|
|
|
LiberaVisions
:Album Description:Libera is the extraordinary vocal group made up of no less than 24 boys aged 7-16 who meet for several hours every week at a church in South London to rehearse and perform. Visions, amply demonstrates their musical prowess; with shimmering, mystical chords and exquisite harmonies, Libera prove they really are unique. Of the13 tracks on the album, some will sound familiar such as 'Locus Iste', which is based on Johann Pachelbel's (1653-1706) famous piece, 'Canon', a piece of baroque music that has been interpreted ...
|
|
|
Beowulf
: :One of Europe s greatest epics the story of King Hrothgar the monster Grendel and the hero Beowulf has been passed down in written form for hundreds of generations. In this remarkable oneman tour de force Benjamin Bagby (co-founder and director of the Sequentia ensemble for medieval music) accompanying himself on an Anglo-Saxon harp delivers this gripping tale in the original Old English as it could havebeen experienced more than a thousand years ago.BONUS FEATURES: Interview with Benjamin Bagby Discussion with Beowulf scholars John Miles ...
|
|
|
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) / Keenlyside, Roschmann, Hartmann, Damrau, Selig, Allen, Sir Colin Davis, Covent Garden
: : It's hard to find a DVD version of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte that's as well sung as this 2003 Covent Garden production. Led by the eminent Mozartian, Sir Colin Davis, orchestra and singers present a warm, often intense vision of the opera, not as the fairy tale it's often taken for, but as a human drama of the passage from misguided beliefs to mature knowledge of self. Diana Damrau is the Queen of the Night for our time, with show-stopping bravura singing that tosses off the ...
|
|
|
Bernstein: Symphony No. 3 ('Kaddish'); Chichester Psalms
from: Sony
: :Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish, Symphony No. 3, from 1963 is probably his most famous. It's dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy, and comprises spoken and sung texts from Jewish prayers for the dead. It's quite dramatic, very listenable, and not at all pretentious, as some critics have avowed. It ranks with Shostakovich's harrowing Symphony No. 14 and deserves more attention than it usually gets. Which is damned little. The same goes for Bernstein's Chichester Psalms (1964). It's a very engaging choral work that celebrates the ...
|
|
|
Mozart's Magic Fantasy: A Journey Through 'The Magic Flute'
from: Children's Group
: :Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish, Symphony No. 3, from 1963 is probably his most famous. It's dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy, and comprises spoken and sung texts from Jewish prayers for the dead. It's quite dramatic, very listenable, and not at all pretentious, as some critics have avowed. It ranks with Shostakovich's harrowing Symphony No. 14 and deserves more attention than it usually gets. Which is damned little. The same goes for Bernstein's Chichester Psalms (1964). It's a very engaging choral work that celebrates the ...
|
|
|
God Bless America
: :If you have a patriotic bone in your body, you'll find it hard not be stirred by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's God Bless America. This 69-minute collection offers 23 flag-waving standards, from 'America the Beautiful' and 'The Star Spangled Banner' to 'Shenandoah' and 'This Land Is Your Land.' These 1970s recordings tend toward the bombastic, with backing by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Symphonic Band, and Philadelphia Orchestra, but they don't sound overly dated, and there's also an intimate a cappella version of 'When I First ...
|
|
|
Gilbert & Sullivan - Pirates of Penzance / Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Australian Opera
: :Lock up your daughters, the pirates are coming to town! Peppered with unforgettable melodies and tongue-twisting songs, The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most popular operettas ever written. Opera Australia's new production is an effervescent smash hit with a national tour and jubilant sellout seasons everywhere.In spite of being apprenticed to a Pirate King as a child, Frederic has led a very sheltered life. So when he arrives in Penzance with his boisterous shipmates, there are a few surprises in store for him! ...
|
|
|
Italian Opera Arias [Includes DVD]
from: Virgin Classics
: :Lock up your daughters, the pirates are coming to town! Peppered with unforgettable melodies and tongue-twisting songs, The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most popular operettas ever written. Opera Australia's new production is an effervescent smash hit with a national tour and jubilant sellout seasons everywhere.In spite of being apprenticed to a Pirate King as a child, Frederic has led a very sheltered life. So when he arrives in Penzance with his boisterous shipmates, there are a few surprises in store for him! ...
|
|
|
Mozart: Requiem / McNair, Watkinson, Araiza, Lloyd; Marriner
: :This recording of the Süssmayr completion of Mozart's beloved Requiem remains one of the most interpretively faithful and musically satisfying versions in the catalog. Sir Neville Marriner, whose contribution to the soundtrack of the film Amadeus helped launch a worldwide Mozart revival, delivers Mozart's inspired music with a masterful command of style and substance. He's not trying to prove anything, but rather lets the music deliver its own profound and moving messages. --David Vernier
|
|
|
Hush
from: Sony
: :The idea here was to put two masters together--one classical cellist, one improvisational singer/sound-effects performer--and voilà! instant amazing, unique, hip--and, hopefully, hit--record. The intriguing setup was to see what would happen when each led the other through the unfamiliar territory of his own specialty. The success of this recording lies not so much in the music or even in the overall performances, but in the fascinating and fun opportunity to sit in on the musicians' good-natured, respectful give-and-take, to witness an uncommon form of artistic chemistry ...
|
|
