by Benjamin Britten: "A Hymn to the Virgin" and A Ceremony of Carols, both well done, even if the sound of sopranos and altos (rather than boy trebles) in the latter takes some getting used to. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-02-16

The music is beautiful of course. The Robert Shaw Chorale is a high quality group of singers, and the arrangements they sing are really nice. Because of the age of the recording today's standards of equpment and tonal quality simply weren't available but the upgrade from analog vinyl was well-done. I shall look for more of these.

Robert Shaw Chorale.......2007-01-10

This is an excellent ablum. The music is lovely and quite varied. While there are many of the familiar favorites, there are also many new and different songs and the whole CD is a delight to listen to.

a perfect Ceremony of Carols!.......2005-12-22

This is the finest recording of Britten's A Ceremony of Carols I've ever come across, and there are plenty of versions to choose from. The King's College Choir rendition suffers from overstuffed acoustics, a constant with that choir, and their recording of Ceremony of Carols falls short in the requisite rhythmic clarity and intensity. The Christ Church, Oxford version is plodding, and lacks sparkle. Harry Christopher's The Sixteen come close, with marvelous sonics and ecstatic diction, but fall apart in the exacting 'This Little Babe' round with uneven cohesion, and strange stressed notes that ruin the waterfall effect so felicitously construed by Britten. I've not heard Britten's own conducted version, but he scrupulously insisted on boy trebles, and it's difficult if not impossible to conjure a more perfect rendering than the one given here by Shaw and his Chamber Singers. 'This Little Babe' is incomparable in each and all of its rapid fire contours, which is no mean feat. Mezzo-soprano Nanette Soles deserves special mention for incandescent singing on 'That Younge Child". The luminous pacing of 'There is no rose of such virtue' is notable, and to his credit Shaw employs the ecclesiastical pronunciation of the various Latin passages, unlike The Sixteen (and most other English choir recordings of this piece) who insist on an idiomatic British pronunciation of Latin, which offers nothing but distraction. Some will prefer boy treble singers, an attractive option, but for high musical values and the art they inevitably enshrine, it's impossible to be disappointed with this profoundly wrought version of Ceremony of Carols. Bach's 'Break Forth, O beauteous heavenly light' is just right, and I'd not heard 'Heavenly Light' by Aleksandr Kopylov; both are favorable additions to an excellent recording. Recommended.

Brilliant compilation.......2005-03-16

This is an absolutely outstanding collection of carols - some of them well-known, some of them obscure. As a choral singer, I've had the pleasure of singing many of these pieces, and I was delighted when I found them all in one place, and done by an ensemble so accomplished as the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers! It just isn't Christmas for me without this recording.

Didn't care for it that much.......2004-12-27

I prefer to hear the voices and the words of the carols, and this one has too much other sound (maybe even the use of massed voices); I have a hard time hearing what they are singing.

Average customer rating:

Appropriate For Those Quiet Moments
Serene
Excellent
A Dream Album

Bach's Adagios

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Mozart: Adagios
Beethoven's Adagios
Albinoni's Adagios
Vivaldi Adagios
Baroque Adagios

ASIN: B0000269SM
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

Orchestral Ste No.3 in D: Air On The G Str - Jean-Francois Paillard CO/Jean-Francois Paillard
Son in E flat: Sicilienne - Jean-Pierre Rampal/Robert Veyron-Lacroix/Jordi Savall
Con in d: Largo Ma Non Tanto - Monica Huggett/Alison Bury
St. Matthew Passion: 'O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden' - Ens Vox De Lausanne
Brandenburg Con No.1 in F: Adagio - Monica Huggett/Ku Ebbinge/Michel Henry/Paul Dombrecht/Michel Garcin Marrou/Joe Konings
Con in d: Adagio - Cyprien Katsaris
Magnificat: Suscepit - Ens Vox De Lausanne
Trio Son No.2 in c: Largo - Marie-Claire Alain
Vn Son No.4 in c: Adagio - Lars Fryden/Gustav Leonhardt
Ste No.1 in G: Prld - Jorg Baumann
Son in C: Adagio - Jean-Pierre Rampal/Robert Veyron-Lacroix/Jordi Savall
Brandenburg Con No.4 in G: Andante - Ricardo Kanji/Reine-Marie Verhagen/Monica Huggett
Vn Con in E: Adagio - Monica Huggett
Mass in b: 'Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi' - Ens Vox De Lausanne

Tracks:

Con in f: Largo - Cyprien Katsaris
Prld in C - Marielle Nordmann
Con in a: Andante - Monica Huggett
Brandenburg Con No.6 in B flat: Adagio Ma Non Tanto - Jan Schlapp/Trevor Jones/Christophe Coin/Sarah Cunningham/Jaap Ter Linden
St. John Passion: 'Ruht Wohl, Ihr Heiligen Gebeine' - Ens Vox De Lausanne
Vn Son No.5 in f: Adagio - Lars Fryden/Gustav Leonhardt
Son in G: Adagio - Jean-Pierre Rampal/Alain Marion/Robert Veyron-Lacroix/Jordi Savall
Son in G: Adagio E Pno - Jean-Pierre Rampal/Alain Marion/Robert Veyron-Lacroix/Jordi Savall
Brandenburg Con No.2 in F: Andante - Ricardo Kanji/Alison Bury/Ku Ebbinge/Crispian Steele Perkins
Cant No.208: 'Sheep May Safely Graze' - Elisabeth Von Magnus
Son in b: Largo E Dolce - Jean-Pierre Rampal/Robert Veyron-Lacroix/Jordi Savall
St. Matthew Passion: 'Erbarme Dich' - Ens Vox De Lausanne
Cant No.147: 'Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring' - Scottish Chm Chor

Amazon.com

The subtitle of this compilation--"27 Tranquil Tracks from the Master of Baroque"--might suggest you're in for a dose of watered-down, Muzaked treatments, but not to worry: this is actually a very attractive theme album that makes an enticing introduction if you're just setting out to discover the wonder of J.S. Bach. Some of the most familiar music Bach wrote does indeed reside in the slow movements of his concertos, suites, and sonatas. Often, they reveal an Italianate love for spinning gorgeous melodies that sound eternally fresh and haunting in a number of contexts (witness the opening "Air on a G String" and its reworking in Procol Harum's hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale"). Opera was the only genre of his time in which Bach didn't write, but many of his slower movements display the intense emotional focus of operatic arias, and Bach's range of expression can cover an infinite degree of moods--from "tranquility" to the deeply mournful adagio of Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. From its archives, the Erato label has culled interpretations by some of today's leading Bach interpreters, such as Ton Koopman and his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Jordi Savall, and Gustav Leonhardt.

The concept of "adagio" has been extended here to include chorales and slower passages from the great choral works, whereas some compilations offer only instrumental arrangements, thus overlooking this aspect so central to Bach's output. From the nearly two hours of music in this collection, you'll gain a pretty good overview of the stunning variety of genres that inspired Bach: the cantata, passion, concerto, solo instrumental suite, and many more (though a selection or two from the solo keyboard works would have been a nice inclusion). And, while Bach's slow movements are always integrated into a larger architecture, the gemlike beauty of these selections will likely inspire you to check out some of the full-scale works from which they've been excerpted. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Appropriate For Those Quiet Moments.......2004-03-02

Bach's Adagios is peaceful music that will soothe the soul. Each of the pieces have unique arrangements and emphasize different instruments. Some have a strong keyboard presence, others are more string driven, still others even feature a vocal choir. Some pieces are more captivating than others. Tracks 1 and 4 stand out on the first disc. The lead off track on the second disc is pretty memorable as well.

When I desire something more spirited, this two disc set has the potential to cause some boredom. But when peace and quiet is needed, this set is very appropriate.

Serene.......2001-11-24

This collection is a introduction to almost two hours of Bach's most seductive work during the Baroque period.

In the first CD, an almost ethereal quality embraces each piece, no matter the mood. You will feel peaceful, emotional, mournful and even filled with longing.

Qui tollis peccata mundi' from Mass in B Minor is magnificent. The church's influence on Bach's music is highly apparent and adds a spiritual dimension.

Andante from Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major is almost haunting and yet it almost embodies subtle joy or a feeling of anticipated happiness.

The second CD opens with Largo from Concerto for Keyboard and Strings in F minor and almost captures the feeling of spring. Perhaps the snow melting as you can almost hear drops of water falling softly onto the earth.

Prelude in C major follows with the vibrancy of new life or a stream meandering towards a river. Adagio from Violin Sonata No.5 in F minor always makes my heart beat just a little faster and reminds me of those first feelings of falling in love.

Sheep May Safely Graze from Cantata No. 208 is superior and almost translucent in quality and was almost as familiar as Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring from Cantata No.147.

Beguiling pieces of Classical Music!

~The Rebecca Review

Excellent.......2001-05-13

I really like this album. I bought it after watching Music of the Heart with Meryl Streep. I was looking for the cello solo her son plays in the movie. It is on this record, and it is exceptional - Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major. Other notables are: Air on the G String, and Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring.

A Dream Album.......2000-06-25

Almost 2 hours of "distilled" Bach- selections of the sweetest adagios by some of the world's best interpreters of the Baroque. Contains the most melodious extracts from the world's greatest masterpieces. The solos by flutist, Jean-Pierre Rampal have a dream-like quality of tonal purity: fitting preludes to choral motets by the Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. The inclusion of Largos, Andantes and Preludes add well balanced variety to the more liesurely adagios.The selections provide a wonderfully peaceful background for reading or just relaxing.

Average customer rating:

Funeral Music

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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In Memoriam: music for solemn occasions
Music for the Funeral Service
In Memory Of... Classics for Funerals

ASIN: B0006IGJ2O
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Tracks:

Agnus Dei - Winchester Cathedral Choir
Masonic Funeral Music K 477 - London Classical Players
Introit - Jeffrey Francis
Kyrie - Jeffrey Francis
Lacrimosa - Jeffrey Francis
Pavane Op. 50 - English Chamber Orchestra
Aralarren - Benat Achiary
Juliet's Funeral And Romeo's Death - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
2. Largo - Jonathan Rees
The Lark Ascending - London Chamber Orchestra
The Death Of Ase - Berliner Philharmoniker
Chorus: 'Ruht Wohl' - Taverner Consort & Players

Tracks:

Funeral March - London Philharmonic Orchestra
2. Stabat Mater - Veronique Gens
3. Eia Mater - Veronique Gens
Elegie For Cello & Orchestra In C Minor Op. 19 - English Chamber Orchestra
4. Adagietto - Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
2. Adagio - Sinfonia Varsovia
Chorus: 'Wie Der Hirsch Schreit Nach Frischem Wasser' - London Symphony Chorus
Aria 'Es Ist Vollbracht' - Stephanie Blythe
3. Allegretto - London Classical Players
Libera Me - Angela-Maria Blasi
In Paradisum - Ensemble Vocal & Instrumental De Lausanne

Average customer rating:

Beethoven: Missa solemnis

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 7
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 8; Grosse Fuge
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5; Egmont Overture

ASIN: B000O59Z02
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus - Benedictus
Agnus Dei

Beethoven: Missa solemnis; Choral Fantasia

Average customer rating:

The Best on the Market

Beethoven: Missa solemnis; Choral Fantasia

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Soderstrom, Elisabeth | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Missa Solemnis, Op.123: Kyrie
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Gloria: Gloria in excelisis Deo
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Gloria: Qui tollis
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Gloria: Quoniam tu solus sanctus/
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Credo: Credo in unum Denum
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Credo: Et incarnatus est
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Credo: Et resurrexit

Tracks:

Missa Solemnis, Op.123: Sanctus (& Bendictus)
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Agnus Dei: Agnus Dei
Missa Solemnis, Op.123, Agnus: Dona nobis pacem
Fantasia In C, Op.80 - Daniel Barenboim/John Alldis Choir

Customer Reviews:

The Best on the Market.......1999-05-31

Klemperer's recording of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis is indeed a classic one - and right so. His soloists may not be as good as Karajan's (Wunderlich, Janowitz etc), but they are doing a honorable job. What is more important is his excellent choir (in 1964 still the "good old" Philharmonia Choir) - and a spacious conducting, very Klemper-like, and unequalled till this day. I lost my breath the first time I heard the Gloria in excelsis - if you don't know your Klemperes you don't know what a masterwork Beethoven has created here. The completing Piano Fantasy has got many of the same caracteristics. Sadly, Klemperer (no, it must be the ignorant EMI-post-Legge crew) chose Barenboim as soloist. He never got as far into Land of Music as the old maestro, but who does nowadays??!