Best Madrigals
Morten Lauridsen : Lux aeterna.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I can't pronounce the title, I often find churchy choral music quite boring or pompous, but I accidentally stumbled across a PBS broadcast about the composer, and as I watched I thought "This man loves what he's doing, is deeply inspired, and seems unpretentious and cool.""
"This is my go to music when I am experiencing anxiety or turmoil, or when I just need a spiritual boost."
"I'm not a fan of choral music ordinarily but this is a must buy."
"one of the most hauntingly beautiful cds I have ever heard."
"A friend sent me a cd of Lux Aeterna ..I had no idea what to expect.."
"A powerful, haunting CD of superb music by Lauridsen."
"Lux Aeterna is the best album ever..."
"Beautiful music to calm the soul..."
This 2-CD compilation captures the quintessentially English sound of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge set in the singular acoustics of their magnificent chapel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Others know more about music than I and a week or so ago, after reading the reviews I bought it."
"I love it, very enjoyable."
"This is great listening for anglophiles on this side of the "pond" as well as those fortunate to hear it at home!"
"Although English, the CD is for everyone and of everyone, a true classic."
"Exactly what I wanted for the holidays and other religious seasons of the year."
"A lot of repeats on this disk...but a wonderful selection none the less."
"excellent transaction.Fast shipping."
Magnificat offers manifold rewards, from the sensitive, imaginative culling of its program to the warmth and lithe interweaving of vocal layers in its execution (vividly recorded in splendid 20/24-bit process at the Skywalker Ranch)--not to mention the capsule music history that it traces. Chanticleer's anthology includes familiar gems (the hymn "Ave Maris Stella"), but the group is delightfully unpredictable in many of its choices: examples of the polychoral sacred music of Russian Vasily Titov, contrafactum reworkings of two Monteverdi madrigals to Marian texts, and a full Magnificat setting by Tudor master John Taverner.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I got what I wanted ---some absolutely beautiful compositions with exquiste voices."
"It is so infused with the Holy Spirit that some of it brings me to tears and makes me feel overwhelmed."
"(2000). If one follows this American all-male singing ensemble from its beginning in the mid 80's through the 90's (and still performing) it is interesting to take note of the varied personnel and the musical results produced. The top voice in this type of ensemble needs to blend well and possess a rich and full sound as opposed to the piercing quality that accompanies many male sopranos. Josquin's famous Ave Maria and the Ave Maria of his English contemporary Wm, Cornysh, are juxtaposed, as are two popular Marian antiphons by Tomas Luis de Victoria and two polychoral motets by Russian early baroque composer Vasily Titov, who apparently received the Venetian tradition by way of Heinrich Schutz. With the sweet sound and blend of its thirteen male voices, Chanticleer has made its mark as an elite Early Music Ensemble."
"If you are interested in an anthology of Renaissance music then this is a great choice, however for those of us with a strong interest in music of this period what really makes this essential listening is the two extraordinary pieces by Vasily Titov. He brought in composers from the West and Titov's music represents a marriage of the Italian compositional styles of the Seconda Prattica with the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church. It makes it strange that there is so much interest in composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Moussorsky, Shostakovich and the like but the Early Music movement have yet to catch up with Eastern Europe - Titov is very easily their equal and I would welcome more substantial recordings devoted to exploring this neglected composer."
"Listening to this album with a good soundsystem in the dark can bring chills to your spine and give a glimpse into the spiritual world beyond ours."
"Music leads to devotion with a sense of Peace, making us to rest in God."
Best Virelais
The second Gothic Voices recording was something of a milestone: the first recording of 14-century music performed by voices alone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Guillaume de Machaut wrote some of the finest medieval music I've ever heard. Some of the tracks such as "Foy Porter," and "Tuit Mi Penser" are monophonic; that is to say that only one voice is present, sometimes male, sometimes female. These monophonic songs are extrememly pretty; they have very pleasing and interesting melodies and rhythms -- just as sophisticated as anything one might hear in later periods, but different in style both compositionally and in terms of performance. The range of pitches is pretty wide, yet even the higher registers are smooth and natural, not overwhelming or grating like some opera sopranos can be at times. There are four- and five-part harmonies that are out of this world, mixing male and female voices in a manner one might describe as an otherworldly, Francophonic, medieval barber shop quartet/quintet."
"Wonderful material, intelligently presented, sung by gorgeous voices with perfect pitch control."
"Results: both good, but "The Mirror" is more intense, more passionate, and more artful in articulating the hockets and other effects of Ars Nova heterophony."
"This is a fabulous example of medieval a capella singing."
"The poetry is beautiful in itself."
Best Odes
This 2-CD compilation captures the quintessentially English sound of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge set in the singular acoustics of their magnificent chapel.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Others know more about music than I and a week or so ago, after reading the reviews I bought it."
"I love it, very enjoyable."
"This is great listening for anglophiles on this side of the "pond" as well as those fortunate to hear it at home!"
"Although English, the CD is for everyone and of everyone, a true classic."
"Exactly what I wanted for the holidays and other religious seasons of the year."
"A lot of repeats on this disk...but a wonderful selection none the less."
"excellent transaction.Fast shipping."
Best Galliardes
6 CDs feature collaborations with his famous colleagues Sigiswald Kuijken, Frans Bruggen and Anner Bylsma, the Leonhardt-Consort and Harry van der Kamp.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is always a great pleasure to listen to Gustav Leonhardt playing baroque music at cembalo and organ."
"I bought it for my husband because reviews stated that Leonhardt's version of Bach's Goldberg Suite was the best."
"Masterly performances from the great masters of early music."
"A no brainer for the price."
"Excellent quality production almost as good as Archiv."
"Leonhardt was always so faithful to the scores - I give it 5 for my utmost respect for the man, but I don't like all the cds (9 or 10) equally well, but none are bad."
"My God, could this guy play."
"Wonderful music beautifully played."
Best Lieder
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Once again I can enjoy the beautiful music of days gone by."
"This CD captures the real Trapp family and their love for good pure music."
"I never actually heard this CD as it was a gift to my granddaughter at the time of her appearance in the stage play, "The Sound of Music" but she loved the CD."
"Many of us were unfamiliar with the Trapp Family Singers until Rodgers and Hammerstein produced "The Sound of Music," first on Broadway in 1959 and then in the beloved motion picture version in 1965. Nevertheless, Maria had a hand in creating a wonderful singing group that still delights us via these vintage recordings."
"The original von Trapp Family's twenty years of touring and performing internationally had finished, and Maria Augusta von Trapp had written their story in three books and begun several decades of missionary work in New Guinea by the time "The Sound of Music" hit Broadway, and Julie Andrews later sang about her favorite things in a top-earning film. I don't know if the original von Trapp Family benefitted from show and film royalties; they certainly deserved to, for they worked very hard perfecting, under their conductor Dr Franz Wasner, their natural ensemble and music-making talents."
"But the final result is very pleasant, excellent to listen in the car while you're driving in the countryside (before lunch, of course)."
Best Folk Songs
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Welcome gift to German friends."
"Great item, price and seller."
"A change of pace from my usual Christmas CDs."
"When I ordered this I was leery as so much music is out there but it was beautiful."
"Beautiful Christmas music."
"It is an excellent choice of Christmas music.. and real anthology of music which I have used over the years to celebrate Christmas."
"Received this CD in perfect new condition - and fast!"
"The music on this CD is gorgeous."