The Visitation

On this CD:

1. Litany and Chanting of Our Father
Composed by Gregorian Chant

2. Prayer after Communion
Composed by Gregorian Chant

3. Kyrie
Composed by Gregorian Chant

4. Gloria
Composed by Gregorian Chant

5. Psalmus Reconsorius
Composed by Gregorian Chant

6. Confitemini Domino, motet for 6 voices, M. ix (S. xvii/79)
Composed by Orlande de Lassus

7. Alleluia
Composed by Gregorian Chant

8. Gospel
Composed by Gregorian Chant

9. Credo 4, 1st tone, GR776
Composed by Gregorian Chant

10. Eucharistic Prayer I, Roman canon Fragment
Composed by Gregorian Chant

11. Agnus Dei
Composed by Gregorian Chant

12. Communion
Composed by Gregorian Chant

13. Benedictus
Composed by Gregorian Chant

14. Momento verbi tui, communio
Composed by Gregorian Chant

15. Litany and Chanting of Our Father
Composed by Gregorian Chant

The Visitation, Music, Gregorian Chant, Orlande de Lassus, Choral, Choral Music, Classical, Contemporary Christian Music, Early Music / Chant, Renaissance Motet, Vocal, Vocal Music, Western European Chant

Biber: The Mystery Sonatas
Average customer rating:

Another World

Yet another forgotten musical genius. Beautiful music

A Monument of Early Violin Music

An Inordinately Beautiful Recording of the Biber Mystery Sonatas

Hauntingly beautiful Baroque fare

Biber: The Mystery Sonatas

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Biber | Biber, Heinrich Ignaz | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Biber: Violin Sonatas

Biber: Unam Ceylum /Holloway * Assenbaum * Mortensen

Biber: Harmonia Artificioso - Ariosa; Tam Aris Quam Aulis Servientes

Biber; Muffat: Der Turken Anmarsch /Holloway * Assenbaum * Mortensen

Schmelzer: Unarum Fidium /Holloway * Assenbaum * Mortensen

ASIN: B00005UNXG
Release Date: 2002-12-23

Tracks:

Praeludium
Aria And Variations
Adagio
Finale
Sonata
Presto
Allamanda
Presto
Sonata
Courente
Double
Adagio
Ciacona
Praeludium
Allamanda
Guigue
Sarabanda
Double
Lamento
Aria
Adagio
Allamanda
Variatio
Sarabanda
Variatio
Sonata
Presto
Guigue
Double I
Double II
Sonata
Courente
Doubles I & II
Finale
Praeludium
Aria
Variatio 1 - 2
Variatio 3 (Adagio)
Variatio 4 - 5

Tracks:

Sonata
Surrexit Christus Hodie
Adagio
Intrada
Aria Tubicinum
Allamanda
Courente
Double
Sonata
Gavotte
Guigue
Sarabanda
Praeludium
Ciacona (Aria)
Guigue
Sonata
Aria
Canzona
Sarabanda & Double
Passagalia

Customer Reviews:

Another World.......2007-03-29

Biber heartily embraced gypsy tavern violin virtuosity long before Dvorak or Brahms. This is magnificent music full of elegant and earthy contrasts. The sonatas that employ unconventional tuning open up new worlds of harmonic splendour, yet the crowning piece, the Passagalia, which does employ conventional tuning but isn't part of the Mystery Sonatas, is thankfully included as the final work of a two disc journey that soars the heights of heaven and plunges the depths of human experience. I have the original release of this music with its sumptuous and informative booklet: booklet or not, these are exceptional performances combined with an exceptional recording.

Yet another forgotten musical genius. Beautiful music.......2007-03-04

Heinrich Ignaz von Biber was a wonderful composer. The so-called "Mystery Sonatas" also known as the "Rosary Sonatas" have an aire of perfection rarely seen in classical baroque music. Biber has been all too conveniently forgotten and I am not sure why. As with Erik Satie (another of my favorite, yet unknown composers) Biber has managed to shrink in to the darkness of history while his legacy of work should be celebrated.
His work is haunting, exhilarating, enriching and somber. His music conveys a sadness and a joy that few musical works are able to convey. Biber's understanding of orchestration, the workings of instruments in compliment of each other, is astonishing to me. He had an ability, a gift, that only God himself could have given him. If you don't believe in God, then just accept that he was a prodigy of the finest degree and his work was sent from a deep place inside that immediately crawls inside of you. I, personally, call it a religious musical experience.
Absolutely stunning music.

A Monument of Early Violin Music.......2006-12-17

This version of Biber's stupendous ROSARY SONATAS (this is the more correct translation of the original German title) is marked first of all by the stunning virtuosity and graceful lyricism of violinist John Holloway. Simply to master the notes of these sonatas is an immense task in itself: playing scordatura is sort of like ventriloquism, since you are miming a certain set of notes while other notes are sounding. To have worked up these difficult pieces into an intensely expressive, dramatic experience, as Holloway has, is breathtaking. Then there is the variety of continuo instruments arrayed for each sonata. In various tracks we hear organ, harp, lute, violone, lirone (a gamba viol sounding to these ears somewhat like a harmonica) and regal (a small, portable organ with a rasping, nasal sound, used to great effect in the "Crowning with Thorns" sonata). Finally, the fact that this recording is priced far lower than any of the other major versions (Goebbel, Manze) makes it doubly attractive. I was disappointed by the scarcity of program notes, understandable given the budget price: we are not informed, for example, of the scordatura tuning of the individual sonatas, and I would have liked a more detailed discussion of the pictorial and symbolic elements used by Biber in the sonatas. However, the notes include a link to Virgin's website promising "a more detailed introduction".

Perhaps it's best not to take in this colossal work all at once. For a sampler, try tracks 14-15 of CD 2 (the "Assumption" sonata) and hear some of the most buoyant, joyous violin playing in existence. You'll be instantly mesmerized.

An Inordinately Beautiful Recording of the Biber Mystery Sonatas.......2006-09-22

Much can be written about the difficulty of this music form the 17th Century by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber - and other reviewers here have given superb descriptions of those complexities - but the end result of works such as this is in the response it produces in the listener.

Biber wrote these Mystery Sonatas to represent the three sets of mysteries from the Bible: the Birth, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ. The recording is by Tragicomedia with Davitt Moroney and John Holloway in this impeccably performed recording of impossible music: the music is impossibly difficult to play and impossible not to draw and emotional response from the listener. Some may find this version a bit dry sounding, but for this listener that only enhances the other-worldly sense of the music.

The sixteen sonatas are named as follows: Part I: The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation, The Finding in the Temple Part II: The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging of Jesus, The Crowing of Jesus with Thorns, Jesus carries His Cross, The Crucifixion Part III: The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Ghost, The Assumption of our Lady, The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Passacaglia. With the simplest combination of instruments Biber was able to elicit the feelings of each of these mysteries.

For those who love Period Music this recording is a complete success and a treasure to own. For those who have yet to step into this ethereal world, this is a very fine beginning. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 06

Hauntingly beautiful Baroque fare.......2004-02-23

I own three versions of Biber's Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas, and a fourth recording (by Manze) of other Biber sonatas along with the famous passacaglia that concludes the set. All of the versions (the other two being by Rheinhard Goebel on Archiv and Suzanne Lautenbacher on VOX) are beautiful, because the music is. Perhaps the passacaglia is the most beautiful 8 to 12 minutes (depending on performer) in the entire musical library. I rate the Holloway version as the best in terms of the passacaglia. The pacing seems perfect (Goebel is fast and almost dancelike, Manze quite slow but with more flare) and is about the same as that of Lautenbacher, the latter being performed on a modern instrument with her usual good taste and limited vibrato. Certainly the Holloway version has the most delicious ending to the passacaglia, when the minor key resolves to a major that brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. The Goebel and Manze versions both have a decorative flourish on the final note that, while beautiful, detracts in my opinion from the simple beauty of the key resolution. How two reviewers could give this recording only a single star is beyond comprehension! Even if one grants that Moroney is not as "lively" a harpsichordist as the performers on the other versions, my response is, "So what?" Maybe if you're a harspichord fanatic you drop the ranking from five stars to four, but the work is overwhelmingly a violin piece with harpsichord ACCOMPANIMENT. To downgrade the ranking of the entire recording to one star completely ignores the fantastic beauty, technical perfection, and haunting introspection of Holloway's performance on the violin. Besides, it's not as if Moroney actually is "incompetent." The descrition I would use is "tastefully understated, recognizing that this is primarily a violin recording." In contrast to the fun Goebel version and the good but more yeoman (yeoperson?) Lautenbacher version, Mr. Holloway plays with greater sensitivity but still with plenty of guts (not referring to the strings here) when drama or a discordant double-stop are called for. Again, ALL of the versions I've heard are great, and I'm tempted to buy yet another, but I always recommend the Holloway to my friends.

Women in Chant: Recordare: Remembering the Mysteries in the Life of Jesus, Son of Mary

Average customer rating:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY OF LIVING GREGORIAN CHANT
Excellent recording of Gregorian Chants

Women in Chant: Recordare: Remembering the Mysteries in the Life of Jesus, Son of Mary
The Choir of Benedictine Nuns at the Abbey of Regina Laudis
Manufacturer: Sounds True Direct
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Women in Chant: Gregorian Chants for the Festal Celebrations of the Virgin Martyrs and Our Lady of Sorrows
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
The Soul Of Chant
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Chant II

ASIN: B000059SW1
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

Recordare
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Meditation: Recordare I. - Mother Dolores Hart
Ave Maria
Beatam Me Dicent/Magnificat
Hodie Christus Natus Est
Accipiens Simeon/Nunc Dimittis
Non Invenientes Jesum/Benedictus
Ave Regina Caelorum
Meditation: Recordare II. - Mother Dolores Hart
In Monte Oliveti
Lamentation
O Vos Omnes
Crux Fidelis
Tenebrae Factae Sunt
Christus Factus Est
Regina Caeli
Meditation: Recordare III. - Mother Dolores Hart
Haec Dies
Pascha Nostrum
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Viri Galilaei
Veni Sancte Spiritus
Assumpta Est Maria
Signum Magnum
Salve Regina
Collect And Final Blessing

Customer Reviews:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY OF LIVING GREGORIAN CHANT.......2007-02-27

Although Gregorian Chant is very carefully tied to particular times and seasons, and therefore recordings of the living chant always feels odd out of season and captured and pinned on display, like fascinating irridescent butterfly wings on cotton under glass, please play this disk and live and breathe a little easier, in peace and in rhythm and in unity.

Gracefully directed by Dr. Marier, this recording wonderfully captures the greatest living Gregorian choir fully active in the United States of America, at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, which daily and nightly maintains the true cycle of Gregorian chant, completely, in the living of the Rule of Saint Benedict with all of the liturgical hours fully chanted as ever through the centuries, per saeculum saeculi. The best way, then, to experience in union this true and living and breathing chant is to spend as much time as possible on retreat at the Abbey in still rural Bethlehem, Connecticut. Lacking that ability, live with this disk, and let it play day and night until it becomes a part of your bones and you sing with it without yet quite knowing it.

I strongly recommend this disk for anyone who fully and deeply wants to know Gregorian Chant, as chanted by a contemplative community of devoted and committed women in America. Hear also their recording, also with Mr. Marier, of the Festal Celebrations of the Virgin Martyrs and Our Lady of Sorrows, which includes the founding Abbess Mother Benedict's blessing.

Please note in particular the most important Marian hymns are included on this disk, for anyone seriously interested in learning the most important Gregorian Marian tones. FOr instance you find here a solemn version of the Magnificat, the greatest hymn of Mary directly from the Gospel of Saint Luke, which is chanted every day at Vespers without exception by any monastic choir worthy of the name. We also may find here Regina coeli and the wonderful seasonal hymn, Salve Regina. Please look closely at the play list and you find nearly every traditional Marian hymn you can recall. Within this collection are scriptural meditations beautifully read by Mother Dolores Hart, an actress who was on her way to becoming the next Grace Kelly (who had then abdicated her throne to take on the throne of Monaco) but entered Regina Laudis monastery instead, filling its readings with the depths of her trained and restrained and profoundly emotional voicings. We are very fortunate she is so well recorded here, and regret she never made at the height of her powers an audiobook of the entire Holy Bible, or at least the Psalms, or Gospels . . .

In other words, what more can you possibly ask for?

Please note the photograph on this product, the Mysteries in the Life of Jesus, Son of Mary, is of the new Abbess, Mother David, who is currently directing the choir in a fresh recording of the hymns of Christmas, a new recording which may be available come Christmas of this year. In the mystery of Bethlehem, that will be well worth adding to your music library, for anyone serious about studying the true Gregorian chant as it is lived and breathed daily by this now too rare and precious choir.

Please also see the soon-to-be-released biography of Mother Benedict from Ignatious Press. Let us learn to cherish our American saints and study from them how to live in peace and loving Catholic community in this quadrant of the hemisphere.

Please see all of the Abbey's rare recordings at their website.

Excellent recording of Gregorian Chants.......2002-04-09

I bought this recording a few weeks ago and it has quickly become a favourite. While Gregorian Chant has become popular, especially with the recordings of Santo Domingo de Silos, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Gregorian Chant is sung prayer. In hearing the nuns of the Abbey of Regina Laudis sing, you understand that this is something that they experience each day. It is a beautiful recording and is accompanied by beautiful meditations on the life of Jesus read by Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B.

Average customer rating:

Don't Remeber THIS "Alamo"
Defending the Alamo
Excellent CD
Enjoyable a-typical score
None Better

The Alamo

Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Alamo (Widescreen Edition)
Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis
The History Channel Presents The Alamo
Remembers the Alamo
Glory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B0001NBN6G
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

Flesh And Honor
300 Miles Of Snow
What We're Defending
El Bexareno
La Zandunga
Who Took Their Loved Ones
Listen To The Mockingbird Sing
The Evacuation Of Bexar
The Calm After The Storm
The Visitation Of Saint Ursula
Quiet Mountain
They Ain't Bear
Bonham's Ride
Sell Our Lives Dearly
Night Falls On The Alamo
Deguello De Crockett
The Last Night
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 1
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 2
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 3
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 4
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 5
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 6
The Death Of Crockett
Runaway Scrape
Blood, Or Texas

Amazon.com

Carter Burwell cut his film scoring teeth on many a Coen brothers movie, quickly gaining a reputation for a quirky, human-scaled inventiveness that informed everything from jazz and folk to orchestral music and even the well-timed nod to Morricone. That often introspective sensibility is well paired to director John Lee Hancock's revisionist take on the legend of San Antonio's fabled doomed fortress, which focuses more on the conflicted human dimensions of its characters than familiar cardboard, pop culture heroics. Burwell's use of orchestral pomp is deliberate and decidedly restrained; more often the composer leans on spare, evocative passages of simple, though ever-inventive folk-based music (like the elegiac "Quiet Mountain") played by various combinations of guitar, banjo, and violin. Vintage traditional Mexican and American tunes are also given their atmospheric due via Jennifer Hammond's and Craig Eastman's arrangements of "La Zandunga" and "Listen to the Mockingbird Sing," respectively. But its Burwell's own peculiarly modernist instincts that inform both tradition ("Crockett's DeGuello") and his own masterfully understated cues, particularly the bleak, almost gothic emotional landscape of his six-part "Battle of the Alamo Suite" and its bittersweet coda, "Blood or Texas." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Don't Remeber THIS "Alamo".......2006-07-21

When making another version of a film that has already been made producers,directors,performers,and score composers are too often tempted to "do it differently",as if by twisting and turning a basic premise they will succeed..The classic film version of"The Alamo"is and remains the John Wyane version,which was nominated for several academy awards.Granted,the John Wyane version had little to do with actual history,but,then again,the purpose of the film industry has always been to entertain,not to teach..John Wyane,who produced and directed,as well as being the star of that film chose Dimitri Tiomkin to score his film.
Tiomkin,and old-line symphonic genius,provided a magnificent score,at once adventurous and poingnant..
The people responsible for this version of"The Alamo"decided to teach,rather than entertain,and,at the same time attempted to be politically correct as well.Thus,the mythic aspects inherent in the John Wyane version were replaced by morally ambiguous nonsense,and heroics were more or less eliminated in favor of a rather desperate survival theme,coupled with some added imperialistic touches with the addition of the Sam Houston charecter as a major player along with Bowie,Crockett,and Travis.
The people responsible for this film ,having many fine symphonic-oriented composers to choose from instead opted for minalmism by Carter Burwell..One can hardly imagine,for instance,a five-star gourmet meal served on a foam plate,with plastic knife and fork.Likewise one can hardly imagine a would-be epic western (even if it is very revisionist)bearing a score that plays like a new-age snoozer...But this is exactly what Burwell has given us...There are no epic themes here...There is an enormous orchestra credited as having participated in this project however when one listens to the finished product one is hard-pressed to HEAR any evidence of this participation.
John Wyane's script called for a lot of action on-screen,and Tiomkin obligingly provided very suitable musical themes..
The script for this new film does not call for very much action,even short-changing the audience during the final battle scene by shooting it in near-darkness,and underscoring it with a dirge-like monotone.
This new film was"troubled"from the very start.Ron Howard was supposed to direct but he didn't.The cast was shuffled around several times.Some "Main"charecters were eliminated entirely ,although thier traces continued to show up in the trailers released for this movie..While on the subject of the trailers for this film,the music used in them was 110% better than the Burwell claptrap..Scenes featured in the trailers were actually NOT in the finished film.The film was scheduled for a christmas opening,a slot usually reserved for top-of-the-line oscar contenders,and was then,suddenly yanked,and later released in April,where it died a much-deserved death after about a week in theatres,a colossal flop.
The film was terrible,and part of this is due to the Burwell score which is terrible-plus.

Defending the Alamo.......2005-09-09

I enjoyed the film and, in particular, the intelligent and sensitive portrayal of David Crockett but...so much had been cut by the time it was released as a DVD in England. The soundtrack is pleasant enough so if you liked it on the screen you will enjoy the CD but we do not have the Deguello on its own, (but have the haunting duo with David Crockett's fiddle), and we do not have the saucy little tune played at San Jacinto. On balance, worth buying.

Excellent CD.......2005-06-22

This is an excellent CD. If you are interested in this CD you will love "Audio Tour of the Alamo and Old San Antonio of the Wild West". This CD will gudie you around the Alamo Battlefield in present day San Antonio sshowing yu the actual locations of events of the battle. To hear a sample of this audio tour go to
http:www.alamoaudiotours.com you can also purchase this CD here on Amazon.com

Enjoyable a-typical score.......2005-03-05

Most war movies have underscore's that pulse with energy and power of battle. Carter Burwell takes another course. His music is melancholy and some people have taken the celtic sounding music and complained out it but I found the music to be powerful and perfectly fitting with the movie. The Alamo is also enjoyable as a single listening experience although it does help to have seen the movie. I particularly enjoyed the track where Crockets fiddle is combined with the Mexican "Slit Throat" band. Overall, I found this cd to be enjoyable and it gets better every time i listen to it.

None Better.......2004-12-01

A few comments about the movie The Alamo, if you would indulge me for a moment. It is pertinent. I didn't have high expectations for this film, the trailers I saw made it out to be another larger-than-life, ain't-afraid-of-nothing, cliché-filled motion picture. We lived in San Antonio for several years, it is a great town filled with wonderful people. We visited the Alamo on several occasions. It is a holy place for Texans, sacred, and being "non-Texans" I am sure most of the locals felt we really couldn't appreciate or even grasp the significance of the place, the honor of those who fought and died there. I must admit it was all somewhat lost on me. Thus, I was fully expecting this movie to be overdone and nauseating, especially considering I am not the biggest fan of two of the lead actors (Billy Bob Thorton and Dennis Quaid).

OK, please bear with me, I will get to my point in a second. We ended up renting the film as I had heard the cinematography was sensational (it was). But my biggest surprise was the film itself. Not the script, not the actors, but the entire film. I can't really put into words how good it was, not perfect, but an excellent motion picture and probably an accurate depiction of the individuals and events as they occurred. And both Thornton and Quaid were exceptional...they deserve Oscars come January, and it will be a shame if they don't get them.

Now, concerning this soundtrack. To put it simply, if this CD isn't the best soundtrack winner for 2004, then there is a conspiracy going on. It isn't on Amazon's editors picks, nor the customer's favorites list, I chalk that up to being it was just recently released. However, it should be on both, and highly competitive for the top honors this year. It is simply that good. Carter Burwell set a new standard with the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? and may have exceeded it with this one. The music here just puts the visualizations of the movie back into my head...the music retells the story as well as the images.

The bottom like is fairly straightforward, if you liked the movie than you owe it to yourself to get this soundtrack. There is absolutely no way you will be anything other than engrossed in it.

Average customer rating:

Across the centuries and media

Biber: The Rosary Sonatas

Manufacturer: Avie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Biber: The Rosary Sonatas

ASIN: B0001W2ZV4
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Customer Reviews:

Across the centuries and media.......2005-05-02

This is a production that incorporates audio techniques that span the centuries and combines muisic, the spoken word, literature and visual art. The result is a bit unusual, but mostly effective.

Before each sonata is performed, a reading from a Rosary Psalter from the late Middle Ages is given by British actor Timothy West. He gives an imposing reading, sounding as if he were acting in a Shakespeare drama. You may enjoy this or be put off by it, depending on your tastes and mood. Frankly, the readings didn't interest me. But it's a small matter to program out the readings on your CD player if you want to.

The readings do serve a useful purpose, though. The Psalter description of each Mystery, along with the poetic meditation it provides, gives us great insight into the programmatic depiction contained in Biber's corresponding sonata. Other things help, too. James Clements' liner notes description of the musical technique Biber used to portray each Mystery is very useful. In fact, without those verbal and literary descriptions, I would never have guessed what Biber was trying to portray. On their own, the sonatas just sound like nondescript pieces of absolute music. Lastly, the engraving illustrations included in the original music manuscript are shown on the album's cover. At least I assume these are the original illustrations. The liner notes don't specifically say so. These illustrations are an additional aid for us to appreciate and understand the music.

Biber wrote these sonatas in a style with much gusto and frequently called for great virtuosity. Fortunately, Beznosiuk is up to the task. His performance of the Guardian Angel passacaglia really shines. His talent handles the music well, but in the effort to execute this tricky music, he ends up giving the music a modern feel instead of the needed Baroque feel. Biber calls for a different violin tuning with each sonata, which keeps things interesting. The instruments used by all the musicians are either period instruments or modern reproductions of period instruments. Yet, all the instruments sound modern! Maybe it's just my own perception.

One odd thing about the recording is the acoustics involved. It was recorded in St. Andrew's Church, Toddington, Gloucestershire. Apparently it's an old church. The reverb during the reading is almost distractingly strong. It's a very different story with the instruments, though. Here, in the same church, I hear no reverb or any sense of acoustical space. It may as well have been done in a modern recording studio. The continuo instruments come through clearly and prominently. Certainly not the Baroque sound we're used to. They intrude a bit on the solo violin's aural space. Some bad mixing on the engineers' part.

This production certainly stands apart among recordings of the Biber sonatas. The techniques involved may or may not appeal to you. Overall, I think it's an adventurous, change-of-pace rendition. All things considered, I would recommend it to you.

Marc-Andre Doran: L'Orgue Classique et Romantique

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Marc-Andre Doran: L'Orgue Classique et Romantique

Manufacturer: Atma
ProductGroup: Classical
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000JN5RPG

Product Description

Marc-Andre Doran plays organ classics from the romantic period on the organ of the Church of the Visitation in Montreal, Quebec. 17 pieces from the composers above.

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Rosenkranz-Sonaten (Rosary Sonatas, AKA Mystery Sonatas) - Musica Antiqua Köln

Average customer rating:

An Inordinately Beautiful Recording of the Biber Mystery Sonatas
Beautiful compositions, performance and sound
Many mysteries shrouded in great music...
One of the Best Interpretations
A great performance of very unusual music

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Rosenkranz-Sonaten (Rosary Sonatas, AKA Mystery Sonatas) - Musica Antiqua Köln
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber , Reinhard Goebel , Musica Antiqua Köln , Phoebe Carrai , Andreas Holschneider , and Konrad Junghänel
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Biber: Unam Ceylum /Holloway * Assenbaum * Mortensen
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Telemann: Tafelmusik (Musique de Table partagée en Trois Productions)
Biber: The Mystery Sonatas
Biber: Violin Sonatas

ASIN: B0000057DS
Release Date: 1991-07-08

Tracks:

I. The Annuciation
II. The Visitation
III. The Nativity
IV. The Presentation
V. The Finding in the Temple
VI. The Agony in the Garden
VII. The Scourging of Jesus
VIII. The Crowing of Jesus with Thorns

Tracks:

IX. Jesus carries His Cross
X. The Crucifixion
XI. The Resurrection
XII. The Ascension
XIII. The Descent of the Holy Ghost
XIV. The Assumption of our Lady
XV. The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Passacaglia

Customer Reviews:

An Inordinately Beautiful Recording of the Biber Mystery Sonatas.......2006-04-14

Much can be written about the difficulty of this music form the 17th Century by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber - and other reviewers here have given superb descriptions of those complexities - but the end result of works such as this is in the response it produces in the listener. Driving along the freeways on Maundy Thursday and hearing and excerpt form the work ('The Agony in the Garden') made this listener hurry home and put on the full recording!

Biber wrote these Mystery Sonatas to represent the three sets of mysteries from the Bible: the Birth, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ. Reinhard Goebel conducts the Musica Antigua K?ln in this impeccably performed recording of impossible music: the music is impossibly difficult to play and impossible not to draw and emotional response form the listener.

The sixteen sonatas are named as follows: Part I: The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation, The Finding in the Temple Part II: The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging of Jesus, The Crowing of Jesus with Thorns, Jesus carries His Cross, The Crucifixion Part III: The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Ghost, The Assumption of our Lady, The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Passacaglia. With the simplest combination of instruments Biber was able to elicit the feelings of each of these mysteries.

For those who love Period Music this recording is a complete success and a treasure to own. For those who have yet to step into this ethereal world, this is a very fine beginning. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

Beautiful compositions, performance and sound .......2005-11-26

Biber's so-called "Mystery Sonatas" are among the most alluring, meditative, virtuostic and amazingly beautiful compositions ever written for the violin - which this fine recording captures most vividly. Three aspects of this recording stand out as superb and make this CD a highly recommended recording for Biber's "Mystery Sonatas." The first is the extremely vivid and crystaline sound quality from DG, who created an ideally-resonant sound ambiance that brings out the mystery and depth of this music. Stunning. The second aspect is the most unique, mysterious and musically innovative compositions from the Austrian violin virtuoso and composer, Biber. The depth of emotive effects and degree of virtusosity immediately catch the attention of the listener and draws one into their mysteries (of the life of Christ). In addition to the "standard" harpsichord and/or therebo continuo, these sonatas also add deeply-resonant organ bass pedal-points that create a powerful and alluring backdrop for the drama of the solosit to unfold. Several reviews below give some valuable background info on these compositions if you are not familiar.

The last aspect that makes this recording special is the accomplished playing of Reinhard Goebels that is of the highest caliber. His technique in the 32nd-note passages is flawless, crisp and worthy of the finest accolades while the sensitive and soaring tonality he exudes in the slower movements is extremely attractive and never grating to the ear. Goebels plays this music not only with the utmost virtuosity but also with a well-judged passion - bringing drama while respecting Biber's sacred and meditative musical intentions by not overly "attacking" the music. His smooth lyricism honors Biber's contemplative designs. Personally, I prefer Goebel's artistry and tone in these works compared to Holloway or Manze, but the fine continuo playing from Romanesca adds to the allure of that recording (Harmoni Mundi). So, the combination of these three aspects along with some interesting notes from Goebels on the music and scordatura techniques make this a most desirable and recommended recording from Musica Antiqua Koln. I cannot say there are any "dull moments" or uninspired playing or composing anywhere on the entire 2 CD's - only the most skillfully and mysteriously composed music for violin and Baroque continuo. It remains one of the more unique compositions and an ever-fascinating study of the art of violin playing. And Musica Antique Koln honors this sacred music with the highest art and musical sensitivity. 5 stars for sure.

Many mysteries shrouded in great music..........2004-06-06

Fans of the violin, or baroque music in general, will enjoy this interesting collection of pieces subsumed under the title "Mystery Sonatas". All fifteen traditional "Mysteries of the Rosary"(compiled well before Pope John Paul II added 5 additional "mysteries" in 2002) are represented by a piece for violin, violincello, lute, organ, or harpsichord (with a concluding solo violin Passacaglia). Each segment of the work is gorgeously composed and performed. Overall the feeling is of contemplation, as if the piece were meant to provide a musical setting for contemplation of the mysteries. This theory makes sense prima facie, but the CD booklet reveals the abject paucity of information available about the work's origins and purpose. The date of composition is even in question. Biber did not choose to publish the work, and the title page of the manuscript is missing (the entire work had been considered lost until its rediscovery in the 1890s). It seems to have been a private work, not meant for public consumption. A lengthy dedication to Archibishop Maximillian Gandolph (reprinted in the CD booklet) sheds some much needed light on the who, what, and why of the piece, but regardless questions still remain. "Mystery Sonatas", consequently, aptly describes this work in more than one sense.

One of the remaining mysteries, and one of the amazing facts about any recording of this piece, is that each of the segments require different violin tunings. No one seems to know why the work was composed with such agonigingly varied tunings for violin (the manuscript apparently utilized tabulature). Now it's simply part of the "mystery". Regardless, the players here handle this piece amazingly well, and the results make for an amazing listen, however one wants to interpret the music. Violin aficionados could probably listen to this until their ears melt. I know mine are almost gone. The nearly two full hours of music are well worth the double CD price.

One of the Best Interpretations.......2003-12-23

Reinhard Goebel and members of the Musica Antiqua Köln perform the Mystery Sonatas by F.I. Biber who was born in 1644 and served most of his life as Kappelmeister of Salzburg until his death in 1700. Biber was a creative genius who composed various mostly liturgical works during his lifetime. Although not as well known as J.S. Bach and his reknown violin sonatas and partitas, Biber's violin sonatas are brilliant works in their own right that have much more free expression than Bach's highly technical sonatas.

Biber comes from the Italian and Catholic Baroque tradition of violin that was far more expressive in lyrical arrangements than contemporary German Protestant composers who were more restrictive and methodical in their works. Although it is sometimes the case with less known composers, Biber's works have not remained in obscurity because of any deficiency in style or ingenuity but simply more because the Baroque violin and its techniques had been abandoned for the use of the violin and new techniques advanced by High Baroque composers such as Correlli, Vivaldi, and Bach primarily. There are several renditions of this work presently on the market but this performance is technically superior in terms of both instruments and execution to each and every one. The works in here are extremely difficult to perform and Musica Antiqua Koln generally specializes in compositions in this style and their performance with traditional instruments. This album has the best overall performance in terms of proper technique and passion in its application bringing out incredibly rich pieces filled with both haunting and divine lyricism. The sound quality of this recording is also first class with volume and resonance while the others tend to be rather flat or static-like. Goebel really shines out in perfmorming these rather unconventional pieces and, out of every other performer who has played these pieces, he's the only violinist I've heard who could be given the honorary title of a being a Biber virtuoso.

I strongly recommend this recording to any one who loves the violin or Baroque violin pieces specifically. I warn any potential buyer that you will probably be disappointed with alternate performances by Manze/Romanesca as they tend to perform very academically and the differences in performance are very distinct. Manze's academic style is great for violinists studying Biber on technique and scale practice but, in my opinion, as a musician he is professionally inferior in every respect in comparison to Goebels who completely surpasses him in terms of fluidity and lyrical passion. Goebels doesn't get lost in fine tuning academic technique and emphasizes on performance while Manze fine tunes on technique and can't even realize how robotic and acoustically flat his performance is as a result.

A great performance of very unusual music.......2001-07-27

Biber wrote each of the 15 Rosary sonatas and the final passacaglia in different scordature (16 different scordature!!). To make things even more difficult, the sonatas were scored for violin and B.C. so, except for the bass line, all parts for the other instruments were either composed or improvised by the performers. Rather than just providing accompaniments, the members of Musica Antiqua Koeln show their amazing musicality by realizing one of the most beautiful performances of baroque music you can find.

What I Did After My Band Broke Up: The Best of Steve Wynn/Visitation Rights

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Steve Wynn 1990-2004

What I Did After My Band Broke Up: The Best of Steve Wynn/Visitation Rights
Steve Wynn
Manufacturer: Dbk Works
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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...Tick...Tick...Tick
Kerosene Man
Dazzling Display
Melting in the Dark
The Days of Wine & Roses

ASIN: B0007NFLHW
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

Amphetamine
Sustain
Carelessly
Drag
Nothing But the Shell
Shelly's Blues, Pt. 2
Death Valley Rain
Black Magic
Tears Won't Help
Collision Course
There Will Come a Day
What Comes After
Cats and Dogs
Conspiracy of the Heart
Why
Carolyn
500 Girl Mornings

Tracks:

My Family [*]
Gospel [*]
James River Incident [*]
Drought [*]
Anthem [*]
For All I Care [*]
Mandy Breakdown [*]
Riverside [*]
Follow Me [*]
Crawling Misanthropic Blues [*]
Mask of Shame [*]
Something to Remember Me By [*]
What We Call Love [*]
Epilogue [*]

Customer Reviews:

Steve Wynn 1990-2004.......2006-04-02

"What I Did After My Band Broke Up" is a compilation collecting some of the highlights of the eight albums (seriously underappreciated artist) Steve Wynn has recorded since The Dream Syndicate broke up in 1989. Wynn has come a long way from the neo-psychedelica of the Paisley Underground scene, experimenting over the years with shadings of Dylan, Lou Reed, and Neil Young before finally striking gold with the guitar-heavy garage rockish duel masterpieces"Here Come the Miracles" in 2001 and "Static Transmission" 2003. Don't miss: "Amphetamine," "Sustain," "Death Valley Rain," "Crawling Misanthropic Blues."

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Von Biber: The Mystery Sonatas, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-9

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Heinrich Ignaz Franz Von Biber: The Mystery Sonatas, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-9

Manufacturer: Gaudeamus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Biber: The Mystery Sonatas, Vol. 2: Nos. 10-16
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Biber: The Rosary Sonatas
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Biber: Violin Sonatas, 1681; Nisi Dominus; Passacaglia

ASIN: B0002EQFLW
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

Praeludium - Aria - Variatio - Adagio
Sonata - Allaman - Presto
Sonata - Courante - Double - Adagio
Ciacona
Praeludium - Allaman - Guigue - Saraban - Double
Lamento - Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Allamanda - Variatio - Sarab - Variatio
Sonata - Guigue - Double Presto - Double
Sonata - Courente - Double - Finale

Crumb: Songs, Drones And Refrains Of Death

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For Crumb enthusiasts

Crumb: Songs, Drones And Refrains Of Death

Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003GIM
Release Date: 2001-06-01

Tracks:

Songs, Drones And Refrains Of Death: Part One, Refrain One: I. The Guitar/Refrain Two: II. Casida... - George Crumb/David Starobin/Donald Palma/Aleck Karis/Daniel Druckman/Eric Charlston
Songs, Drones And Refrains Of Death: Part Two, Refrain Three: III. Song Of The Rider/Refrain Four... - George Crumb/David Starobin/Donald Palma/Aleck Karis/Daniel Druckman/Eric Charlston
A Little Ste For Christmas: 1. The Visitation - Lambert Orkis
A Little Ste For Christmas: 2. Berceuse For The Infant Jesu - Lambert Orkis
A Little Ste For Christmas: 3. The Shepherd's Noel - Lambert Orkis
A Little Ste For Christmas: 4. Adoration Of The Magi - Lambert Orkis
A Little Ste For Christmas: 5. Nativity Dance - Lambert Orkis
A Little Ste For Christmas: 6. Canticle Of The Holy Night - Lambert Orkis
A Little Ste For Christmas: 7. Carol Of The Bells - Lambert Orkis
Apparition: I. The Night In Silence Under Many A Star - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: Vocalise 1: Summer Sounds - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: II. When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloom'd - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: III. Dark Mother Always Gliding With Soft Feet - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: Vocalise 2: Invocation To The Dark Angel - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: IV. Approach Strong Deliveress! - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: Vocalise 3: Death Carol ('Song Of The Nightbird') - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: V. Come Lovely And Soothing Death - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish
Apparition: VI. The Night In Silence Under Many A Star - Jan DeGaetani/Gilbert Kalish

Customer Reviews:

For Crumb enthusiasts.......2006-11-19

The three works on this disc are somewhat "typical" Crumb. "Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death" is not Crumb's greatest work, even if it has his signature gestures -- a combination of speaking and singing during songs, shouting from the percussion players, among other techniques. It's a little contrived and more than a little dated (it's unmistakably 1960s avant-garde), but it's not a bad work. The recording's vocal performance by both the ensemble and the soloist sounds very muddled, which is unfortunate.

The Suite for Christmas has never been my favorite work. Crumb's other works for piano, such as the Makrokosmos books, are so much better it makes this work really look kind of anomalously amateur, even though I'm sure it's extremely hard to play. Orkis makes the most of this work, it's as good as I've ever heard it.

Apparition is by far the best work on this disc. It focuses on death just like the Songs and Drones, but Apparition also has some of the most delicate music found in any of Crumb's works. And the singing is sharp and clear, even with the transparent textures of the music. It uses Walt Whitman's Death Carol as its text and really captures the mysticism, light, and darkness that surrounds death that Whitman conveys in his poem.

Overall, it's a good disc. It's definitely a great disc for people who like Crumb, but I know I wouldn't have explored much more of his music if this were my introduction.

Average customer rating:

Maddening
Beautiful and mysterious

Biber: Mystery Sonatas

Manufacturer: Winter & Winter
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000F1S6
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

The Five Joyful Mysteries: Die Verkundigung
The Five Joyful Mysteries: Die Heirnsuchung
The Five Joyful Mysteries: Jesu Geburt
The Five Joyful Mysteries: Die Darstellung irn Tempel
The Five Joyful Mysteries: Jesus irn Tempel
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries: Das Leiden arn Olberg
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries: Die GeiBelung
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries: Die Dorenkrongung
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries: Die Kreuztragung
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries: Die Kreuzigung

Tracks:

The Five Glorious Mysteries: Die Auferstehung
The Five Glorious Mysteries: Die Himmelfahrt Jesu
The Five Glorious Mysteries: Die Sendung des HI. Geistes
The Five Glorious Mysteries: Mariae Himmelfahrt
The Five Glorious Mysteries: Die Kronung Mariae
Passaglia For Solo Violin: Der Schutzengel

Customer Reviews:

Maddening.......2005-01-27

Maybe this seems to be besides the point but this comes in the w-o-r-s-t packaging I have ever encountered. You run the risk of damaging the CD every time you try to extricate it from its berth. It practically *scrapes* Plus, no text, credits that utterly sacrifice information to graphic design (not my taste in graphic art, either, I might add). The presentation couldn't be worse.

Okay, so the music & the performance are the main reason for spending thirty ($30!!!) dollars. But at this price, let me tell you, a less pretension & a little more common sense would smooth the way to the stereo.

The performance is, yes, rigorous, meditative, finely etched... But I'm so angry about the presentation-- if I could get my money back, I would. If I'd spent less, I'd pitch it right out the window.

Perhaps with a little more listening...and by replacing the dreadful sleeve with a humble plastic jewel case, I may grow to prize the musicanship. But Winter and Winter, if you ever read this, you've lost my custom for good. I'll never ever buy another one of your products. No matter what. No matter where. And if I were the violinist, I'd strangle you.

Beautiful and mysterious.......2000-12-10

I love this CD. The music is meditative and profound. Very spare, almost minimalist, and yet emotionally compelling. The different sonatas capture the feeling tone of the various mysteries of the rosary. Even if you are not intrigued by the rosary analogy, the music stands on its own as a work of beauty. The final passagalia for solo violin is especially gorgeous.

Music Review:

Music Review

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