The Three Tenors are on top form here with all their usual pomp. Cantique de Noel as the opening carol is perfect. Few carols are as reverently uplifting and this sets the tone perfectly. The CD provides a lovely contrast to the more well known popular Christmas song collections and adds a sparkle to the decorations when listening.
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There are now many releases in the EMI 'Great Recordings of the Century' series, and this has to be one of the best I've heard.
The three pieces on this CD date from the 1960's and all have benefited from recent remastering.
The 'Cello Concerto' is a 1965 recording performed by Jacqueline du Pre (who else would you expect?) and remains today, more than 40 years on, the standard to which all other performances of this work are measured. I'm sure I am amongst many others who regret not having seen such a gifted musician play live. I've seen several performances of Elgar's cello concerto, and always find that the best are when the soloist totally immerses him/herself into the music and brings out the emotions from ... Read More:
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Neither work is particularly well known, even among enthusiasts for Vaughan Williams music. Don't let that put you off. Both are original and gripping works and Sancta Civitas is an extraordinary piece unlike any other work I know. It is the work in which the composer found the unique colours and dissonance that would lead to works like Job and the Fourth Symphony and is, perhaps, even finer than those great works. It is certainly original. The only previous recording that came anywhere near to doing the work justice was that conducted by Sir David Willcocks. This new account is in the same class and has the benefit of a superb modern recording that the earlier record cannot match. I genuinely believe that Sancta Civitas is one of Vaughan Williams' most ... Read More:
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Andrea Bocelli simply has one of the most beautiful voices in the world. Amore is a collection of fine love songs, which Bocelli sings absolutely beautifully. These tracks are really suited to his style - they just sound so rich and you can really feel the emotion in his voice. The production on this album is equally great and Amore really is one of the most beautiful albums of the year.
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This disc was a birthday present from a friend. I'll leave aside the issue of what kind of friend purchases a requiem for a birthday present, but I think it's important to say that I had not consciously listened to any of Karl Jenkins's music before I was given this CD. I understand that there is a kind of snobbery concerning the popular Jenkins - the Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music briskly moves non-stop from the seventeenth-century cavalier composer John Jenkins to US conductor Newell Jenkins - so there may be something in this, but listening to this CD made it clear that Karl Jenkins certainly has talent. Perhaps it is the self-promotional aspect of his activities that rubs people up the wrong way. For instance, on the informative sleeve-notes I learned ... Read More:
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My wife (for whom I bought it) says that this CD set is very restful and soothing and I have to say that I quite like to hear the singing in the background whilst I slave away at the computer. And, of course, the great thing is that we got two CDs for about the price of one. Excellent!
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This is definitely one of my favourite GG Edition CDs. As with all of his Bach recordings, I'm struck by the brilliant mind of Glenn Gould, listening to the amazing clarity and freedom of his playing which makes this wonderfully complex music sound as if coming directly from his mind. What a shame he did not record complete piano version of the work! Highly recommendable not just to fans, but anyone who loves Art of Fugue, alongside koroliov's enthralling complete recording.
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A lovely 2CD Classic FM compilation of relaxing music - for mothers as much as their babies - consisting of an interesting assortment of baroque, classical, romantic and modern music with the underlying theme of aiming to relax the listener.
Some pieces are chosen partly for their title as well as the soothing effect they have, these include the 'Lullaby' by Brahms and 'The Swan' from 'Carnival of the Animals' by Saint-Saens. The more contemporary offerings are by popular composers such as Patrick Hawes. These are good recordings, as expected by Classic FM, many of which will be comfortably familiar to most of the radio shows listeners.
Comfortably safe by Classic FM maybe, but comfortably relaxing too.
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At long last the excellent soundtrack to the Torchwood series is finally released. The CD has nearly 79 minutes over 32 tracks of great music from Ben Foster and Murray Gold.
Like the first two Doctor Who OSTs this one does not disappoint although I must confess that I found this one slightly more enjoyable than the other discs by Murray Gold.
The CD has tracks that mainly stem from the second season of the show and it covers all the classic scores for a sci-fi series. It's dramatic (The Chase), poignant (Out Of Time), haunting (Pearl and the Ghostmaker), sad (Death of Toshiko) and strange (Look Right Then Leave).
It's not until you listen to this score that you realise just how much of an impact the music has on the show. There are some great ... Read More:
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At long last the excellent soundtrack to the Torchwood series is finally released. The CD has nearly 79 minutes over 32 tracks of great music from Ben Foster and Murray Gold.
Like the first two Doctor Who OSTs this one does not disappoint although I must confess that I found this one slightly more enjoyable than the other discs by Murray Gold.
The CD has tracks that mainly stem from the second season of the show and it covers all the classic scores for a sci-fi series. It's dramatic (The Chase), poignant (Out Of Time), haunting (Pearl and the Ghostmaker), sad (Death of Toshiko) and strange (Look Right Then Leave).
It's not until you listen to this score that you realise just how much of an impact the music has on the show. There are some great ... Read More:
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