Modern Music for Choir

On this CD:

1. Visan (The Song) for chorus
Composed by Moses Pergament

2. Afton for chorus "Evening"
Composed by Torbjorn Lundquist

3. Intet Är Som Väntans Tider for Chorus ("Nothing Compares with Waiting")
Composed by Bengt Carlsson

4. Poems (5) for chorus
Composed by Karl-Erik Welin

5. Ayiasma, for chorus & flute
Composed by Bo Nilsson

6. Der Glückliche, for soprano & mixed chorus
Composed by Bo Nilsson

7. Kuun Kasvot for chorus
Composed by Erkki Salmenhaara

8. Ludus Verbalis for chorus, Nos 1-4 (complete) "Word Game"
Composed by Einojuhani Rautavaara

9. De Profundis, for chorus
Composed by Knut Nystedt

10. Elsk Din Neste, for chorus
Composed by Sparre Olsen

11. Bendita Sabedoria (7), biblical settings for chorus, A. 543 1. Sapientia foris predicat / 2. Vas pretiosum / 4. Vir sapiens / 6. Dexteram tum
Composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos

12. Dilemma for chorus
Composed by Sven-Eric Johanson

13. Nu Samlar Gud I Sin Hand for chorus ("Now God Gathers in His Hand")
Composed by Moses Pergament

14. God is gone up, anthem
Composed by Gerald Finzi

Tracks:

Te Deum
Silouans Song
Magnificat
Berliner Messe: Kyrie
Berliner Messe: Gloria
Berliner Messe: Erster Alleluiavers
Berliner Messe: Zweiter Alleluiavers
Berliner Messe: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Berliner Messe: Credo
Berliner Messe: Sanctus
Berliner Messe: Agnus Dei

Amazon.com essential recording

Though these pieces are typical of Pärt's style, they seem less bleak than those on previous discs. The Te Deum, while often in a minor tonality and sometimes imposing, has a suitable extroverted quality; the Magnificat, with its hushed intensity, does seem solemn, but its cadences are striking, typically resolving from a tonal chord to a shimmering major-second dissonance. The Berliner Messe includes not only the Mass ordinary, but also three propers for Pentecost, and displays a range of moods from nervous penitence in the Kyrie to lively good cheer in the Credo to serenity in the Agnus Dei. Best is the sequence "Veni sancte spiritus," sung largely in unison to a haunting 6/8 melody. Tiny Estonia, Pärt's homeland, has provided him with some impressive interpreters. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, Soulful, Choral Work.......2007-01-31

Although my main genre of music is derived from the 60's, 70's rock and pop music, I also spent many Sundays attending church and listening to the work of the choir. I would say that I have a strong spiritual side, and so Arvo Part touched this part of my heart. I heard it on NPR when they were asking listeners for the albums that were essential in their collection. The person commented that this music centered them. I listened to the entire album on the radio on a Saturday night, even though I was about to head out to listen to other types of music.

The music is beautiful, soulful, and spiritual. The choral harmonies sound something like Thomas Tallis, but has instrumentation supporting the choir. The music is very slow and uses "silence" as part of the work. So be prepared to be put into a meditative state - one where peace is felt. A truly awesome piece of music.

Don't come to this music empty..........2006-06-10

My opinion of much of the spiritual minimalist music that may be criticised as dull, boring, incomplete, or whatever adjective you care to insert, is that unlike the "great" music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc, this spiritual music requires you to bring something to it to have meaning. Anyone can listen to Mozart and get pretty much the same thing from it because it's perfect and complete. There's nothing more to add. And that's why I can't stand it. Like vanilla ice cream, the great German masters serve as nothing but a center for music to expand away from.

However, where one can put on Silouans Song and hear a dull film score, others can meditate on the music and be moved beyond words. The "inaudible" Berliner Messe concludes with the Agnus Dei. I will never escape the memory of listening to the piece at night under the stars next to a high alpine lake in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Agnus Dei section is as cold as ice, as bare as outer space, and with the Dona Nobis Pacem it melts, while keeping the melodic line of the first section, into the most comforting, heart-warming music. Atheist that I am, I can't help but feel that I'm not alone. Listen to it under the stars in the wilderness.

The major work, the Te Deum, is incredible in its own way. You cannot hear the music begin, but gradually become aware of what I assume is a piano string being played with a mallet. The sound reappears throughout the work, and at the huge climax you feel almost as if airplanes are taking off in the church. The ending, repeated statements of "Sanctus", fades out in almost as beautiful a manner as the Agnus Dei of the mass ends. Almost, but not quite.

There isn't another living composer like Part, and this is one of the finest discs of his music.

Gentle introduction to Pärt; terrible recording.......2006-02-14

If you've not previously listened to Pärt's music, this is a reasonable place to start. I prefer Tabula Rasa, however, and suggest that as a better alternative.

Unfortunately, the recording quality of the title work is atrocious. At several points, the vocals swell to aching levels...and just then, the sound is reduced to ear tearing distortion. No, folks, that isn't the power of an omnipotent, imaginary friend reaching through your stereo; that's really bad level setting.

Here's hoping ECM sees fit to make a proper recording of this one.

My first Part of all Part's.......2006-02-08

I have no idea why I first selected this CD while browsing in a store but I have since used Amazon to order most of Arvo Part's recordings. I am not sure how you would select a favorite -- I would certainly not agree that this is among the worst! I would say it still ranks as one of my favorites. I also agree this music is not for the car! This is certainly for when you want to be contemplative. If you feel rushed and overwhelmed by contemporary life, put on a Part CD and close your eyes and stress will melt away. This music is a ticket to timelessness and peace. Who would have thought a modern composer could have found a way to out do the Medievals this way? Progress has not stopped nor has it ignored our spiritual side.

These works bring to mind the terrifying beauty of God Himself - truly awesome!.......2005-12-01

Arvo Part exhibits absolute mastery of sacred vocal writing. It is the culmination of a millenium of sacred music; as though Tallis, Byrd, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Faure and every other writer of sacred music had simply cleared the way for this man. Part assimilates you into his music in the opening passages and holds you in his powerful grip until after the last phrases have been uttered.

The glory is not given only to the voices, either. These works are also scored for strings and some of the most beautiful passages are given over to them. Dissonance is used throughout in all voices with terrifying beauty and brings to mind what it may be like to behold the presence of God Himself. There are many stunning climaxes that resolve the discord throughout the work - everyone infinitely satisfying and never dull. These are truly works of awe-inspiring proportions, particulary the Te Deum and this does them justice. It will lift your mind and heart and never cease to amaze.

Frank Martin: Mass for Double Choir; Ildebrando Pizzetti: Messa di Requiem (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

I can wish for no more

Frank Martin: Mass for Double Choir; Ildebrando Pizzetti: Messa di Requiem (Special Edition)

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Frank Martin: Requiem
Osvaldo Golijov: Ayre

ASIN: B0000CDVR1
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Customer Reviews:

I can wish for no more.......2007-05-23

Having heard many rave reviews about this Gramaphone-award-winning recording, I will admit to having had very high hopes when I purchased it. My expectations were nothing to be compared with what I discovered. This disc is as close to the sublime as any I've yet heard - more so than most.

The Martin Mass for Double Choir is now revered as a true masterpiece - which it is - and I cannot imagine it ever being given a better performance. This is really a definitive account of it.

The Pizzetti Requiem is lush, and - dare I say it? - even more "enjoyable" to my ears than the Martin. Of course, the one is sublimely profound, and the other is "merely" ravishingly beautiful (although both pieces tend to overlap on those descriptions), but I found the Pizzetti to be far more deserving of raves than what it had garnered.
In any case, it is certainly a worthy companion to the Martin.

If you are wondering if this recording is really as good as you had heard, trust me - it's even better!

Average customer rating:

I never knew love until...

Rorem: Works For Choir And Organ

Manufacturer: Black Box Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Rorem: Flute Concerto; Violin Concerto
Rorem: The Auden Songs; The Santa Fe Songs
Rorem: Three Symphonies
Rorem: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello; After Reading Shakespeare
Orchestral Works: String Symphony/Sunday Morning/Eagles

ASIN: B000E7GA8K
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Tracks:

Arise Shine
Impromptu
I: Sing, My Soul, His Wonderous Love
II: All Glorious God
III: Christ The Lord Is Ris'n Today
Why And Because
The Seventieth Psalm
I: While All Things Were In Quiet Silence
II: Before The Morning Star Begotten
III: Lay Up For Yourself
IV; Praise Him Who Was Cricified
V: God Is Gone Up
VI: Today The Holy Spirit Appeared
VII: Rejoice We All In The Lord
The Flight Into Egypt
Come, Pure Hearts
Mercy And Truth Are Met
Entreat Me Not
A Sermon On Miracles
I: O Deus, Ego Amo Te
II: Oratio Patris Condren: O Jesu Vivens In Maria
III: Thee, God

Customer Reviews:

I never knew love until..........2006-04-20

Upon listening to "Rorem: Music for Choir and Organ", as performed by the incomparable Harvard University Choir, some of the adjectives that come to mind include: "sublime", "poignant", "dilatory", and "fecund".

Having actually performed on this CD, I can vouch, with no lack of certainty, that this is the greatest choral CD ever recorded.

If you buy only one CD this year, let it be "Rorem: Music for Choir and Organ".

One minor criticism, however; I felt that the choir sound could have used a little more liquescence. Notwithstanding, the Harvard University Choir's "Rorem" will surely go down in the annuls of classical musical recordings as one of the finest CDs ever produced.

Arvo Pärt: Te Deum / Silouans Song / Magnificat / Berliner Messe

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Arvo Pärt: Te Deum / Silouans Song / Magnificat / Berliner Messe
Arvo Part , Tonu Kaljuste , and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Arvo Part: Te Deum / Kaljuste, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Arvo Pärt:Triodion Ode VII I Am the True Vine Music for Unaccompanied Choir
Kanon Pokajanen
Arvo Pärt: Passio
Litany

ASIN: B00004TB9Z
Release Date: 1993-11-09

Tracks:

Te Deum
Silouans Song
Magnificat
Berliner Messe: Kyrie
Berliner Messe: Gloria
Berliner Messe: Erster Alleluiavers
Berliner Messe: Zweiter Alleluiavers
Berliner Messe: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Berliner Messe: Credo
Berliner Messe: Sanctus
Berliner Messe: Agnus Dei

Martin: Mass, Passacaille; Pizzetti: Requiem / O'Donnell, Westminster Cathedral Choir

Average customer rating:

Winner of the 1998 Gramophone Award for Record of the Year
Surely earned its Gramophone award on all counts
Worth every last penny, and more
Worth every last penny, and more
Stunning 20th Century Church Music

Martin: Mass, Passacaille; Pizzetti: Requiem / O'Donnell, Westminster Cathedral Choir
Frank Martin , James O'Donnell , Westminster Cathedral Choir , and Ildebrando Pizzetti
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Kenneth Leighton: Sacred Choral Music
Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium; Ascendens Christus in altum
Live at Wigmore Hall
Frank Martin: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
Frank Martin: Symphonie, for Large Orchestra / Symphonie Concertante, for Large Orchestra / Passacaglia, for Large Orchestra - Matthias Bamert

ASIN: B0000063BQ
Release Date: 1998-02-10

Tracks:

Mass For Double Choir: Kyrie
Mass For Double Choir: Gloria
Mass For Double Choir: Credo
Mass For Double Choir: Sanctus
Mass For Double Choir: Agnus Dei
Passacaille: Passacaille: For Organ
Messa Di Requiem: Requiem aeternam
Messa Di Requiem: Dies irae
Messa Di Requiem: Sanctus
Messa Di Requiem: Agnus Dei
Messa Di Requiem: Libera me
De profundis

Amazon.com

It's tempting to describe the extraordinary works on this disc as "neo-Palestrina". That wouldn't really work for Martin's Mass, as it might for Vaughan Williams's Mass in G Minor. Where Vaughan Williams stays rooted in a single tonality, Martin skitters from one to another, liberally sprinkling chromaticism and dissonance in a very 20th-century manner. Yet Martin conveys austerity, joy, and even some romantic emotionalism. The sinuous melodies and modal counterpoint of Pizzetti's Requiem are more obviously indebted to the Renaissance. His scoring is richly varied--ranging from striking two-part writing in the Dies irae, where the traditional chant melody supports a keening countermelody, to three four-part choirs in the dazzling Sanctus. The Choir of Westminster Cathedral (in a vocally secure, gripping performance) nicely captures and balances every element in this mix. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Winner of the 1998 Gramophone Award for Record of the Year.......2006-11-27

The finest cathedral choir in the UK, the Choir of Westminster Cathedral has never sounded better than it did during the 1990s under its then Master of Music, James O'Donnell, and does now during the 2000s under its present Master of Music, Martin Baker. The Westminster Cathedral Choir's outstanding recording of Frank Martin's Mass for double choir and Ildebrando Pizzetti's Messa di Requiem won Gramophone Awards for "Best Choral Recording of the Year" and "Record of the Year" in 1998. And deservedly so.

Surely earned its Gramophone award on all counts.......2006-01-08

For a cappella music, there are now two "ultimate choral" albums: Laurence Equilbey's "Accentus Transcriptions," also available on Amazon, and this release. It'd be tough to have to choose between the two albums -- thank goodness I don't have to.

1922 was apparently a very good year for a cappella mass writing. Swiss composer Frank Martin's reputedly Calvinistic Mass hails from that year (the Agnus Dei notwithstanding), as does Pizzetti's Catholic Requiem Mass. The Martin work is beautiful, powerful, and reaches for the heavens. The Pizzetti work is also a very strong work, coming from a different stylistic universe. The performances are astonishing -- note, for just one example among many, the ending of the Dies Irae movement in the Pizzetti. It just doesn't seem possible that those measures are being sung by human beings, the carefully-balanced texture is so eerily ethereal and unexpected -- you're thinking, "Did instruments join the singers?" even though you know that's not the case.

There are other 20th century a cappella masses of note (Paul Hindemith's 1963 Mass, his very last work, as well as R. Scott Sandmeier's 1982 Mass), but none performed and recorded so sumptuously as these two on the Hyperion label. One pays a premium for Hyperion recordings of up to 50%, which would be enough to raise an eyebrow if you weren't accorded the highest quality product in return. So far, Hyperion hasn't disappointed me yet: the Holst Choral Symphony and complete Saint-Saens piano concertos are both top-notch productions, and THIS recording of the Martin & Pizzetti works is no exception.

There are two non-Mass works on this disc as well: a passacaglia for organ by Martin, and a brief choral work by Pizzetti based on Psalm 130, "De Profundis." Pizzetti and Malipiero simultaneously wrote works based on Psalm 130 to commemorate their reconciliation after a Pizzetti-initiated spat. As for the passacaglia, it follows the great Bach C Minor passacaglia 3/4-time pattern, but uses 11 of the 12 chromatic pitches to craft the theme (which is notated in the CD booklet for reference). Programming an album is a dicey thing: how do you keep things interesting? Interposing the organ work between choral numbers seems to make superficial sense, but I came away thinking the organ piece really didn't fit with the rest of the album. Perhaps I'm influenced by the purity exemplified by the Accentus recording, the other contender for "ultimate a capella choral album."

Worth every last penny, and more.......2002-06-17

Everything positive that you have heard or read about this recording is absolutely true! It deserved its prestigious Gramophone award and it deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon it. I am an experienced choral singer and can attest to the superb quality of the singing you will find here -- it's all accurate and oh-so beautiful. I certainly cannot think of any choral group that can out-perform Westminster Cathedral Choir as they are on this recording!

My personal CD collection is made up of about 250 choral music recordings of all types (including around 60 cathedral/collegiate choir recordings), and this one immediately took its rightful place as one of my favorite CDs, of any type, period. The Martin mass is a sublime piece of music, with soul-stirring moments of reverence, prayerfulness, sadness, and joy. It is a challenging work and must have been quite difficult to sing - but rest assured, Westminster Cathedral Choir was very up to the task. I had heard the work before on another recording (Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford recorded it nicely in 1989), but this rendition greatly overshadowed that one and brought new life into the music. The experience when I first put it on was enough to keep me spell-bound for several hours afterward - and this from someone who is not always fond of 20th century choral music. The singing is so hauntingly precise and pure that I wonder what kind of magic James O'Donnell was practicing when this recording was made. The Pizzetti is a little less emotionally stirring but also very lovely and, of course, beautifully sung.

The aesthetic power of these two gorgeous choral works combined with the sheer excellence of the choir's singing make this recording one of the finest - if not THE finest - cathedral choir performances you are ever likely to hear. Do buy this CD -- you are in for a musical treat to be savored for many years to come.

Worth every last penny, and more.......2002-06-17

Everything positive that you have heard or read about this recording is absolutely true! It deserved its prestigious Gramophone award and it deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon it. ... I am an experienced choral singer and can attest to the superb quality of the singing you will find here -- it's all accurate and oh-so beautiful. ...

My personal CD collection is made up of hundreds of recordings of all types (including numerous choral CDs), and this one immediately took its rightful place as one of my favorite CDs of any genre, period. The Martin mass is a sublime piece of music, with soul-stirring moments of reverence, prayerfulness, sadness, and joy. It is a challenging work and must have been quite difficult to sing - but rest assured, Westminster Cathedral Choir was very up to the task. I had heard the work before on another recording (Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford recorded it nicely in 1989), but this rendition greatly overshadowed that one and brought new life into the music. The experience when I first put it on was enough to keep me spell-bound for several hours afterward - and this from someone who is not always fond of 20th century choral music. The singing is so hauntingly precise and pure that I wonder what kind of magic James O'Donnell was practicing when this recording was made. And above all, the music itself is among the most beautiful I have ever heard.

The Pizzetti is not quite as emotionally stirring as the Martin but also very interesting, lovely and, of course, beautifully sung.

Stunning 20th Century Church Music.......2002-06-14

Frank Martin's Mass is one of the undiscovered gems of the 20th century choral repertoire. Written when Martin was 32, this work is a deeply felt spiritual testament by an underated composer. The work has one foot in the Renaissance and one foot in the modern world. Much of the melodic material is modal in character. The harmonies are decidedly chromatic, but chromatic in a Faure/Durufle sort of way. And the rhythmic vitality of the Gloria is astounding. This is a difficult but rewarding work and deserving of much more attention.

The remainder of the disc is filled with an organ piece by Martin in his more mature contemporary style and is rounded out by two piece by the Italian composer Pizzetti. Though the Pizzetti pieces are not as profoundly felt as the Martin Mass, they are quite beautiful and deserve a hearing.

I have listened to this recording perhaps 30 times now, and if the trebles are terribly out of tune I don't hear it. Perhaps the recording engineer decided to forgo the autotune feature which has promoted the unrealistic expectation of scientifically precise intonation on many modern choral recordings. If so, I applaud him or her. This choir sounds beautiful and natural...not clinical. I agree with one of the other reviewers in saying that there is a lack of fundemental in the recording, but I'm not sure if highly chromatic works are always well served by so much bass partial. Tends to muddy the sound.

Tracks:

John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Judah to Ocean
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Toot Nipple
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Dogjam
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Rag the Bone
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Habanera
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Stubble Crochet
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Hammer & Chisel
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Alligator Escalator
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Judah to Ocean (Reprise)
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Fratres
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Psalom
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Summa
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Missa Syllabica: Kyrie
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Gloria
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Credo
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Sanctus
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Agnus Dei
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994): Ite, missa est

Tracks:

Traveling Music: 1. Gentle, easy
Traveling Music: 2. Moderate
Traveling Music: 3. Driving
Song of Twenty Shadows
Five Tango Sensations: Asleep
Five Tango Sensations: Loving
Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety
Five Tango Sensations: Despertar
Five Tango Sensations: Fear
Five Tango Sensations: Four, for Tango

Tracks:

Piano And String Quartet (1985) - Various Artists

Tracks:

Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): I
Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): II
Quartet # 4 (Buczak, 1989): III
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 1957 - Award Montage
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): November 25 - Ichigaya
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 1934 - Grandmother and Kimitake
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): 192 - Body Building
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): Blood Oath
Mishima Quartet, Quartet #3 (1985): Mishima/Closing
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): I
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): II
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): III
Company, Quartet #2 (1983): IV
Quartet #5 (1991): I
Quartet #5 (1991): II
Quartet #5 (1991): III
Quartet #5 (1991): IV
Quartet #5 (1991): V

Tracks:

The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: Prelude: Calmo, sospeso
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: I. Agitato - Con fucco - Maestoso - Senza misura, oscilante
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: II. Teneramente - Ruvido - Presto
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: III. Calmo, sospeso - Allego pesante
The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: Postlude: Lento, liberamente
Quartet #4 (1993)
Mugam Sayagi (1993)

Tracks:

Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): I. Largo (Sostenuto - Mesto)
Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): II. DecisoEnergico (Marcatissimo sempre)
Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): III. Arioso: Adagio cantabile
Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): IV. Allegro (Sempre con grande passione e molto marcato)
Already It is Dusk (Quartet #1), Op.62 (1988)

Tracks:

Different Trains: America Before The War
Different Trains: Europe During The War
Different Trains: America After The War
Black Angels: I. Departure - 1. Thenody I: Night Of The Electric Insects - 2. Sounds Of Bones And Flutes - 3. Lost Bells - 4. Devil-Music - 5. Danse Macabre
Black Angels: II. Absence - 6. Pavana Lachrymae - 7. Threnody II: Black Angels! - 8. Sarabanda de la Muerte Oscura - 9. Losts Bells (Echo)
Black Angels: III. Return - 10. God Music - 11. Ancient Voices - 12. Ancient Voices (Echo) - 13. Thenody III: Night Of The Electric Insects

Tracks:

Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Introduction
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Violin I
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Where Was Wisdom When We Went West?
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Viola
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): March of the Old Timers Reefer Division
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Violin II
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Tuning to Rolling Thunder
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): The Night Cry of Black Buffalo Woman
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Cadenza: Cello
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Gathering of the Spiral Clan
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): Captain Jack Has the Last Word
Cadenza on the Night Plain (1984): G Song
Salome Dances for Peace (1985-86) - III. The Gift: Echoes of Primordial Tim
Salome Dances for Peace (1985-86) - III. The Gift: Mongolian Winds
V. Good Medicine: Good Medicine Dance

Tracks:

Quartet No. 2 (1981): I. Moderato
Quartet No. 2 (1981): II. Agitato
Quartet No. 2 (1981): III. Mesto
Quartet No. 2 (1981): IV. Moderato
Quartet No. 4 (1989): I. Lento
Quartet No. 4 (1989): II. Allegro
Quartet No. 4 (1989): III. Lento
Quartet No. 4 (1989): IV. Vivace
Quartet No. 4 (1989): V. Lento
Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief (1984-85)

Tracks:

Jabiru Dreaming, Quartet #11 (1990): I. Deciso
Jabiru Dreaming, Quartet #11 (1990): II. Amoroso
Quartet #8 (1969): I. Con dolore
Quartet #8 (1969): II. Risoluto; calmo
Quartet #8 (1969): III. Con dolore
Quartet #8 (1969): IV. Con precisione
Quartet #8 (1969): V. Con dolore
From Ubirr (1994)
Tragedy at the Opera (1995)
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: First Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Second Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Third Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Fourth Dance
White Man Sleeps Quartet #1: Fifth Dance

Amazon.com

Seems like only yesterday the Kronos Quartet stepped up their career as musical mavericks with a coveted, wide-open contract with Nonesuch Records. Now it's Nonesuch's turn to give Kronos the big-package nod, gathering key works recorded by the group--from younger composers and time-tested veterans alike--into this 10-CD box set. As one might expect, the set is stuffed with contrasts, from the first CD, with its 11-part, upstepping John Adams suite and then the far more solemn Missa Syllabica from Arvo Pärt. Nearly 20 of these pieces here were composed expressly for Kronos, pitched and sculpted for their easily-racked mixture of straightforward string quartet roles and intelligently restructured approaches to the even the simplest gestures. Perhaps most key here is George Crumb's Black Angels, in large part due to Crumb's role in inspiring David Harrington to form Kronos 25 years ago. Crumb's music spirals and chases through the air, engaging high pitches and fast pacings as if they were ends in themselves. Gone from this set are most of the short snippets that have filled some of Kronos's other fine single CD recordings. In abundance instead are some of the legendary works: Morton Feldman's long, endlessly patient Piano and String Quartet (with Aki Takahashi), Steve Reich's unnerving Different Trains, and Henryk Górecki's String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2. There are also some of the astounding Eastern European works from Night Prayers as well, including the stunning Quartet No. 4 from Sofia Gubaidulina. And of course there are the Kronos biggie pieces: Philip Glass's works fill one CD, and so do Terry Riley's. What's more, Riley's Cadenza on the Night Plain and "G Song" are presented here in entirely fresh, new recordings. What the listener gets is a huge block of music, full of shifting colors and textures but perfectly apt in giving a wide-angle vantage on what Kronos has done for contemporary music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

A worthwhile investment.......2003-10-06

It would be an understatement to say that this is a fabulous box set. All 10 CDs are packed with some fabulous music that beautifull highlights the first 25 years of the Kronos Quartet, and the booklet included provides a great history of the group as well as nice blurbs on the composers and their pieces.

Equally nice about the box set is the inclusion of multiple new recordings, thus making this a worthwhile investment for fans. The Peter Sculthorpe Quartets are a particularly nice addition, as are the added Piazzolla, Part, and Riley compositions.

Along with this, the "classic" Kronos recordings are all here: "Black Angels" "Different Trains" "Salome Dances for Peace" (well, exceprts), and Feldman's Piano and String Quartet. Of particular note, I think is the inclusion of Gubaidulina's Quartet No 4, a fabulous recording that is otherwise hidden in Kronos' recording "Night Prayers."

Yes, this is quite an investment, but I firmly believe that it's worth it - longtime fans and newcomers alike have a lot to gain from this collection.

Excelent compilation!.......2001-09-09

I like more classic period, like Hayden, but Cronos does it very well, technicaly excelent. The ten sets are wonderful recordings and the selection is unique. It deserves the investment, If you buy it, youre going to have more than ten hours of joy.

Amazingly Now Retrospective.......2001-06-26

Since their youthful start in the NW back in the 70's, Kronos has collaborated with, commissioned, or just played such a breadth of musicians it almost seems that breadth - and especially non western world culture - is their mission. But, while this conservatively and esthetically designed 25-yr-retrospective box (with its increasingly sophisticated photo-portraits) belies the pulsation of social angst and conscience that underlies the bulk of the inclusions, the latter concern, its vitality and relevance - and not some stylish chasing after cultural breadth - is what overtakes the listener/reader, rather soon. I say reader, since the booklet is very helpful, especially to the relative novice, and well balanced in its coverage of composers, historical contexts, performers, individual texts, etc.

There are probably more non contemporaries performed by the Quartet over the years than this selection would indicate. That undercuts their ties with the sense of revolution in music throughout the ages, but it leaves more time for the present: and that is where one expects the group wishes to be, is most contributory and challenged, and is best and most fairly judged. Highly recommended, both for those who know Kronos's work well and wish a handsome tribute on their shelf, and for those who do not but are open and ready to be affected, whether impacted esthetically, reminded socio-morally, or whatever combination of both befits.

How Could You Not Listen?.......1998-12-19

My opinion pales when compared to this CD. Indeed the group's ingeniousness, its knowing and its balls are in full display here, hopefully to put to rest any lingering contention that there is little more to Kronos than form. To any person who accepts the merits of 20th-century music, this CD presents the genius of our culture and teaches that daring and ingenuity do not have to be sacrificed on the road to technical brilliance. My only regret is that the CD does not include Kronos's interpretation of Bartok. But, so what? Górecki's here, as are Part and Benshoof. Listen to this CD -- soar and struggle with it.

Good for help to know up-to-date contemporaly music.......1998-11-28

The Kronos Quartet has released many albums. There let us see what the quartet has tried new titles and arrenges in each period. But this is the best set for understand the quartet as summary of thier works. The CDs are distributed by each composers and we can see thier identities easily.Unfortunately this dose not include all but be enough to see what the quartet has been.I hope that every classical music fans(not only contemporaly music fans) listen this CDs.

Sacred: Inspirational and Spiritual Music for Choir and Orchestra

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From one who loved Glorious history of Robert Shaw Chorale n 1957

Sacred: Inspirational and Spiritual Music for Choir and Orchestra

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | 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

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

Choral Masterpieces
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration
Absolute Heaven
Choral Works : Copland, Durufle, Taverner, Vaughan Williams, Messiaen/Tallis
The Psalms of David - Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger

ASIN: B000FAOC6I
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Tracks:

Maurice Durufle: Ubi caritas from "Four Gregorian Motets," Op. 10
Durufle: Lux aeterna from "Requiem," Op. 9
Gabriel Faure: Sactus from "Requiem," Op. 48
Morten Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Ave verum corpus, K. 618
Franz Schubert: Kyrie from "Mass," No. 2 D. 167 in GM
Johannes Brahms: How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place from "A German Requiem," Op. 45
Felix Mendelssohn: Lift Thine Eyes to the Mountains from "Elijah"
Mendelssohn: He Watching Over Israel from "Elijah"
Karol Szymanowski: Make me to weep lovingly with you from "Stabat Mater"
Traditional: Take Time to be holy
Harrison Millard: Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rejoice, O Virgin from "Vespers"
Faure: Pie Jesu from "Requiem," Op. 48
Traditional: Come, Thou Found of Every Blessing (excerpt)
Hector Berlioz: Sanctus from "Requiem," Op. 5

Album Description

The art of compilations is raised to a new level with Sacred, a heavenly collection of music from the great choral vaults of Telarc. Featuring the exquisite Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Erich Kunzel and the Pops, and the godfather of choral music Robert Shaw.

Customer Reviews:

From one who loved Glorious history of Robert Shaw Chorale n 1957.......2006-07-03

First hearing this amazing impression of the current Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus under Norman MacKenzie, gave me such a sparkling crispness of "Ubi Caritas" from his first Touring performance of Durufle`...I was considering the possibility of another balanced CD recording with 6 pieces of the newer version of Atlanta Symphonty Chorus with older versions and the newest Choral offerings of The Morman Tabernacle Choir.

After several days of listening to the whole recording, I became thankful to Norman and Craig Jessop for their Joint Adventure in combining this first recording of Atlanta Choral Offerings to include the Older Vintage of Shaw masterworks, such as, Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms' "How Lovely are thy Dwellings!"

Even with only three Morman Tabernacle Gifts of "Take TIme To Be Holy, Abide With Me" and the traditional Hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" there seems to be reasonable balance to the new with the old and the more recent history of Choral growth alongside the vintage Robert Shaw Masterpieces... they include Faure`Requiem and Berlioz Requiem,++ Mendelssohn's Lift Thine Eyes and He watching over Israel!!

Most Sincerely from Retired Shaw Singer and avid admirer, Fred W Hood

Average customer rating:

Absolute classics performed perfectly
English anthem, St Pauls Cathedral, vols 1-7

The English Anthem

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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The English Anthem, Vol. 6
The English Anthem, Vol. 2
The English Anthem, Vol. 4
The English Anthem, Vol. 3
The English Anthem, Vol. 5

ASIN: B000002ZML
Release Date: 1993-11-16

Tracks:

I Saw The Lord
Hail, Gladdening Light
Evening Hymn
Vox dicentis: Clama
Blessed Be The God And Father
Beati quorum via
Blessed City, Heavenly Salem
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Greater Love Hath No Man
My Beloved Spake
God Is Gone Up

Customer Reviews:

Absolute classics performed perfectly.......2005-06-07

The art of the english anthem is second only in church, and actually, all of music to the rennaisance motet. On this CD, you can hear 11 of the most fine english anthems ever written. John Stainer, Charles Stanford, Balfourd Gardiner, John Ireland, Edward Bairstow are geniuses and their work shines perfectly on the first ever volume of English Anthems. Only Edward Naylor's "Vox Dicentis: Clama", which is still fine, doesn't seem to belong among the other giants.

The boys are the best in the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, the countertenors are also right on. The tenors and basses while overdoing the vibrato just a bit, are still a reliable foundation.

Highlights: "I saw the Lord" (1), the mysterious and evocative "Evening Hymn" (3), "Beati Quorum Via" (6), the best english anthem ever written "Blessed City, Heavenly Salem" (7) (although a bit too slow on this recording, in my opinion), "Greater Love Hath No Man" (9) and the jubilant "God is gone up" (11)

Out of everything I've ever heard (which is a lot), this is the one choral recording to own.

English anthem, St Pauls Cathedral, vols 1-7.......2000-05-05

If you could have only one CD collection of English anthems, this should be it! Besides the incomparable ST Pauls Cathedral choir, the selection of composers & anthems offers a wide variety from medieval times to the present. Excellent recording - also very difficult to choose which of the 7 volumes. Buy them all!

Music of the Westminster Cathedral Choir

Average customer rating:

Stupendous majesty and awe
A Definitive Collection

Music of the Westminster Cathedral Choir

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Music of St. Paul's Cathedral
English Anthems: King's College Choir, Cambridge; Stephen Cleobury
Christmas Carols
Elgar: Sacred Choral Music
Walton: Choral Music

ASIN: B00000DLY7
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

Great Is The Lord, Op. 67
Sanctus And Agnus Dei
Omnes gentes, plaudit manibus: Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus
Super flumina Babylonis
O sacrum convivium
Sanctus
Deus, Deus meus
Ave verum corpus
Agnus Dei
Ave verum corpus
Hei mihi, Domine
Nunc dimittis
Ave Maria, Op. 23, No. 2
Magnificat For Double Choir, Op. 164

Customer Reviews:

Stupendous majesty and awe.......2007-03-21

Westminster Cathedral Choir is one of the finest Catholic Choirs if not in the UK. Anyone who has never visited the building would be blown away by the sheer size of it with a long nave and fine Willis Organ facing the West end position. This collection of delights are a delight for any listener who appreciates the old masters to the more contemporary. The Britten is a revelation and the longest work is the double magnificat by Charles Stanford. Notice how the Choir stay perfectly in tune on the note and never tired of such a work which is unaccompanied. A real treat.

A Definitive Collection.......1999-09-28

This disc is ideal for anyone who is curious about the Roman Catholic Cathedral just down the road from Westminster Abbey. It features music from all ages, all of which is brilliantly sung. Of course, since it covers such a broad range of styles, it is what I like to call a "buffet" CD- there's always a firm favourite item, rubbing proverbial shoulders with something less appealing. For instance, I am very taken by the Panufnik work "Deus meus es tu" but find such items as the Palestrina quite dull (although other works from that period such as the Byrd "Ave verum" are most arresting). On the whole, this disc is the definitive "voice" of Westminster Cathedral Choir, and it will be interesting to see what happens when director James O'Donnell takes over at Westminster Abbey in the new year. A broad mix of music that is good value for money.

Kodaly: Missa Brevis; Laudes Organi / Janacek: Mass in E Flat

Average customer rating:

An interesting showcase

Kodaly: Missa Brevis; Laudes Organi / Janacek: Mass in E Flat
Leos Janacek , Zoltan Kodaly , James O'Donnell , Choir of Westminster Cathedral , and Andrew Reid
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Langlais: Missa Salve Regina / Messe Solennelle
Handel: Messiah, Israel In Egypt - Andrew Parrott/Taverner Choir & Players (4 CD's)
Schnittke: Piano Concerto/Requiem
Dvorak: Mass in D; Biblical Songs Op99
Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb, etc

ASIN: B00004R61P
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

Missa Brevis: Introitus
Missa Brevis: Kyrie
Missa Brevis: Gloria
Missa Brevis: Credo
Missa Brevis: Sanctus
Missa Brevis: Benedictus
Missa Brevis: Agnus Dei
Missa Brevis: Ite, missa est
Laudes Organi: Introduction
Laudes Organi: Audi chorum
Laudes Organi: Musice! milites
Laudes Organi: Gravis chorus
Laudes Organi: Nunc per voces
Laudes Organi: Tali modulo
Laudes Organi: Huius artis
Laudes Organi: Fiat amen
Mass In E Flat: Kyrie
Mass In E Flat: Credo
Mass In E Flat: Sanctus
Mass In E Flat: Agnus Dei

Amazon.com

To the average secular humanist, Zoltán Kodály's Missa Brevis can be a bewildering experience. It's an erratic expanse of music, ranging from deep-throated organ runs to angelic boys-choir arrangements--all over, one might say, God's green earth. The familiar "Gloria in excelsis Deo," sung solemnly by a solo male voice, blossoms instantly into full-bodied polyphony; the brief but elaborate organ works that bookend the mass proper threaten to smother its memory. Pairing Kodály with Leos Janácek makes more sense as concept album than as seamless listening experience. Both wrote church music in the early 20th century, but the differences between these works are more striking than are their similarities. Janácek's vocal settings are highly sophisticated, concerned less with the specific words of God than with their haunting spirit. He favors shifting vocal parts, in contrast with Kodály's formal rounds; when Janácek's voices do align, it's for stark dramatic effect. The choir is remarkable in its enunciation and ensemble, but the volume levels on this recording vary so widely as to unnecessarily complicate the selection of an appropriate listening level. Paul Wingfield's opinionated liner notes remind us that the Lord's work is fraught with human ego. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

An interesting showcase.......2000-07-06

This is the last recording made for Hyperion by Westminster Cathedral Choir under James O'Donnell. It is quite an interesting combination of works to say the least.

Most of the programme is given over to the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly. The opening "Missa Brevis" is a remarkable work - it has a fine sense of melody and a tonal language that is at times unpredictable but nonetheless bearable if you're used to Mozart or Haydn or Schubert. There are some really haunting moments here - the austere and lyrical opening of the "Kyrie" gives way to a passage for trebles and high organ accompaniment of the most radiant quality, including some unbelievably quiet top Cs! By contrast, such movements as the "Gloria" and "Credo" manage to be joyful but at the same time rather staid. As the work draws to a conclusion, the contemplative and ethereal mood returns. It is not hard to imagine this in liturgical performance.

The centre of the programme is taken up by an unusual cantata, "Laudes Organi," in which Kodaly sets an ancient Latin poem extolling the use of instruments (especially the organ) in worship, as well as offering praise for the makers of such instruments. The harmonic language of the Mass is also evident in this much more exuberant work, although for some reason I find myself taking it with a pinch of salt; it doesn't come across as convincingly as the Mass, although in its own right it is well-written.

The disc concludes with a very special 'new' work: the "Mass in E flat" by Leos Janacek. This has often been referred to as the "Unfinished Mass" and has been a topic of interest to musicologists and Janacek scholars for many years - it is known that he wrote it as a study model for his composition pupils who sought to write short mass settings, and that the work was a prototype for the celebrated "Glagolitic Mass." There have now been at least two attempts to reconstruct the original sketches of the "Unfinished Mass," and the version recorded here is the most recent, made by musicologist Paul Wingfield (who describes the process in an informative booklet note). This is an interesting glimpse at Janacek's style: he had no religious convictions whatsoever and it certainly shows in places (the lack of a "Gloria" and the formal, almost stiff construction of the "Agnus Dei" are obvious examples). Nonetheless, like the Kodaly, one can imagine parts of this being performed in liturgical offerings, and it appears that Westminster Cathedral Choir are the first to try it out in that way.

This is certainly an interesting showcase of the now-legendary musicianship at the Cathedral. The daunting expressionism of the Kodaly Mass is ably met by the boys, a testament to James O'Donnell's choir training abilities, and the balance of voices throughout the rest of the programme is admirable. What is particularly arresting about the programme, however, is the performance of the Cathedral's sub-organist Andrew Reid. Each of the three works includes substantial passages for organ: the Kodaly Mass begins and ends with movements for organ alone; "Laudes Organi" naturally takes an opportunity to milk the resources of the organ (and test the stamina of its player!) and the Janacek Mass calls for some remarkably flambuoyant playing, particularly in the "Sanctus." Because of this, I feel that the disc is more of a presentation of the Westminster Cathedral organ that of the choir - not that there's anything wrong with that...

This is perhaps not a disc for you if you like your sacred music pure and unsullied. Still, it is an interesting and well-executed performance, worthy of anything else offered by James O'Donnell and his forces in the past.

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