5 comments about Franz Schubert: Complete Trios.

1. The Grumiaux Trio and the Beaux Arts trio are highly respected groups in the domain of chamber music and rank as highly as groups such as the Guarneri Quartet. These earlier performances of Schubert are exquisite in their execution and the only defect here is perhaps a slightly reduced sound quality than your typical contemporary performances due to its age. This is barely noticeable however and this CD is really a steal for the price.
   
   The trios of Schubert are a good way of exploring various periods of his life in which he composed drastically different arrangements. His Piano Trio D. 28 is a good example of his foundations in Mozart and early Beethoven until you reach his Piano Trio D. 929 (performed often in Kurbrick's 'Barry Lyndon') where Schubert explores much more on impressionistic themes than romantic ones. Such themes were only pursued later by composers such as Brahms and Schumann. Liszt's romanticism was also stongly influenced by both Beethoven and Schubert. Of the performances I really have nothing to say as they are simply flawless and there are few I could compare. The sound has some disadvantages but not really significant ones.
   
   This is really a magnificent performance giving you Schubert's complete trios on two CDs. For the quality of performance you get it's a bargain. I am glad I got it as it was worth every dollar.



2. I enjoyed the string trios and first piano trio far more than the piano trios on the second CD. Those pieces seemed to stretch Schubert's tendency to repeat sections with slow development to the limit of my toleration. The recordings here are somewhat distant at times but the individual instruments are easy to discern. My comment above about the compositions reflects personal taste -- reasons I generally prefer Beethoven to Schubert. If the pace of his development is to your liking you might very well consider this a "5 star" recording. Recommended with some reservations.



3. A wonderful 2 CD set of Schubert's trios played by excellent musicians. I particularly like the Beaux Arts Trio and their playing of the piano trios. A great way to consolidate your collection.



4. This is an excellent CD to have; the Beaux Arts Trio is excellent, but sometimes their interpretation is too intellectual and doesn't care enough for the beauty of Schubert's melodies. For example, in the second movement of Schubert E flat Piano trio, the gorgeous solo, the accompaniment to the gorgeous cello solo, then piano solo, is staccato, which takes much of the beauty out of this gorgeous section. I could picture the three guys sitting there and saying, "The melody line is long, so we should make the accompaniment short." When this melody recurs in the fourth movement, it's played much much much too quickly, again taking the beauty, the melancholy out of it. It's clear in those gorgeous waterfall-like descending chords on the piano that Pressler is racing and shouldn't be. After the solo in the second movement, the violin gets too staccato and makes part of the piece unbearably corny, particularly during the fortissimo parts. The B flat in particular tends to race. However, the playing is still very expressive; Pressler in particular and Greenhouse next. I reccomend this CD very highly.



5. There just doesn't seem to be quite the equal for their interpretations of the classical repertoire, but even among the numerous remarkable recordings the Beaux Arts Trio has produced, this gorgeous rendering of Schubert decisively stands out.

   Trio No.1 in B flat Major is my favourite pick, with all of its very expansive movements (length-wise, rather than musically, which often make the piece sound boring in lesser hands) treated with extremely delicate and tasteful pacings. One more thing that is very noticeable is the lyricism of the cello tone that almost resembles that of a human voice; it is so light and transparent, as perfectly exhibited in the second movement of the Trio No.1, that at times it could be mistaken for violin.

   This is one Schubert recording you should not miss, and I actually think I like this more than the overplayed (although very much deservedly) Trout Quintet. Enjoy!

5 comments about Sing We Christmas.

1. There's not much more I can add to the glowing reviews of this CD except to say that I'm surprised that "A un nino llorando" doesn't get a mention! It became my favorite on the album, even though the rest are excellent also.
   "A Christmas Carol" is quite serene and nice, as well as "A Virgin Unspotted". Perfect! These guys are the musical male answer to Anonymous 4.



2. Someone who likes my music reviews has requested a Christmas album. Well, here it is. Imagine a silent darkness with reflections of colored lights twinkling on the snow banks. Suddenly a group of carolers can be heard making their merry way toward your own front porch, where you await them with a punchbowl of wassail. That group is Chanticleer, and this is the best musical evocation of the spirit of caroling you'll ever hear.
   Chanticleer has produced lots of CDs by now, of Christmas music, Renaissance polyphony, and modern music. The quality of their performances ranges from excellent to mediocre. If you've purchased one of the latter, don't let that deter you from trying them again. I had the pleasure of hearing their performance of Brumel's "Earthquake" mass for 12 voices, and it was superb. I'm hoping a CD of it will appear some day. Anyway, this is the most traditional and the most celebratory of their Christmas albums, and the one I recommend above all other choral holiday disks.



3. If you are looking for traditional madrigal sounding holiday music, this CD is for you. I have purchased this CD several times because I just keep giving them away. Everyone I've ever introduced it to has loved it. This finely polished group has a pure sound matched by no other. If you weren't looking at the CD notes you would never know this is only a group of 12 men.



4. A CD evocative of Christmas past and present. Beautiful harmonies both wistful and ringing with joy. Buy it for next Christmas!



5. 'SING WE CHRISTMAS' IN EVERY GENRE KNOWN TO MAN - INCREDIBLY REFRESHING!!
   
   Chanticleer, the U.S. equivalent of the British King's Singers, is a full-time classical vocal ensemble named for the rooster in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. It was founded in 1978 by Louis Botto, a tenor, and for a while was its artistic director. They have achieved critical acclaim all over the world and their repertoire is very extensive and varied. Just commenting on a few of the selections on this disc:
   'Es ist ein Ros entsprungen' is a hymn that originated in western Germany around 1500, and is best known in the harmonization by Michael Praetorious published around 1609. The poem used biblical imagery that pictures the newborn Christ growing forth from the "stem of Jesse'(the father of King David), as foretold in Isiah 11. The metaphorical writings of the Middle Ages depict the patriarchal figure of Jesse as a rose bush.
   'O Magnum mysterium',Victoria's most famous motet, uses a subline text from the Christmas Vespers. This is incredibly beautiful with its interweaving polyphony which leads to a hushed choral declamation at the words "O beata Virgo"(O Blessed Virgin) ending with a Alleulia Section.
   'Here is the Little Door' is from a set of three "carol anthems", dating from 1918-1920. Herbert Howells was revered as one of the 20th century's most distinguished Choral composers, and I recently discovered him thru the album " by the Corydon Singers conducted by Matthew Best. It includes Howells Requiem in addition to the Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor. It is the most heavenly somewhat exotic choral music I think I have heard in many years of listening; I highly recommend it.
   'Glory to the newborn King'. Joseph Jennings, Georgia native and present musical director of Chanticleer, has often drawn upon his roots to create special gospel and spiritual arrangements of familiar songs. 'Glory to the newborn King' features four traditional songs combined to showcase Chanticleer's unique choral virtuosity!
   This is an excellent group of carols,and it is always refreshing to hear 'new' melodies, arrangements; a joy for the ear!!!!

5 comments about Gloryland.

1. I'm completely in love with this album, both the performances and the music itself. I know there is a diversity of opinion about a group like Anonymous 4 performing music like this, and I can understand why. They don't do a typical "period" performance of the works, which usually comes out as dry as a stick and about as interesting (and yet still inaccurate somehow). But they also aren't ignoring what scholars have learned about performance practice either. They have managed to strike a balance between the two, and the performances come off as fresh, tasteful and engaging in a genre that has all but fallen off the map.
   
   The music itself presents an interesting sound that will be largely unfamiliar to contemporary listeners. Many reviewers have remarked about the "raw" sound of some of the traditional shape note music, and they're not responding to the quality of the voices or lack thereof per se. Rather, this rawness comes from the compositional technique, namely, a preponderance of open intervals such as the fifth, fourth and octave, coupled with a modal-sounding avoidance of the 3rd and 7th degrees of the scale in the melodic lines. The first track is a typical example, and the sound here is open and raw because it's chock full of fourths, fifths, octaves and little else; the ringing effect is magnified by the group's consistently perfect intonation. These procedures are not modal in the strict sense, yet they do make one think of the Ars Nova of the 11th century and for the same reason. Compare that sound with track 9, "Return Again". This piece spends a lot of time emphasizing the interval of the third and the sixth, so it consequently sounds amazingly sweet and full in contrast.
   
   Then there are the performances. The vocal sound is ravishing, polished with an almost lapidary care. Intonation is spot on, the ensemble is perfect even to the ornaments, breathing, and terminal consonants, and the presentation is highly energetic. The blend of the vocal colors is almost perfectly and very pleasingly matched. The group uses vibrato sparingly if at all, yet the vocal tone quality is unforced and open. They also make an effort to emulate the idiomatic ornaments and quarter-tone slides very convincingly. The only other group I know that comes up to this high level of accomplishment is Chanticleer, an all-boy group with a very different artistic focus.
   
   I'm thrilled that Anonymous 4 has chosen to present a unique and almost unknown genre of music. The American musical heritage is much richer than is supposed, and this disc makes a case for its appreciation.



2. I purchased this CD the day after experiencing a performance by Anonymous 4. Friends had invited my husband and I to attend the concert, and I went blindly, having no idea what type of music I was about to hear. My mother had died earlier in the week, and I am convinced that the angels on stage that night sang just for my grieving heart. "Gloryland" continues to speak to my soul. The harmonies are beyond belief. The instrumental work is so closely aligned with the singers' voices that one cannot discern where either begins or ends. I commend this collection to anyone who is fascinated with the wonders of music and its ability to soothe and heal the human heart.



3. This group Anonymous 4 sings the finest interpretations of early, middle and late English and European compositions. They do indeed sound like they might be angels. The talent encompassed in the recordings of this excellent quartet are without peer.



4. I am responding to Peter Vogel's review that could well discourage potential buyers of this beautiful music. I realize that Peter went on to point out many compelling nuances. However, I have had albums that "all sounded the same"--and this is definitely NOT one of them. For anyone who thinks so, I would invite him/her to examine the perturbations of his/her own soul, asking whether they really require that music should swing wildly from one extreme to another just to feel that they are truly "alive." These songs only "sound the same" if you think that the colors of a rainbow all "look the same" because they shimmer & meld into one another even as you look and try to fix them in your memory. Do not hesitate to buy this beautiful album. I'm glad I did.



5. Amazing is the word for this record more than Gloryland. I have been touched by the lyrics and the voices. Coming from a different cultural background allows to understand very well the root information valid for everyone in the songs, hymns, etc they have selected for this record.
   I will wait for the next record!

5 comments about Classic Yo-Yo.

1. I don't feel particularly qualified to comment on anyone's musicianship. However, I can tell the difference between an instrument well played and, well, the opposite. Love Ma's playing, and this is a nice representation of his repertoire.



2. The CD is very good quality, but I was not pleased with the selection of pieces. Moreover, Ma seemed to be a bit lethargic on this CD. His CD on Vivaldi is excellent. I would not say that about this CD. It passes muster, but we expect more from Yo Yo Ma.



3. I had never listened to Yo-Yo Ma before (that I knew of) and then I was at a dance recital a few months ago. Two little ballerinas danced to "Simple Gifts" with Alison Kraus, and I had to have that song. I really enjoy playing this album when my family is just hanging out reading or playing with the baby in the living room. Each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way. Simple Gifts is still my favorite piece on the album, I only wish it were longer!



4. I recently got this CD as a birthday gift. I've been wanting this CD for a while. The first track is a wonderful song in all reality the entire CD is a wonderful experience. The prelude by Gershwin is unique sounding with the cello. The jazz quality is still there and has a bit of classical influence intertwined among it. Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Simple Gifts is a good song and when they had the lyrics sung by Alison Krauss it was a wonderful choice. Her vocals matched the cello incredibly well. Track 8 is a wonderful song that I love to hear being played on the cello. For any person who loves classical music or cello music this CD is a good choice to buy. It will be well worth your money.



5. While most people on this site see the "classic" in the title of the album as referring to classical music only, they are mistaken. Classic Yo-Yo refers to his style, not the genre into which his music choices fall. The list of tracks alone should have been a big enough clue that the music isn't all classical. Judging this album, or any album for that matter, on just its title is simply foolish. And while this is technically a solo album, the way Yo-Yo brings in guest artists to perform with him shows his flexibility as an artist. His version of Simple Gifts is so much more than a school chorus; it is an amazing cellist playing the accompaniment on a song that is meant to be sung.
   
   On a more positive note, I found every track beautiful, from the elegant solo cello in the Bach cello suite to the haunting vocal line in the Bobby McFerrin piece. Yo-Yo Ma gathered a wide range of intriguing pieces to make this fantastic album.

5 comments about Music For The Mozart Effect, Volume 1, Strengthen the Mind.

1. CD arrived in excellent condition. The music is very uplifting, soothing and relaxing. Well worth the purchase



2. This CD is a compilation of various tunes geared to stimulate the mind. I really enjoy listening to it!



3. It's also important to remember that the Mozard Effect... was mostly studied using Mozart's Sonata in D for two pianos. Although all classical music may have good side effects when it comes to learning and concenrtration and stimulating of the mind, most studies used Mozart's two pianos sonata. Which isn't on this album. And the reasoning behind it's benefits are possibly due to the nature of having "dueling" pianos making complex harmonics. Just remember to buy this because you like Mozard, not because you think you are going to make your children geniouses. That's just a bunch of hype.



4. It's important to remember that the Mozart effect has not been proven. The behavioural consequences of listening to Mozart is not unique, and can be achieved with any classical music, since the mozart effect has nothing to do with behavioural consequences, but subtle changes in the brain. The pattern of Mozart's music is thought to correspond to a coding mechanism of brain cells that created more dynamic circuits...but remember, it's not proven.



5. If there is one music CD that will change every person's life, this is it. It is known to enhance a person's concentration. What more could you ask - learning while listening to music. Advice to students: if you want to accumulate academic medals of excellence from grade school to college, if you want to be the best worker you can be - a doctor, a lawyer, programmer, this is the CD to buy. Not even other kind of music - pop, ballad, rock and roll, rap, jazz, can equal the impact this can bring. Taking and passing board examinations, certifications will be a breeze when one combines the Mozart CD with great effort (which becomes effortless) of studying.

5 comments about Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Fantasía para un Gentilhombre.

1. Dear friends and lovers of Spanish guitar music. I just cannot comprehend how Maestro Pepe had the nerve to record another version of the "Concierto" after Paco's performance (Paco de Lucia, naturalmente), with Maestro Rodrigo still alive, present, whatching and listening.
   How ungrateful, knowing the closeness between Rodrigo and Pepe!
   Rodrigo has said it all: Paco's is the best interpretation of my concierto. Who needs anything more to say?
   Sorin



2. On the advice of an email pen pal in Spain I purchased this CD. He has just recently moved to Aranjuez from Sitges and knew my taste in music and in this case he hit it right on. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fileds led by Sir Neveille Marriner playing the music of Rodrigo is a winning combination.



3. This is an old favorite I am delighted to have refound. The music is uplifting and Rodrigo does a wonderful job as usual. Very exciting music.



4. Horrible composition, make-no-sense musical arrangement, lack of harmony, sectional, not "together". Buy another Concierto de Aranjuez, not this one.



5. Try this for a break from bland music. Play in your car while driving to work. The last few minutes of track 2 while bring joy to your heart and tears to your eyes!

5 comments about Debut Recital / Martha Argerich.

1. With Argerich you simply cannot go wrong in the world of piano.
   There is so much passion, near recklessness and sheer power to rival even Liszt himself.
   The Scherzo is so clean and maintains an unmatched pace throughout - yet be not deceived as some uncredibly sweet moments will catch you unaware.
   The Toccata is truly devilish and one cannot comprehend how a human could reach such a tempo and yet hit all the required notes!!
   The Jeux d'eau makes one wonder who might posesse all these pianistic abilities; from dreamy images to listless moments where languor is at hand, from the most fluid and yes, watery splashes to crystal clear melodies!
   Finally, if for no other reason, you must have this Liszt Sonata! I have never heard any pianist come close to this playing, none maintains such a tempo, such focus and huge dynamic changes. This is Liszt at his most brilliant and daring yet also in hushed tones offering glimpses of his human and vulnerable side. The changes in tonality and hushed passages prove that Argerich is so much more than speed or power - she exudes pure musicality!
   This must rate as my all-time favorite CD!



2. Any work performed by Martha Argerich is sure to be an enriching experience.
   Her awesome talent for the piano and her in depth understanding of the music she chooses to perform represents an artist who is interested in the music and not giving us yet another showy example of "greatest hits."
   
   When one listens to her interpretations of any composer, one is caught by high level of introspection, extraordinary technical facility and a love and respect for the repetoire she has chosen.
   
   As a pianist, I have a great many CDs of various performers doing a wide range of repetoire. Martha Argerich is consisitently miles above all of them for two main reasons. First, she will not compromise her talent for fame or marketing issues. Second, there is something which compels one to listen to each and every note as she is playing. This can never be background music. Beyond this, her personal life if one is to believe what one reads about it, is interesting and exotic and puts her in the role of those artists who combine a first-rate talent with a persona that can be termed "World Class Artist!"
   
   Thomas Lee Randleman



3. I had high expectations for this CD, and it exceeded them! Martha Argerich played with passion, precision, and amazing technique. I was absolutely dazzled, and would recommend it to anyone who likes classical piano music.



4. If you are a piano afficionado, especially solo piano, you're gonna wanna hear Martha play.



5. I just bought this disc and was blown away by it. It was everything I thought it would be and then some. It has to be one of the great piano recital CDs of all time. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this.

5 comments about Beethoven: String Quartets.

1. The Takacs Quartet resides at Colorado Univ. Boulder where they regularly play to sold-out audiences. I was fortunate enough to hear them once and was absolutely mezmerized by the sheer mastery of these musicians. Edward Dusinbere's lead violin especially left me transfixed by the nuance of his playing.
   
   Such artisty is heard on this landmark recording of Beethoven's revolutionary Op. 59/74 quartets which rated a Gramophone "Gem" award along with their sister recording of the late quartets. Behold some of the finest quartet playing on disc - modern or historic. Compositions - 5 stars; Performances - 5 stars; Sound quality - 4.5 stars.
   
   Another budget set to consider is Alban Berg Quartet on EMI which I deeply appreciate for its silky tone and highly polished ensemble. EMI's sound is slightly more vivid and full compared to Decca's here, but only in side-by-side comparison. Both are amoung the better modern choices.



2. It is difficult for this amateur music appreciator to imagine a more intimate art music experience than to see and hear (or, if necessary, simply to hear) chamber music played by a quartet as passionate and expert as the Takacs. I first encountered this ensemble in Indianapolis in a concert hall that by its very physical parameters requires an intimate experience.
   
   Beethoven was not on the program that evening, but the Takacs turned this listener's experience into an almost strenous physicality. One hears, of course. But one also sees and participates in the performative experience that occurs each time this quartet takes their chairs and has one more go at an enduring piece of the repertoire.
   
   Beethoven seems almost to have written for them. Or they to have been created to play Beethoven. There is an almost preternatural clarity to each entrance. Indeed, the quartet plays as one body.
   
   One senses almost that he is being trained by the performances rather than assessing this or that constituent element of them.
   
   The Takacs are committed to the full cycle of Beethoven's work for string quartets. This 2002 Decca production is the down payment. It makes a very splendid place to start.



3. A lot of more or less perfect performances of the middle quartets are avaiable, but this is the most exciting. There is a price to pay for excitement, that is a lesser feeling of balance, of perfect architecture. For my part I happily pay that price, because to me, the middle Beethoven was very much about excitement. The master would certainly enjoy the playing of the Takacs. If this is your first set of Beethoven's middle quartets, you will hardly accept other; this is so exceptional.



4. This is the 2nd part of my full review of the Takacs string quartets. Part 1 is for the Opus18 Quartets and Part 3 for the Late Quartets.
   
   I am a Busch Quartet Lover (as are the Takacs players themselves) so those quartets loom in the back of my mind as the standard against which other performances are measured. Since the Busch performances were loved against years of listening to many other quartets as well, it is high praise for the Takacs that I consider the Takacs often their equal, and on some occasions (op59 no3) even superiour.
   
   The Takacs are certainly one of the strongest modern quartets, offering outstanding virtuosity in all 4 positions married to a large variety of tonal expression. They don't quite have the novelty and plain wierdness that the Lindsay's always manage to find, but are far more thrilling and precise in their articulation. Opus 59 no.2 in the old Lindsay set is one of their finest achievments in my opinion, yet the Takacs are as good in their more straightforward way. The wild fantasy and total uncertainty about what will come next that the Lindsay's manage turns into oohs and ahhs for the Takacs with their blazing virtuosity and martial power. Compared to the Busch Op59 no.2 however (currently out of print) the Takacs lack the unanimity of texture that the older quartet can muster. They also don't have the same authority of vision that Busch musters, which is especially evident in the slow movement, where the Busch always seem to find that perfect shade of volume and rythym to capture Beethoven's inspiration.
   
   In fact, I would say that is the greatest weakness of this first Takacs Beethoven release (they recorded op18 next and late qs last). They often seem to just lose a grip on the deeper meaning of the music and substitue for it a repetative dimuendo to crescendo "effect", like they are trying to insert some drama that they don't find in the music. This "trick" mostly dissapears thankfully by the final set, but here it often rears up and betrays an emotional immaturity when compared to the Busch.
   
   Nevertheless! This is not always so, and in my opinion they capture the perfect time and dynamics for the op59 no3 slow movement, that dreaded place where most quartets fall down. Their immaculate pizzicato and perfect phrasing even outdoes the Busch in my opinion, making it the best version available of this quartet.
   
   Op59 no 1 is a very fine performance all they way through, more visceral and thrilling yet just as involving as the 1941 Sony Busch recording except, unfortunately, in the slow movement. Here, the Busch manage a rapturously sorrowful lament of dreadful passion that leaves you breathless. The Takacs come off rather badly in comparision, taking a quiet pensive approach that just completely pales in comparison to the Busch revelation.
   
   Finally, the Harp quartet really sparkles under the Takacs, a brilliant virtuosic show yet never getting aggressive the way the Berg do for example. (No Busch perf on record for this quartet sadly). The uncommonly rapidly played scherzo is especially thrilling in my mind, though some reviewers have preferred a more measured pace. This is my favourite perfomance of the harp on record.
   
   A wonderful set then, well deserving of all its accolades. Op59 no3 and op 74 are my two favorite recorded performances, and op59 1 and 3 aren't bad either, the painfully weak point being the slow movement of op59 no1 in comparision with the Busch. Hear the Busch in that movement and you will see why they are justly esteemed so highly.
   
   Thanks for reading



5. This set is amazing. I have had the pleasure of hearing the Berg, Lindsay, Emerson, and Julliard string quartets interpret the opus 59s, and I must say that the Takacs outdoes them all. Before this recording was introduced to me, I had a deep affection for the Emerson and Julliard's recordings. That has most certainly changed now. The Takacs fulfilled all my preconceived notions about what these pieces require, and introduced me to much much more. The finale of the op. 59 no.3 is astounding (a term I would never use to describe the previous quartets' interpretations), and, in my opinion shatters the attempts of the Emerson's rendition - I'm not sure where Mr. Jones finds so much room to complain about the finale of the no. 3 - nevertheless he is wrong. The op. 59s as recorded here is a landmark recording and I promise it will be referred to as an essential interpretation for years to come. As for the "harp" quartet, I could talk forever about the amazing beauty which is reveled in this recording....but I'll spare you. All I will say is that it too is fantastically beautiful and should not be missed. Whether you are a native collector of Beethoven quartets or one just looking for the "right" first set, the Takacs will not disappoint - Strongly Recommended.
   
   By the way, the case cover you will most likely be getting if you are ordering it new is the one pictured above by Mr. Frank Rust, not the one pictured by Amazon.com. Not that it matters, but I just thought I would let you know.

5 comments about Barber's Adagio.

1. I purchased this CD only to listen to Samuel Barber's "Adagio For Strings, OP.11". This piece has often be played in funerals. Though I felt drawn to it because of three reasons: 1) The music feels like coming together after a devastating storm has just passed.. 2) The music at times feels like deeply mourning the loss of a dearly loved one ... 3) Play this music when you retire to bed at night.. close your eyes, and relax. The music embraces you and carries you far into the regions of your own heart... what swells thereof you shall see.. Let go, let God, love yourself :-)



2. Bernstein's usual wonderful interpretations of 5 pieces.
   This is probably the best performance of Barber's Adagio you can find and I have heard them all. One other note is Williams' Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis... it is spellbinding. This cd is definately worth the price if you are into slower strings.



3. Barber's Adagio for Strings has become my favorite piece of music ever since hearing this recording several years ago. I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes violin music.



4. This sounds like a great recording of the Adagio adopted for orchestra.
   I personally discovered another cd called Cathedral Classics recorded by Dale Warland Singers which gives a superior recording of the same music.
   Dale Warland gives an unmatched quality that is available on the Internet.



5. This music brings thoughts to my mind. I relax and think about good memories. But something in the music makes me sad sometimes and I can't stop listening to it because it is so beautiful. I want this CD to be played at my funeral. Only because it would bring good thoughts to people who know me now, but also just because it is so serene.

5 comments about Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection.

1. This is by far one of the best compilations of ancient music I have come across. Pickett and the NLC make every selection sparkle with life. Fascinating in its variety, what sets this collection apart is the skill of the performers and the remarkable sound quality of the recording. A terrific introduction to this period in European music for novices, and an absolute must for the collector, this belongs in every ancient music fan's collection. Highly recommended.



2. I bought this CD after listening to a number of song samples -- it is a great sampling of superb music and the quality is outstanding. It is now even cheaper than when I bought it -- you can't go wrong with this one!



3. As a long time member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I was very pleased to receive this album over the holidays. It sets a wonderful medieval atmosphere and is very relaxing to listen to without the over-the-top elitist feel of some medieval albums I've both sampled and purchased. The pieces are a nice mix of vocals and period instrumentals, including some very good dances I recognize from the SCA and many I don't recognize.
   
   Overall, I reccomend this album to anyone who wants to set a medieval atmosphere. One caveat for those who want to put this on an ipod: use noise-cancelling head-phones: it's recorded very quietly and you usually cannot hear most of the tracks in a typical noisy street environment without them.
   
   This album is actually much much better than i expected it to be based on the snippets I heard on amazon.com.



4. This was my first Renaissance music album and the broad styles of several composers were very well represented, especially Michael Pretorius, probably the most well-known composer of his time. The tonal quality sparkles and the latin language comes alive (along with English translation in the included booklet); be prepared for an aural "feast" of some of the more eclectic music from the Renaissance period!



5. MUSIC OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE PRESENTED BY PHILIP PICKETT.
   
   To quote from the accompanying booklet seems to be in order to start this review: "This collection attempts to wipe the dust from some old ideas and restore music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance to its roots deep in the human soul.........What you're listening to on this disc is not the domain of museums, but the music of the people,born of faith and the love of song and dance".
   
   This is a varied group of works, some dances, some strictly instrumental and some accompanied vocal.
   
   The role of dancing, as you might suspect, was enormously important in this era. 'Le Bouree' showcases the dance music of the composer Michael Praetorius. The 'Bransles de Villages' is of French origin and features 2 violins, 2 violas, a cello, a great bass viol, hurdy-gurdy and 2 lutes. 'La scesa de Pastori dal Monte' is an Italian dance by Andrea Ansalone. Another dance written by Michael Praetorious was the 'Volte' which actually involved 4 short dances. It was considered not respectable because of the close contact between the dancers.
   
   The strictly instrumental songs are : 'Dum pater familias' is called a pilgrim song, and it was religious in nature. And, of course, all the dance songs are instrumental.
   
   The vocally oriented songs are: 'Quen a Virgin ben servira' is a song taken from a collection of songs about the miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary.-Three of the songs are from the famous 'Carmina Burana' manuscript.- 'Orientis partibus' is from the 'Feast of fools'which was a feast held by the church itself in which the status of the church herarchy was reversed as inferior clergy assumed the role of their superiors.-'Stella Splendours' is another pilgrim song; this song was sung by pilgrims who went to worship as the Shrine of the Virgin at Montserrat.
   
   I always trust the quality of a CD when Philip Pickett and the New London Consort are involved. This album is very interesting, but I would hope that this would be classified as the more "pop" type music of the period. Also, I don't think that I personally would call it early music, as is indicated in the accompanying booklet. Today that term brings to mind Monteverdi, Cavalli, Palestrina, the Scarlatti's, up to and including Handel and Bach etc.. Just a personal reaction on my part. This is a very well put together disc.