Reviews (11)

Gould has never played so sublimely.....Sweelinck is amazing!
These recordings are absolute gems.In fact I daresay nothing like these performances has come before nor will come again.Gould is a genius, and the music he performs is timeless as well as historical.One can listen to this music and be transported to the 16th century, such is the power, beauty and effectiveness of Gould's interpretations.I cannot say enough of Gibbons and Sweelink, these masters are terribly underrated and unheard.Gould's touch is magical, technical virtuosity meets a true anachronistic artist.To the naysayers I say they have ears to ear yet do not hear, or in one ear and out the other.Anyone sensitive to true art will appreciate this music.Gould's performances and the composed music transcends banal quibbles like "he plays it too fast", or "it should be played on a virginal". Long live Byrd, Gibbons, Sweelinck and Gould!

Enraptured visions!
The interpretative art of Glenn Gould reached sidereal dimensions in this occasion playing the British virginalists. Gould made the complete journey and ellaborated a fine and fascinating portrait about the moods, mesmerizing approach, creating a spelling atmsophere around every single piece of this treasured album.
Brilliant
I echo the Spotlight review of J. Anderson, above, who has written eloquently. This music is a transporting experience. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Artists    3. Classical Music    4. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    5. Ground For Keyboard    6. Keyboard    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Pavane for Keyboard    10. Variations for Keyboard    11. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Reviews (10)

absolutely outstanding
If you enjoy pomp and circumstance type music, you must have this CD.

Disappointing
I agree with Mr Hazelwood.This recording is lack luster and I usually like Michael Murray's recording. Too much brass and no organ.I agree that Columbia (Sony) should re-release the E. Power Biggs Music or Organ Brass and Percussion. That is the best recording and the correct mixture of instrments I have heard in a long time. I recently sent them (Columbia) an e-mail making that request.Maybe if they get enough e-mails, they would know that we demand the best of the best.

Where's the Organ?
What a big disappointment! How can so many exciting pieces of music be made to sound so dull? Someone should take a torch to Mr. Murray's organ bench; pehaps then there would be some fire to his performance. The Richard Strauss processional has been a longtime favorite of mine, but this lackluster pressing is beyong decent! Please, Columbia, re-release the E. Power Biggs recording of many of the same selections ruinrd on yhis CD! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Band    2. Baroque Individual Dance Movement for Orchestra    3. Baroque Motet    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music    6. Choral    7. Choral Music    8. Classical    9. Classical Artists    10. Classical Music    11. Concerto    12. Keyboard    13. Keyboard Music    14. March for Band    15. Miscellaneous    16. Miscellaneous Music    17. Music For Brass Orchestra    18. Orchestral    19. Trio for Three Brass Instruments    20. Trumpet Concerto   

Reviews (3)

Characterful and memorable
The music of William Byrd (c.1535/40 - 1623) was written in a paranoid and oppressive environment where the slightest gesture of pro-Catholicism could in the wrong context lead to imprisonment, torture and execution. Some even proposed taking away children from Catholic families to prevent them from passing on their beliefs to their offspring. The celebration of the Catholic mass too was forbidden, though still practiced in great fear and secrecy. It is into such a social environment that these works were born to be sung in privacy for fear of being discovered. The results are work of the greatest intimacy, darkness and mysticism - works that are arguably the greatest to have ever have flowed from the pen of an English composer. Indeed, Byrd is the yardstick by which all other English composers should be measured in the same way that Shakespeare is the yardstick for English literature.
Thoughtful conducting, profound music
I got to meet conductor David Skinner while studying at Oxford two summers ago; I found him to be a greatly talented musician and teacher. At a performance of the Cardinall's Musick in Fartheringhay (in a small Renaissance chapel by the castle), he conducted his male chorus so beautifully that it was all I could do to stare at the unstained glass and try hard not to cry. William Byrd was slightly younger than Elizabeth Tudor, and died in 1623. He is arguably the best of English Renaissance performances. His music is simple yet profound, fragile yet overpowering. It's music to examine your soul to.

Superb interpretation
This is a superb CD. A must for anyone who like myself love these masses. Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Choral    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Early Music / Chant    7. Keyboard    8. Mass    9. Renaissance Instrumental Polyphony    10. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Reviews (1)

Rivetting, organic organ minimalism
This CD is an absolute gem and a must in any collection of contemporary organ music.Every minimalist fan, 'classical' or otherwise, should also have a copy in their collection.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. American 20th/21st Century Opera    3. Ballet    4. Chamber    5. Classical    6. Keyboard    7. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    8. Mixed Chamber Ensemble with Keyboard    9. Opera    10. Orchestral & Symphonic    11. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Reviews (1)

Brilliant performances
This is a very interesting collection of English Organ music, drawing from different sources: the Mulliner Book, the anonymously composed Dancing Master, a suite by John Blow, and smaller pieces from Farnaby, Purcell, Boyce, Croft, Walondand Gibbons (Christopher, not Orlando).This is good survey of early (and occasionally some not so early) English organ music, which has so shaped and been shaped by the English church since the Reformation in different ways.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Baroque Individual Dance Movement for Orchestra    2. Chamber    3. Choral    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    8. Keyboard    9. Keyboard Music    10. Miscellaneous    11. Miscellaneous Music    12. Music for Organ    13. Orchestral    14. Renaissance Dance Music    15. Suite/Partita for Keyboard    16. Te Deum    17. Trumpet Sonata    18. Vocal    19. Vocal Music    20. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Reviews (3)

It's all good!
This is a fantastic collection of Purcell's greatest choral works, wonderfully sung by the Oxford Camerata. My favourites: 'Jehova, quam multi sunt' (a fine example of Renaissance-inspired Baroque choral writing), 'Lord, how long wilt thou be angry?', and the more well-known 'Hear my prayer, O Lord'. However, the entire album is full of authentic little treasures which continue to marvel. A great recording for any classical collection.

A bargain CD for lovers of English choral music
In addition to Henry Purcell's edifying choral anthems, this CD also contains his music composed on the occasion of Queen Mary's death. Listen to this music with your eyes closed and imagine the royal funeralprocession to Westminister Abbey on that cold March morning in 1695 (aplace that a 36 year old Purcell himself would rest 8 months later); it isan epiphany! For movie buffs, the funeral march (Z. 860A; playedwonderfully by the Oxford Camerata brass) was featured in Anthony Burgess'"A Clockwork Orange". If you enjoy Purcell's works or choralmusic in general, you should definitely make a modest purchase and get thiswonderful CD for your collection!

This is good stuff
If you like choral music, or even if you don't, buy this CD. Purcell's music is made more beautiful then ever by the Oxford Camernata. The feeling and flow of the songs effects you in many ways. This is a great CD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthem    2. Art Song (General)    3. Choral    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Funeral Music    7. Keyboard    8. Miscellaneous    9. Non-Mass Liturgical Service    10. Sacred Music for more than one Solist, Chorus, and Instru    11. Vocal    12. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Anthem    2. Choral    3. Choral Music    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Classical Vocals    7. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    8. Keyboard    9. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Reviews (2)

One of the best solo treble recordings
This CD is a collection of consort songs from olden times, superbly sung by Connor Burrowes. It is the recording I like best of this boy singer, and among all boy singers Connor stands out for the perfection and cleanliness of his singing. It is highly recommended for for the above reasons, and also for being one of the few historically accurate recordings of this kind of music. These songs were mostly "family music", and in a 17th century English family a musical evening would more often than not find the boys singing and the older family members playing the instruments. great and soothing
This is one of the best examples of boy solo work I have ever heard.(My collection is extensive).This is very different from some of the "Boys Air" work that Connor Burrowes has done in that itt is not over produced and studiolike.This is the real thing.I send the tunes out over the gfarden and watch the leaves fall.This is a must have if you like the purity of this sort of sound. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthem    2. Art Song (General)    3. Baroque Individual Dance Movement for Orchestra    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Choral    7. Classical    8. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    9. Hymn    10. Keyboard    11. Miscellaneous    12. Miscellaneous Music    13. Orchestral    14. Renaissance Dance Music    15. Sacred Choral Music    16. Vocal    17. Vocal Music    18. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Classical    4. Classical Artists    5. Classical Music    6. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    7. Keyboard    8. Keyboard Music    9. Opera    10. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    11. Trumpet Sonata    12. Tuba/Euphonium Sonata    13. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Chaconne for Keyboard    2. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    3. Classical    4. Classical Music    5. Ground For Keyboard    6. Keyboard    7. March for Keyboard    8. Miscellaneous    9. Miscellaneous Music    10. Music for Organ    11. Transcription for Keyboard    12. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Editorial Review

This is one of the finest Purcell discs around, but it isn't one of the most cheerful. It's an anthology of pieces for one to four voices with continuo on spiritual themes--pieces such as "With sick and famish'd eyes," "The earth trembled," "In the black, dismal dungeon of despair," and the famous "O solitude." It really is top-notch Purcell, with much better texts than he usually had to work with, and it's performed to Paul McCreesh's usual high standard, but Baroque-for-Brunch it is not. The highlights are the deeply comforting meditation "Close thine eyes and sleep secure," and the riveting "In guilty night," effectively an eight-minute chamber opera enacting Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor, with a sensational performance by Charles Daniels as Saul. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art Song (General)    2. Chamber    3. Choral    4. Classical    5. Classical Music    6. Funeral Music    7. Ground For Keyboard    8. Keyboard    9. Miscellaneous    10. Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard    11. Sacred Music for more than one Solist, Chorus, and Instru    12. Two Solo Voices (with or without Keyboard/Continuo)    13. Violin with Keyboard    14. Vocal    15. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    2. Chamber Music & Recitals    3. Character/Single-Movement/Miscellaneous Work for Keyboard    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers    6. Classical Music    7. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    8. Keyboard    9. Music for Organ    10. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard    2. 20th/21st Century Symphony    3. Cantata    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Choral    7. Choral Music    8. Chorale Setting    9. Classical    10. Classical Artists    11. Keyboard    12. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    13. Miscellaneous    14. Miscellaneous Music    15. Oratorio    16. Orchestral    17. Quartet for Four String Instruments    18. Romantic Symphony    19. Romantic Tone Poem/Symphonic Poem for Orchestra    20. Symphonic   

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Keyboard    6. Multiple String Instruments with Keyboard/Continuo    7. Violin Solo    8. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    4. Keyboard    5. Keyboard Music    6. Prelude for Keyboard    7. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    8. Tuba/Euphonium Sonata    9. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Classical    3. Choral    4. Keyboard    5. Keyboard Music    6. Mass Section    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Music for Organ    10. Orchestral    11. Orchestral Music    12. Prelude for Keyboard    13. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Editorial Review

Approaching a 2-CD, 150-plus-minute collection of Glenn Gould's piano playing that has no Bach is befuddling. Gould, though he was expert at dozens of composers' works, is remembered by many for his shattering 1955 reading of Bach'sRead more

Reviews (6)

BETTER SORRY THAN SAFE
Everything from Gould is an event, of one kind or another. There is a popular representation of him as wilful and perverse, and while I can think of certain performances by him that could be described in that way, in general I find far less eccentricity in his playing than I do in Richter's, and absolutely none on these two discs. To support the stereotype of Gould the liner-note quotes some pompous huffiness and puffiness from Brendel, no less, and while I admire Brendel greatly I couldn't help thinking when I read that their dates of birth were little more than a year and a half apart that one main difference between them was that Brendel was born aged 45.
No Bach????
I think this album is not good.Why?First,Because there is no Bach in this album.Although Philips put Byrd and Gibbons in this album,I think this album is not good enough. JACK OF ALL TRADES
There is, apparently, no end to the argument over which pieces should or should not have been included in this recording.But if one looks strictly at what it actually contains, the album provides a pretty thoughtful representation of Gould's non-Bach output and is an interesting compilation of music in its own right.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    2. Baroque Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    8. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    9. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    10. Ground For Keyboard    11. Keyboard    12. Keyboard Work Entitled "Piece" or "Stück"    13. Miscellaneous    14. Miscellaneous Music    15. Pavane for Keyboard    16. Prelude and Fugue for Keyboard    17. Romantic Variations for Keyboard    18. Variations for Keyboard    19. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Canzona for Keyboard    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music    4. Chamber Music & Recitals    5. Chorale Prelude or Chorale Treatment for Keyboard    6. Classical    7. Contrapuntal/Improvisatory Keyboard Music    8. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    9. Fugue for Keyboard    10. Ground For Keyboard    11. Keyboard    12. Keyboard Music    13. Medieval/Renaissance Keyboard Music    14. Miscellaneous    15. Miscellaneous Music    16. Prelude and Fugue for Keyboard    17. Toccata for Keyboard    18. V/a Compilations    19. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Features

• Original recording reissued

Reviews (1)

Rivetting, organic organ minimalism
This CD is an absolute gem and a must in any collection of contemporary organ music.Every minimalist fan, 'classical' or otherwise, should also have a copy in their collection.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. Ballet    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Artists    6. Classical Music    7. Keyboard    8. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    9. Voluntary for Keyboard   

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chorale Prelude or Chorale Treatment for Keyboard    3. Keyboard    4. Keyboard Music    5. Keyboard Work with Descriptive or Unclassified Title    6. Miscellaneous    7. Miscellaneous Music    8. Mixed Chamber Ensemble with Keyboard    9. Music for Organ    10. Prelude for Keyboard    11. Suite/Partita for Keyboard    12. Toccata for Keyboard    13. Transcription for Keyboard    14. Unknown Genre/Unspecified Instrumentation    15. Voluntary for Keyboard