Gabriel Fauré: Requiem and other choral music

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
John Rutter's groundbreaking research and subsequent performing edition of Fauré's beloved Requiem has enabled us to hear the work as the composer originally intended. His first version of the piece included only a chamber orchestra with lower strings, harp, timpani, and organ. Four years later, Fauré added two movements and slightly expanded the orchestration. This is the version that Rutter and his inimitable Cambridge Singers perform here-- and it's a glorious revelation, especially if the only Fauré Requiem you've heard is that for full orchestra, which the composer himself neither created nor approved. Rutter and his singers give us a wonderfully sumptuous yet detailed performance that benefits tremendously from the newly realized clarity of inner lines and from the richly colored orchestral textures. --David Vernier

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Jesu bleibet meine Freude
Dank sei dir, Herr
Ave Maria, D839
Laudamus te
Panis Angelicus
Air: "He shall feed his Flock"
Simple Song
Pie Jesu
Domine Deus
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes
Air: Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion
Abends will ich schlafen gehn
L'Adieu des bergers
Mariiegenlied, Op.76/52
Amazing Grace

Amazon.com

This lovely CD features Renée Fleming singing religious music in an unaffected, lovely manner. Many favorites are here: both the Bach/Gounod and Schubert versions of "Ave Maria," each offered with long breaths and soft tone; "Rejoice Greatly" from Messiah, delivered with virtuosity and gleaming sound, and "He Shall Feed His Flock," also from Messiah, sung in a smooth, laid-back manner. Bits of the Fauré Requiem and Poulenc Gloria are welcome, as is the gorgeous "L'Adieu des Bergers" from L'Enfance du Christ. In the prayer from Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel, Fleming is joined by the splendid Susan Graham, and a version of "Amazing Grace" features Mark O'Connor on violin. Two excerpts from Mozart's Mass in C Minor, pieces by Reger and Franck, and a few surprises round out this devotional CD. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

I hate to be rude, but . . ........2007-05-06

As stated earlier, I hate to be rude. However, Renee Fleming is not one of the greatest singers that I have heard. At many times, it sounds as if she is drunk, sliding into her notes at times. She also has a habit of hitting a note, and then quickly moving up or down for "dramatic effect". I'm sorry, but I just cannot listen to this. I know that everyone has their own opinions, and this is mine.
She is still a beautiful woman, and always will be. I have seen her concerts online, and she ISN'T bad, it's just that she doesn't have what I'm looking for in an opera singer!

Outstanding.......2007-03-07

I had seen this program on PBS and wanted the CD. Wonderful selection
of music and Renee Fleming's outstanding voice.

Sacred Songs.......2007-01-21

I always look for new presentations of Christmas songs. Rene Flemming did an excellent job in this recording. She has a super voice but sometimes the words of the song get lost in her singing style

My favorite of Fleming's CDs so far.......2006-12-07

There are only two cuts on this CD I tend to flip past (Amazing Grace and the Leonard Bernstein cut), but other than them, I totally love the rest! The cuts in German are divine! I could listen to this CD over and over again.

Inspiring and beautiful.......2006-07-20

I've always loved Renee Fleming's singing and this most recent album is just beautiful in every way. A rich voice, beautiful singing and a devout and magnificent artist. She makes even the most notorious evergreens come to life anew. I enjoyed it very much.

Average customer rating:

Music for Meditation
Be Thou My Vision
Reverent, beautiful

Prayer: A Windham Hill Collection

Manufacturer: RCA
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000AM6L0
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

Sanctus from Requiem (Gabriel Faur-Tim Story piano, synthesizers
The 23rd Psalm (Condit Atkinson) - Steve Erquiaga guitar
Be Thou My Vision (Irish trad.) - Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning with John Fitzpatrick
Holy, Holy, Holy (trad.) - Jim Brickman piano
The Lords Prayer (Albert Hay Malotte) - Paul McCandless English horn, keyboards
Alisas Prayer (Deborah Henson-Conant) - Deborah Henson-Conant electric Celtic harp
Meditation (Thea Suits) - Thea Suits flute
Ave Maria (J.S. Bach/Gounod) - Steve Erquiaga guitar
Go Gently (Suzanne Ciani & Jeremy Lubbock) - Suzanne Ciani piano
Offering (Tracy Silverman) - Tracy Silverman & Thea Suits
Spanish Stairs (Paul McCandless) - Rosalba Bentivoglio voice
Ave Verum Corpus (W.A. Mozart) - Philip Aaberg solo piano

Customer Reviews:

Music for Meditation.......2007-01-04

This is a delightful collection of music appropriate to meditative prayer. It is often my prayer companion, and I like the style and performance found on this CD. I highly recommend it to people who enjoy deeper reflection with a wordless musical background.

Be Thou My Vision.......2005-10-19

Track 3, Be Thou My Vision, was a surprise as the song was the final song played at my father's funeral. It set the closing mood most fittingly. While Be Thou My Vision is my favorite the entire collection is wonderfully mellow. I recommend it for for the mellow moods.

Reverent, beautiful.......2003-09-21

After criticizing Windham Hill in the past for often recycling the same songs over and over in various collections, I have to hand it to them with the new "Prayer" CD. It's a fine set of all-new acoustic versions of hymns or spiritual songs, plus a good number of original compositions. Producer Dawn Atkinson has done an excellent job of lining up a bunch of top-drawer people for "Prayer," and in working with the artists on the song selection.

Tracks:

Requiem: Introit et Kyrie
Requiem: Offertoire
Requiem: Sanctus
Requiem: Pie Jesu
Requiem: Agnus Dei
Requiem: Libera me
Requiem: In paradisum
Ave verum Corpus
Tantum ergo
Ave Maria
Maria, Mater gratiae
Cantique de Jean Racine
Messe basse: Kyrie eleison
Messe basse: Messe Basse - Sanctus
Messe basse: Messe Basse - Benedictus
Messe basse: Messe Basse - Agnus Dei

Amazon.com

John Rutter's groundbreaking research and subsequent performing edition of Fauré's beloved Requiem has enabled us to hear the work as the composer originally intended. His first version of the piece included only a chamber orchestra with lower strings, harp, timpani, and organ. Four years later, Fauré added two movements and slightly expanded the orchestration. This is the version that Rutter and his inimitable Cambridge Singers perform here-- and it's a glorious revelation, especially if the only Fauré Requiem you've heard is that for full orchestra, which the composer himself neither created nor approved. Rutter and his singers give us a wonderfully sumptuous yet detailed performance that benefits tremendously from the newly realized clarity of inner lines and from the richly colored orchestral textures. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

It's Beauty Revealed, At Last.......2007-01-11

This Collegium COLCD 109 is a later release of the Collegium COLCD 101 which I purchased circa 1985 after reading glowing reviews in Grammophone magazine. COLCD 101 is labeled Stereo/Digital. COLCD 109 is labeled Stereo/DDD. Is it a re-mastering? Liner notes don't say, but the new version provides noticeable improvements in vividness and clarity.

The release of COLCD 101 was a watershed event. John Rutter had questioned conventional performance versions of Faure's Requiem, those which used full symphony orchestras and Wagnerian-like soloists. Yes, it is a requiem, but Faure's ideas are very different than those found in, say, Verdi's Requiem. Instead of hellfire and damnation, Faure evokes serenity, peace and love. Rutter's historical research proved that Faure intended for his work to be performed in small, intimate settings where the orchestra and choir would be minimal and, maybe, use boy sopranos. Rutter's CD of the historical, 1893, version is like an expert restoration of an old painting where a century's grime is wiped away and the work is newly revealed in it's original beauty.

A 1990's CD of the 1893 version exists on Naxos 8.55076S by Jeremy Summerly and the Oxford Camerata. It, too, is beautiful and of similar performance quality, though conducted at a slightly slower tempo. I find Rutter's version more "right", but that's just personal preference.

OK, I'm a sucker for the 1893 version.......2006-01-17

John Rutter made substantial changes to the previously most-performed version of the Faure Requiem when he recorded this. He went back to the version of 1893 to do so, rather than using the more famous, more heavily orchestrated later version. One difference is that the violins in the Sanctus are transposed up an octave on this CD compared to the way in which they were played in the later Requiem. I find this recording to be beautiful and timeless, and definitely not over-orchestrated.

To me, Faure's great contribution with the Requiem was that he showed a firm refusal to judge other people as well as compassion in the face of death. This went against the beliefs of the Catholic church at the time, which emphasized hellfire and brimstone, and Faure was heavily criticized for putting as little mention in as he could get away with regarding the Day of Judgement. This compassion shows in his work and makes it comforting rather than frightening. It has been called a "lullaby of death."

I also enjoy the other vocal pieces, particularly the Ave Maria and the Cantique de Jean Racine, which is probably familiar to many people who are not really aware of Faure's career. These songs have a pure, clear sound which is not ruined through excessive orchestration.

In my opinion, John Rutter did a fantastic job with this material, and it's one of my favorite CDs.

Life has been engulfed in time.......2003-08-06

This requiem represents a complete shift in the general tone of the requiem as a genre. The vision of life and death is impregnated with a feminine light, the light of the ocean softly illuminated by the sunshine of Normandy, of the Graceful Coast. The figure that stands behind the music, that accompanies the dead person into the grave is no longer the masculine Germanic death that punishes man, nor even the furious feminine French death that challenges man, but the soft and comforting figure of the mother Mary, the universal comforter who takes the hand of each one of us, as if we were crying lost children, to make us pass the dangerous door that leads beyond life. This Holy Mary for whom Fauré has written so many Ave Marias, is promising us the end of time and our introduction into an everlasting stormless, painless and noiseless world that represents the very positive vision of a real world that is the negative vision of life. Photography is not far away. Everyday life becomes a life of strife, struggle, noise, violence, war, speed, work, exploitation and alienation, all elements seen as negative, and death is the negation of it all, is the positive virtuality that has to become our reality overthere. It is thus in perfect agreement with the vision the impressionists introduced to defy photography and bring art beyond the blaring image of reality a photographer brings up with his machine. The eye of the artist goes beyond those crude colors and forms to find light and life in the depth of his retina. Fauré is the impressionist painter of death as the real life beyond the surface we have to contemplate and suffer everyday. In other words virtual is beautiful and real is dreadful. Happiness has to be found in virtuality and not in reality. Fauré is bergsonian, who sees eternity beyond the flow of time. Fauré is proustian, who sees life beyond the loss of memory. This explains the erasing of the Dies Irae because there is no anger any more in the ascent to the eternal memory of what does not exist yet. This is a requiem of timelessness and nightlessness.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

Requiem- a masterpiece........2002-04-21

This exquisite collection has so many gorgeous songs that move me to tears. In Sanctus, the violin is so pure, so beautiful, its wrings my heart. This is real music, real art, crafted with such care, that it is a true privilege to hear it, not to mention sing it (which I have done, and I loved it). It is an encredible CD, and I would encourage anyone to buy it.
Lilly

high quality but lacking emotion.......2001-09-01

One reviewer describes this as "no lack of sadness, bright, not gloomy, filled with sunshine"; another calls it "peaceful". I might go with peaceful. The quality is high and the recording is of interest for being more faithful to Faure's original, non-orchestral version, but I found the performance notably lacking in emotion. I would steer the reader toward the more deeply moving Naxos version (conductor: Jeremy Summerly), which is something of a gem at budget price.

Average customer rating:

I can name that tune in three notes
A Fabulous CD
Mega-Sampler! This really does have 99 tracks!
Fun Sampler
Useful.

Idiot's Guide to Classical Music

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Music
Classical Guitar, Vol. 2
Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B000003FPT
Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

Adagio
Air on the G String: Air on the G String, Excerpt
Brandenburg Concerto: Third Movement, Excerpt
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Excerpt
Tocatta & Fugue: Excerpt
Adagio for Strings: Excerpt
Synphony No. 5: First Movement, Excerpt
Symphony No. 9: Fourth Movement, Excerpt
Fse: Excerpt
Turkish March: Turkish March, Excerpt
Moonlight Sonata: Excerpt
Symphonie Fantastique: March Ot the Scaffold, Excerpt
Damnation of Faust: Excerpt
Carmen - Habanera: Habanera, Excerpt
Toreador Song [From Carmen]
Minuet: Minuet, Excerpt
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dance No 17, Excerpt
Hungarian Dance No. 5: No 5, Excerpt
Lullaby: No 4, Lullaby, Excerpt
"Minute" Waltz: Excerpt
Grande Valse Brillante: Excerpt
Marche Fune: Marche Fune
Appalachian Spring: Excerpt
Fanfare for the Common Man: Excerpt
Clair de Lune: Excerpt
Prelude to the Afternoon: Excerpt
Lakm Flower Duet: Flower Duet, Excerpt
Symphony No. 9 "New World": Second Movement, "Going Home" Theme, ...
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Excerpt
Pomp & Circumstance: Excerpt
El Amor Brujo
Pavane: Excerpt
Rhapsody in Blue: Excerpt
American in Paris: Excerpt
Funeral March of Marionette: Excerpt
Piano Concerto in a Minor: Excerpt
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - Morning: Morning, Excerpt
Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus: Hallelujah Chorus, Excerpt
Water Music - Hornpipe: Hornpipe, Excerpt
Symphony No. 94 "Surprise": Second Movement, Excerpt
The Planets - Mars: Mars, Excerpt
Sabre Dance: Sabre Dance, Excerpt
Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba, Excerpt
Hungarian Rhapsody
Liebestraum No. 3: No 3, Excerpt
Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo: Intermezzo, Excerpt
Midsummer Night's Dream - Wedding March: Wedding March, Excerpt
Symphony No. 4 "Italian": Fourth Movement, Excerpt
Rondeau: No 1, Rondeau
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante, Excerpt
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: First Movement, Excerpt
The Marriage of Figaro - Overture: Overture, Excerpt
Sonata in A - Rondo Alla Turca: Rondo Alla Turca, Excerpt
Symphony No. 40: First Movement, Excerpt
Night on Bald Mountain: Excerpt
Pictures at an Exhibition - Great Cave of Kiev: Great Gate of ...
Barcarolle: Barcarolle, Excerpt
Orpheus in Hades - Theme II: Excerpt (Theme)
Carmina Burana - O Fortuna: O Fortuna, Excerpt
Canon: Canon, Excerpt
Romeo & Juliet - Montagues & Capulets: Montagues & Capulets, Excerpt
Lt. Kije's Wedding: Lt. Kije's Wedding, Excerpt
Turandot - Nessun Dorma: Nessun Dorma, Excerpt
Piano Concerto No. 2: Second Movement, Excerpt
Symphony No. 2: Third Movement, Opening, Excerpt
Rhapsody on a Theme: Variation 18, Excerpt
Bolero
Flight of the Bumblebee
Concierto de Aranjuez - Adagio: Adagio, Excerpt
The Barber of Seville - Overture: Excerpt
The Barber of Sville - Largo Al Factotum: Largo Al Factotum, Excerpt
William Tell Overture - Theme II: Excerpt
Danse Macabre: Excerpt
Gymnope No. 1
Symphony N0. 8 "Unfinished": Excerpt
Ave Maria: Excerpt
Finlandia [Finale: Finale, Excerpt]
Valse Triste: No 1, Valse Triste, Excerpt
Stars & Stripes Forever: Excerpt
Semper Fidelis: Excerpt
Blue Danube Waltz: Excerpt
Tales from the Vienna Woods: Excerpt
Also Sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare, Excerpt
Firebird - Infernal Dance & Main Theme: Infernal Dance & Main ...
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers: Waltz of the Flowers, Excerpt
Swan Lake - Waltz: Waltz, Excerpt
Sleeping Beauty -: Waltz, Excerpt
Romeo & Juliet - Theme II: Theme LL, Excerpt
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Opening: Opening, Excerpt
1812 Overture - Finale: Finale, Excerpt
Fantasia on "Greensleeves": Excerpt
Alda - Grand March: Grand March, Excerpt
Il Trovatore - Anvil Chorus: Anvil Chorus, Excerpt
Requiem - Dies Irae: Dies Irae, Excerpt
Rigoletto - La Donna Mobile: La Donna Mobile, Excerpt
The Four Seasons "Spring" - Allegro: Allegro, Excerpt
The Four Season "Winter" - Largo: Largo, Excerpt
Lohengrin - Bridal Chorus: Bridal Chorus, Excerpt
Die WalkRide of the Valkyries: Ride of the Valkyries, Excerpt

Customer Reviews:

I can name that tune in three notes.......2005-02-19

My family likes to put this disc in on shuffle and play name that tune. I wish they made more discs like this, only with more obscure works.

A Fabulous CD.......2004-10-14

The Idiot's Guide to Calssical Music is an awesome Cd for those people who want to have a tiny sample of all the great classical compositions. Track 61 and 63 are my favorite.

Mega-Sampler! This really does have 99 tracks!.......2002-03-20

Yes, this CD really does have 99 tracks. How do they do it? Each is about a minuet long. Some are longer, some are shorter, but you get the micro-essential moments of the music.

If you like burning your own CDs, then this is a great source for intra-track fillers, along the lines of They Might Be Giants' "Apollo 18" album, which has all of those short tracks on the end. The idea is to put your CD player on shuffle, so the short tracks get mixed in with the bona fide songs. The result being a very unusual album.

The booklet gives an explanation of the track, where you heard it (i.e. the Warner Brother's Cartoons, or on famous films), and where you can get the full piece of music. So it's a mega sampler CD.

I can honestly say that this CD is a great gift for the friend who has everything.

Fun Sampler.......2001-11-09

For the beginner. You will be surprised at how many of the 99 themes you recognize here. It is an easy introduction to classical music. Nice booklet too.

Useful........1999-03-22

Take it for what it is, a clever and useful GUIDE to classical music. No, it is NOT an uncut rendition of Beethoven's 9th symphony. It IS a cd that will jog your memory. You have heard many of the tunes presented here, but not always knowing what the work was. This is your chance to catch up with all the great classical music you have been exposed to. Cheap too.

Average customer rating:

Two and a half hours of divine music...what more can I say?

Heavenly Adagios

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Violin Adagios

ASIN: B0000DJZ7H
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Karl Munchinger
Meditation - Nigel Kennedy
In Paradisum - Iwan Edwards
Gymnopedie No. 1 - Charles Dutoit
Flower Duet - Joan Sutherland
The Swan - Jascha Silberstein
Sleepers Awake - Raymond Agoult
Humming Chorus - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Nimrod - Sir Georg Solti
Walk To The Paradise Garden - Sir Charles Mackerras
Pavane, Op. 50 - Iwan Edwards
Panis Angelicus - Julian Lloyd Webber
Ombra Mai Fu (Largo) - Anthony Way
The Lark Ascending - Iona Brown

Tracks:

Clair De Lune - Pascal Roge
Sheep May Safely Graze - Karl Munchinger
Symphony No. 3 - Second Movement (Excerpt) - Joanna Kozlowska
Stabat Mater - Judith Raskin
Ave Maria - Julian Lloyd Weber
Adagio - Miklos Perenyi
Ave Verum Corpus, K618 - Peter White
Andante Molto Mosso: Scene By The Brook - Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Karl Munchinger
Largo - Colin Davis
Wiegenlied (Lullaby), Op. 49 No. 4 - Marisa Robles
Adagio - Valery Gergiev
Air On A G string - Sir Neville Marriner

Customer Reviews:

Two and a half hours of divine music...what more can I say?.......2006-02-27

Well, a lot! And since no one else has taken the trouble to review my favorite Adagios collection, I'm just gonna hafta go an' do it myself, won't I?

Starting with the stunningly gorgeous 'Jesu, joy of man's desiring' by Bach, this tape reels you in instantly. I'm not much of a fan of 'slow' and 'peaceful' music; I like the beautiful, sublime type that just makes you tingle all over whenever you hear it. (If only Canon in D was in this tape my cup of joy would overflow) Anyway, don't stop listening because Delibes' 'Flower Duet' comes soon after and it is the very meaning of divine. I listen to the taoe just to hear that one song over and over--but not too much, or it'll loose it's touch. This is a Opera duet (sorry, don't know technical terms, my passion is music, not the science of) sung by two women, for those of you out there like me who know practically nothing!! Gorgeous! Sugoi!! (That's Japanese)

Ahem.
The lovely 'Ombra mai fu' (which, I believe Elizabeth Bennet's sister horribly sings in the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries) is another memorable piece (hear the previews of these titles, please) and finally, William Vaughan's 'The Lark Ascending' a sixteen minute piece of violin heaven played so expertly you will see larks flying in circles about your head--or is that because your noggen got whacked?

Well, as for the second CD, it wasn't quite as memorable, but it's up against perfection, ok? Brahms' 'lullaby' (yes, THAT lullaby) is really sweet and of course there's 'Claire de Lune', a favorite of the Adagios collection, besides 'Sheep may safely graze' and 'Air on a G string'. (Honestly, does EVERY Adagios collection have that one? It's not even that wonderful.)

But what am I going on and on for?
BUY IT!!!!

NOW!!!!

STOP THINKING ALREADY AND BUY IT!!!
=^-^=

Average customer rating:

Spine tingling
Physic for the Psyche
You'll adore the angelic Ingrid Kertesi's dulcet tones
The voice of heaven is the voice of Ingrid Kertesi

Ave Maria

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000014F4
Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

Cantata, BWV 147: Jesu bleibet meine Freude
Notenbuchlein fur Anna Magdalena Bach: Bist du bei mir, BWV 508
Serse: Ombra mal fargo
The Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
Rinaldo: Lascia ch'io pianga
Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K. 339: Laudate Dominum
Ave verum corpus, K. 618
Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165
Caro mio ben
Ave Maria, D. 839
Angus Dei
Ave Maria
Panis angelicus
Requiem: Pie Jesu
Ave Maria
Six Songs, Op. 48: Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur

Customer Reviews:

Spine tingling.......2005-03-15

This album is really about one thing to me - Ingrid Kertesi's version of Ave Maria. This is possibly the closest thing to perfection I have ever heard in music. Words will never explain true art so I won't try. I defy anybody to listen to this and not be moved by it's incredible force. Truly inspirational !!

Physic for the Psyche.......2004-10-24

I bought this CD for one track--Schubert's Ave Maria. I have searched through hundreds of Ave Maria albums for the perfect Ave Maria and, though this version is not perfect, it is the closest I have heard to perfection. Ingrid Kertesi's voice bathes you in the song's rich, warm, red sea of love that is so restorative, you can't help but feel pure and whole after one listening--though, I guarantee you won't be able to listen just once.

I only wish Naxos had chosen to record it with a piano instead of a full orchestra--Naxos's budget orchestras have a budget sound, and besides, this song has an intimacy that resonates best with a simple dialogue between a soprano and a piano. How many music directors have gone wrong by using a soprano and an orchestra, a tenor and an orchestra, or a tenor and a piano. No, no, no! Schubert's Ave Maria = Soprano and Piano, and it better be a damn good soprano, or don't bother recording at all. Really.

I didn't care about any of the other tracks on the CD--and about half are throw-aways. But the Ombra mai fu, the Lascia ch'io pianga, the Mozart masses, and the Donizetti and Gounod Aves (also sung by Kertesi) are all first rate.

Bottom line: the bad tracks are bad, but the beautiful tracks are ecstatic and full of heart and passion. Do your soul a favor and listen.

You'll adore the angelic Ingrid Kertesi's dulcet tones.......2004-07-22

Ingrid Kertesi really does have the voice of an angel. As an ex-choirboy, I have an inherent preference for the pure tones of a boy treble, rather than the mature vibrato warbling of most sopranos. But I bought this disc because the review by Mr. JB from Karlskrona, Sweden (June 18, 2000) grabbed my attention. He is 100 percent right: I defy you to listen to Ingrid Kertesi's version of J.S. Bach's "Bist du bei mir" ("Thou Art So Near") and not have the same ecstatic reaction he did. The same applies to that most hackneyed of works, the "Ave Maria" that Charles Gounod added atop Bach's C-major Prelude from the "48 Preludes and Fugues" ("The Well-Tempered Klavier"). Kertesi's exquisite version makes this old warhorse sound fresh and new again. It's sure either to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up or have you falling to the floor in sheer ecstasy. OK, forgive the hyperbole, but listen to the sample online and you'll get the point. The rest of the disc has humdrum versions of some very familiar pieces by Handel, Mozart and Schubert. But it's truly worth having for Kertesi's incomparable contribution.

The voice of heaven is the voice of Ingrid Kertesi.......2000-06-19

The reason that I bought this record was that as I was walking around in a record store I suddenly heard a heavenly voice, singing a wonderful song. It was so capturing that I had to go ask the staff for the CD. I must say I was deeply surprised when I found out it was a Naxos recording, since their song-CD's sometimes tend to be not so good. But this one is a real bargain.

The song was "Bist du bei mir" by Bach (Stötzel), and the singer was the totally unknown Ingrid Kertesi. This was almost a year ago, but I still think I get a new glimpse of heaven every time that I listen to her. The beauty of her voice makes you forget that her pronunciation is extremely bad (as with Sutherland in her prime). Kertesi sings a few more songs on this CD, and they're all lovely.

Many of the classic christmas & sacred songs are included on this CD, we find three 'Ave Maria' here. Most of the songs are nicely sung, except for some Mozartpieces. The other singers are not in the same class as Kertesi, but mostly OK.

Tracks:

Rejoice Greatly - Handel
Schlafendes Jesuskind
Laudate Dominum - Mozart
O Had I Jubal's Lyre - Handel
Seufzer, Tranen, Kummer, Not - Bach
Schafe Konnen - Bach
Ave Maria
Laudamus Te - Rossini
Bist Du Bei Mir
Mein Glaubiges Herze - Bach
Pie Jesu
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
Flobt, Mein Heiland
Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

My favourite collection of sacred music.......2006-03-31

For anyone who loves Kathleen Battle's voice, this is a real treasure, she never sounded better and more radiant.
This is a selection of well known sacred songs but they sound fresh and lovely when sung by Kathleen. She performs two Ave Marias, one very famous, by Bach, and another which is rarely performed, written by Mascagni, and this one is really stunning. Mozart's Laudate Dominum and Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem are also oustanding. The spiritual "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" is another highlight. There are several movements from Bach cantatas, including the famous Bist du bei mir, and Handel's "O Had I Jubal's Lyre" and "Rejoice greatly", they will remind you of how incredible Battle is when she sings virtuosic Baroque music.
And isn't the cover just beautiful? But get this album for the music, and you will rejoice greatly.

Battle at her glorious best.......2005-03-14

While I agree with an earlier reviewer who recommends her Levine disk, I must disagree with the claim that this "Rejoice Greatly" is inferior to her two other recordings of it. Her conception is identical in all three performances, but to my ear this is by far the best. In her full Messiah with Andrew Davis, the recording has her so recessed there is no feeling of intimacy. In her Handel recital disk, she is better placed and in better voice, but her rhythm is insecure in the sixteenth-notes; she seems to be nervously pushing ahead of the beat. But on "Grace" she gets it just right. For whatever it may be worth, a fellow fan once had the chance to ask Battle herself about this, and as I understand it her response was, "Yeah, I don't know why, but I haven't been able to do Rejoice before or since as well as it went on Grace."

The music soars.......2004-07-23

Kathleen Battle's voice is exquisite and is suited for most of the pieces on the CD. Her rendition of Mascagni's Ave Maria is perhaps the best track, with the Schafe Konnen from Bach's Cantata No. 208 coming in a close second. Another highlight is the Laudate Dominum, delivered with so much skill and feeling.

Less successful was Rossini's Laudamus Te. Battle has a flexible, clear and delicate voice, but not one that's full-bodied enough to accommodate the style of music found in a piece as grand and strident as the Laudamus Te. There is a sense of strain when she sings it, though it is by no means entirely unsuccessful.

Heavenly.......2004-07-13

Kathleen Battle is one of the people whose lovely voice first turned me on to opera, a rather unaccessible art to the common American. It is true that you can hear her breathe, and that she tempers her notes so they are sometimes gentle, sometimes strong, but that is not a weakness. The racks are rife with stereotypical fat ladies with fat voices, bellowing with nothing but technique, but there records languish while Kathleen's sell.

The songs are all fairly main stream and include a dramatic range from happy to sad. Nothing outlandish here.

Ms. Battle has been called the most beautiful soprano voice and I would heartily agree. The clarity, the roundness, the beauty of her sound is pure femininity and grace. I studied opera and no one in school or anywhere else, has ever been on her level. Some are close, but she is magnificent. I recommend this to anyone, opera snob or first timer. You will be moved!

Goddess in decline.......2004-01-24

In her late forties when this CD was recorded, Kathleen Battle can't be expected to emit the meltingly beautiful sounds she made during her rise to international stardom in the 1980s. Yet, she still sometimes does. Her final ringing note in Mascagni's "Ave Maria" is nothing short of sublime, and her "Were You There..." is emotionally sung, particularly the repeat of the phrase, "Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?"

But several of the tracks on this CD have been recorded by Kathleen Battle before, and to much better effect. The opening track, "Rejoice Greatly," is impressive, but not compared to Battle's performance on her Handel album with John Nelson in which she sounds much fresher, or to her performance on the complete Messiah recording with Andrew Davis. On Grace, Battle uses the exact same ornamentation she's used on every other one of her renditions of "Rejoice," but without the accuracy and jubilation of past performances. I wonder what the point of recording a third version was, when it has nothing new to offer. The tempo feels rushed, yet the singer drags the ends of phrases ("O daughter of Zion." There's also an "h" in the first occurance of the word "Zion" - it comes out "Zi-huh-yon"). And there are some splat notes that could have been easily fixed with a bit of editing: the word "and" is dreadfully flat in the phrase, "And shout, shout!"

"Jubal's Lyre" was stunning on Kathleen's 1985 recording, "Saltzburg Recital." Grace's rendition again sounds too fast, too thin, and, dare I say, too cutesy (the ornamentation is a bit much). And the word "tuneful" is incomprehensible. Is she saying "Shhteeyoonful" or "tuneful?"

"Bist du bei mir" begins under pitch.

Battle races through Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" and annoyingly scoops many phrases. I wish you would linger, Kathleen! Let us hear you caress that ascending "Amen" instead of carelessly flitting up the scale.

There's also the issue of her gaspy, nearly shrieking breaths, which other reviewers have mentioned. Oddly, it sounds as though the microphone is pressed to her mouth when she breathes, yet that it is miles away when she sings: there is an oddly distant quality to the recording.

Tracks:

Hallelujah - Ambrosian Singers
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth - Ambrosian Singers
Pie Jesu - Victoria De Los Angeles
In Excelsis Deo - Teresa Berganza
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude - Choir Of King's College Cambridge
Ave Maria - Philip Ledger
Zadok The Priest - Coronation Anthem - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Wie Lieblich Sing Deine Wohnungen - Phiharmonia Chorus
Sanctus Fortis - Richard Lewis
Agnus Dei - Dame Janet Baker
Cujus Animam Gementem - Robert Gambill
Lacrimosa - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Ave Maria - Gerald Moore
Ingemisco - Confutatis - Dies Irae - New Philharmonia Chorus

Tracks:

Panis Angelicus - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Herrscher Des Himmels, Erhore Das Lallen - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Ouverture - L'Adieu Des Bergers - Choeurs Rene Duclos
Libera Me Domine - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Ave Verum Corpus, K618 - Swedish Radio Chorus
Die HImmel Erzahlen Die Ehre Gottes - Jose Van Dam
Komm, Holder Lenz! - Chor Der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Lord God Of Abraham - New Philharmonia Chorus
And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth - New Philharmonia Chorus
Miserere Mei, Deus - Stephen Cleobury
Erbarme Dich, Sein Gott - Julia Hamari
O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wundern - Julia Hamari
Ich Folge Dir Gleichfalls - Lisa Otto
Ach Herr, Lass Dein Lieb' Engelein - Lisa Otto

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful and varied compilation of Sacred Choral Works.......2001-08-13

This is a 2 CD set and is one of my favorites. While this CD contains several pieces that the general public probably hears often (Handel's Messiah, Bach's Jesu Bleibet mein freund) it also contains some not well known pieces. Of particular quality is the recording of Gregorio Allegri's MISERE MEI DEUS, a piece composed at the end of the Renaissance era. This piece, lasting roughly 13 minutes, is a master stroke of pure choral music. The piece is repetitive but Allegri builds up to a fantastic ending. Also of note is the glorious recording of Mozart's AVE VERUM CORPUS, Hadyn's DIE SCHOPFUNG, and Brahm's EIN DEUTCHES REQUIEM. A MUST for any choral music fan.

Average customer rating:

Heavenly
The Holy Grail of Choral Recordings
One Small Correction
Gorgeous music, gorgeous performances
Stunning collection suitable for music nuts or newbies alike

Choral Moods

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DFKO
Release Date: 1998-10-13

Tracks:

Miserere Mei, Deus
Deutsche Messe D.872: Sanctus
Hear My Prayer, Oh Lord
Timor Et Tremor
Videntes Stellam
Psalm 13, OP.27
O Salutaris Hostia
Salvette Flores
Evening Hymn
L'enfance du Christ: Shepherd's Farewell
Ave Maria
Advent Responsory
Ave Maria OP.93
Edi Beo Thu, Hevene Quene
Missa Cum Iubilo (Gregorian Chant): Kyrie
Missa Cum Iubilo (Gregorian Chant): Gloria
Missa Cum Iubilo (Gregorian Chant): Sanctus & Benedictus
Missa Cum Iubilo (Gregorian Chant): Agnus Dei
Requiem: In Paradisum
Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Nunc Dimittis
Mass In G: Agnus Dei
Ave Verum Corpus Op. 65 No. 1
O Ignis Spiritus Paracliti
Hear My Prayer
Ave Maria
Panis Angelicus
Eternal Father
Vom Himmel Hoch
Ave Maria
Messe basse: Kyrie
Messe basse: Sanctus
Messe basse: Benedictus
Messe basse: Agnus Dei
Rejoice, Rejoice
Salve Regina, Op. 67 No. 1
Ave, Verum Corpus
Laudi Alla Vergine Maria
Tenebrae Facta Sunt
O Sacrum Convivium

Customer Reviews:

Heavenly.......2007-03-29

This is the most uplifting music I have encountered. The angelic sounds of this choral group help me stay sane on California highways!

The Holy Grail of Choral Recordings.......2006-07-03

This was the first choral CD I've ever purchased when I started becomming involved with choir during my senior year of high school five years ago. My director was telling the choir that he had finally found his copy at a music store and referred to it as the "Holy Grail" of choral recordings. So, I went out to find my own copy and I'm still blown away by it today. I've even given copies as gifts. The music is certainly relaxing and such, but what I most value from it is the spiritual magic. The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge (then and now my favorite choir in the world) brings every composition to life in such a way that's pure, elegant, and deep. Listening to this music and enjoying this choir has allowed me to set my own standard of singing and compositional excellence.

One Small Correction.......2004-03-06

I keep finding new things to love on this CD, including the fact that it has the first recording I found of Gabriel Faure's beautiful Soprano (or Soprano/Alto) duet Ave Maria., Opus 93. The same recording appears on another CD where the singers are named. The above description of this selection unaccountably adds a baritone. Incidentally, Faure also composed a shorter SATB Ave Maria, which John Rutter has recorded.

I only wish the recording included the complete text of Psalm 50/51 from Gregorio Allegri's Miserere Mei Deus. This might come from John Rutter's recently edited score, published by Oxford Press, if I'm not mistaken. I, for one, do not find this selection (or indeed the entire recording) too long and I believe that the embellishments at the end (mentioned in another review) are probably correct when considering performance conventions of the time of its composition.

Gorgeous music, gorgeous performances.......2003-06-19

I am a semi-professional singer with a BA in Music, and I bought this CD with some trepidation because it looked like one of those dreadful "pop classical" compilations that are everywhere lately. But it had lots of great repertoire all in on place, so I decided to risk it, and I was not disappointed! In fact, this is now one of my favorite choral CDs.

As usual, the Choir of Trinity College delivers stunning performances, and the music itself is just gorgeous. Lots of "church" favorites from a wide range of musical periods. The mood of the CD is definitely on the mellow side, but it's perfect for those quiet moods. I love this CD -- highly recommended!

Stunning collection suitable for music nuts or newbies alike.......2002-03-18

Even as an avid fan of classical music with very picky tastes, there was just so much good music packed on these two (cheap!) discs for me to take in at once!
The perfectly balanced and locked chords can really give you chills.

Tracks:

Adagio - London Voices, Terry Edwards
Ave Verum Corpus, K618 - The Choir Of King's College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Ave Maria - Choir Of New College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Pavane, Op.50 - Cheur De L'Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal, Iwan Edwards
Panis Angelicus - James Vivian
Orchestral Suite No.3 In D Major, BWV 1068 - London Voices, Terry Edwards
The Blue Bird - Choir Of New College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Concierto De Aranjuez Adagio - London Voices, Terry Edwards
Easter Hymn - London Opera Chorus, Terry Edwards
Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte - London Voices, Terry Edwards
O Salutaris Hostia - Choir Of New College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Simple Gifts - Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Jerold Ottley
Song For Athene - The Choir Of King's College - Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury
Humming Chorus - Wiener Staatsopernchor, Norbert Balatsch
Miserere - The Choir Of King's College - Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Peter White
Crux Fidelis (After Ombra Mai Fu) - Choir Of New College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
What Sweeter Music - Choir Of New College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Adagio - London Voices, Terry Edwards
Shenandoah - Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Jerold Ottley
In Paradisum - Choeur De L'orchestre Symphonique De Montreal, Iwan Edwards
Notturno: Andante - Christopher van Kampen
Andantino Semplice - London Voices, Terry Edwards
Blessed Is The Man (All Night Vigil, Op. 37) - Choir Of New College - Oxford, Edward Higginbottom
Allegretto - London Voices, Terry Edwards
Andante - London Voices, Terry Edwards
Cantique De Jean Racine - Stephen Cleobury
Te Lucis Ante Terminum - Helen Turnstall
Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tranen Nieder - Hymnus-Chorknaben Stuttgart, Gerald Wilhelm

Customer Reviews:

Good, not great..........2007-01-03

It is a cut and paste job, and the overall result reflects that. Some of the pieces are rather good. Some are works that are not choral works, and do not lend themselves well to being morphed into a choral piece.

If you are looking for a musical experience, then pass on this one. If you are looking for pleasant music in the background that no one really listens too...then you may want to consider.

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