Editorial Review

Five centuries, seven languages, and six singers with 35 years of remarkable experience inform this rare collection of choral music. In the world-renowned King's Singers resplendent voices, ancient and modern choral music comes to life with all the blazing immediacy and timeliness of the gospel of the nativity. With 25 pieces of music--ranging from familiar works such as "Coventry Carol" to the obscure Tchaikovsky piece "The Crown of Roses"--the King's Singers move through this hallowed and festive set with the vocal mastery that only three-and-a-half decades of accomplished work together is capable of creating.A number of contemporary carols written in the last century by composers such as John McCabe, Philip Lawson, John Rutter, and others are balanced by pieces by Bach and a host of traditional works. Lawson's "You Are the New Day," performed with a string quartet, stands out as one of the more notable performances. Like most of their music throughout Christmas, it reminds listeners that the art of music often interprets divine aspects gladly realized here on Earth. --Read more

Reviews (2)

The King's Singers rock!
What else can I say. If you are a fan of Christmas music and of the King's Singers you will like this album. I was originally trying to get CD versions of some older vinyl King's Singers Christmas albums I had purchased while living in Austria in the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately, they are not available. This is a fine replacement. I would still like to be able to get the German album in CD form, though.

Unmatched Sonic Beauty & Depth!
Stunningly beautiful!I deeply enjoy Christmas music - from the ancient, to jazz and pop - and main a diverse and festive holiday collection.While "Maxjazz-Holiday" is my secular holiday favorite, "King's Singers Christamas" is my hands-down, "knock-your-socks-off" favorite among traditional Christmas music.It is unparallelled in sonic beauty and musical expression of the historic Christmas story.I can become totally lost in the sublime beauty of these artists of a cappella voice. One track is more stunning than the next in sheer beauty, tonal blending, vocal textures, and musical expression of the Jesus nativity story.My deepest thanks to the artists who created this deeply moving collection of seasonal music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. Choral    3. Christmas    4. Christmas / Chanukkah    5. Christmas Music    6. Classical    7. Holiday    8. Miscellaneous    9. Miscellaneous Music    10. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    11. Sacred Choral Music    12. Sacred Choral Music a cappella    13. Vocal    14. Vocal Music    15. Xmas Classical Vocal   

Reviews (7)

Commercial and disappointing
If this CD has made this fantastic quartet known to a larger number of people, then, it's fine. But what a desappointment in terms of music !A few interresting songs, but i can't feel any great inspiration in this commercial CD poorly surfing on the ethnic wave. A shame.

Interesting and Infectious Rhythms
When this recording was first released, it remained a best-selling classical CD for some time, even though it is not "classical music" in the strict sense of that term.But it is a grabber.It presents some very interesting compositions by contemporary African composers, that while different, are also listenable.Unless one's mind is totally closed to new sounds and new ideas, this is quite an enjoyable collection. Pieces that fit together a continent
More than just a compilation of great music by noted African composers,the album is a repository for the emotional richness of Africa.Each pieceis lively, intricate and accessible. There is much joy here; the tracks arefull of happiness, heat and nightfall.Also sorrow, but that's Africa,too. A friend gave this to me when I happened to be writing a book aboutAfrica, and it became my soundtrack.I have given dozens of CDs to friendswho love Africa.From "Sunset" by Foday Musa Suso to"Waterwheel" by Hamza El Din, "Pieces of Africa" is oneof the great musical adventures of the past decade. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afro-Pop    2. Chamber    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. Int'l & World Music    7. Minimalism    8. Music for String Quartet with Other Instrument(s)    9. Quartet for Four String Instruments    10. Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble    11. Vocal    12. Vocal Music   

Reviews (23)

Not much here
There's a common experience in listening to music in which as you become more familiar with someone's work, or with a particular genre, that you start to hear things you didn't hear intiially. Phillip Glass- and many of his minimalistic brethern, like Steve Reich- are the one counterexample; the more I listen to their music, the less I hear.
Enlightening
This album was my first approach to a minimalist composer, and I didn't exactly know what to expect. The first time I heard it I felt enlightened. I just had couldn't stop listening this piece of music. Beautiful, trancey, ethereal.
Minimalist Masterpiece
To quoteSherri "Altovoice" :"I can't believe anyone would rate this noise higher than a 1. If you like the sound of chainsaws needing servicing, then perhaps you'll enjoy this CD. My husband called it "sounds to fight with your spouse to".
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Subjects:  1. Avant-Garde    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Quartet for Four String Instruments   

Editorial Review

Written two years before his death in 1987, Morton Feldman's Piano andString Quartet is a shimmering, pristine musical event. Contrasting AkiTakahashi's widely-spaced piano arpeggios with Kronos Quartet's extended chords,Feldman allows lingering sounds from either the piano or the strings to hazeover many of the piece's near-silences. Kronos plays their parts with tremulousfragility, often making pointedly clear the viola's musical valley between theleading violins and the trailing cello. By the time Feldman composed this piece,he was deeply committed to extended works--chamber pieces that could telescopemotifs and worry their tonality so that it warbled between hauntingly atonal andfamiliarly tonal singing. This is a powerful, evening piece, one that can set anextravagantly crystalline musical mood. Read more

Reviews (17)

downright spooky
Like the concentrated energy of an atom, if this lengthy piece is condensed, note for note, down to 2.5 minutes, it sounds like Ike Turner's "Rocket 88" played backwards.

Extreme
This has to be one of the most extreme pieces of music ever composed and recorded. And you have to be very patient to listen to the whole thing from start to end. But the patient are always rewarded. If you want something unique, truly experimental, hypnotic, and captivating, get this. This is minimalism in its purest form.

A Thinking Cane
I think this is the CD to buy if you like puzzles, deep conversation with a valued interlocutor, or thinking problems through. Feldman's 12-tone music is really intended as a kind of intriquing, thought-nourishing background, not as the object of one's pointed concentration in and of itself. When you try to focus on it, you end up in a very tense mood. When you simply ALLOW it to be forgotten and recede, it's purpose comes into play.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Four String Instrument with Keyboard/Continuo   

Reviews (5)

Infinity's End!
Kremer beautifully states how a composition's interpretations could be infinite. Well, there could be many that even Bach couldn't have fathomed how brilliantly they could be executed. This, of all of them, may be considered as one of the BEST- Infinity's End!
Magnificent
This is my 13th recording of these pieces, and like each of its predecessors, Kremer's journey shines with a uniqueness all its own.
Passionated architecture!
According an almost genetic tradition, there has not been any other instrument so closely associated with Jewish musicians. Szigetti, Heifetz, Stern, Menuhin, Morini, Rabin, Gitlis, Perlman, Vengerov and Zukerman among others seem to confirm it. Gideon Kremer virtuosity would seem to run parallel to its humbleness. He is far to be a star of the instrument; he has always known to maintain a low profile, even every time he decides to make a public appearance or to record determined work, it' s an issue of constant attention by many musical followers of his art.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Violin Solo   

Editorial Review

Gidon Kremer, who plays the standard violin repertoire so well, has remained a restless explorer of music. Here is his first album of Piazzolla arrangements, introduced by a moving and perceptive assessment of Piazzolla by composer John Adams. Kremer has completely steeped himself in the spirit of the tango, and of Piazzolla's transformation of this music into concert works.The selection (mostly larger-scale Piazzolla works), the varied arrangements, and the compelling quality of the playing make this one of the best albums of this music not involving the composer's own performances. And if you love it, you'll be glad to know that Kremer's second Piazzolla album is also available. Read more

Reviews (11)

Wonderfully captivating music by the tango master
I was introduced to the music of Astor Piazzolla by the more than great violinist Gidon Kremer when he played a virtuosic tango as an encore.Whenever a rich new vein of wonderful music is opened to me, well, it makes for a bright and happy day.Not long after I picked up this CD and I can recommend it to you highly.This is more than just tango dance music, these are serious and contemplative compositions that use the Tango as the vehicle just as the classical and especially Baroque composers used their dance music for instrumental compositions.The music is full of mood, sensuality, rhythm, lush harmonies, dissonance, love, and pain.It is a music of contrasts and never gets too fussy or complicated.It wears its heart on its sleeve and draws us in because it is so charming.
When styles mix
I bought this record following a live performance by Gidon Kremer et al. at the Verbier Festival. The mixture of classical music with a dose of jazz on a Latin base produces an interesting result that is quite surprising at first. However, the more one hears, the more the result grows on the listener, just as at the live show where the audience, somewhat stunned at the outset, gave a standing ovation at the end.
Explains It All To Those Wounded in Love
Ever have a moment where you loved someone so much you hated him?
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. Miscellaneous    7. Miscellaneous Music    8. Quartet for Four String Instruments    9. Tango   

Subjects:  1. Cantata    2. Choral    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Vocals    6. Motet   

Editorial Review

Violinist Gidon Kremer and his ensemble, Kremerata Baltica, have tackled repertoire that ranges from Baroque to contemporary, but they seem to shine on the newer stuff. The group has an obvious ear for the music of the Baltic region, and Kremer's icy precision and passionate playing are tailor-made for the modern masters. On Read more

Reviews (5)

"Come In" -- Must Listening
I'm a fan of Glass and Part, but I have to confess that their music on this CD more or less went in one ear and out the other.That's not a bad thing, because I like their work and listen to plenty of it.I just, wasn't bowled over, is all.
Easy & not-easy, but all profound, moving & rewarding
A fascinating combination of "modern" works to appreciate on this disc. All quite different, powerful juxtaposition of styles and moods.Tabula Rasa, the "lead-off" composition by Arvo Part, packs stunning intensity of a dark, melancholy sort in Part's minimalist, yet melodic vein. Next is Glass's "Company" for string orchestra. Pardon my simple mind, but I really do enjoy the regular/irregular pulsing, throbbing undercurrent of his works. The style is highly characteristic, yet, within that signature framework, he pulls in just enough complexity and variation in my opinion to make this highly worthwhile fare. Then, "Come In" by Martynov. What can I say, this is easy listening, but a real deep "easy" at that. Positively brought a lump to my throat and then some! Tell you the truth, I was so drained after these first three pieces, that I had to take a break before the final item, Darf Ich by Part. Listen again & again when you're in a bit of a heavy mood that deserves musical concordance.The performance/performers work these treasures to the hilt. I'd pare my CD collection from 1200 down to 12, and "Silencio" would remain.

A minimalist delight.
First of all, why silence?And how?Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Concerto    6. Concerto for Two String Instruments    7. Orchestral & Symphonic    8. Quartet for Four String Instruments    9. Tango    10. Violin Concerto   

Editorial Review

Wilhelm Kempff was a master of poetic lyricism, with a wondrous keyboard touch and a breathtaking command of subtle dynamics and tonal colorations--all invaluable attributes of any Schubert interpreter. He also had the knack of holding together large structures that can often seem aimless, thus avoiding another trap many pianists fall into, that of lavishing so much attention on passing detail that Schubert's "heavenly lengths" can seem wayward wanderings. The one criticism often heard is that Kempff emphasizes poetry at the expense of drama. This magnificent set leaves that claim unsubstantiated.Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (12)

Great, but Prefer the Schiff
How can it be that the Schiff cycle is out of print? How does that concept even make sense in 2006?
Elegance, accuracy and expressiveness!
These gems recordings are authentic milestones performances. Because there has not been any other pianist capable of making sing the piano like Wilhelm Kempff. His fingering is precise and crystalline, the cantabiles are sumptuous and the arpeggios are phrased with such clarity and expression, that hardly you will be able to forget it.
Heavenly Length and Breadth
There are a number of classical pianists who perform Schubert's piano sonatas extremely well (Brendel, Uchida, Schiff, and Richter come immediately to mind), all of whom bring their own individual brilliance to this music.Given that it is probably impossible to render the "best" performance of each of these pieces, the question arises as to why anyone would want to invest in one musician's complete recordings of these sonatas.
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Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Christmas Music    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Keyboard    7. Keyboard Music    8. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard   

Editorial Review

Despite global warming, Vivaldi's Read more

Reviews (15)

Music ALIVE!
I really know hardly anything about Argentinan music or Kremer, but I bought this album after I became enraptured with the spring and summer suites at a ballet.My local company created a piece inspired by the works of expatriate artist Amaranth Ehrenhalt and set to alternating Vivaldi and Piazzola selections.I was amazed by how Vivaldi's Seasons took on new life.Everything was vivid and fluid and meshed perfectly with the dance. I recommend this--you can truely feel the seasons alive in all of their glory.
Full Circle With Kremer's Eight Seasons
Gidon Kremer has been building himself quite the reputation as an interpreter of the music of the late and great Argentine musical polymath, Astor Piazzolla. Here he takes the very well-known Four Seasons of Vivaldi and stands them up to the Four Seasons of Piazzolla and the result is an aural delight.
Rapturous
Parts of this recording are so beautiful that when I listen while working, I have to pause what I am doing and close my eyes. I don't remember how I ended up buying this CD (it certainly wasn't planned), but I am so grateful.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Concerto    8. Violin Concerto   

Reviews (11)

Great Album!
I was very amazed when I first heard this album. Their sound is like no other. They are so unique that you can't compare them to other acapella groups.
Beautiful singing; clever arrangements
I have been a fan of The King's Singers since their debut recording thirty years ago. New Day is one of my favourite albums. It has the terrific optimistic song "New Day," but many other wonderful tracks. One of their best
I have always loved this CD.Though I will concur with the others that have reviewed this CD (the first song is the best)the rest of the songs are not to be forgotten!Money Can't Buy Me Love is fantastic.The Gambler is amusing, and Noveau Poor is toungue-in-cheek.I reccommend this CD to anyone who love the King's Singers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acappella    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Classical Vocals    6. Film    7. Film Music    8. Keyboard    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Music    11. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    12. Music Theater    13. Musical Theater    14. Renaissance    15. Sacred Vocal    16. Vocal   

Reviews (4)

Sumptuous and mellow
The six men of the King's Singers present sweet and light-hearted madrigals of such English composers as Morley, Weelkes, Dowland, Wilbye and Byrd.The thirty five selections include "Now is the Month of Maying", "Though Philomela Lost Her Love", "Sing We and Chant It," the celebration of tobacco entitled "Come, Sirrah Jack, Ho!" and a host of other fa-la-la-la-la venues interspersed with wistful laments.I love the rich, sonorous sound of a male vocal ensemble, with countertenors, tenor, baritones and bass, and these six singers do a great job.Occasional instrumental accompaniments by lute and tabor are included, but this group doesn't really need it--I could listen to them for hours all by themselves.Also quite enjoyable, as well as educational, is their earlier release, "The King's Singers' Madrigal History Tour: Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany".For a more risque' take on the vocal music of Renaissance England, you might get a kick out of "The Art of the Bawdy Song" by the Baltimore Consort with the Merry Companions.

One of the Best Collections of English Madrigals
Any fan of the King's Singers will regret not having this album in their collection. A Delightful Collection of English Madrigal
With 35 tracts to enjoy you're sure to find a couple of favorites. I gavethis CD 4 of 5 stars compared to 5 stars for the King's Singers WorldMadrigal Tour CD. If you prefer all your songs in English, this will beyour 5 star CD. Tract 32 "Come again" is my favorite due to thesurperb tenor lead and melodic development. Compared to many polyphonicearly music styles (1300s-1485), this era (1500-1610) provides manymemorable melodies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acappella    2. Choral    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. Classical Vocals    7. Madrigal    8. Miscellaneous    9. Miscellaneous Music    10. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    11. Part Song/Glee/Music for Unaccompanied Voices    12. Renaissance    13. Renaissance Polyphonic Song    14. Sacred Vocal    15. Vocal    16. Vocal Music   

Editorial Review

Writer-director Paul Schrader's films are always as memorable for their music as they are for their visuals--sometimes more so. Think of Giorgio Moroder's synthesizers pulsing through Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (13)

Absolutely spectacular.
There are some soundtracks that seem to steal the show, and this is definitely one of them.It brilliantly captures the inner turmoil and dreams of a man, with sound that rings in your mind long after the movie is over.Reminiscent of Cello Suites by Bach with touch of modern synthesizers, it has very complex depth that is simply captivating.Definitely one of my all time favorites.

Glass's breakthrough....
for me at least. This was the first CD of his where the full emotional potential of his music was realized. Some credit is due the Kronos Quartet who have never been better then they are here. And the remainder goes to PG for moving beyond the confines of strict minimalism to incorporate elements of traditional melody and harmony within the rhythmic structure of his compositions. The music that never leaves you!
I was first introduced to the soundtrack from Mishima in 1986 by a young woman from LA. That may have been a part of why it stayed close to me... but I was entranced by Phillip Glass' music.... and this was the first I had ever heard from him! I sought out other Glass works, but none enthralled me as Mishima had done. I kept a crude cassette copy of this soundtrack for many years... until it wore out, frankly! 15 years later I remembered the haunting movie music, and bought the CD. Now, more than ever, I wanted to see this film! It did not do well at the box office and was supposedly under-rated, but Glass' music was definitely it's saving grace. I was completely captivated with the film as I watched... but I constantly found myself following the music, and not paying attention to the screen. It brought the sad and weird story of Mishima to life... yet it stands completely on it's own. The Kronos quartet performs marvelously. The music never leaves you!.... never! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Film    3. Film Music    4. Minimalism    5. Soundtrack    6. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Editorial Review

It's no surprise that some of Philip Glass's most inspiring projects have been multimedia. The composer's minimalist tendencies lend themselves to the accompaniment of vast landscapes, silent films, and--now--Tod Browning's 1931 horror classic, Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (23)

Definetely worth picking up
As years go by it seems as if almost every premise for something great has been overused and beaten to death, it's really cool to see an old classic like this given the right treatment without making a mockery of it. Even if you've memorized the entire movies dialogue before this score was introduced, you'll still have visions of Bela Lugosi on the screen when you listen to this soundtrack after seeing it in conjunction with the film. As usual, Kronos Quartet works feverishly with the composer's true intent behind them and churn out quite a great soundtrack that is not only enjoyable as a soundtrack, but an album that stands on it's own just as well.

Dark and moody
I have never heard Philip Glass before, but I was captivated while watching "Dracula" with his new score. The music transformed the movie into a more Gothic, more poetic film than before.What a difference music makes to a movie! Dark and moody
I have never heard Philip Glass before, but I was captivated while watching "Dracula" with his new score. The music transformed the movie into a more Gothic, more poetic film than before.What a difference music makes to a movie!Read more

Subjects:  1. Avant-Garde    2. Classical    3. Classical Soundtrack/Score    4. Film    5. Film Music    6. Minimalism    7. Modern Composition    8. Soundtrack    9. Soundtracks & Film Scores    10. World Fusion   

Reviews (5)

Can't stop listening
I am a big lover of classical music and somehow I got my hands around this music. I can only agree a hundred percent with the other listeners that this music is crowling deep inside your soul, makes you want to smile, and to cry at the same time. You will not forget it! It is beautiful and relaxing in some parts, others simply take away your breath and you feel (finally) something about your own passion (again) with this music. Yes, you can imagine people dancing and you can feel the fire of love and dance, intertwined with an endless feeling of happiness. Eden for ears and dancing feet
East meet Easts is a 14 pieces filled album that is overwhelming about 65 minutes at all. Absolutely mesmerizing!
As someone who was born into an ethnically diverse family and spent the first part of her life in the former Yugoslavia, it was mesmerizing for me to listen to this CD.I have heard melodies like "Ajde Jano," "Dafino," "Jovano, Jovanke," and "Ederlezi," throughout my childhood and hearing them again brings back so much emotion and so many memories.This is wonderful music and I never tire of hearing it performed in new arrangements and by new performers. Enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Classical Pop    6. Miscellaneous    7. Miscellaneous Music    8. Orchestral    9. Orchestral Music    10. Vocal    11. Vocal Music   

Reviews (5)

Excellent music but not 5 stars
The other reviewers have given a fair description of the music on this recording.The music evokes images of Middle Eastern settings, Arabian Nights and the mysteries of times long gone.Five star ratings, however, should be reserved for the crème de crème, for recordings on which everything is A+.This is not the case here.A recording priced at $11 for 32 minutes by a major classical record company with marginal liner notes is not deserving of 5 stars.Nonesuch has done much better before, e.g. the Night Prayers recording has 79 minutes of music, Short Stories has 75 and Early Music has 69, to name just a few.Golijov is a prolific enough composer that other music of his should have been included.
Jewish Pride
This is such a fantastic and moving CD. Written with such exhilaration and power, Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind is sure to become a staple in classical music. What joy to hear the music of this gifted composer, Osvaldo Golijov.

A short story on the history of the Jewish people
Great music, wonderfully written,Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music   

Editorial Review

On this record, the playing's the thing. A lesser pianist could hardly hold the listener's interest in these sonatas by Scriabin (who had messianic delusions) and Medtner (who never found much recognition outside Russia), or meet the Herculean demands of the Stravinsky pieces. Scriabin's Preludes are charming, poetic, dreamy miniatures of contrasting tempo and character; the Sonata's corner movements are dramatic and fiery, the second surges, the third is lyrical and atmospheric. Scriabin attached an ambitious program, but the music speaks for itself, although in a very idiosyncratic language. Medtner's Sonata, composed when he was about to leave Russia, is romantically tuneful, melancholy and ruminative, with a feeling of nostalgia and perhaps anticipated homesickness. Stravinsky's transcription of the Read more

Reviews (3)

Bravo, Zhenya!
When the host of CBC Radio "Sound Advice" Rick Phillips played few extracts from this CD, I was intrigued. When he gave it 3 stars, I was even more intrigued - it certainly didn't make any sense. And in order to have a clear picture I got this recording and listened to it.
Phenomenal Stravinsky, worth the price of admission alone
Scriabin is generally less accessable to listeners because of the composer's later style.Nonetheless, works such as the Ninth Sonata "Black Mass" and the progressive Fifth Sonata are frequently performed.It's no surprise, however still disappointing, that Kissin sticks to earlier works by Scriabin.Sonata No. 3 is probably the most accessible work by the composer.Nonetheless, Kissin delivers a spectacular performance of the work.You will notice when you first hear the first movement, you will be gripped by it almost instantly.This work was practically written for Kissin.My only complaint about the performance is that the last movement gets a little bit out of control in terms of clarity with Kissin's intensity, but not too much so.Nevertheless, I would say this is the definitive recording of this work.
This is a must-have recording
I heard Evgeny Kissin play all of the works on this disc in two separate concerts. Like the live accounts, they are played about as well as is humanly possible to play them (and then some).
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Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Keyboard    6. Prelude for Keyboard    7. Suite/Partita for Keyboard