Editorial Review

Beyond this recording's new age packaging and title is a splendid sampling of some of the world's finest choral music, sung by one of the world's outstanding choirs. This "anthology of sacred choral music" spans 400 years and includes such masterpieces as Allegri's Read more

Reviews (25)

Wow!
I'm a long-time listener of all things rock-'n-roll, from Classic rock, to Alternative, and even a little Metal.I first heard this CD while having dinner at a friends house a long time ago, and I loved it.I've always been enchanted with choir music, so I bought this CD.Well, after years of listening to it to help me to unwind in the evening, I somehow misplaced it.So I came to Amazon to order both I and II.Of the two CD's, the first one is still the best, and it still helps me to relax after a long day.The choir show tremendous range in their singing, the assorted instruments are well-played, and I can almost imagine myself sitting in a centuries-old cathedral, enjoying the music and how it rings throughout the cathedral.
Profound sublimity
This album offers music that is profoundly moving and sumbline. It takes the listener onto an inner journal of extraordinary emotional depths and heights

Beautiful music
The first song I've heard on this CD is "Miserere Mei..." and I loved it the first minute. I've heard it from a friend who likes classical, and I would've never bought this on my own.
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Subjects:  1. Anthem    2. Cantata    3. Choral    4. Choral Music    5. Classical    6. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    7. Classical Music    8. Classical Vocals    9. Hymn    10. Mass Section    11. Motet    12. Orchestral    13. Psalm Setting    14. Renaissance Mass    15. Requiem/Requiem Section    16. Romantic Variations for Orchestra    17. Sacred Choral Music a cappella    18. Sacred Music for more than one Soloist & Chorus   

Reviews (2)

Bravo!
I heard this album for the first time at a restuarant in Florenceduringmy trip to Italy. I was surprised it was from the US beacause it hascaptured the very soul of Italy. After 7 years it has remained my favoriteof all Puccini cds I own. I especially like the fact that it is instumentaland can be played for many occassions. It never fails to stir thewanderlust for a trip back to Italy! A must for every romantic!

Outstanding compilation of the Italian classics,
I have been a music lover for years. This CD introduced some Italian music to me that I was not familiar with.I listen to this music very often...it is almost theraputic in effect. I have never heard more beautiful musictogether on one CD. You won't regret getting this one! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. Ballet    3. Chamber    4. Classical    5. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    6. Classical Music    7. Concerto    8. Concerto for Two String Instruments    9. Duo for Mixed Instruments without Keyboard    10. Duo for Two String Instruments    11. Guitar Concerto    12. Italian 20th/21st Century Opera    13. Italian Romantic Opera    14. Opera    15. Polychoral Music For Brass    16. Quintet for Five String Instruments    17. Romantic    18. Violin Concerto    19. Violin with Keyboard   

Editorial Review

The vastly improved sonics which the Deutsche Grammophon production teamachieves with its 24/96 remastering of the guitarist's 1952-1969 mono and stereoperformances for Decca allow listeners to finally experience the rich tonalpalette and intimate nature of Segovia's performance art in a mannercommensurate with the fidelity of the original LP releases (minus the edgydigital glare and graininess of the MCA reissues). What emerges is a portrait ofthe artist as a lightning rod for great composers, such as Manuel Ponce,Federico Torroba, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Isaac Albéniz, and EnriqueGranados, all of whom enriched the 20th-century repertoire of solo and chamberworks by custom-crafting works for this innovative guitarist (Segovia'sinterpretation of Joaquín Rodrigo's "Fandango" is a paradigm for his role inpopularizing the modern Spanish idiom). Likewise, Segovias's work as an arrangerin recasting baroque and medieval works for modern guitar, as well as his deepaffection for 19th-century masters of the instrument such as Dionisio Aguado andFernando Sor, shines forth on discs two and three. However, it is Segovia'sromantic touch in transposing Bach's Read more

Features

• Box set
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (5)

Above All Others
John Williams, David Russell, Christopher Parkening, Julian Bream, et. al. all owe a great deal to this now departed giant.If you own ANY classical guitar recordings, you should purchase this collection.It's not only the finest remastering available, but an equisitely fine selection of Segovia's contribution to the genre and the art.

The Great Master, of Masters
Andr�s Segovia was the great master of classical guitar. This set show us 400 years of music taken for the guitar, he was the first in give the guitar place like a cult instrument in 20th century through his works invaluable transcriptions of several instruments (cello, lute, etc.) of composers like Bach, Dowland, Manuel M. Ponce, Fernando Sor, T�rrega, etc.
THIS GORGEOUS GUITAR MUSIC BEGS FOR LISTENING. . .
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Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Cello Concerto    3. Cello Solo    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music    6. Chamber Music & Recitals    7. Classical    8. Classical Artists    9. Classical Music    10. Collection of Dance-Based Music for Keyboard    11. Concerto    12. Guitar Concerto    13. Guitar Solo    14. Keyboard    15. Lute Solo    16. Miscellaneous    17. Miscellaneous Music    18. Renaissance Dance Music    19. Song Collection for Solo Voice and Piano    20. Suite/Partita for Keyboard   

Reviews (4)

Heavenly
Perfect. Timeless, gentle music. I have given many massages to this music (can't stand most new age stuff). Has the ancient sound that is exactly what I was looking for. Strong recommendation: Glenn Gould, consort of Musicke by William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons. One of my favorite albums EVER. Incredibly powerful, primal, simple.

Simply WONDERFUL!!!!just amazing.
One of the best-buy i have made since long time ago. A high quality CD that can be enjoyed in every moment. Beautiful melodies, you can feel the ancient times with those, and you can try to imagine how could it be medieval life.

A Journey Back In Time!
This is a wonderful CD!Beautifully recorded in St. Andrews Church in Toddington, England!The quiet melodies of each piece are different enough that you will never get bored playing it over and over again!The next time you have a bad day, or come home from work some night with frayed nerves, try this!Turn out all of the lights, light a candle in a jar, preferably a scented one (sounds awfully 60's doesn't it!) put this CD on the stereo, get comfortable, let your mind drift back to the 16th century, watch the candle light flicker on the walls and ceiling and feel yourself relax!!!This CD is a lot cheaper than a bottle of tranquilizers or a visit to the shrink!BEWARE: Don't substitute Lute music played on an acoustic guitar!A Lute has different dynamics, nuances and colours!Good Listening To You!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Classical Music    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Renaissance Dance Music   

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Guitar Solo    7. Keyboard    8. Lute Solo    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Music    11. Renaissance Dance Music    12. Variations for Keyboard   

Reviews (4)

Excellent album
Recently I learned about LAGQ and bought this album. I have been impressed by the arrangements and interpretation, the texture, innovative touches and originality. It is a treat!

This is only a warning
The LAGQ are fine players, and the music here is first rate as a summary of what they do, or for any purpose. HOWEVER, the transfer to CD on my disc was very poorly chosen, so that the top octave and a half was mostly missing (worse on some pieces than others, though). This takes the snap! out of guitar strings and notably attenuates your ability to tell what the 4 are doing with guitar timbre and the like. So, if you have wide-range audio gear, you might want to look elsewhere for an introduction to these players.

Recent Purchase that I'm Joyed to Find and Enjoy
Not until recently did I know about this guitar four.Hearing a number of their songs on internet classical radio, I decided I'd try this one.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. Ballet    3. Band    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Chamber Music for More than Nine String Instruments    7. Choral    8. Classical    9. Classical Artists    10. Classical Music    11. Concerto    12. Concerto Grosso    13. Electronic/Computer/Tape Music    14. Folk Song    15. Keyboard    16. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    17. March for Band    18. Miscellaneous    19. Miscellaneous Music    20. Orchestral   

Reviews (5)

adequate performances but totally inadequate information
It is perhaps unfair to judge the performances on this recording (presumably made in the late 1950s/early 60s? - we are not given a date) by modern standards of early music performance. Yes, there are moments when the experimental nature of the approach is all too apparent, both in terms of the [im]plausibility of the interpretations and in the [at times] excruciating intonation (a particularly pertinent example is the shawm playing in track 10). But what is in fact by far the most deplorable feature of this recording is the utter sparsity of information provided - about the performers, the instruments, the composers, the repertoire, etc. Worse still, what little that is provided is often hopelessly inaccurate: sometimes in the form of blatant spelling errors (eg the Coventry Carol becomes here 'Lully Lullary', etc), at other times factual blunders (the medieval 'Estampie' in track 10 is in fact a 16th cent [ie Renaissance] tourdion, 'Quand je bois du vin clairet', whilst John Dowland's 'Frogg Galliard', c.1597, is here given an anonymous attribution...etc, etc, etc).
A nice overview of very early music
This was one of the first recordings of early music I ever bought.It's a broad survey of styles and periods, from the 12th to 17th centuries.I've become a more sohisticated listener since then, but I still get this one out fairly regularly.The recording is apparently old and the digital remastering was not done extraordinarily well, but those who are more interested in music than in audio equipment should be able to listen through the occasional (minor) vinyl surface noise.My major complaint (why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4) is the lack ofdocumentation--there is no information about the musicians, and many of the composers are uncredited (some because they actually are anonymous, but sometimes out of apparent laziness).Still, at this price it's a bargain.

Don't Be Affraid
This cd is worth picking up. Yes the first couple of tracks have pops and crackles in it. And yes it sounds as if the music was transfered directly from a vinyl source. But the performances and selections on this cd are fabulous. And you get use to the flaws in the recordings. Which I find minor.Read more

Subjects:  1. Baroque Individual Dance Movement for Orchestra    2. Chamber    3. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    4. Choral    5. Choral Music    6. Christmas Music    7. Classical    8. Classical Artists    9. Keyboard    10. Miscellaneous    11. Miscellaneous Music    12. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    13. Orchestral    14. Renaissance Dance Music    15. Sacred Choral Music    16. Traditional Folk    17. Virelai    18. Vocal    19. World Music   

Reviews (4)

Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina
Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina~ Gregorian Chant is a sublime recording. Palestrina was and is an amazing composer of choral music and without a doubt a genius. The Tallis Scholars are able to sing these very difficult and ardeous compositions with a splendid ability that is rarely if ever heard. Being a very devout person Palestrinas music speaks directly to my heart, mind and my soul. Palestrinas lyrics (if one dare call them this) are written with such devout nature that I honestly feel my heart leap with joy and exaltation. This particular recording has spared no expenses and the book-let is nothing short of a work of art and one could describe it as a stroke of pure brilliance. The painting on the outside is some of the best art ever produced and the cds themselves have also be adorned with this splendid and breath taking art. The liner notes are very well written and I dare say this is one of the best classical albums that I have heard in quite some time. Highly recommended indeed.

Lovely Recordings of Great Mass Settings
Good performances of Palestrina's polyphonically complex choral masterpieces are difficult. One false note and the entire piece fails. In this beautiful set of recordings, the Tallis Scholars focus on a few of Palestrina's 107 Mass settings, and they never miss: they sing these masterworks with passion, clarity, and accuracy. Any quibbles about the authenticity of the use of sopranos are precisely that.A good introduction to one of the West's greatest composers and essential for any lover of great sacred music or Renaissance classics.

The great master of Renaissance counterpoint sung by 20th century masters of gorgeous contrapuntal singing
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina is considered by many to be the greatest composer of liturgical music of all time.Born in obscurity, his birth year is debated, but it was sometime between 1514 and 1526 and died world famous in Rome in 1594.Palestrina was not a priest.He married and had two sons.In the 1570s he lost a brother, his wife, and two sons in three separate epidemics of plague.He then considered becoming a priest, but changed his mind and married a wealthy widow, his church position did not pay very well (do they ever?), and continued with his composition.
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Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Choral Music    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Vocals    6. Renaissance Mass    7. Renaissance Motet    8. Western European Chant   

Reviews (4)

They don't come much better.
The incomparable Canadian Brass make this album a rare treat.From the first notes of Holborne's "Galliard" to the magnificent complexity of Byrd's "Fitzwilliam Suite", their renditions are sheer delight.The music is both relaxing and enjoyably stimulating.Repeated hearings allow the listener to discover some hidden turn or embellishment that was not noticed before, or to appreciate again the antiphonal and complementary interplay of the instruments in the antique harmonies they create. A most enjoyable recording.

The finest brass ensembles all on 1 album
I got this CD quite a while ago, and I still listen to it almost daily.Best at night in a candlelit room while it's raining sipping fine wine and reminising of the Renaissance festival!(wierd, I know.But that's just me)If you have an interest in this time period, you won't regret buying this CD.

An interesting spin on English Renaissance Music
The composers of 16th century England were able to take the music of othercountries and produce something uniquely their own. So, too, has CanadianBrass taken English Renaissance music and made it into somethingwonderfully different. Immediately accessible (and acceptable) to modernears, these tunes are a splendid treat. Almans and Galliards take on awhole new flavor when done entirely by brass instruments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baroque Individual Dance Movement for Orchestra    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music    4. Choral    5. Classical    6. Classical Artists    7. Classical Music    8. Gigue for Keyboard    9. Ground For Keyboard    10. Keyboard    11. Keyboard Music    12. Lullaby    13. Madrigal    14. Miscellaneous    15. Miscellaneous Music    16. Orchestral    17. Orchestral Pop    18. Renaissance Dance Music    19. Variations for Keyboard    20. Vocal   

Editorial Review

This title isn't just a joke. It makes the valid point that these Renaissance pieces occupied the same place in their culture as our pop music does in ours. People whistled these tunes in the street and danced to them at night, and you can easily accept the disc's title when hearing the Baltimore Consort's extremely lively performances, which have all the rhythmic drive and gusto of a good rock band. The ensemble's arrangements and the variety of its programming also contribute to the success of this disc, which would make an excellent introduction to music of the period. The booklet contains translations of all the vocal texts, and Dorian's sound leaps out of the loudspeakers with great clarity and presence. Read more

Reviews (5)

My favorite + audiophile recording
I've attended Baltimore Consort performances a number of times, and they are just about my favorite early music group.They do an outstanding job of making "old" music come alive.Sometimes early music recordings are dry and academic, and the Baltimore Consort is as far from that as you can get.Finally, they have a great since of humor, which often peaks through in their music.
absolute favorite
I've been collecting renaissance/medieval music for several years and have finally found something that sounds as though the musicians are actually having FUN with the repertoire.This is a blast, I recommend it to all.

Fun stuff!
The jaunty, whimsical tone of this CD is set by the opening bars of the first piece, "J'ai vu le loup," which starts out with one of the musicians shouting "Un! Dieux!" Many parallels are subtly drawn between the secular music of Renaissance France and popular music of today. "The appeal of performing 'popular' repertory lies in the opportunity it provides for creative expression," explains the insert booklet. "All of the song and dance arrangements on this CD are the creation of the members of the Baltimore Consort, who sometimes only have an unharmonized melody to start with..." What they may lack in specific direction from the long-dead song writers, they more than make up for with catchy arrangements and spirited improvisations. Soprano Custer LaRue sings her sultry French lyrics with relish and gusto, and the addition of reedy crumhorns and bagpipes played by Chris Norman and Mark Cudek adds to the provincial French flavor. The fun of the music is echoed in the CD's amusing packaging: The album cover, somewhat reminiscent of the Beatles' "Abbey Road", features the ensemble members walking along in single file, with their viol and lute cases in hand. Other interior pictures of the group poke fun at other folk and rock imagery, including one shot of a gentleman in shades licking the neck of his bass viol. Not exactly the norm for early music releases, but refreshing for just that reason. Rocque on! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachia    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music    4. Chamber Music & Recitals    5. Chanson    6. Classical    7. Classical Artists    8. Classical Music    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Chamber Music    11. Miscellaneous Music    12. Renaissance Dance Music    13. Unknown Genre/Unspecified Instrumentation    14. Vocal    15. Vocal Music   

Features

• Original recording reissued

Reviews (3)

The Better of the two
I have both disc in the series.I liked the music on this disc much more than the first.The selections seem more focused and the sounds are much clearer.Also, the particular pieces fit better together.I love the sound of this group and hope they make more in the future.

Not as good as version 1 in this series
This is by the same group who did the wonderful & engaging Early American Choral Music 1.Somehow this CD did not live up to its predecessor in some ways.The performance is still top notch, but somehow the CD as a whole isn't quite as engaging to listen to as the first.Perhaps version 2's strength is also its weakness.Its diversity of composers allows you to pear past the shadow of William Billings and sample other notable early American hymn writers.That exposure is valuable & appreciated.I just couldn't get into it as much.
Same as 'Goostly Psalmes: Anglo-American Psalmody 1550-1800'
Please note this CD is a duplicate of His Majestie's Clerkes's "Goostly Psalmes: Anglo-American Psalmody 1550-1800" -- identical contents but a different name and cover. I ordered both and was irritated to discover this. This CD is cheaper, so I recommend this one. It is a lovely choral work from a little-known period of sacred music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Classical Vocals    6. Miscellaneous    7. Miscellaneous Music    8. Psalm Setting    9. Renaissance Polyphonic Song    10. Vocal   

Editorial Review

This new release is somewhat mistitled: while most of the pieces are, in fact, from the Renaissance (or early Baroque), there are works here also by Samuel Barber, Poulenc, John Tavener, Bruckne,r and Gorecki. What they all have in common is their beauty and serenity. Perhaps the CDs subtitle, "Music for Inner Peace," also refers to a type of renaissance, i.e., spiritual re-birth: in which case, they're right on the money. The Sixteen, led by Harry Christophers, is one of the greatest proponents of this sort of choral music in the world, and they don't disappoint here: The Allegri "Miserere," with its wickedly beautiful ascent to high C by soprano soloist, is ravishing; Barber's own arrangement of his "Adagio for strings" for chorus (1967) is polyphony at its most "renaissance" without actually being so, and Gorecki's "Totos Tuus" is otherworldly in it mysticism. The selections by Byrd, Tomkins, et al., are, like the others, impeccably performed. Even an early piece by contemporary composer John Tavener, normally the master of excruciatingly pretentiousness, is lovely. This recording is a gem. Read more

Reviews (5)

Ethereal Album
I heard this album played on my local PBS station one morning and was in immediate love.It's worth every cent you'll pay for it.

Great Music, Fine Performances
First off, the title of this album is misleading.Only one of the tracks stems from the high Renaisance.The rest span from the Reformation period to contemporary.All of them are liturgical, all of a certain calm and meditative style--which could be inferred from the subtitle: "Music for Inner Peace."
Music for Inner Peace Indeed!
Though there is somewhat of a sameness to the mood of this beautifully performed and recorded album of choral works that span centuries, that uniformity of message is the creative force for this survey of music by various and varied composers.The works were selectedto provide a parcel of time away from the noise outside the spirit, a place for meditation and solace so desperately needed today.
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Subjects:  1. Anthem    2. Baroque Motet    3. Choral    4. Choral Music    5. Classical    6. Classical Artists    7. Classical Vocals    8. Mass Section    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Music    11. Motet    12. Part Song/Glee/Music for Unaccompanied Voices    13. Psalm Setting    14. Renaissance Mass    15. Renaissance Motet    16. Romantic Motet    17. Sacred Choral Music    18. Sacred Choral Music a cappella    19. Vocal   

Editorial Review

If you're feeling jaded at the prospect of the usual holiday fare, Anonymous 4 has a truly sublime musical treat in store with their latest release.The contemporary world has turned Santa Claus into an icon of consumerist mania, but the historical figure from whom he ultimately derives was a uniquely inspiring religious figure to medieval Europeans. Anonymous 4 has culled together music from the liturgy of the hours and other sources originally produced to celebrate the legends associated with the fourth-century St. Nicholas, who was considered the patron of sailors, unmarried women, Russia, and--ironically--merchants. As with their earlier Christmas celebration, Read more

Reviews (11)

wonderful
a previous reviewer made the comment that this must be what angels sound like.a more true statement has not been made.this is a wonderful cd.the music is amazing.if you're looking for a peaceful sound, this is it.enjoy.

Excellent Alternative to 'Good Saint Nick'.
'Legends of St. Nicholas' and 'A Star in the East' are both collections of medieval Christmas music. Both are based heavily on Latin chants. The first has some old English lyrics and the second is based on both original Hungarian material and material imported into Hungary from Greece and other centers of Eastern Christianity.
dream becomes flesh when i hear them.
I often make collections of early music that combine vocal and instrumental peaces that gives the ultimate pleasure for my ears. like time has stoped for a second... i feel like im diving into a world of total beauty when i hear those 4 angels "chanting" if there is heaven then "anonymous 4" are there for the soundtrack my wish is that someone will convis them to make an album with some instruments added like harp and other autenthic tools(hi hi). in short buy this disk its a treasure!!!(and its one of their best ones too.) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Choral    2. Christmas    3. Christmas / Chanukkah    4. Christmas Music    5. Classical    6. Early Music    7. Medieval    8. Miscellaneous    9. Miscellaneous Music    10. Motet    11. Renaissance Motet    12. Sacred Vocal    13. Vocal    14. Vocal Music    15. Western European Chant    16. Xmas Classical Vocal   

Editorial Review

Dowland did for lute music what Haydn did for the string quartet and Beethoven thepiano sonata. The finest lutenist and songwriter of his age--he composed several of the greatest hitsof the late 16th and early 17th centuries--the surviving lute works constitute a sort of encyclopediaof the possibilities of the instrument. There are song arrangements, dance pieces, tributes to thecomposer's friends, even a musical self-portrait. Much of the music is fashionably sad. Lute songsgenerally deal with the agony of lost love, and Dowland's most popular tune was calledRead more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (9)

It's not heavy breathing
It's great that O'Dette gives us the complete solo works, of course.I have the common reaction to O'Dette: his technique is flawless, his performance unengaging.
Technically good, emotionally bland.
Considering the extreme paucity of (especially solo) lute recordings currently available worldwide,
Highly recommended
I bought Volume 1 of this set a couple of years ago.It has become one of my favorite CDs, so I thought I would enjoy the full set.I have not been disappointed.I find the sound quality excellent, the playing superb.The included booklet has a lot of interesting background material.The music is great as background for a dinner party or intimate conversation, but has depth aplenty for concentrated listening.I often listen to it while working at the computer where I swear it improves concentration and productivity!
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Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music    4. Chamber Music & Recitals    5. Classical    6. Classical Composers    7. Classical Music    8. Lute Solo    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Music    11. Renaissance Dance Music    12. Renaissance Instrumental Music    13. Renaissance Instrumental Polyphony    14. Renaissance Polyphonic Song    15. Vocal   

Reviews (1)

exellent
Rickards beautiful, pure voice comes out so well in this cd. along with the wonderful sounds of the lute. I highly recommend this cd ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Lute Solo    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Orchestral & Symphonic    10. Renaissance Dance Music    11. Renaissance Polyphonic Song    12. Solo Voice and Continuo    13. Vocal   

Editorial Review

Here's a wonderful introduction to Renaissance choral music, with two tried-and-true repertory standards and the Mundy, a gorgeously sensuous example of a lesser-known mid-16th-century work, whose complex polyphonic strands are rendered with compelling involvement by the Tallis Scholars. These performances were among the group's earliest recordings and helped catapult them into the forefront of specialists in this demanding repertoire. The Allegri became a favorite back in the 1970s, a sort of choral equivalent of Albinoni's Adagio, in which repetition serves as the driving force. The Tallis Scholars give it welcome variety through spatial placement in a large church and their colorful singing. Palestrina's Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued

Reviews (7)

12AX7 Anyone?
This is perhaps the most holographic recording I've ever heard. We're talking STEREO here, not hokey multi-channel nonsense creating the sense of "ambiance" by chachaphonally tossing unrelated channels of sound to reflect from every surface possible.
5 months after buying, I still listen every day
I don't listen to the whole thng every day, but I definitely listen to the Miserere or Missa Papae Marcelli. Allegri's Miserere does get slightly repetitive, but if all the recordings I have I like this one the best. The two choirs sound like they're very far apart, one choir sounding like it's very far from the microphone. Generally this recording is slower than the rest (but not the slowest).The Mundy piece is one on this disc that I listen to the least. Not that it isn't any good, it just isn't a classic like the stuff by Allegri & Palestrina. It starts out very quiet & calm, and over 19 minutes other voices gradually join in one by one & builds to a crescendo for the last ~3mins. The high point by far on this disc is Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli. In contrast to some other composers (like, say, Victoria) whose music is "hot" or "passionate", Palestrina's is "cool", "serene" & "effortless". Mozart's got nothing on Palestrina! Ever since the first time I heard this mass for the first time I have always thought that it is one of the most perfect pieces of music ever composed, & this is probably the best recording out there. The kyrie starts out the mass slightly jubilant & "truimphant"; the gloria is processional; the credo is faster than the rest & slightly intense, especially at the end (though nothing like Victoria). The climax for me is the sanctus, which... well, is the climax! I always get the feeling that everything has building up to that point when I listen. The first agnus dei is somewhat of a continuation of the sanctus/benedictus & when the second agnus dei starts I can tell it's starting to wrap up... which makes me sad :p It's sort of the same feeling you get when you have to say goodbye to someone who's moving away or something lol. All in all, one of my favourite discs ever, and I still listen to parts of it every day.

Very recommendable!
This is the only CD by The Tallis Scholars in my collection that I really like; and I have a lot, Josquin, Isaac, de Rore... I think the lot sounds rather antiseptic, clinical; i.e. not the sound, but the performance. In many cases it can be wise to check out other performers than the most famous ones. (The perhaps not so famous Huelgas Ensemble has a very nice Missa Praeter Rerum Seriem.)
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Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Choral    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Part Song/Glee/Music for Unaccompanied Voices    7. Psalm Setting    8. Renaissance Mass    9. Vocal   

Editorial Review

Venice was a good place to be in the 17th century if you liked to hangout in church--not that you had much choice in those days. Gabrieli's reputationrests on his "polychoral" compositions: works for several choirs, a choir beingany size group of voices or instruments. For example, a sacred composition forthree choirs might have two brass groups and one chorus, or two choruses and onebrass ensemble. The idea was to keep things flexible to allow for changing localconditions. The result, in any case, was a magnificent "question and answer"style of writing, in which great blocks of harmony challenged each other fromopposite sides of San Marco Cathedral. If this sort of thing intrigues you, thenyou owe it to yourself to hear this terrific collection. It's a cosmicexperience. Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (23)

Instant playing
I very like the diversity of instruments used in this recording, and it is shure something special to have all the first brass of so many US orchestras together. But they play on first sight, without preparation, and this results in lack of precision, it is just not the right kind of music to do "ad-hoc". They would do very well with Jazz, but not with Gabrieli. Nevertheless the performance is by far better then the one of Empire Brass. Overall I would recommend the complete Gabrieli Works on Naxos played by London Brass. They lack diversity of instruments because they play on Trumpets and Trombones only, but there is the precision adn musicality.

A VERY special album
If you've been into brass for 40 years, you probably already know that this is a very unusual gathering of the top of the top!
I think Gabrieli would like this album
The purists have a good point - this recording is not historically accurate. In Gabrieli's time most written music was for sacred events. I'm sure the church officials would have objected to the volume level and intensity of this recording. Composers in the Renaissance and Baroque periods were pretty much slaves to their employers. I think that if Gabrieli hadpresent day instruments and full performance control he would have performed his works differently.
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Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Collection of Contrapuntal/Improv. Pieces for Keyboard    7. Keyboard    8. Medieval/Renaissance Organ Music    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Music    11. Polychoral Music For Brass   

Editorial Review

There's a wonderful legend, retold by (among others) Pfitzner's opera Read more

Reviews (6)

Something familiar, something new
--Palestrina--