Credo

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This surprising program is a joy through and through. It begins with a 1985 work by John Corigliano (Fantasia on an Ostinato) that uses the slow-movement theme from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and then later flies off into wonderfully emotion-filled directions. Next come Beethoven's "Tempest" sonata, played with just the right drama, and his fabulous "Choral Fantasy," op. 80, which is part sonata, part study for the 9th symphony. Pianist Grimaud plays the Fantasy with alternating delicacy and power, and the CD ends with Arvo Pärt's Credo, scored for piano solo, mixed chorus, and orchestra. This last piece is rich and complex, and in some ways encompasses the previous works' emotions and textures; those who think of Pärt as the quiet, holy minimalist, are in for a treat, and perhaps shock. Grimaud is simply magnificent regardless of the century or style; the beauty of her tone is surpassed only by its expressiveness. Esa Pekka Salonen leads the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir handsomely. This is a very special disc, a must for your collection. --Robert Levine

Mary Ellyn Hutton Cincinnati Post music writer
A star on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's two-week tour of Europe, Grimaud met with cheering crowds

Credo

Credo, Music, Ludwig van Beethoven, John Corigliano, Arvo Part, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hélène Grimaud, 20th/21st Century Orchestral Music, Choral, Choral Music, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Credo, Keyboard, Orchestral, Orchestral & Symphonic, Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard

The Very Best of Franco Corelli
Average customer rating:

If you love beautiful voices...

If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD

excellent gift

Greatest Tenor of This Century!

Ah... Franco :}

The Very Best of Franco Corelli

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Very Best of

ASIN: B00008V5VV
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

A Te, O Cara
Meco All' Altar Di Venere... Me Protegge, Me Difende
Ah Si, Ben mio...De Quella Pira
Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida
Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida
Intanto Amici... Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
No, Pagliaccio Non Son
Colpito Qui M'avete...Un Di All'azzuro Spazio
Credo A Una Possanza Arcana
Legray!... Andrea Chenier!...Si, Fui Soldato
Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
Vicino A Te

Tracks:

Donna Non Vidi Mai
Recondita Armonia
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Non Piangere, Liu... Ah! Per L'ultima Volta!
Nessun Dorma
Favorita Del Re!... Spirto Gentil
Cielo E Mar
L'anima Ho Stanca
Non Lunge Della Torre... Bianca Al Par Di Neve Alpina
Ange Adorable
L'amour, L'amour.. Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil!
O Nuit Divine!
C'est La! Salut! Tombeau!
Fronde Tenere... Ombra Mai Fu
Ave Maria
Domine Deus
Core 'Ngrato
Torna A Surriento

Customer Reviews:

If you love beautiful voices..........2007-04-30

and passionate singing, you won't be disappointed. While Corelli certainly had his flaws, they are minor in the larger picture of this unique, magnificent force of nature. Then get this set for your friend who thinks Andrea Bocelli is a great tenor.

If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD.......2007-03-10

Franco Corelli had one of the powerful tenor voices of the twentieth century. Think Mario del Monaco with more beauty and grace; think Richard Tucker with a smoother voice. He had annoying touches in his singing, such as those "catches" here and there. But, with Tucker, he is, in my estimation, one of the two most powerful and attention riveting tenors in the past century. Other tenors were more artistic, provided better characterization (think Domingo, Gigli, Pavarotti, Gedda, Caruso, and some others).

But Corelli was a wonder of nature! Some samples: "Ah si, ben mio. . .Di quella pira." If there were an aria made for Corelli, this would be it. His big, rich, powerful voice fits this cut nicely. Not much subtlety here. In "Di quella pira," he hits the high notes in a stentorian manner. There are those mannerisms, but they are so easily forgiven, taking into account that rich, lustrous voice.

"Celeste Aida" is another representative cut. This is a powerful version. Also, note how he goes from forte to piano at the end of this aria. A powerful effect indeed.

Then, there are the twin arias from "Tosca." In "Recondita armonia," his rich voice is well manifest. He exhibits a smooth line in his singing. This is a powerful version of this well known aria. "E lucevan le stele" displays again that rich voice. At one point, he goes from forte to piano in a mesmerizing manner (Who'd have thought it?). His final "la vita" grabs one's attention.

Finally, "Nessun dorma." Well, smoothly, and powerfully sung. The final "vincero" is powerfully rendered, leaving goose bumps on the spine.

This is the very best of Franco Corelli. Those who want to get a sense of the vocal prowess of one of the most powerful tenors of the 20th century should attend to this double CD set.

excellent gift.......2007-02-09

I gave it to my father and he says Its an amazing cd.

Greatest Tenor of This Century!.......2007-02-03

Franco Corelli is the greatest tenor of this century. Although there are many fine tenors including Carlo Bergonzi - no tenor comes close to singing with the pure heart and animal magnetism of Franco Corelli. Surprisingly, he was also quite comfortable with bel canto, listen to the incredible "A te o'cara". I've heard "Nessun Dorma" sung by many excellent tenors and hands down, none can touch the sublime beauty of Corelli's version. This 2cd set of his greatest arias is a wonderful gift for any opera fan. "Recondita Armonia" is my personal favorite. His thrilling vocal beauty and intensity of performance is truly unforgettable.

Ah... Franco :}.......2007-01-10

Such a pleasing voice. I can't believe the clarity and perfection. He was well before my time and others have become more 'popular' since then, but for some reason his voice seems better than the more current singers. I do not know much about opera so I will have to rely only on my own ears. I happily recommend this double album. I like to have it playing on the 5 CD changer with other opera cds, mixing through them...it is a perfect saturday morning accompaniment. enjoy.

The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos Gregorian Chant From Spain

Average customer rating:

mystery and fact
Gregorian Chant as it should always be!
The best Chant CD on the market.
Un magnífico cd
A RARE EXPERIENCE!

The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos Gregorian Chant From Spain

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
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Chant

ASIN: B000001GMY
Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

Gregorian Chant From Spain: Prolegendum: Dominus regnavit
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Tractus: Vide, Domine et considera
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Lauda: Laudate Dominum, quoniam bonus est psalmus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Preces: Ecclesiam sanctam catholicam
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Nomina offerentium: Per misericordiam tuam, Deus noster Deus noster
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Antiphona: Pacem meam do vobis
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Illatio: Introibo ad altare Dei mei
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Sanctus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Post Sanctus: Vere sanctus, vere benedictus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Credo
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Pater noster
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Ad confractionem panis: Gustate et videte
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Kyrie I
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Kyrie II
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Kyrie III
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Gloria
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Sacrificium: Offerte Domino
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Sanctus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Agnus Dei I
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Agnus Dei II
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Antiphona: Statuit Dominus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Lamentatio Ieremiae Prophetae: Ego vir videns

Customer Reviews:

mystery and fact.......2006-05-07

While I agree with the other reviewers that this is a fine recording, two precisions are necessary for the sake of accuracy. The disc is titled "Gregorian Chant" but in fact it is Mozarabic or Old Spanish Chant. The reviewer who wrote that the monks observe this rite is mistaken. The monks observe the same monastic rite as the monks of Solesmes and other Benedictine abbeys. The choir director at the time (1968), however, is a musicologist who prepared a special program of Old Spanish Chant for the historically based Archiv Produktion of Deutsche Grammophon.

Gregorian Chant as it should always be!.......2005-02-15

The monks of Santo Domingo de silos follow the rites and traditions of the ancient Mozarabic period of Hispania (modern day Spain). This period stemmed from the Visigothic period of control over the former Roman protectorate. And from this period throughout the generations this form of pure, magical and yet authentic chant has been saved and will continue to be saved. I brought this CD initially for my stepdad but I decided to keep it with me after listening to it. I fell in love with the sound, the atmosphere and it made me great when I listened to it.
I hope to one day visit the abbey and listen to these chants in person and live. 22 tracks of solid gold chants and the voices are so in sync with each other that the real mystery is why there is not more monasteries like this one.

The best Chant CD on the market........2004-04-14

By happy coincidence, this CD was my introduction to Gregorian Chant and while I have since listened to many more, this disc is clearly the best. Right from the opening Dominus Regnavit and Laudate Dominum, the listener is caught up in what seems to be a swelling wave of deeply felt emotion, all the more impactful for the pure voices. Follows in due course the majestic old Credo and lastly for the moving finale, the Lamentation of the Prophet Jeremiah. Sung with tremendous control and feeling by the monks of the Abbey of Santo Domingo, the sound quality and the depth of the individual voices is amazing. Listening with your eyes closed, you can picture cowled monks singing in an echoing hall, yet the acoustics are so good that while giving the listener a feeling of resonance in space, there isn't the faintest of ghost echoes. I learn from the inset that the Abbey of Santo Domingo in the village of Silos is one of the oldest surviving Benedictine monasteries in Spain and an earlier reviewer on this page, Jason Anderson, has written some very informative historical notes. The inset also has a nice piece on the abbey and the history of the chant, as well as the full text of the lyrics in Latin plus an English translation. I cannot recommend this CD too highly: whether you love Gregorian Chant or you just want a soothing listen for a quiet evening or a long drive, I guarantee you will not go wrong with this one.

Un magnífico cd.......2001-11-18

Este es un maravilloso cd para cualquier persona a la que le guste el canto gregoriano o esté interesada en escuchar algo de este tipo de música. Al principio puede parecer que todas las canciones son muy similares, pero una escucha atenta hace que esa sensación se despeje por completo. La calidad de sonido es muy buena y uno se siente casi dentro del propio monasterio de Silos cuando pone este cd, da una ambientación totalmente medieval y transporta en el tiempo y en el espacio al oyente. Además el precio es muy bueno para un cd de estas características.

A RARE EXPERIENCE!.......2000-09-12

The stylistic and indeed musical perfection of the recorded legacy of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes aside (and what a legacy that is - and how impossible to set it aside!), this remains, in my view, the ultimate recording of liturgical chant. There is so much to recommend the recordings of Solesmes -the exceeding quality of their beautiful art, the exquisite singing -especially of that one anonymous tenor voice that seems not only to color but to create the 'sound' for which their choir is justly famed!- the aristocratic liturgical taste of Dom Gajard, and now of Dom Jean Claire, even the genuine poverty of the monastic life at Solesmes (I've been there and seen it) - yet, in this recording of the choir of monks of the Spanish Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, there is an abiding aura so mingled of sorrow and joy that its effect cannot merely be audaciously touted, but must be absorbed like a holy ether in order to be justly experienced. While Solesmes has explored that vast body of prayer we know as Gregorian chant, the monks of Santo Domingo here offer chant from an earlier age, so-called Visigothic (Mozarabic) chant, rarely heard in our time before the liturgical relaxations subsequent to the Second Vatican Council. To listen to these monodic melodies so redolent of Spain's ancient Arabic past leaves us marked not only with their own intrinsic beauty, but allows us, I think, to hear Roman chant itself again in a fresh light. While the Kyriale included in this recording is perhaps more exactly called neo-Mozarabic chant, the main body of selections indeed come from the period prior to the Roman codification under Gregory, Spanish in heart, and universal in beauty; the remarkable 'Introibo ad altare Dei mei', the various Antiphons and Prayers intrinsic to an older national liturgical ideal usurped by Gregorian legislation, culminating in the astonishing 'Lamentation of Jeremiah' which, once heard, will never leave your heart. Recorded in the great Romanesque church of the Abbey, the acoustic ambience is perfectly suited to the sung prayer of these glad monks. If you enjoy listening to liturgical chant and have never heard this recording, you are unfinished and impoverished in your enjoyment. Get this recording and enter on the rich path of a rare experience indeed.

Average customer rating:

inspired performance !!!

The Story of Schubert

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001KCT
Release Date: 1994-02-28

Tracks:

Rosamunde, D. 797: Overture
Mozart: String Quartet In B-Flat Major, K. 172
Marche Militaire, D. 733, No. 1
Hark, Hark, The Lark!, D. 889
Mass No. 5 In A-Flat Major, D. 678: Credo
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485: Allegro
Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, D. 417 'Tragic': Finale: Allegro
Moment Musicaux No. 3 In F Minor, D. 780
Piano Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: Moderato
The Erl King, D. 328
Symphony No. 2 In B-Flat Major, D. 125: Allegro
Symphony No. 6 In C Major, D. 589 'Little': Andante
Symphony No. 6 In C Major, D. 589 'Little': Scherzo
To Music, D. 547
The Trout, D. 550
Piano Quintet In A Major, D. 667 'Trout': Theme And Variations
Octet In F Major, D. 803: Finale
Impromptu In B-Flat Major, D. 935 No. 3
String Quintet In C Major, D. 956: Allegro ma non troppo
Wanderer Fantasy In C Major, D. 760
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D. 759 'Unfinished': Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 9 In C Major, D. 944 'Great': Andante-Allegro ma non troppo
Mass No. 6 IN E-Flat Major, D. 950: Gloria
String Quartet No. 14 In D Minor, D. 810 'Death And The Maiden': Andante con moto
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D. 759 'Unfinished': Andante
Ave Maria, D. 839
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Allegro
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Andante con moto
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Menuetto: Allegro molto
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Allegro vivace

Customer Reviews:

inspired performance !!!.......2001-09-02

this collection deserves more than 5 stars.peter maag and the philharmonica hungarica are in top form.this is the best ever of schubert's fifth and eigth i have ever listened to.it is not karl bohm or leonard bernstein or george szell or lorin maazel.
truly the hungarians inspired by maag easily beat all the other top orchestras.
the orchestral texture is transparent with a perfect balance among the string sections ,the woodwind and the brass sections.peter maag obviously loves this music and brings out the heavenly beauty ,the pathos and the monumental dramatic quality of these works.
just listen to schubert's fifth second movement which ends with a heart rending cello phrase.
it is a shame that the well established record companies have not thought it fit to record more of peter maag.in my opinion he is one of the greatest ever conductors.
i will not exchange these performances for any other!

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
I needed this for K139
Young, bright voices effectively sing Mozart
Explicitly Wonderful!

Mozart: Masses (5)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041ME
Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Kyrie
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Gloria
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Credo
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Sanctus
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Benedictus
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Agnus Dei
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Kyrie
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Gloria
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Credo
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Sanctus - Benedictus
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Agnus Dei
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Kyrie
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Gloria
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Credo
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Sanctus
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Benedictus
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Kyrie
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Gloria
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Credo
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Sanctus
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Benedictus
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Agnus Dei
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Kyrie
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Gloria
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Credo
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Sanctus
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Benedictus
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-04

Every piece that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)wrote bears the mark of the unique genius that caused Haydn to say to Leopold:"I delcare to you upon my honor that I consider your son the greatest composer I have ever heard."
Mozart's sixteen completed Mass settings all date from before 1781, the year in which he quit his native Salzburg to try his luck as a freelance composer in Vienna. While it is true that little sacred music dates from the time of Mozart's greatest maturity, the best work of his teens and early twenties show him deploying his easy skills in counterpoint and fluid vocal melody to produce music of elegance and charm,which, while not greatly radical, nevertheless married his strengths successfully to the accepted Austrian church idiom of the day.
Since the city of Salzburg had a long tradition of church music, generally with a brass-heavy orchestral accompaniment, Mozart retained this sound in his Masses, with their trumpets and trombones, and in the case of the 'Coronation' Mass,horns as well.
Mozart's earliest Mass, the so-called 'Waisenhaus-Messe', was not in fact composed for Salzburg but for Vienna intended for the dedication of a new orphanage church.
The 'Missa Trinitas' was composed five years later in Salzburg for the Feast of the Holy Trinity in June 1773.
When Mozart wrote the C major 'Credo' Mass in November, 1776, it was in a lively and cheerful vein and quickly became very popular thruout the Salzburg region.
The two Masses K317 and K337, both again in C major,were written for the Easter celebrations of 1779 and 1790, respectively, and they show a rising maturity. The K317 'Coronation' Mass was performed in Vienna during the celebrations for the coronation of Emperor Leopold in 1790.

Whenever I see the name Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of KIng's College, I know I've got a quality production!..And this is no exception. The wonderful tuneful voices of the boy sopranos and male altos add so much to the sound of Mozart as well as any other early composer, The soloists, however, were brought in for this disc, and are not members of the choir. They are: Margaret Marshal(soprano)-Ann Murray (contralto)-Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor)-David Wilson-Johnson (bass)-Suzanne Mentzer (soprano)-Bernadette di Nissa (contralto)-Neil Mackie (tenor) and Stephen Roberts (bass). THERE WERE NO COUNTERTENORS SINGING SOLO PARTS.
Two very finely performed recordings.

I needed this for K139.......2006-11-10

I needed this recording for K139 only as our chorus was preparing for a performance and solo auditions were pending. I was interested in the alto solos and was a bit dismayed that the first few were done by a countertenor.
However, it was a good quality recording for the price and was helpful in learning my part for the choral sections as well.

Young, bright voices effectively sing Mozart.......2006-02-24

The King's College choir is composed of mostly young, brightly toned voices, which make for a crisp, clean sound on this recording. Therefore, it is excellent for use as either a rehearsal aid when performing any of these Masses, or purely for listening enjoyment. Good, clean recording.

Explicitly Wonderful!.......2004-07-14

I have had the great privelage of writing several other Mozart related reviews, and I was absolutely belated with this wonderful CD. This CD will offer a very detailed and clear performance of the 5 masses presented. It has been said that Mozart wrote the bulk of his sacred music with "a deep, childlike and unquestioning faith." His masses are astounding in practically every aspect. This was an overall satisfying CD.

Average customer rating:

This is a fantastic deal!
Excellent, Broad Selection
$70....when was this???
$70/40... you do the math.

Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00062FLHY
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

This is a fantastic deal!.......2007-02-25

If you are a fan at all of the Four Seasons you should love this music. I will admit right now that I am a classical music fan. I don't write or perform it. I am a novice listener. I have never taken any music lessons(though I am leaning in that direction) and certainly have not gone through any university music training. I started out in rock and roll but found classical as I got older and fell in love with it a few years ago.

With that context in mind I do hope I am able to recognize quality and this work is of the highest. It helps when you are starting with good ingredients in the first place. You can't bake great bread without great ingredients and Vivaldi's music library has some of the greatest musical ingredients of the last 300 years. They are very much the foundation for modern western culture and music. His talent is woven through what we are

The first 26 CDs are instrumental starting with the four seasons and working through many of the Master's many popular works. I will admit the four seasons are not the best interpretation I have heard but it is definitely acceptable. The rest of the music shows us many facets of the Baroque style and you can see themes emerging through some of the pieces that give us a 'fingerprint' of Vivaldi's style and the parameters of the stylistic leanings of the genre at the time. If you want to immerse yourself in 18th century music this is your chance

This music would be ideal for someone who owns a store and is looking for background music. With over 26 CDs of instrumental music alone you could have those constantly looping and you'd probably never get bored of them(OK I may be stretching it a little there). The reason is that the music does not leave a bad 'aftertaste' in your mind. It fits into the background as easily and naturally as it is to listen to it consciously in the foreground. If you are a fan of classical Baroque you don't usually need to be in the mood for this, it will adjust your mood to itself and Vivaldi's music is almost always of an uplifting sort if this collection is any indication. If you want something to listen to at your job 8 hours per day this is good for the mind and it would take you over a week to get through it if you listened to it every minute of every work day. You will also work without the worry of the music distracting your concentration. I find it enhances it when I'm working. I don't know how well this would work on school kids but teachers might want to try playing this during school time. You may create a few geniuses, we certainly could use more!

If you are looking for something to ease your sleep and oil your dreams I have put these CD's on in the background. Not only can I easily fall asleep when they are playing quietly in the background but it helps you sleep and you wake up in a very pleasant atmosphere if the music is still playing quietly when you wake(you probably would need to rip them to your MP3 player to do that). It's like napping at a classical music concert without the worry of being nudged by your spouse or offending the other concert goers with your snoring. That will be quite a unique experience for you and possibly give you some real sweet dreams. It has for me

So to wrap it up this is very intelligent, uplifting music that is great for your mind and your soul. It is definitely worth the purchase if you are a fan of the Four Seasons and the Baroque genre in my novice classical music fan's opinion

Excellent, Broad Selection.......2007-01-25

This 40-cd collection affords me a rare pleasure almost daily: the thrill of hearing something new by Vivaldi. Despite my best efforts over the years, I've managed to miss hearing a lot of great works by the master. Listening to a single CD now and then, catching tunes on the radio... you can't possibly get a comprehensive understanding of Vivaldi's output that way.

But when you work your way systematically from CD 1 through 40, you're sure to find many pleasant surprises. I've been skipping through everything I already know -- in some cases, it has only taken me about a minute to get through a whole CD (first 3 seconds of each track is usually enough). But then I stop and listen carefully three or four times to anything that's new.

Ah, what a pleasure. I've already acquired some new favorites. And some old standbys have proved even more rewarding, e.g. at first I thought RV 127 (CD 7, tracks 10-12) was performed too slowly (Naxos No: 8.553742 is much faster), but now I'm not sure; maybe it's BETTER that way! I can't recommend this set highly enough.

$70....when was this???.......2006-11-25

Wish the cost was $70 now. Guess the record producer (or Amazon) got tired of making less than $2 per CD.

$70/40... you do the math........2006-04-07

No, I don't own this collection...yet. However, the price of the collection compels me to review it beforehand. Never have I seen such a complete collection of Vivaldi compositions at such an incredibly low price. At $1.75 dollars a CD, the record producer (Brilliant Classics) isn't making much of a profit. The compilation pulls some of its works from DG Achiv Produktion's vault (see Standage), such as the violin concertos, as well as from unknown producers (the Poland Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra is heavily featured). The collection is so complete that it is academic, and I would not be surprised if music libraries quickly emptied it from Amazon's shelves. The collection is simply worth it for the incredible price (English Concert's recording of the violin concertos cost nearly 30 bucks, and is exactly featured here). Overall, the price alone makes this collection exceptionally attractive, and the ensembles featured aren't bad either.

Dufay: Missa L'homme armé; Supremum est mortalibus bonum

Average customer rating:

Experience the glory of early Renaissance sacred polyphony
DA VIRTUTIS MERITUM
A Great Recording of Dufay's Mass Plus

Dufay: Missa L'homme armé; Supremum est mortalibus bonum

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Machaut: La Messe de Nostre Dame; Songs from Le Voir Dit
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Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna

ASIN: B000001445
Release Date: 1995-06-27

Tracks:

Supremum est mortalibus bonum: L'homme arme
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Kyrie
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Gloria
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Credo
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Jubilate Deo
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Sanctus
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Agnus Dei
Supremum est mortalibus bonum: Illumina faciem tuam
Supremum est mortalibus bonum

Customer Reviews:

Experience the glory of early Renaissance sacred polyphony .......2006-12-08

If you want to experience early Renaissance sacred polyphony in all its glory, one of the best places to start is this scintillating recording of Guillaume Dufay's "Missa L'homme arme" by the Oxford Camerata. This vocal consort, led by Jeremy Summerly, has been a leading light in the early music vocal scene, having recorded several other remarkable works for the Naxos label (William Byrd's "Masses for Four and Five Voices" comes to mind).

"Missa L'homme arme" represented a comeback of sorts for Dufay (1397-1474). Years earlier, Dufay had become the first composer to base a Mass Ordinary cycle on a secular song (his own "Se la face ay pale"). The generation of composers that followed Dufay tried to outdo each other by composing Masses based on the short, catchy "L'homme arme" melody. By writing his own "Missa L'homme arme," Dufay rose to the challenge issued by mid-15th century composers of sacred music.

Dufay's entry was late but significant. His Mass employed several newer techniques, including retrograde and inverted cantus firmus, which allowed him to compete with younger, progressive composers such as Ockeghem and Busnoys. For Dufay, "Missa L'homme arme" was a chance to show he could still compose a virtuoso Mass with the best of them, and he succeeded gloriously, re-affirming his stature as the pre-eminent composer of the century.

Unlike the upbeat pop tune that inspired this Mass (which appears as the first track here), Dufay's movements unfold smoothly and gradually, like undulating waves. Voices emerge in ghostly motifs that faintly echo the main theme (or cantus firmus), most dramatically in the "Agnus Dei" movement. Here, Dufay's original score bears the note, "The crab proceeds whole but returns half." This cryptic phrase indicates how Dufay manipulated the cantus firmus: the "L'homme arme melody" is stated backward, in half-time, before beginning over again forwards and in standard time.

The performance of the Oxford Camerata is excellent throughout this recording, which also includes the motet "Supremum est mortalibus." Through the Camerata's heavenly voices, Dufay's Mass achieves an otherworldly, timeless beauty that will impress scholars and astonish casual listeners. This is truly a work for the ages.

DA VIRTUTIS MERITUM.......2004-11-09

Dufay's life seems to have been entirely within the 15th century. He was based at the abbey of Cambrai and seems to have enjoyed a wide reputation spreading as far as Scotland, where one of the manuscripts of this mass survives. The mass is a large-scale work, with a Sanctus lasting over ten minutes (which is a lot longer than, say, Verdi's), and an Agnus Dei taking well over eight. To complete the set there is a motet 'Supremum est mortalibus bonum' dating from the 1430's, and one very intriguing feature of this disc is the presence of an unharmonised 'Veni sancte spiritus' (sung to a popular tune) after the Gloria and two plainsong items 'Jubilate Deo' following the Credo and 'Illumina tu faciem' right at the end after the Agnus Dei. Sadly there is no illumination of this in the liner-note, which is really the most frightful guff saying next to nothing and saying it rather badly. Provisionally I have to assume that these numbers (all short) were sung at appropriate points during the celebration of the mass, otherwise what is the point of sequencing them in this way on the record? What I would have liked some guidance on is whether the composer envisaged these extras as integral parts of the setting of the mass - e.g. do they occur in the manuscripts, of which there are no fewer than four? Evidently I shall have to research this question elsewhere.

I am an admirer of the Oxford Camerata in general. As in their record of Josquin's mass based on the same chanson, there are 12 singers, those male these feminine as Milton puts it, numbering 7 and 5 respectively. I have read some comment that finds them prone to over-slow tempi, but I have been used to 15th and 16th century ecclesiastical polyphony all my life from childhood, and while I have no pretensions at all to being expert on the subject I suppose I can say that I find nothing untoward in any aspect of the Camerata's approach. The recording is predictably good, and the strength of the vocal tone impressed me.

English translations of the Latin are provided for everything here. These are in general accurate, although it is worth pointing out that towards the end of the Veni sancte 'Da...sacrum septenarium' means literally 'grant seven holy years', and 'da salutis exitum' means unequivocally 'grant final salvation'.

A Great Recording of Dufay's Mass Plus.......2002-03-08

Dufay was the music master of the early Renaissance, and this disc contains his mass setting of the greatest hit of the later middle ages and Renaissance, "L'homme arme", plus recordings of the song itself as well as chants and motets utilizing the tune as their basis, worked in among the mass setting pieces. However, lest potential buyers think they are getting some kind of new agey, fluffy music here, this recording works very hard to be authentic, and the performance is more powerful than serene, more earthy than spacey, and majestic in a very medieval way. Summerly and company get these works very right.

Average customer rating:

Not worth buying!
Don't waste your money
Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests
A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder
This sucks...

Only Opera CD You'll Ever Need

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003GA0
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Antony & Cleopatra: 'Give Me My Robe' - Leontyne Price
Fidelio: 'In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen...' - Ben Heppner
Fidelio: Act II Quartet: 'Ach, du bist gerettet...' - Deborah Voigt
Norma: 'Casta Diva' - Rosa Ponselle
Candide: 'Glitter And Be Gay' - Harolyn Blackwell
Candide: 'Make Our Garden Grow' - Jerry Hadley
Carmen: Flower Song - Placido Domingo
Carmen: Habanera - Rise Stevens
Carmen: Toreador Song - Robert Merrill
Les pecheurs de perles: Duet: 'Oui, c'est elle, c'est la deesse...' - Robert Merrill
Mefistofele: 'Ecco il mondo' - Samuel Ramey
La Wally: 'Eben, ne andro lontana' - ONLY OPERA CD YOU'LL EVER NEED
Lakme: Bell Song - Lily Pons
L'Elisir d'Amore: 'Una furtiva lagrima' - Tito Schipa
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Chi mi frena in tal momento...' - Carlo Bergonzi
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Spargi d'amaro pianto' - Anna Moffo
Martha: 'M'appari tutto amor' - Jussi Bjoerling
Porgy & Bess: 'Summertime' - Leontyne Price
Porgy & Bess: 'Bess, You Is My Woman' - William Warfield
Andrea Chenier: 'Come un bel di di maggio' - Ben Heppner
Romeo et Juliette: Juliette's Waltz; 'Je veux vivre' - Ruth Ann Swenson
Salammbo: Aria - Kiri Te Kanawa
Hansel & Gretel: 'Suuse, liebe Susse - Helen Donath
I Pagliacci: 'Vesti la giubba' - Enrico Caruso
Cavalleria Rusticana: 'Viva il vino' - Jussi Bjoerling
Cherubin: 'Lorsque vous n'aurez rien' - Dawn Upshaw
Manon: 'Ah! Fuyez, douce image' - Richard Crooks
Cosi fan tutte: 'Come scoglio immoto resta' - Leontyne Price
Don Giovanni: 'La ci darem la mano' - Edith Mathis
Don Giovanni: 'Deh! vieni alla finestra' - Ezio Pinza
Don Giovanni: 'Non mi dir' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Non piu andrai...' - Alan Titus
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Porgi, amor' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Deh vieni, non tardar' - Bidu Sayao
Die Zauberflote: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon' - Fritz Wunderlich
Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache - Zdislawa Donat
Die Zauberflote: Papageno - Papageno Duet - Christian Boesch
Boris Godunov: 'I v ljutomgore, nisposlannom Bogom...' - Alexander Kipnis
Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle - Montserrat Caballe
La Gioconda: 'Cielo e mar' - Beniamino Gigli
La Boheme: 'Che gelida manina' - Giuseppe Di Stefano
La Boheme: 'Mi piaccion quelle cose...' - Licia Albanese
La Boheme: 'Fremon gia nell'anima' - Luciano Pavarotti
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song - Judith Blegen
Gianni Schicchi: 'O mio babbino caro' - Angela Gheorghiu
Madama Butterfly: 'Ah, ti serro palpitante' - Placido Domingo
Madama Butterfly: 'Un bel di' - Leontyne Price
Manon Lescaut: 'Donna non vidi mai' - Jussi Bjoerling
La rondine: 'Chi il bel sogno di Doretta - Anna Moffo
TOSCA: 'Recondita armonia' - Placido Domingo
TOSCA: 'Vissi d'arte' - Irina Oudalova
TOSCA: 'E avanti a lui...' - Zinka Milanov
TOSCA: 'E lucevan le stelle' - Mario Lanza
Turandot: 'Signore, ascolta' - Renata Tebaldi
Turandot: 'In questa reggia' - Birgit Nilsson
Turandot: 'Nessun dorma' - Jussi Bjoerling
Dido & Aeneas: 'When I Am Laid In Earth' - Leontyne Price
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo al factotum' - Robert Merrill
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa' - Roberta Peters
Samson et Dalila: 'Mon coeur s'ouvre' - Christa Ludwig
The Bartered Bride: 'Wenn ich das einmal erfahre' - Teresa Stratas
Elektra: 'Agamemnon' - Inge Borkh
Der Rosenkavalier: 'Ist ein Traum' - Erna Berger
Salome: 'Nicht in der Welt...' - Inge Borkh
Eugene Onegin: Lenski's Aria - Placido Domingo
Eugene Onegin: Tatiana's Letter Scene - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' - Jussi Bjoerling
Aida: 'Ritorna vincitor!' - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Gloria all'Egitto' - John Alldis Choir
Aida: 'O patria mia' - Leontyne Price
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'O docezze perdute! O memorie...' - Robert Merrill
Don Carlo: 'Dio, che nell'anima infondere' - Placido Domingo
Ernani: 'Emani, involami' - Leontyne Price
La forza del destino: 'Or muoio tranquillo...' - Robert Merrill
La forza del destino: 'Pace, pace mio dio' - Zinka Milanov
Nabucco: 'Va, pensiero' - Oleg Reshetkin
Otello: 'Credo' - Tito Gobbi
Otello: Willow Song - Leonie Rysanek
Otello: 'Niun mi tema' - Jon Vickers
Rigoletto: 'Qesta o quella' - Alfredo Kraus
Rigoletto: 'Caro nome' - Anna Moffo
Rigoletto: 'La donna e mobile' - Jan Peerce
Rigoletto: 'Bella figlia dell'amore' - Alfredo Kraus
La Traviata: Brindisi - Montserrat Caballe
La Traviata: 'Di provenza' - Sherrill Milnes
La Traviata: 'Sempre libera' - Eleanor Steber
La Traviata: 'Addio del passato' - Anna Moffo
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Moscow Classical Chorus & Ensemble
Il Trovatore: 'Di quella pira' - Placido Domingo
Il Trovatore: 'Tacea la notte placido - Leontyne Price
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlicht leuchtend' - Set Svanholm
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries - Staatskapelle Dresden
Die Walkure: Wotan's Farewell - Lawrence Tibbett
Siegfried: Song Of The Forest Bird - Norma Sharp
Gotterdammerung: 'Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort' - Kirsten Flagstad
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus - Robert Shaw Chorale
Lohengrin: 'In fernem Land' - Lauritz Melchior
Tannhauser: 'Dich teure Halle' - Waltraud Meler

Customer Reviews:

Not worth buying!.......2007-05-29

I found this recording basically worthless. It contains only very short excerpts of the song. Not enough to get into and enjoy!

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-18

This is the worst purchase I have ever made. It is a truly dreadful piece of work.I was so disgusted with it that I threw it into the trash can.

Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests.......2006-11-19

If you want to hear full recordings of arias, then this disc is not for you. It plays only tidbits of 99 arias. Contrary to the title, this is definitely not the only opera disc you'll ever need. You shouldn't take it seriously. This disc has next to no value for an opera neophyte. But for opera fanatics, there has never been a better test of your knowledge of operatic repertoire and singers. It's a great challenge for opera buffs. Sit down with your opera loving friends for an hour, play this disc, and try to be the first to identify the singer, composer, opera, and piece. If you're a music professor, this disc would make for an awesome pop quiz. Find out how well your students really know their opera repertoire.

A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder.......2006-10-02

I don't know anyone who would enjoy this CD. It will drive opera fans nuts with a hundred exerpts that run about 30 seconds each, then fade out without the singers even finishing a single verse. It's more like an index of arias, or a volume of teasers that hucksters might use to sell opera CDs.

I never realized how much Bernstein's "Glitter and be gay" sounded like Delibes' "Bell Song" until I heard 35 seconds of one, followed 23 seconds of the other.

Maybe the TV show 'Jeopardy' could use this CD. 'What is "Hush little baby don't you..."??'

What a waste of beautiful voices and great music. 38 seconds of Enrico Caruso, followed by 31 seconds of Jussi Bjoerling, followed by 38 seconds of Dawn Upshaw.

My copy is going to go sailing into the wastebasket as soon as I finish this review.

This sucks..........2006-03-31

I should only blame myself for not checking out more reviews... this is a CD filled with short, little snippets of great operas songs... and I mean SHORT, LITTLE snippets of 30 seconds or so, each. Don't buy this CD... it is a complete rip off... and that is saying ALOT since it is only $4.00... Again, my fault for not reading the reviews but I trusted that something called a "Music CD" would actually have complete songs... What else does this company offer? A "Music CD" that only has the intros or applause tracks to great songs...?

Move on to something else... Amazon has a great selection... just not this one.

Officium - Jan Gabarek & The Hilliard Ensemble

Average customer rating:

Original, Brilliant, but Flawed
Great vocals but saxophone has to go!
I Wish I Could be More Positive, but...
((saxophonist) + (chant + polyphony + motets)) = Officium
Absolutely Gorgeous!

Officium - Jan Gabarek & The Hilliard Ensemble
Cristobal de Morales , Pierre de LaRue , Perotin , Guillaume Dufay , Gregorian Chant , Jan Garbarek , Rogers Covey-Crump , David James , Gordon Jones , and John Potter
Manufacturer: ECM Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Officium
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Witchi-Tai-To

ASIN: B0000031YD
Release Date: 1994-09-13

Tracks:

Parce mihi domine
Primo tempore
Sanctus
Regnantem sempiterna
O salutaris hostia
Procedentem sponsum
Pulcherrima rosa
Parce mihi domine
Beata viscera
De spineto nata rosa
Credo
Ave maris stella
Virgo flagellatur
Oratio Ieremiae
Parce mihi domine

Amazon.com essential recording

"What is this music?" Fundamentally, it's an exploration of what happens when an improvisatory instrumental voice (saxophone) is placed into the world of early vocal music, which has elements of both improvisation and formal structure. In reality, it's an adventure in which the four male voices of the Hilliard Ensemble travel the 14th- and 15th-century territory of Morales and Dufay, visit the 12th century of Perotin, and roam even earlier ages of plainchant, accompanied by the always sensitive and tasteful, often astonishing, saxophone improvisations of jazz master Jan Garbarek. Sometimes, these new melodies simply accompany; sometimes they transform the common--a routine minor chord, for instance--into a sublime, indescribable moment. The answer to the above question is easy, but it's different for each listener. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Original, Brilliant, but Flawed.......2007-03-24

I'm a big fan both of Garbarek and of "early music", so I bought this album with enthusiasm when it first came out a decade ago. I wasn't disappointed, but I do find it uneven. Garbarek was experimenting throughout the process of recording this work, and some of his ideas are better than others. I understand completely those who complain about the soprano sax not blending well with the vocals - there are tracks where it's just too up-front and edgy to fit into the mix. But the tracks where the sax is recorded from further away, particularly those where a tenor sax is used, are absolutely sublime. For those moments, it deserves more than 4 stars. For the moments where the soprano sax is too shrill, I'd take off a fraction of a point if I could, but if I've got to call it a "4" or a "5", I'd give it a 5.

Great vocals but saxophone has to go!.......2007-03-19

This cd has extremely beautiful vocals and chants that conjure up sublime images of baronial castles, knights in armore and ornately decorated fireplaces of old. This is until Jan's 20-21st century saxophone weaves its way into this otherwise heavenly image. The sound quietly fades in out of nowhere and eventually drowns out the vocals. It then seems to meander in and out thoughout the rest of the song. If you like John Dowland meets Kenny G., this is for you. Otherwise, if you're looking for "pure" early music, you might want to stick with other Hilliard Ensemble music sans Mr. Garbarek.

I Wish I Could be More Positive, but..........2007-01-06

...but I really hate the soprano sax played over these beautiful pieces. The singing is superb and the repertoire is rare (only one other recording of the Morales, for instance, and that is done quite differently, anent the sax).

I think I would have liked it better if Garbarak had played a lower horn, like an alto or tenor sax. These pieces are about something, and I don't feel that Gabarak really knew what the texts were about and what the composers were responding to in the texts.

I keep it for the exquisite "Parce mihi Domine" sung withoug the screeching sax.

((saxophonist) + (chant + polyphony + motets)) = Officium.......2004-04-22

I bought this album on a whim shortly after its release several years ago after never having listened to any of its tracks, and was completely surprised when I heard it being played as I entered the stave church model located in the Norway region of Disney's Epcot Center during my first visit to the park earlier this year, because I have never at any time heard any of its tracks played anywhere outside my home. The stave church is a strange place to play this secular work, but perhaps the layperson might discover the reasons for this if the liner notes included English translations of the Latin. In my opinion, this album is comprised of some of the best blends of music styles I have ever heard. Essentially, the blends consist of Latin lyrics from the pre-12th through 16th centuries set to jazz. According to the liner notes, the vocal quartet produces "chant, reaching back to its pre-literate forms; early polyphony, where the number of parts was a matter of experiment and the same piece could exist in many different versions; and Renaissance motets that were conceived chordally, and might provide structures over which a saxophone could improvise". The unity of these music forms were united in light of the fact that just as jazz had no name at the beginning of the 20th century, polyphony did not have a name when it began 1000 years ago. As the liner notes explain, "these two nameless historical moments were points of departure for two of the most fundamental ideas in Western music: improvisation and composition".

Absolutely Gorgeous!.......2002-01-10

This is one of the most innovative and sublime CDs in my expansive collection. I'll stay away from trying to explain what centuries the pieces were written in, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line: they were all written before the saxophone was invented. Therefore, Garbarek's "intrusions" should seem as such, interrupting the Hilliard Ensemble's vocalizing. Quite the contrary, though. Garbarek's first notes, although somewhat unexpected, seem quite appropriate and fitted. His "improvisations" around the traditional structure of the vocals are sometimes subtle, sometimes more upfront, but always in keeping with the spirit of the original pieces. He winds and weaves his way around and through the vocal arrangements like a fifth vocalist--no restraints or boundaries but with a keen ear for what will sound good where.

This CD is on my very short list of classical "desert island" discs and ranks right up there with Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma's HUSH for improvisational yet traditional music, with ingenious wrinkles thrown in. It's hard to call it straight classical, but it isn't exactly jazz, either. The styles are merged beautifully. The best metaphor I can think of would be a braid: separate entities intertwined and working together for a common goal and a common effect.

Tracks:

Alma Mater/Ante Thorum
Ave Donna Santissima
Salve MAter Misericordie
Kyrie
Gloria
Lauda Novella
Benedicta Es Celorum
Mater Christi Nobilis
De Spineto Nata Rosa
Salve Virgo Virginum
Credo
Stella Maris
Venite A Laudare
In Excelsis Gloria
Sanctus
O Ceteris Preambulis
Agnus Dei
Oi Me Lasso
Words Of The Angel
Ite Missa Est

Amazon.com

The 14th century "Tournai" Mass, consisting of a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Ite missa est, is the first known complete polyphonic mass to come down to us. Its sections were probably written by different composers, and it's a stunning, fascinating look into early polyphony. This performance is combined with other pieces from the same period, as well as a five-minute piece by contemporary composer Ivan Moody, which--though clearly from six centuries later--blends to make this a gorgeous whole. If you like Anonymous 4, you're in for a real treat here. The three Scandinavian women who make up Trio Mediaeval have astonishingly beautiful voices, with individual timbres that nonetheless mingle seamlessly, whether in simple, chantlike moments or in the high-flying Moody piece. And they sing with feeling, depth, and, well, soul. This is a magnificent disc, not to be missed. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Good music.......2006-02-07

I'm a big fan of religious choral classical music, and this album was not nearly as good as I was expecting it to be. It is good music, and the performers do a fine job, but it is not as awe inspiring as most of the music I listen to.

The music has very little variance of dynamics. Many people like music where one setting of the volume control works throughout the entire piece, but I prefer music that has quieter parts and louder parts. Music is more expressive when it changes dynamics, or especially when the composer tastefully uses silence. These composers did not use any silence at all in their pieces. That, combined with the performers swinging their notes made the pieces feel too hurried. The embellishments were also annoying, because some of the notes just felt unimportant, almost like they were only put in to avoid the singer singing one note for too long. But the embellishments made the piece feel too busy, and not contemplative enough. The only modern piece on the CD (the 19th track, composed by Moody) fits in well with the CD, and is definitely in the old style.

The music does sound distinctively western European, and not similar to the orthodox Christian tradition. As much as I've criticized some aspects of the music in the above paragraph, I do like the music. It does a good job of helping one attain the peaceful spiritual mood it attempts to instill.

However, I give it only a 3 because there are many other pieces which do a better job at giving the listener a peaceful, sometimes mournful, contemplative content mood. I can't go around giving a 5 to every CD I like - it would be unfair to my truly favorite CDs. Some choral pieces that I prefer include Rachmaninov's Vespers & Liturgy to St John, Silvestrov's 4th movement of his Requiem to Larissa, both Szymanowski & Dvorak's Stabat Maters, Henryk Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, Avet Terterian's 6th Symphony, most of Arvo Part's later music (after his switch to tintinnabuli), and a few other modern works from that part of the world.

I do realize that not everyone has the same tastes as me, so there will be those who love this music more than they would love the pieces that inspire me the most. However, reviews are a place to not just hear from those who are the biggest fans of a type of music, but to hear from those who are buying the music even though it is not completely their style of music.

ECM did a fine job on its side. The sound quality is great, and the liner notes were fabulous. There was even more music on this CD than one often finds on ECM releases (they often put well under an hour of music on one CD).

I do recommend this CD, as it is quite accessible to those who do not regularly listen to classical music. It is beautiful music, yet it is still music that most people can appreciate.

Transporting Music.......2005-09-29

Trio Mediaeval is the name chosen by three Scandinavian singers who specialize in the early music of the church. Gregorian chant or Plainsong is one of the oldest forms of Western religious music and though much of the original chanting was one-part intoning by the monks, the composers of the time gradually created polyphony and the results are well sampled on this beautifully recorded CD.

Not only does this a cappela trio of women's voices demonstrate a clarity of tone and pitch and timbre, they move through these at times complex harmonies with utter ease. In addition to excerpts from the Anonymous Tournai Mass, the Trio weaves the mysteries of English and Italian chant and even includes a truly beautiful contemporary setting of the chant form by Ivan Moody entitled 'Words of the Angel'.

This is one of those recordings that soothes the mind and soul and confirms the importance of medieval music on the development of music through the ages. A new recording by this group entitled "Stella Maris" is promised soon and having heard that recording it is even better! The Trio Mediaeval is a fine performing arts group that should have a long life. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, September 05

They ARE heavenly songs from angels!.......2005-06-29

The title of this CD does a wonderful job to tell what's included. It's the best music I've ever heard. I believe that if there do exist angels in Heaven, their songs could not be better than the ones on this CD!

A step closer to God.......2004-10-31

If you are not inspired by these contemplative arrangements, you might want to check your pulse. Very insprired, indeed.

Hauntingly Beautiful.......2003-05-18

I bought this CD on an impulse, not knowing what to expect. The three a capella female vocalists harmonize in the most eerily beautiful way -- this CD is as close to transcendental music as I've ever heard. Everyone I've shared it with has had the same reaction -- the music is riviting and relaxing at the same time. A must for Gregorian chant lovers and anyone else who appreciates the majesty of the human voice.

Dunstable: Sweet Harmony - Masses and Motets

Average customer rating:

Dunstable masses and motets: recording by Tonus Peregrinus
The harmonic building blocks of Renaissance music
THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD

Dunstable: Sweet Harmony - Masses and Motets

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Das Gänsebuch (The Geese Book): German Medieval Chant

ASIN: B000B6N67M
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Quam Pulchra Es
Kyrie
Gloria A 4
Credo A 4
Gloria: Jesu Christe Fili Dei
Credo: Jesu Christe Fili Dei
Sanctus
Credo: Da Gaudiorum Premia
Sanctus: Da Gaudiorum Premia
Agnus Dei
Veni Sancte Spiritus-Veni Creator
Gloria In Canon

Customer Reviews:

Dunstable masses and motets: recording by Tonus Peregrinus.......2007-07-21

This CD includes the wonderful short motet "Quam Pulchra Es" and the better-known "Vene Sancte Spiritus/Veni Creator", together with movements from four of Dunstable's settings of the Mass ordinary. It is difficult to imagine a better recording. Tonus Peregrinus have a full intellectual and emotional understanding of Dunstable's ground-breaking musical achievement; the individual lines are clear and precise; the selection of works provides a fine illustration of the composer's range of techniques; the acoustics of Chancelade Abbey, where the recording was made, are perfect for the task; and the recording quality (Naxos) is flawless. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in early Renaissance church music in general or of Dunstable in particular.

The harmonic building blocks of Renaissance music.......2006-06-07

Take a journey back to early 15th century Europe with Tonus Peregrinus' recording of the works of English composer John Dunstable (c. 1390-1453). Dunstable worked in English-occupied France during the early 1400s, and his sweet English harmonies influenced French composers such as Dufay and Binchois. The incorporation of English harmonic technique into the Continental style was a major factor in the development of Renaissance counterpoint.

Dunstable was a master of isorhythm, a technique that involved repetition of lengthy melodic and harmonic figures (sometimes in sync and sometimes in overlapping fashion). While isorhythm contributes to the compositional integrity of Dunstable's music, it's not readily discernible by modern ears. What's most apparent in the music of John Dunstable is the forceful delivery of a new style: the sweet harmony resulting from the use of parallel 3rd and 6th intervals. Dunstable's harmonic writing is not particularly disciplined: unprepared dissonances occur, sometimes in jarring fashion. But overall, a spirit of jubilation pervades Dunstable's work, which should impress modern listeners just as it did the European composers who heard it nearly six centuries ago.

Tonus Peregrinus, a vocal consort named for an ancient chant that Christ might have sung at the Last Supper, delivers an evocative performance of Dunstable's works. The group performs Dunstable's motets "Quam pulchra es" and "Veni Sancte Spiritus - Veni Creator", sandwiched around a collection of Mass movements. "Quam pulchra es" exhibits a stately, graceful quality later found in the works of Binchois, while the first "Sanctus" achieves an otherworldly beauty that may have influenced the motets of Dufay. The acoustics of this recording, captured in an echo-filled French abbey, create a sense of time and place that enhances the authenticity of the performance.

In 1476, music theorist Johannes Tinctoris remarked, "There is no composition written over forty years ago which is thought by the learned as worth of performance." Tinctoris' dismissal presumably included the works of Dunstable. Fortunately, Dunstable's music has survived Tinctoris' sentiment, and now awaits your discovery, courtesy of this fine recording.

THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD.......2005-11-29

Goodness me, how many superlative groups of ancient music specialists can there be? Here is yet another, predictably brought to us by Naxos. There are 8 singers directed by Anthony Pitts, and the group photograph also shows us Jeremy Summerly himself in a daft-looking hat as producer, and also, most properly, the engineer Geoff Miles whose work I would call absolutely outstanding.

England was not always `the land without music'. In particular, it seems that a sudden and spectacular leap in musical development occurred precisely there in the early 15th century, and, if we are to believe the musical historian of the time Tinctoris (cited by Pitts in his liner-note), the main driving-force behind this revolution was John Dunstable, whose innovations were picked up promptly by his contemporary Dufay and thereafter by Europe in general. My own knowledge of this period is deplorably patchy, but it is quite clear that by the 12th century the ecclesiastical tradition of monodic plainsong, believed to date from the 8th century, had not changed much, even at the hands of the frumious Hildegard of Bingen. There was a parallel secular tradition, probably more than one, but if the music of the troubadours during this same period is anything to go by it had primitive instrumental accompaniment for the voices, but nothing by way of genuine `harmony' much less polyphony or counterpoint.

Enter the English, Dunstable in the lead. Not a lot seems to be known about him except that he appears to have been associated with St Albans in Hertfordshire, where his name survives in the name of a town not far away, as does that of the author of Dunstable's epitaph and Abbot of St Albans Abbey John Wheathampstead. All this information is conveyed with admirable brevity in Pitts's notes, and I take it on faith entirely. Faith of another kind shows through his phraseology here and there, as in his dedication of the recording to `a God-fearing man' (not the kind of terminology one encounters much in England these days) and in his sniffy comment in his resume that he left the BBC in protest over its screening of `a blasphemous musical'. I would only remark that the BBC never actually broadcast anything by such a description, nor did the public in general realise that they were listening to such. At the musical level by and large the liner-note is awesomely learned but slightly heavy going. It is worth absorbing slowly, but the most significant thing it says is really its naïve proclamation of how marvellous the music is. This is the dawn of the elaborate harmonisation that makes European music, so far as I know, unique, and the thrill and sense of awe that go with that are enormous for one kind of listener at least.

If I understand Pitts aright, the various sections of the mass here - including 2 glorias, 3 credos and 2 settings of the sanctus - don't incorporate one specific `mass' although they approximately follow the order of the parts normally set to music: indeed if there were a single coherent mass in it what would be the point of such duplications? The way they have sequenced it all is appropriate to isolated settings, sensibly programmed so as to avoid having the same text in successive tracks. The recital starts with one motet and ends with another, followed by a gloria that `we' have completed from the restored but deficient MS. `We' have done just brilliantly if I may say so - this is what music-making is all about, but it needs the right level of talent. The performing artists consist of 2 sopranos, 1 female and 1 male alto, 3 tenors and a single bass. I have to take the historical authenticity of this, just as I have to take the tempi adopted, on faith once again. I believe the phrase is `It works for me'. What is beyond much question is the sheer quality of the singing, and what I want to sing my own praises of is the recording, which has a perfect sense of spaciousness together with perfect clarity.

I hope I will be believed when I say that I have no link of any kind with Naxos. I collect their discs because of what these are and because of what my tastes and standards in good music are. This particular disc is from this very year 2005, and the recording was done in Chancelade Abbey in the Dordogne. Over and above the learned inputs of Mr Pitts we are given brief resumes of all the performers, and all texts are provided with English translations. These latter are a great deal better than many I have seen in the last year or two. My suspicions having relaxed, I have been less hawk-eyed than sometimes, and I don't believe that there are any serious misrenderings. In the Veni Creator if the text is right at lines 11-12 the meaning must be `Thou duly enriching our mouths with the promised utterance of the Father'; 4 lines later `perpetim' is a simple misprint for `perpeti', but as usual the translator thinks `perpeti' is some kind of adjective. It is a prolative infinitive, and lines 15-16 therefore mean `Strengthening what in our bodies is weak so as to be steadfast through virtue'.

Go forth in droves at the Christmas season and acquire this disc.

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