Poulenc: Sacred Music

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
‘John Rutter’s performance is exultant and sure-footed, his forces perform superbly.’ CD Review

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Jesu bleibet meine Freude
Dank sei dir, Herr
Ave Maria, D839
Laudamus te
Panis Angelicus
Air: "He shall feed his Flock"
Simple Song
Pie Jesu
Domine Deus
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes
Air: Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion
Abends will ich schlafen gehn
L'Adieu des bergers
Mariiegenlied, Op.76/52
Amazing Grace

Amazon.com

This lovely CD features Renée Fleming singing religious music in an unaffected, lovely manner. Many favorites are here: both the Bach/Gounod and Schubert versions of "Ave Maria," each offered with long breaths and soft tone; "Rejoice Greatly" from Messiah, delivered with virtuosity and gleaming sound, and "He Shall Feed His Flock," also from Messiah, sung in a smooth, laid-back manner. Bits of the Fauré Requiem and Poulenc Gloria are welcome, as is the gorgeous "L'Adieu des Bergers" from L'Enfance du Christ. In the prayer from Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel, Fleming is joined by the splendid Susan Graham, and a version of "Amazing Grace" features Mark O'Connor on violin. Two excerpts from Mozart's Mass in C Minor, pieces by Reger and Franck, and a few surprises round out this devotional CD. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

I hate to be rude, but . . ........2007-05-06

As stated earlier, I hate to be rude. However, Renee Fleming is not one of the greatest singers that I have heard. At many times, it sounds as if she is drunk, sliding into her notes at times. She also has a habit of hitting a note, and then quickly moving up or down for "dramatic effect". I'm sorry, but I just cannot listen to this. I know that everyone has their own opinions, and this is mine.
She is still a beautiful woman, and always will be. I have seen her concerts online, and she ISN'T bad, it's just that she doesn't have what I'm looking for in an opera singer!

Outstanding.......2007-03-07

I had seen this program on PBS and wanted the CD. Wonderful selection
of music and Renee Fleming's outstanding voice.

Sacred Songs.......2007-01-21

I always look for new presentations of Christmas songs. Rene Flemming did an excellent job in this recording. She has a super voice but sometimes the words of the song get lost in her singing style

My favorite of Fleming's CDs so far.......2006-12-07

There are only two cuts on this CD I tend to flip past (Amazing Grace and the Leonard Bernstein cut), but other than them, I totally love the rest! The cuts in German are divine! I could listen to this CD over and over again.

Inspiring and beautiful.......2006-07-20

I've always loved Renee Fleming's singing and this most recent album is just beautiful in every way. A rich voice, beautiful singing and a devout and magnificent artist. She makes even the most notorious evergreens come to life anew. I enjoyed it very much.

Average customer rating:

This is an amazing, amazing product
a voice teacher and early music fan
Incredible
Very inspiring for this Christian (Catholic)
Amazing!

O Magnum Mysterium
Thomas Tallis , Tomas Luis de Victoria , Morten Lauridsen , Francis Poulenc , Sergey Rachmaninov , Franz Schubert , Anonymous , Spiritual Traditional , Henryk Gorecki , Christopher Cock , Robert Shaw Festival Singers , and Robert Shaw Chamber Singers
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vespers (Mass for Unaccompanied Chorus)
Choral Masterpieces
Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony
Morten Lauridsen: Lux aeterna

ASIN: B00004WFLW
Release Date: 2000-08-22

Tracks:

If Ye Love Me
A New Commandment
O Vos Omnes
O Magnum Mysterium
O Magnum Mysterium
O Magnum Mysterium
Praise The Name Of The Lord
Der Entfernten
Wondrous Love
Amazing Grace
Sometimes I Feel Like Moanin'
Totus Tuus

Amazon.com

The trademark qualities of a Robert Shaw-trained chorus included perfect tonal blend and balance, expressive phrasing, and superb tuning. As an interpreter, Shaw hewed to the middle road, steering clear of eccentricities and honoring the composer's intentions. On this tribute disc, we hear these virtues coalesce in works such as Poulenc's austere Christmas hymn "O magnum mysterium," one of three settings of the text here. Shaw was at his best in works whose fervent spirituality he shared, and the selection from Rachmaninov's Vespers, with its repeated alleluias, is a highlight, both radiant and passionate. But then, virtually everything here is a highlight: the Schubert part song done to a turn with soft singing projected in rounded tones; the curve of "Wondrous Love"'s melody perfectly traced; and "Amazing Grace" in Shaw's arrangement all the more moving for its calm dignity. The longest piece, Górecki's Marian hymn "Totus tuus," is otherworldly in an enthralled reading that never loses focus. Like all of Shaw's Telarc recordings, the sonics are first-class. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

This is an amazing, amazing product.......2007-02-07

The only part of the CD I would quibble with is the selection from Rachmaninov's Vespers, but I'm really lucky and have heard that performed live several times and heard multiple recordings, and decided on one that I liked best early on.

If you aren't blown away by the performance of the Tallis, you'll probably still cry when you hear the Lauridsen later in the CD. One thing about this CD is that after hearing it, my standard for what I could expect in a recording became a lot higher.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-01-17

When Robert Shaw retired in 1988 as Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra he returned to the conducting of unaccompanied choral music, that he had been involved with in the Robert Shaw Chorale in the 1950's and early 60's.
The selections on this disc are taken from several different Telarc recordings that were made at summer festivals he directed during the last decade of his life.
The Poulenc "O Magnum Mysterium" is one of the four motets on a Christmas album made in 1989. "Wondrous Love", "Amazing Grace", and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Moanin' Dove" are from the collection of 'American Hymns and Spirituals', performed and recorded in 1992. Gorecki's motet "Totus Tuus" appeared on 'Evocation of the Spirit' recorded in 1994.
In the Summer of 1989, the first year of Shaw's choral festivals in France yielded an impressive array of unaccompanied music which included Rachmaninoff's 'Vespers' or 'All Night Vigil', Op.37, the 2 Thomas Tallis pieces and the two in Latin by Vittoria.
"Der Entfernten" comes from a collection of 'Schubert Songs' for Male Chorus taped in the Summer of 1992. Morton Luridsen's 'O magnum mysterium', the most recent composition on this disc as well as the last recorded (1997), was included on 'A Robert Shaw Christmas'.
It is interesting to note that there are no less than three settings of the anonymous medieval text "O Magnum Mysterium". Shaw, a deeply spiritual man, often lamented about the commercialism that had pervaded the celebraton of the American Christmas. He retained a sincere awe for the miraculous details of the Nativity story, and it was natural that he should return again to music having this text, with its wondrous mixture of the homespun and the mystical, the lowly and the most high.

This is a truly interesting variety of compositions featuring a diversified group of fine composers!!!!.Any choral group that Shaw conducted always sang with much emotion and always great skill. There is never a 'ragged' entrance OR exit; there is never poor balance between the voices; the diction is crisp and clear and never 'muddied'; and the sound is ethereally beautiful. I would have liked to know who the personnel were in each of his 2 groups on this disc, but they were not listed, so I guess I never will know. Just a fabulous recording!!!!!

Incredible.......2005-08-02

Who can listen to this without being humbled, yet enriched, as if walking through the courts of sacred and simple places?

Very inspiring for this Christian (Catholic).......2004-07-22

I'd swear that Robert Shaw must have visited heaven and come back to write his rendition of O Magnum Mysterium (particularly track #5 with the chamber singers). It's my favorite classical piece, especially among choral works. I'd love to be in a great gothic cathedral like Notre Dame or Cologne and hear this piece. Even though you'll likely only be hearing this recording through your headphones in your room, it'll take you to the cathedrals and heaven itself.

I read somewhere that Robert Shaw was deeply religious/spiritual. I have no reason to doubt this...his faith shines through on this disk. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." - Revelation 21

Amazing!.......2004-02-10

In my choir at school, we are singing O Magnum Mysterium; I can't help from sinking into its soft harmonies. How to describe this feeling?--each bar more poignant than the last; dynamically profound; crystal clear tone; that clash between tenors in the chorus...it makes me believe in love and god all at once! Spectacular, this CD is--how lucky I am to have found it. Recommended to anyone with hearing.

Average customer rating:

It is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful.
Robert Shaw Choruses At Their Best!
Glorious

Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Choral Masterpieces
Sacred Classics - Messiah, Ave Maria, Pie Jesu, Zadok the Priest, L'enfance du Christ
The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics
Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony
The #1 Choral Album

ASIN: B00000DFWF
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Gloria In Excelsis
Sanctus
Glory To God
Awake The Harp
Gloria
Gloria
Sanctus
Heavenly Light
Aeterna Fac
Slava V Vyshnikh Bogu
Sanctus
Gloria
Alleluia
Sanctus
Magnificat

Amazon.com

This compilation features excerpts from some of the greatest sacred works in the literature--including Bach's Mass in B Minor, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Missa solemnis, and Verdi's Requiem--all led by Robert Shaw. The selections, from recordings made between 1983 and 1997 by Shaw and various ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, are presented more or less in order of their composition, from Vivaldi's Gloria to Arvo Pärt's Magnificat. Especially thrilling is the complete "Gloria" from the Missa solemnis, 17 minutes of sheer grandeur, and the Sanctus movements from the Requiems of Verdi and Maurice Duruflé. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

It is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful........2007-05-15

I enjoyed this CD very much. It is just beautiful music.

Robert Shaw Choruses At Their Best!.......2004-09-20

If Sir Robert were still alive, & breathing, I believe he would be caught-up making music with this awesome, majestic, mystical GLORIA, Sanctus, Hallelujah Masterworks! I lucked-up on this old collection in the few classical CD'S in Best Buy!

At first hearing they sent me back into the 1970's when most of Church Musicians majored in Vivaldi's Gloria, the Sanctus of Bach's B-Minor Mass, the Long, georgeous GLORIA, Missa Solemnis, Beethoven, and incomparable Alleluia by Randall Thompson.

During a visit of Hurricane IVAN'S rushing winds and torrents of rain, I stayed on back roads of Decatur and East Atlanta! Also keeping alert & relaxed listening to Robert Shaw re-inventing his Choral Mystique! In slowly moving traffic of 2++ hours to Fayetteville, I kept alert singing along at 30 mph, wrapped in his quiet heavenly beauty of Koplov's "Heavenly Light!"

That mysteriously spiritual power of glorious choruses provided the same resourceful sounds of his eternal music-making from rehearsals in the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Westminster Choir College and Avery Fischer Hall concerts in NYC! (1975-1985)

Only the early 33 1/3 recordings of the Robert Shaw Chorale in his Spirituals and Irish Songs, later Handel's Messiah and Bach B-Minor Mass were forerunners to his awesome listing of repeated Grammy winners, now printed in digital stereo color and sound! Hooray for Sir Robert and his rich chorale legacy... Let's keep them singing for Eternity! Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Glorious.......2000-06-30

If I had to choose one conductor to compile exerpts from the greatest masses and works in choral literature and history, I would only bestow that duty to Robert Shaw and his choruses. Once again he displays his uncanny ability to not only choose beautiful music but also perform it in a spellbinding manner. Even with the pieces the average listener has heard or performed, such as Vivaldi's Gloria or portions of Handel's Messiah, one cannot help but become enthralled with the recordings of Shaw's interpretations of those works. Although Shaw never followed through on his early-life ambition to be a minister, I still believe he does so and perhaps to a greater extent through his music ministry. One cannot help but feel closer to understanding what heaven is about after having finished listening to this CD. This is well worth buying for it will live up to the english interpretation of its Latin title: Glorious.

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
Outstandingly beautiful- a great legend in our time
Follow the Leider...For He Is David Daniels
Countertenors: They're not just for Baroque Anymore!
Beyond Gimmick

David Daniels - Serenade
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Antonio Caldara , Antonio Cesti , Franz Schubert , Ludwig van Beethoven , Antonio Lotti , Charles Gounod , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Francis Poulenc , Henry Purcell , David Daniels , and Martin Katz
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Handel: Opera Arias; David Daniels
Sento Amor; David Daniels;
A Quiet Thing; David Daniels & Craig Ogden
Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été
Handel: Oratorio Arias

ASIN: B00004SRG1
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Adelaide Op.46
Der Tod Und Das Madchen D531
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen D774
Nacht Und Traume D827
Adelaide D95
Selve Amiche, Ombrose Piante
O Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Intorno All'idol Mio
Pur Dicesti, O Bocca Bella
L'Absent
Ou Voulez-Vous Aller?
Absence
Ser
Orpheus With His Lute
Linden Lea
Hands, Eyes And Heart
C'est Ainsi Que Tu Es FP 121 (Metamorphoses No.2)
Priez Pour Paix FP 95
La Belle Jeunesse FP 42 (Chansons Gaillardes No.7)
Sweeter Than Roses
I'll Sail Upon The Dog Star
Evening Hymn

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

It's a truism by now that countertenors have made a notable comeback in our time, but David Daniels--Amazon.com's Opera & Vocal Artist of 2000--isn't about to rest on his laurels. As if his recent successes weren't enough to set him apart, on this recital album Daniels forays beyond the countertenor's stereotypical domain of the baroque to interpret lieder of Beethoven and Schubert, as well as French mélodies and Vaughan Williams. A stunningly beautiful disc. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-05-30

The German and French art-song developed in parallel,but although they shared the same creative process based on the two key elements of words and music, they are distinct one from the other in their aim. Beethoven was one of the first to usher in the 'Leid'. Between 1795 and 1796 he drew inspiration from Friedich von Matthisson for his cantata 'Adelaide'. In 1814 Schubert set the same poem for his own 'Adelaide'. More than three-quarters of Schubert's songs are nature pictures as is 'Auf dem Wasser zu singen' on this disc. Other composers included on this recording are:Caldara-Gluck-Cesti-Lotte-Gounod-VaughanWilliams-Poulenc and Purcell.This disc absolutely delighted me. I can think of only one other countertenor who could have "pulled off" the variety of songs Daniels performs on this album. Most of them are quite well-known at least to singers and actually could be considered trite but not the way David Daniels sings them. He is so skillful with strong tone production when needed and always perfect diction. I marvel at the way he can implement the highly dramatic Italian aria and then sing the light "wispy" French songs. My personal favorites are "Adelaide" by Schubert. "Ou voulez-vous aller?" by Gounod and "I'll Sail Upon the DogStar by Purcell. In fact, if you are a Daniel's fan you MUST hear the Dog Star!!!!!

Outstandingly beautiful- a great legend in our time.......2005-06-22

This is a truly unique voice. David Daniels has an opulent timbre which he uses here to achieve sheer excellence. As much as I hate for his career to be upstaged by anything, knowing that he was tutored by Marilyn Horne seems to establish her vocal qualities as a suitable metaphor. It's that rich, opulent tone and secure vibrato that you don't get with some mezzos, let alone countertenors. No thin-ness here; no `hoot' and nothing shrill. He still has control though, and produces clean, even tones where appropriate. Think of the dramatic requirements of `Der Tod und das Madchen' and the celestial purity of `Absence' or `Ser'- he more than merely achieves the standards, he surpassed them and has set his own seal of distinction.

The choice of songs/arias is itself brilliant and Mr. Daniels' technique needs high praise. As a very minor observation, his diction, though good, doesn't come across as completely idiomatic. This is a VERY minor issue though. The pianist, Martin Katz is very responsive to the style of singing. Mr. Daniels' ability to sustain a phrase with grace and beauty is matched by Mr. Katz's sensitive touch and timing.

In parting, I recommend the ethereal experience of `Orpheus with his lute' (my favourite). The words, a Shakespearean sonnet, are of a straightforward beauty and the melody is from another realm but the singing? Mr. Daniels vocal control and phrasing are exquisite and his tone is sublime. Close your eyes and listen to this one quiet evening. "In sweet music is such art, killing care and grief of heart. Fall asleep, or hearing die." A lute and a song- a simple combination; yet profoundly moving beyond the raging elements. Thank you David.

Follow the Leider...For He Is David Daniels.......2004-08-18

Countertenor David Daniels takes a breather from his beloved Handel arias this time around for a recording of sheer beauty and most often tranquility, all the more surprising given the wide variety of tempos and international breadth of the program spanning five centuries. German leider from Beethoven and Schubert sits alongside Italian baroque songs followed by alternating French and English art songs. The 22 selections, once again reflecting his consummate musical taste, require him to sing in four different languages, and this South Carolina-born and -bred singer handles the daunting task with complete ease.

The result is a seamless recital, and the disc flows like an unfolding dream starting with Beethoven's enchanting "Adelaide". Schubert's "Naucht and Traume" highlights the purity of his tone and is as perfectly performed as any of his most moving opera arias. The Gounod pieces, especially "L'Absent" and the title track, have a sonorous quality that feel very much like lullabies, the sole exception being the lively "Ou voulez-vous aller?". Poulenc's "La belle Jeunesse" continues along this vein, a whirling dervish of a number referred in the accompanying booklet as an "invitation to debauchery". But these tracks are more the exception as Daniels achieves a lovely sense of vocal beatitude throughout.

The standout tracks have to be the three beautiful and somewhat more contemporary-sounding Vaughan Williams songs capped off by "Hands, eyes and heart", short and poignant, it is my favorite moment on this recording. The Renaissance-era Purcell selections provide the appropriate ending though, in particular, "Evening Hymn" sparked by the growing melismas on the hallelujahs. Whether he exhibits an astounding vibrato or the purest of tones, the man knows how to use his incredibly flexible voice and apply it intelligently to each song. Martin Katz accompanies with great precision and completely recognizes the individual style each song requires. It makes for a perfect pairing between singer and piano. This is a recording to treasure.

Countertenors: They're not just for Baroque Anymore!.......2004-03-23

OK, so it's a bad pun. Shoot me.

But get this wonderful disc! Daniels talent is well-served by this varied program.. he goes beyond Handel to sing Beethoven, Gounoud, Vaughan-Williams.

Don't just buy this for the novelty of countertenor singing: the singing would be 5 star had any mezzo (Bartoli, van Otter) sung with this sensitivity. It's superb in every regard.

Beyond Gimmick.......2002-08-01

At first it seems odd...countertenors are supposed to stay within certain boundaries. We let them have Baroque music, and even Gluck, and of course we let them have 20th century things written specifically for them, especially Britten. But to hear a countertenor singing Schubert, Beethoven or French melodies goes against our expectations. So we think, this must be a gimmick. But then Daniels voice takes over and such questions disappear.

Daniels sings this music as if it was inteneded for the countertenor. His sensitivity to the intimate marriage of text and music is phenomenal and his tone is always light and lyrical. I prefer this to many overblown sopranos that I've heard. Daniels weaves a spell that few singers of any voice type can match.

The Gounod is particularly beautiful. I had not been familiar with Gounod's art song before, and I've been missing something. L'Absent brought tears to my eyes just as the best Melodie of Duparc or Faure. And he sings Schubert as if he was born to it.

Tracks:

Alma Redemptoris Mater - Chor Of King's College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury
Tu Solus Qui Facis Mirabilia - The Hilliard Ens/Paul Hillier
Old And Lost Rivers - Houston SO/Christoph Eschenbach
Vespers-Ave Maria - Swedish Radio Chor/Tonu Kaljuste
Cantus In Memory Of Benjamin Britten - Bournemouth Sinf/Richard Studt
Salve Regina - The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
Fratres (Version VI) - LPO/Franz Welser-Most
Nuper Rosarum Flores - The Hilliard Ens/Paul Hillier
Adagio - Saint Louis SO/Leonard Slatkin
Symphony No.3-Second Movt - Zofia Kilanowicz

Customer Reviews:

Get your hanky....this is very, very emotional music.......2003-08-03

This is very emotional music that may easily bring a tear or many
to your eyes.....this is very powerful music .....know that going into
it.

The best relaxing and inspirational CD in my collection........1998-08-10

I'm back to buy this CD for a friend who writes while listening to this type of music, as I do. The CD inspires and presents consistent selections of music that take you "out of it" and allow you to think. I've purchased many CDs looking for this type of music, and I listen to this one most often. It's a rare find.

Average customer rating:

Probably the best recording of the gloria
"Everybody's a critic"!
Good performance, terrible recording
Everyone is right...
Where's the choir?

Poulenc: Gloria; Stabat Mater

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Battle, Kathleen | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Poulenc: Mass in G major; Motets
Poulenc: Gloria; Concerto for Organ; Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms
Fauré · Duruflé - Requiem / J. Blegen · J. Morris · Atlanta SO · Shaw
Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson
Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48; Pelléas et Mélisande, Suite, Op. 80; Pavane, Op. 50

ASIN: B000001GAD
Release Date: 1989-07-20

Tracks:

Gloria: I - Gloria. Maestoso
Gloria: II - Laudamus Te. Tres Vite Et Joyeux
Gloria: III- Domine Deus. Tres Lent Et Calme
Gloria: IV - Domine Fili Unigenite. Tres Vite Et Joyeux
Gloria: V - Domine Deus, Agnus Dei. Bien Lent
Gloria: VI - Qui Sedes Ad Dexteram Patri. Maestoso. Allegretto
Stabat Mater: I - Stabat Mater Dolorosa. Tres Calme
Stabat Mater: II - Cujus Animam Gementem. Allegro Molto (Tres Violent)
Stabat Mater: III - O Quam Tristis. Tres Lent
Stabat Mater: IV - Quae Maerebat. Andantino
Stabat Mater: V - Quis Est Homo. Allegro Molto
Stabat Mater: VI - Vidit Suum. Andante
Stabat Mater: VII - Eja, Mater. Allegro
Stabat Mater: VIII - Fac, Ut Ardeat. Maestoso
Stabat Mater: IX - Sancta Mater. Moderato
Stabat Mater: X - Fac, Ut Portem. Tempo De Sarabande
Stabat Mater: XI - Inglammatus Et Accensus. Anime Et Tres Rythme
Stabat Mater: XII - Quando Corpus. Tres Calme

Customer Reviews:

Probably the best recording of the gloria.......2005-10-09

This is the simply a slpendid recording- well paced, energetic and in excellent sound. I have a suspicion that many people drawn to these works pay undo emphasis on the choir [or they are choir singers] and understandably get frustrating when the choir is not front and center in the musical proceedings. But what Poulenc wrote here does not emphasize the choir [he was a master instrumentalist after all!] so the orchestra should be more prominent at times. Ragardless, this is a great performance!

"Everybody's a critic"!.......2005-07-13

Do you seriously think the distinguished Deutsche Grammophon label would have released anything remotely as "sub-par" as suggested by SOME of the prior reviewers? Moreover, do you seriously think the renowned Seiji Ozawa and Kathleen Battle would have been associated with any project amounting to less than fully competent, professional performance? However, at least TWO of the prior reviewers (i.e., Jason Amsden/Boston--May 25, 1999, and the "Music Fan" from Grovers Corners, PA--September 18, 2003) did get it right. Read THOSE reviews, ignore the rest, buy this superb CD, and relish the music!

Good performance, terrible recording.......2005-03-10

The recording quality of this performance is dismal. The choir sounds as if the mikes were covered with felt. The orchestra sound isn't as bad, but is muffled too.

I have numerous choir/orchestra recordings and this one is by far the worse in terms of the reproduction quality. I would not recommend this.

Everyone is right..........2003-09-18

The reviewer who was disappointed that Battle sings a relatively
short (but critically important) part in this music is correct. She sings the part the Poulenc wrote, afterall! The listener who
was disappointed that the choir was out-volumed by the orchestra
in this recording was also correct. The choir should have been
given more volume in the final mix. Although I wish the choir
did have a stronger part in the final outcome (volume wise), I
wrote this blurb to let those interested in the best recorded version of this music on cd, that NOTHING ELSE in the amazon Poulenc catalog for these two compositions comes even remotely close to matching the fine orchestral performance, conducting and
engineering of this recording. The dynamics, tempi, and overall
glorious interpretation of the music on this cd is absolutely
exhilirating. Something I'm sure Poulenc would appreciate.

Where's the choir?.......2002-10-08

These are both powerful choral works. However, the choir tends to be overpowered by the orchestra in this recording. The subtle intricacies of Poulenc's choral writing are often inaudible...and missed. Another recording would be a better choice, though these are works that should be a part of your music library.

Poulenc: Concerto for pianos in Dm; Concerto for organ & strings in Gm

Average customer rating:

Excellent program of delightful French music
A great collection of Poulenc's work!

Poulenc: Concerto for pianos in Dm; Concerto for organ & strings in Gm

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Poulenc: Piano Works
Poulenc - Aubade · Les biches · Les animaux modèles / Pascal Rogé · Charles Dutoit
Poulenc: Chamber Music
Poulenc: Mass in G major; Motets
Poulenc: Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000042DK
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Piano Concerto: I. Allegretto
Piano Concerto: II. Andante con moto
Piano Concerto: III. Rondeau a la francaise
Sextuor pour piano, flute, hautbois, clarinette, basson et cor: I. Allegro vivace
Sextuor pour piano, flute, hautbois, clarinette, basson et cor: II. Divertissement
Sextuor pour piano, flute, hautbois, clarinette, basson et cor: III. Finale
Sonata For Two Pianos: I. Prologue: Extremement lent et calme
Sonata For Two Pianos: II. Allegro Molto
III. Andante lirico
Sonata For Two Pianos: IV. Epilogue: Allegro giocoso
Concerto In D Minor For Two Pianos And Orchestra: I. Allegro ma non troppo
Concerto In D Minor For Two Pianos And Orchestra: II. Larghetto
Concerto In D Minor For Two Pianos And Orchestra: III. Finale - Allegro molto

Tracks:

Organ Concerto: Andante
Organ Concerto: Allegro giocoso
Organ Concerto: Subito andante moderato
Organ Concerto: Tempo allegro, molto agitato
Organ Concerto: Tres calme. Lent
Organ Concerto: Tempo de l'allegro initial
Organ Concerto: Tempo introduction. Largo
Concert Champetre: I. Allegro molto
Concert Champetre: II. Andante
Concert Champetre: III. Finale
Gloria: I. Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria: II. Laudamus te
Gloria: III. Domine Deus, Rex coelestis
Gloria: IV. Domine Fili unigenite
Gloria: V. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
Gloria: VI. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris

Customer Reviews:

Excellent program of delightful French music.......2003-10-02

I thought that this disc was excellent. This was my first Poulenc CD and I have to say that Poulenc is a fascinating composer. The Piano Concerto is quite lovely. I really enjoyed the Organ Concerto; the balance between orchestra and organ was excellent. The two-piano concerto had drive and was exciting throughout. The Concert Champetre was interesting for its use of the harpsichord, a instrument which really has its home in baroque music. I have only one problem with this disc. I think that the sound could be better. On the Concert Champetre, it is difficult to hear the harpsichord sometimes. The sound on the two-piano concerto is sufficient, but one could wish for even better sound. Other than that quibble, I thought the disc was great. It is difficult to find one CD set with this many different pieces by Poulenc, so it's welcomed. Four stars.

A great collection of Poulenc's work!.......1998-11-15

This double-Cd set is a wonderful collection of work by the French composer. It has both of the remarkable piano concertos, the delightful Organ concerto, and the out-of-the-ordinary harpsichord concerto. A grand overview of this remarkable composer's incredible range and talent. For someone who was looking for a good place to start with Poulenc, this Cd is highly reccommendable. I was very impressed with this release!

Poulenc: Gloria; Concerto for Organ; Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

Average customer rating:

A very welcome reissue--but why was it ever out of print?
Celebratory Music for All Seasons!

Poulenc: Gloria; Concerto for Organ; Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson
Poulenc: Gloria; Stabat Mater
Brahms: Alto Rhapsody; Nänie; Gesang der Parzen; Schicksalslied
Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Bartok: Cantata profanna/Vaughan Williams: Dona nobis pacem
Walton: Belshazzar's Feast; Bernstein: Chichester Psalms; Missa Brevis

ASIN: B0002M5TAC
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

I. Gloria
II. Laudamus Te
III. Domine Deus
IV. Domine Fili Unigenite
V. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei
VI. Qui Sedes Ad Dexteram Patris
Concerto In G Minor - Michael Murray
Part I. - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Part II. - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Part III. - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

A very welcome reissue--but why was it ever out of print?.......2006-05-30

One of my most cherished CDs was a used copy of the Symphony of Psalms and the Poulenc Gloria, which was among Shaw's first CDs for Telarc. The only problem with that CD was that it was already well-used, and on the verge of being unplayable. So, naturally, I was horrified to find out--in the mid-90s--that the CD was out-of-print (the Symphony of Psalms was reissued in a coupling with Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri). So, naturally, I bought this CD the day I saw it was available. At a mid-level price, this CD is hard to beat.

This CD contains those same two recordings, which are nearly impeccable. Both of these works contain strict instructions on performance, and Shaw captures them all perfectly. A couple of moments that stand out are the "Ad dexteram patris" in the final movement of the Gloria that Poulenc asks to be sung "like a murmur, almost imperceptibly," and the piccolo trumpet at the close of the second movement of the Symphony. Nevertheless, both works receive outstanding performances, and Sylvia McNair's solos in the Gloria are simply sublime.

And, as if simply reissuing the CD weren't enough, Telarc added a bonus, the Poulenc Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani. Not a very "flashy" work, it shows by turns both Poulenc's serious and playful moods. Michael Murray does an excellent job with the solo, and Shaw handles the strings admirably.

As I said at the beginning of this review, the original was one of my all-time favorite CDs, and I'm still wondering why Telarc ever allowed it to go out of print in the first place. But that won't stop me from recommending this CD now that it's back.

Celebratory Music for All Seasons!.......2005-11-29

Holiday season and the stores are filled with carols and pop tunes that seem further removed from Christmas every year. At the same time all the choral ensembles around the country are scheduling the Messiah and festivals of carols and it is refreshing to turn to less well know works on CD for instilling a warm mood, works that while perhaps are not particularly for the Christmas season are none the less celebratory and appropriate now - and anytime.

This release by the venerable Robert Shaw and the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and Chorus reminds us just how fine a conductor he was. Poulenc's 'Gloria, for soprano, chorus & orchestra' is performed all too seldom. It is a bracingly modern work that alternates choral movements with orchestra separated by movements that include soprano solos - and some of the most graceful vocal writing in Poulenc's repertoire. Here Sylvia McNair is the right choice, her clearly focused voice has the range to breathe through the long arching lines with ease. The chorus, orchestra (especially the brass!) and soloist just blend beautifully.

Michael Murray is the fine soloist for Poulenc's 'Concerto for organ, strings & timpani in G minor', a mystical work that also calls forth thunderous organ passages. The contrast between the organ and strings with tympani allows the organ to solidly represent all of the brass and woodwind instruments and the effect is eerily dramatic. For years the old recording of these first two works with Georges Pretre conducting were the gold standard: that may now have changed!

Shaw wisely completed this grouping with Stravinsky's infectious 'Symphony of Psalms', another work that is slowly becoming a standard in orchestral repertoires for very good reasons. Here are the driving irregular pulsating rhythms that mark this period of Stravinsky's writing coupled with the ongoing fascination for the Russian orthodox music that he quoted throughout his career. Shaw and his Atlanta forces give a richly colored and broadly spaced reading and the sounds resulting from all three of these works is first rate. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Average customer rating:

Do u still believe in angels guarding u with swords of fire?

Angels of Ecstasy, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Angels of Ecstasy / Heppner, Kasarova, Ozawa, Davis, Sweet

ASIN: B00004WFOG
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Lord Now Lettest Thou The Servant - R. Rutov
Psalm Of David No.150: Alleluja! Lobet Den Herren - Heinrich Schutz
The Sealed Angel/Movement IX: Sostenuto - Rodion Shchedrin
Psalm Of David No.148 - Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinick
Miserere - Antonio Lotti
Ave Maria, Op.93 - Gabriel Faure
Praise The Lord All Ye Heavens - Konstantin Shvedov
Laudi Alla Vergine Maria - Giuseppe Verdi
Mass In G: Agnus Dei - Francis Poulenc
Missa Solemnis: Sanctus & Benedictus - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

Do u still believe in angels guarding u with swords of fire?.......2005-06-14

"At one time it [sacred music] was an all-embracing and absolutely dominating genre; today it has been reduced to an atrophied genre that is scarcely taken note of by the general public." Nikolaus De Palezieux from the liner notes.

Isn't this fact a shame? Let's revive sacred music--it's so uplifting to the body, mind and spirit! This cd will surprise you--it sure has me. Angels of Ecstasy includes "more soothing spiritual classics by: Verdi, Beethoven, Faure, Poulenc" and many more.

Angels of Ecstasy is so mesmerizing that I keep listening to it on repeat (which I rarely do) and still cannot begin to describe its Beauty! Must be the title, eh? Surely feels like the angels above had a huge part in the inspiration of this blessed music! If you're reading this, I think you are meant to have it and be blessed. It has a total running time of 74:22 for your listening pleasure. Enjoy and let yourself be swept away! o8E
Soar!

Average customer rating:

Poulenc: Figure humaine

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Poulenc - La Voix humaine · La Dame de Monte-Carlo / Felicity Lott · Suisse Romande · Jordan
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000852GFE
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Tracks:

La blance neige
A peine defiguree
Par une nuit nouvelle
Tous les droits
Belle et ressemblante
Marie
Luire
La fue
Un loup
Derniers Instants
Du dehors
Bientot
Le role des femmes
Aussi bas que le silence
Patience
Premiere marche/La voix d'un autre
Un Loup Le jour metonne et la nuiter me fait
Un fue sans tache
Liberte
Salut, Dame Sainte
Tout puissant, tres saint
Seigneur je vous en prie
O mes tres chers freres
Canson a boire

Amazon.com

This CD of choral music by Poulenc is a stunning study of textures; every so often you may think you hear an instrument, so flavorful are the timbres of the voices and the manner in which Poulenc uses them. This is serious music--"Un soir de neige" and "Figure humaine" were composed during World War II--and the subjects of the poems can be bleak, but they are endlessly inventive in their harmonies and rhythms. The St. Francis prayers are for male voices only and their dark hue offers moments of peace and solitude. And the CD ends with a drinking song asking the male voice to descend to great depths in a thoroughly jolly fashion. The Sept Chansons, from 1936, have Debussy-like moments, and the alternation of soli and chorus just adds to the colors. The performances are perfect, with the German RIAS-Kammerchor singing with impeccable French diction under Daniel Reuss. An unusual, valuable, enchanting disc. --Robert Levine

Album Description

TITLE: Poulenc: Figure Humaine

Music Review: