Agnus Dei [Import]

1. Aethera et Terra

2. Silentium

3. Angus Dei

4. Gregoria

5. Hymn

6. Offizium

7. Recordare

8. Cantandus

9. Spiritus Sanctus

10. Sancta Maria

Tracks:

Da Pacem, Domine: Introit
Haec Dies Quam Fecit Dominus: Gradual
Victimae Paschali Laudes: Sequence
Alleluia. Vir Dei Benedictus: Alleluia
Kyrie, Fons Bonitatis: Trope
Quam Magnificata Sunt Opera Tua Domine: Responsory
Ut Queant Laxis Resonare Fibris: Hymn
Cibavit Eos Ex Adipe Furmenti: Introit
Oculi Omnium In Te Sperant: Gradual
Spirtus Domini Replevit Orbem Terrarum: Introit
Alleluia. Veni Sancte Spiritus: Alleluia
Os Justi Meditabitur Sapientiam: Gradual
Kyrie 'Lux Et Origo'
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth
Agnus Dei, Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
Ave Mundi Spes Maria: Sequence
Media Vita In Morte Sumus: Responsory
Salve, Regina, Mater Misericordiae: Antiphon

Customer Reviews:

efficaciously relaxing.......2007-06-27

This is exactly what I was looking for. I now have some music to play at work that is soothing and keeps me focused. It also keeps me grounded as to what is really important in life. Highly recommend it!!

very calming.......2007-01-19

these gregorian chants are very calming . If your riding in your car, walking , or just sitting . it makes for excellent listening.

Beautiful.......2005-08-28

Beautiful. Just like the first Chant. This is my "mellow out", puts me to sleep music. I didn't care for the applause at the end, but it's still a beautiful CD.

Same Question As Before.......2003-04-24

The music is flawless. Haunting, spiritual, engrossing, and above all gorgeous. This disc is nothing short of amazing. Yet I gotta ask. Why is it that a recording of BENEDICTINE monks has a cover photo of men in FRANCISCAN robes?

Same Quation As Before.......2003-04-24

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II

Average customer rating:

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Eveer, Volume II
Great music listein to while you read in bed
A must buy for the non-snobbish classical music fan.
A bliss of spirit.
Boring

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II
Gabriel Faure , Frederic Chopin , Antonio Vivaldi , Gustav Mahler , Claude Debussy , Sir Neville Marriner , Maris Jansons , Lorin Maazel , Sir Adrian Boult , Miklos Rozsa , Riccardo Muti , Stephen Cleobury , Sir John Barbirolli , New Philharmonia Orchestra , Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus , Academy of St. Martin in the Fields , and Berlin Philharmonic
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe
The Most Relaxing Piano Album in the World...Ever!
Mozart for Relaxation
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B00002439O
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

Sheep May Safely Graze - Sir Neville Marriner
Serenade In G 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' - Sir Neville Marriner
Violin Concerto No.1 In G Minor, Op.26 - II. Adagio - Yedudi Menuhin
Nocturne No.2 In E Flat Op.9 No.2 - John Ogdon
Miserere Mei, Deus - Stephen Cleobury
Schindler's List - Tasmin Little
Traumerei - Dame Moura Lympany
Dance Of The Sylphs - Sir Neville Marriner
Water Music - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No.9: II. Largo - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Jean De Florette - Toots Thielemans
Concerto For Lute And Two Violins - II. Largo - Anthony Bailes
Cello Concerto In E Minor Op.85 - III. Adagio - Jacqueline De Pre
Waltz No.15 In A Flat - Dame Moura Lympany
Romance - Piers Lane
Pavane - Maurice Handford
Woodbrook - Micheal O Suilleabhain
Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra

Tracks:

The Four Seasons - Concerto No.1 In E 'Spring' - Yehundi Menuhin
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Double Violin Concerto In D Minor - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto - Yehudi Menuhin
Prelude No.7 In A Op.28 No.7 - Tzimon Barto
Cantique De Jean Racine - MONKS AND CHOIRBOYS OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY
The Lark Ascending - Hugh Bean
'Pathetique Sonata Op.13 - II. Adagio Cantabile - Leonard Pennario
Pie Jesu - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Salut D'Amour - Richard Hickox
La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin (The Girl With Flaxen Hair) - Dame Moura Lympany
The Coventry Carol - Medeval Babes
Pavane For A Dead Princess - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Liebestraum No.3 In A Flat - John Ogdon
Panis Angelicus - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Piano Concerto No.2 In F Op.102 - II. Andante - Dmitri Alexeev
Agnus Dei - Peter Barley
Symphony No.5 In C Sharp Minor - IV. Adagietto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Eveer, Volume II.......2006-08-28

Good selection of music, poorly performed and badly arranged. Good album for a tag sale. Same comment applies for Volume I.

Great music listein to while you read in bed.......2005-08-21

I have listened to this CD for the last several years before going to sleep at night. I love classical music, and this is great music to help make my soul feel at peace and unwind after a taxing day.

A must buy for the non-snobbish classical music fan........2004-10-22

I bought Vol. 1 of this series and was quite satisfied, but I have to say I'm more than satisfied with this one. If you can just mellow out and enjoy some great pieces, you'll love this CD. #15 on Disc 2 is almost worth the price alone!

A bliss of spirit........2004-09-18

That's disc will open You a wonderful, beautiful world of sounds, their harmony & emotion : you'll feel your heart full of
Joy, Tears, Love.
Good LUCK!

Boring.......2004-05-11

Yes this CD will put you to sleep in minutes. Its the most boring uninspiring classical music. The first CD was very good but this Vol. 2 is like most movie sequels....AWFUL !

Average customer rating:

Enchanting
Amazing Voices
Gracious
This CD Dropped In From Heaven
Incredible. Simply incredible.

Libera
Libera
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Visions
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Angel Voices 3

ASIN: B00002DDVU
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

Salva Me
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
Libera
Mysterium
Jubilate
Beata Lux
Dies Irae
Te Lucis
Sancta
Angelis
Lux Aeterna

Amazon.com

Recalling the uplifting New Age chorals of Adiemus and Enigma, Libera fuses the high, innocent voices of 11 and 12-year-old boys with contemporary beats amidst lush synth and orchestral accents. The result is a mesmerizing collection of original choral material written by self-proclaimed "organ nerd" and keyboardist Robert Prizeman. Prizeman, drawing from his background in church music, expertly weaves the choir's bright, sacred tones into the fabric of his modern spiritual vision, which brings the sanctity of London abbeys to mind. At times the album wanders into deeply mystical territory, with the boys' solos bouncing up and down the scale in a soft melancholy, which nicely contrasts with the power of their joined voices. Though not extensively trained, the choir does an expert job with Prizeman's compositions. The one aspect of this CD that may frustrate listeners is the lack of comprehensive credits and information on the artists in the CD booklet. Otherwise, Libera is a pleasantly sublime work of New Age art. --Karen K. Hugg

Customer Reviews:

Enchanting.......2007-01-30

There's something about a good choir that can really stir the spiritual imagination and this choir is simply fantastic. Based out of Europe, Libera re-introduces the world to classical pieces in upbeat and modern mixes. Some tracks are simply beautiful and others mysterious, but all are wonderful. Our audience has repeatedly voted "Salva Me" into the Top 10 along with other hits such as "Lux Aeterna." This is a great CD. - Jon

Amazing Voices.......2007-01-10

These boys continue to amaze me. I am transported when listening to their music. It is uplifting, haunting, invigorating, thoughtful...just incredible.

Gracious.......2006-11-19

For those of us, myself included, desperately hoping that the age of church music isn't dead - or should I say, hoping that new ways of singing God's praise can still be found, this album gives hope that something non-trivial can be done with modern music. It's only one dimension of a needed reformation, but it is a contribution nonetheless. In addition to "Salva Me" the title track "Libera" is also very engaging.

This CD Dropped In From Heaven.......2006-04-10

Absolutely the most beautiful music anyone could hope for and beyond words for New Age music addicts. I'm not particularly religious,but this music gives me goose bumps. I'm not a fan of the Catholic Church, but I love Catholic chorus music. It is very calming.

My favorite is "Angelis" which I'm not sure if sung in English or Latin but the first two words of the song sounds like "Angeline seventeen" and the stunning music congers up visions of some angelically lovely teen age girl who inspired the song. Heck, all the music congers up beautiful, peaceful visions. And never has Latin sounded like this. It's a very sexy language! You won't regret buying this CD.

Incredible. Simply incredible........2006-02-26

These boys have the finest voices you'll hear anywhere. Not being Catholic, I don't understand much of the Latin in songs such as cut 2, "Sanctus." But I could listen to that particular song over and over and over. In fact, I have. And it is so beautiful and haunting that it has motivated me to look up the meaning of the words so I can better participate in the worship experience that is "Sanctus." The rest of the album is just as beautiful, but I put "Sanctus" in a class all by itself. Another review of one of Libera's other albums mentioned that this song has appeared on several CDs and that reviewer considered this a weakness--saying that they must not have much material. I would love it if this song appeared on every album they ever record so that I wouldn't have to change discs when I'm ready to hear it again. If you want a truly moving aural experience, purchase this CD.

1000: A Mass for the End of Time / Anonymous 4

Average customer rating:

Want to hear something spectacular?
Lovely
Perfectly lovely - wrong, but still perfectly lovely.
Year 1000--A Mass for the End of Time
A Peace Beyond All Understanding

1000: A Mass for the End of Time / Anonymous 4
Gregorian Chant , and Anonymous 4
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Angels
The Origin of Fire: Music and Visions of Hildegard von Bingen
A Portrait Of Anonymous 4
An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant and Polyphony
La Bele Marie: Songs to the Virgin from 13th-Century France

ASIN: B00004UFGW
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Processional Hymn: Judicii Signum
Troped Introit: Quem Creditis Super Astra/Viri Galilei
Kyrie: Celestis Terrestrisque
Gloria: Prudentia Prudentium
Alleluia I: Dominus In Sina
Alleluia II: Ascendens Cristus
Sequence With Prose: Salvator Mundi/Rex Omnipotens Die Hodierna
Troped Offertory: Elevatus Est Rex Fortis/Viri Galilei
Sanctus: Ante Secula
Agnus Dei: Omnipotens Eterne
Troped Communion: Corpus Quod Nunc/Psallite Domino
Lection: Apocalypse 21:1-5
Prose: Regnantem Sempiterna
Hymn: Cives Celestis Patrie

Amazon.com essential recording

Remember all of the year-2000 nervousness in the latter part of 1999? That was nothing. As the year 1000 approached, people all over the Christian world were convinced that the Apocalypse--as depicted in the biblical Book of Revelation--and the end of the world were at hand. In one of the more interesting musical program ideas to be inspired by the turn of the calendrical odometer, Anonymous 4 revisits the original "millennium madness" with a disc of chant from around the year 1000--specifically, a Mass for the Feast of the Ascension, one of the few occasions on which the liturgy included readings from the Book of Revelation. This is the oldest written Western music to have survived, and it's difficult even to decipher (the original notation has no staff lines or clear indications of rhythm), let alone perform. Yet, the challenges involved seem to have done these ladies good: not only is their performance both assured and confident, but one can hear new facets in their vocal sound--a sound that, however beautiful it might be, some listeners find monotonous. (One new facet is Jacqueline Horner, the quartet's newest member, for whom this is the first recording.) The singers experiment with interpretation of ornaments that are indicated in the manuscript sources (there's a fascinating little trill that sounds rather like a cooing dove); in some of the chants, they add an additional line in accordance with the principles of improvising polyphony that were laid out in 10th- and 11th-century treatises. The entire program seems thoroughly considered, as well as immaculately executed. If you count on the consistently pure, silky tone and meditative quality that has made Anonymous 4 world-famous, you'll definitely find it here; if you've gotten bored with them, you might find this disc a fascinating surprise. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Want to hear something spectacular?.......2007-05-23

For most folks, Gregorian Chants are probably a little off the beaten track. This is a stellar recording that's hard to beat, and the best of my Gregorian Chant collection. You won't be disappointed.

Lovely.......2006-03-03

A lovely performance of music from the beginning of the western musical tradition. The vocal quality of the performance is first rate and the music itself is very interesting. Recommended strongly.

Perfectly lovely - wrong, but still perfectly lovely........2004-06-28

For those of you who - like me - have had a couple experiences with Gregorian Chant that moved you deeply - and now you need some Gregorian Chant for those moods when nothing else is right - this is it. "A Mass For The End Of Time" is beautiful, and rich, and the selections intense and moving. This is exactly what most people reading this are looking for. Furthermore the performers seem to have captured the spirit of the music - which is critical because this is spiritual music. So why do I give it 4 stars?

Gregorian Chant is not music that can be removed from its place and time well. It is site specific - it should be heard live in a cathedral whose walls are stone or at least in a place that reflects sound - setting up resonance inside the head. Gregorian Chant is a form of meditation that is distinctly medieval European. The group that performs "A Mass For The End Of Time" is 4 women called Anonymous. But Gregorian Chant was written for men - it has different feel when men do it. Anonymous is very good - but the music would work even better with 4 equally good male voices.

Year 1000--A Mass for the End of Time.......2004-01-04

The year AD 1000 appeared to be an apocalyptic harbringer of destruction to the devout Catholics of Western Europe. This collection of medieval chants based on themes of God's impending wrath and the judgement of the world are excellent primary sources for understanding the mystical religious mindset of the days of yore. Gregorian Chant, while different from Byzantine (Greek) and Russian chanting, is a very methodological and otherworldly form of music. It's monotone is radically opposed to the harsh discord of "rock n' roll" and "rap" music which sound like broken machinery that are so popular among all aspects of society, even the so-called "Christian rock." Although the music itself is sung in Latin, the disc is accompanied by a booklet which gives the lyrics in English translation (along with a few other languages).

A Peace Beyond All Understanding.......2002-04-30

I have always been highly suspicious of "spiritual people". Why them and not me? I was only looking for pretty music when I, a rock n roller by upbringing, purchased this CD. What followed during the listening of this CD, was a deeply meditative state as I let the music, so beautiful words cannot describe, transport me into a deeper consciousness. There I was able to pray from the deepest part of my soul. A first. It has immediately replaced my incremental valium use. I am not a meditator, not into Yoga, don't even like people who are, but this music sounds like the holy ghost if it can be personified, who pleads with such compassion for each and every one of us in a world gone mad. The gregorian chant music on this particular cd seems to be telling the story of time and man to God. It is a sad and compassionate tale that doesn't miss a detail as its heavenly and soulful sound tells in words beyond my understanding a long story filled with strife, sin, pain and sorrow, yet with such love and feeling that it catches its listener up as though it were part of the communication to God and lifts the listener to a serene place where all of the cement jungle, and hostile traffic, and hate among people seem to become the other dimension and not the dimension you find yourself in when listening to this CD. Maybe it is something different for every listener. This was my experience.

Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings

Average customer rating:

Familiarity Breeding Contentment
An American Icon of Classical Music
I'll have a number 4 when you bury me, please!
The BEST
Inspiring

Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003G8N
Release Date: 1997-05-20

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - Strings Of The Boston Symphony Orchestra
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - James Galway
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - The Canadian Brass
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11: Angus Dei - The Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - Richard Stoltzman
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - Tokyo String Quartet
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - David Pizarro
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 - Smithsonian Chamber Players

Amazon.com

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is a powerful piece, packed with emotional intensity yet also extraordinarily listenable--and popular. Here, Barber's short masterwork of simplicity and resonance gets eight treatments, from those he approved of (Charles Munch and the strings of the Boston Symphony; the Tokyo String Quartet; organist David Pizarro; and the Smithsonian Chamber Players) to new interpretations that don't quite match with the older renditions.

James Galway's new flute-and-synthesizer reading is a bit anemic, though thankfully not showy, and the Canadian Brass's arrangement is likewise tempered and calm, even if not very close to having significant bite. Richard Stoltzman and the Kalman Clarinet Choir probably do the best job of taking Barber to new places; the woody tones mesh almost polyphonically. Also included is the Choir of Trinity College's reading of Agnus Dei, Barber's choral setting of the Adagio, a distillation that might well be the high point of the CD. For the most stunning rendition of the Adagio, however, listeners should really hear the Thomas Schippers version. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Familiarity Breeding Contentment.......2007-04-16

If there is a single composition by which American composer Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981) is universally known, it is the Adagio for Strings, arranged, at Toscanini's request, in 1938, two years after it was originally written as the slow movement of Barber's only String Quartet Op. 11. Here are no less than five "authorized" versions by Barber himself -- the original, for Quartet; the Adagio, for String Orchestra; the version for Organ; the version for Chamber Orchestra; and Agnus Dei, a 1967 setting of the last part of the Latin Mass for a cappella choir to the music of the Adagio -- as well as three other arrangements, for Clarinet choir, for Brass choir and for Flute and Synthesizer. Eminently satisfying and one only wishes there were notes to explain which version (aside from the Quartet movment, 1936; the Adagio, 1938; and the Agnus Dei, 1967) came just when. Charles Munch and the Strings of the Boston Symphony Orchestra give a classic performance of the Adagio in its most familiar form while the Tokyo String Quartet unveils the seldom-heard original version that was responsible for all the rest.

In a little under three years' time (March 9, 2010) we will be celebrating the centennial of Barber's birth and, since March 1999, Naxos has been recording the music of this pre-eminent American composer. So far, all the orchestral works (including works for soloist and orchestra, works orchestrated from another medium, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and the chamber opera A Hand of Bridge), the published works for piano, choral works, and the opera Vanessa have been committed to disc. Chamber works, songs, works for band, other keyboard works etc. are hopefully soon to follow. Although this disc, featuring the Adagio in its varied forms, is not part of this collection, hopefully hearing it will encourage those unfamiliar with Barber to explore more of his music.

An American Icon of Classical Music.......2006-10-10

If you only listen to one classical song in your life hark Adagio for Strings.

I'll have a number 4 when you bury me, please!.......2006-04-08

LOVE this music. It moves me. Plucks strings I did not know ran through my soul. Makes me feel the sadness of loss but keeps alive the hope of new doors to be opened, more life to experience.
We buried my Uncle, a fine kind-hearted man this Wednesday, they played the ubitquitous "Amazing Grace" when had they asked me, I would have had them hear this and pull them from the path they know so well. Open their eyes and spirit. Feel all the emotions of that day. Buy this for the quiet time when you need to think not what to do, but who you are and whence come.

The BEST.......2005-09-07

This is the very same "song" done about ten diffent ways, and every one of them is fantastic. If you like ANYTHING about classical music, you should buy this CD.

Inspiring.......2005-05-10

How beautiful this is! I recently purchased this item, and how PLEASED I am with it! The Boston Symphony Orchestra's version is truly inspiring and so utterly well-done! The flute and synthetzer (oh rats how DO you spell that?) is wonderful! So original. I am very, very pleased. If you love Samuel Barber's adagio for strings, you have to own this CD.

Average customer rating:

Agnus Dei music of Inner Harmony
Simply The Best
Wow!
Profound sublimity
Beautiful music

Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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ASIN: B000005E4J
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Agnus Dei, op.11 - Barber
Cantique de Jean Racine, op.11 - Faure
Kyrie - Palestrina
Ave Verum Corpus K 618 - Mozart
Jesus bleibet meine Freude - Bach
Ave Maria, op.37 No.6 - Choir Of New College Oxford
Lux Aeterna - Choir Of New College Oxford
Totus Tuus - Choir Of New College Oxford
Hear my prayer - Mendelssohn
The Lamb - Tavener
In paradisum - Faure
Miserere mei, Deus - Choir Of New College Oxford

Amazon.com

Beyond this recording's new age packaging and title is a splendid sampling of some of the world's finest choral music, sung by one of the world's outstanding choirs. This "anthology of sacred choral music" spans 400 years and includes such masterpieces as Allegri's Miserere, Bach's "Jesu, joy of man's desiring," and Barber's exquisite Agnus Dei, which is the composer's choral setting of his famous Adagio for Strings. Along the way we also hear Mozart's sublime "Ave verum corpus," Elgar's "Lux aeterna," and the Kyrie from Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli. There has been a choir at England's New College, Oxford, since the year 1379, and this impressive line of experience shows in the intelligent, unfaltering, and finely polished performances by today's ensemble of 16 boys and 12 adults. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Agnus Dei music of Inner Harmony.......2007-05-14

Not really my thing but mother in law loved it.

Simply The Best.......2007-02-23

You'll love this music. This is music for all moments of your life

Wow!.......2006-07-08

I'm a long-time listener of all things rock-'n-roll, from Classic rock, to Alternative, and even a little Metal. I first heard this CD while having dinner at a friends house a long time ago, and I loved it. I've always been enchanted with choir music, so I bought this CD. Well, after years of listening to it to help me to unwind in the evening, I somehow misplaced it. So I came to Amazon to order both I and II. Of the two CD's, the first one is still the best, and it still helps me to relax after a long day. The choir show tremendous range in their singing, the assorted instruments are well-played, and I can almost imagine myself sitting in a centuries-old cathedral, enjoying the music and how it rings throughout the cathedral.

Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Profound sublimity.......2006-02-27

This album offers music that is profoundly moving and sumbline. It takes the listener onto an inner journal of extraordinary emotional depths and heights

Beautiful music.......2006-01-18

The first song I've heard on this CD is "Miserere Mei..." and I loved it the first minute. I've heard it from a friend who likes classical, and I would've never bought this on my own.

All other versions of these songs I've heard since don't compare to the versions on this CD. Maybe because it was my first listen, maybe they're just good.

The Best Choral Album in the World...Ever!

Average customer rating:

I love it and I give it as a gift
MarMSED
Diverse range but the songs are butchered...

The Best Choral Album in the World...Ever!

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The #1 Choral Album
Choral Masterpieces
The Only Choral CD You'll Ever Need
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration
The Greatest Cinema Choral Classics (2 CD SET)

ASIN: B00002ZZH6
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Academy And Chorus Of St Martin In The Fields
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Zadok The Priest - Ambrosian Singers
Miserere Mei, Deus - Gerald Finley
Veni Creator Spiritus - Choir Of The Monks Of The Benedictine Monastery Of Santo Domingo De Silos
Lacrimosa - London Philharmonic Choir
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Ambrosian Singers
The Heavens Are Telling - John Shirley-Quirk
Panis Angelicus - Halle Choir
Ave Maria - Groupe Vocal De France
Ode To Joy - The Westminster Choir
Va, Pensiero - Chorus Of the Royal Opera House
Chorus Of Slave Girls - Chorus Of The National Theatre Of Sophia
Coro De Romanticos - Coro Cantores De Madrid
In Paradisum - Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge
Totus Tuus - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Song For Athene - Winchester Cathedral Choir
Celebration - London Symphony Chorus
Jerusalem - Royal Choral Society

Tracks:

Zion Hort Die Wachter - South German Madrigal Choir
Pleni Sunt Coeli Et Terra - Charles Brett
Hallelujah Chorus - Ambrosian Singers
Thou Knowest, Lord - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Veni Sancte Spiritus - Choir Of The Monks Of The Benedictine Monastery Of Santo Domingo De Silos
Awake The Harp - City Of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth - New Philharmonia Chorus
L'Adieu Des Bergers - Choeurs Rene Duclos
Agnus Dei - Peter Barley
Cantique De Jean Racine - MONKS AND CHOIRBOYS OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY
Ave Verum Corpus - Schutz Consort
Begluckt Darf Nun Dich, O Heimat - Bavarian State Opera Chorus, Munich
Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spoglie - Chorus Of the Royal Opera House
Laudamus Te - Radio France Chorus
Chichester Psalms - Rachel Masters
The Lamb - Vasari Singers
Agnus Dei - Winchester Cathedral Choir
Requiem Aeternam - Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge
Dies Irae - Philharmonia Chorus
O Fortuna - London Philharmonic Choir
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1 (Land Of Hope Glory) - Royal Choral Society

Customer Reviews:

I love it and I give it as a gift.......2006-12-11

This is the first collection of choral music that I've purchased and I love it. I own copies of operas and requiems and masses, but if you attend choral concerts, as I have been recently, you learn there is a huge colletion of choral music appart from the forms I've been listening to. I appreciate the producers selecting "Song for Athene" by Tavener and "Celebration (Standing Stone)" by McCartney. They are new to me and I love them. Disk 1 ends with "Jerusalem" and Disk 2 ends with "Land of Hope and Glory." As an American I rarely hear these and I am so glad they were included. I believe this album was intended to help popularize choral music and I believe the selections do fine job towards that end.

I know snobs rage against popularizing classical music, but everyone deserves exposure to the beauty of song. I will also mention here "The East Village Opera Company" because they work to popularize opera by setting it to a rock beat. They do a fine job but also get criticized for attempting to popularize classical music.

"The Best Choral Album in the World...Ever" was so popular with my teen-age daughter that it was hard to get it back from her. I give the album as a gift to nephews and nieces.

MarMSED.......2005-08-27

The music selections are extraordinary. The only problem has to do with the balance of sound. There are some parts that are very loud, and some that are so very soft. You have to continually adjust the volume.

Diverse range but the songs are butchered..........2005-07-24

Well, this CD isn't horrible by any stretch, but it is irritating to someone who's more than a casual listener of choral music. I'm by no means as musically "literate" as many reviewers out there, but I have a collection of probably twenty-five or thirty choral CD's and this is one that will probably be gathering dust in the back of the CD book.

The peices are well-performed for the most part, but they are hopelessly edited. Beethoven's Ode to Joy is somewhere around twenty four minutes, but this CD only includes an arrangement of about five minutes. The beautiful Miserere is, uncut, almost eleven minutes but is cut down to five and a half minutes here.

Looking back, I should have realized the major editing that would be involved, just by the sheer number of peices on it. I'm familiar with a great many of them and I know they're too long to fit onto a seventy minute disc without some major cutting going on. I just didn't reason that out before I shelled out the money for it.

Bottom line. This CD has decent singing, but is nothing special. If you're a newcomer to this genre, you might get this as a quick overview of the different types of choral music out there, but if you're any kind of an avid listener, this CD will drive you insane with the severity of the cuts. Beginners, if you're looking for a great collection CD, you'd do better to look at "Choral Moods". It doesn't have the diversity in styles of this one, but it will introduce you to incredibly talented composers. To the old hats out there, steer clear of this one and look to CD's by your preferred individual composers themselves. It's more money, but much less frustration in the long run. The old sayings are sometimes the best: You get what you pay for.

The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos Gregorian Chant From Spain

Average customer rating:

mystery and fact
Gregorian Chant as it should always be!
The best Chant CD on the market.
Un magnífico cd
A RARE EXPERIENCE!

The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos Gregorian Chant From Spain

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
Chant II
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant
Chant

ASIN: B000001GMY
Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

Gregorian Chant From Spain: Prolegendum: Dominus regnavit
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Tractus: Vide, Domine et considera
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Lauda: Laudate Dominum, quoniam bonus est psalmus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Preces: Ecclesiam sanctam catholicam
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Nomina offerentium: Per misericordiam tuam, Deus noster Deus noster
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Antiphona: Pacem meam do vobis
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Illatio: Introibo ad altare Dei mei
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Sanctus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Post Sanctus: Vere sanctus, vere benedictus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Credo
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Pater noster
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Ad confractionem panis: Gustate et videte
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Kyrie I
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Kyrie II
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Kyrie III
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Gloria
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Sacrificium: Offerte Domino
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Sanctus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Agnus Dei I
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Agnus Dei II
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Antiphona: Statuit Dominus
Gregorian Chant From Spain: Lamentatio Ieremiae Prophetae: Ego vir videns

Customer Reviews:

mystery and fact.......2006-05-07

While I agree with the other reviewers that this is a fine recording, two precisions are necessary for the sake of accuracy. The disc is titled "Gregorian Chant" but in fact it is Mozarabic or Old Spanish Chant. The reviewer who wrote that the monks observe this rite is mistaken. The monks observe the same monastic rite as the monks of Solesmes and other Benedictine abbeys. The choir director at the time (1968), however, is a musicologist who prepared a special program of Old Spanish Chant for the historically based Archiv Produktion of Deutsche Grammophon.

Gregorian Chant as it should always be!.......2005-02-15

The monks of Santo Domingo de silos follow the rites and traditions of the ancient Mozarabic period of Hispania (modern day Spain). This period stemmed from the Visigothic period of control over the former Roman protectorate. And from this period throughout the generations this form of pure, magical and yet authentic chant has been saved and will continue to be saved. I brought this CD initially for my stepdad but I decided to keep it with me after listening to it. I fell in love with the sound, the atmosphere and it made me great when I listened to it.
I hope to one day visit the abbey and listen to these chants in person and live. 22 tracks of solid gold chants and the voices are so in sync with each other that the real mystery is why there is not more monasteries like this one.

The best Chant CD on the market........2004-04-14

By happy coincidence, this CD was my introduction to Gregorian Chant and while I have since listened to many more, this disc is clearly the best. Right from the opening Dominus Regnavit and Laudate Dominum, the listener is caught up in what seems to be a swelling wave of deeply felt emotion, all the more impactful for the pure voices. Follows in due course the majestic old Credo and lastly for the moving finale, the Lamentation of the Prophet Jeremiah. Sung with tremendous control and feeling by the monks of the Abbey of Santo Domingo, the sound quality and the depth of the individual voices is amazing. Listening with your eyes closed, you can picture cowled monks singing in an echoing hall, yet the acoustics are so good that while giving the listener a feeling of resonance in space, there isn't the faintest of ghost echoes. I learn from the inset that the Abbey of Santo Domingo in the village of Silos is one of the oldest surviving Benedictine monasteries in Spain and an earlier reviewer on this page, Jason Anderson, has written some very informative historical notes. The inset also has a nice piece on the abbey and the history of the chant, as well as the full text of the lyrics in Latin plus an English translation. I cannot recommend this CD too highly: whether you love Gregorian Chant or you just want a soothing listen for a quiet evening or a long drive, I guarantee you will not go wrong with this one.

Un magnífico cd.......2001-11-18

Este es un maravilloso cd para cualquier persona a la que le guste el canto gregoriano o esté interesada en escuchar algo de este tipo de música. Al principio puede parecer que todas las canciones son muy similares, pero una escucha atenta hace que esa sensación se despeje por completo. La calidad de sonido es muy buena y uno se siente casi dentro del propio monasterio de Silos cuando pone este cd, da una ambientación totalmente medieval y transporta en el tiempo y en el espacio al oyente. Además el precio es muy bueno para un cd de estas características.

A RARE EXPERIENCE!.......2000-09-12

The stylistic and indeed musical perfection of the recorded legacy of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes aside (and what a legacy that is - and how impossible to set it aside!), this remains, in my view, the ultimate recording of liturgical chant. There is so much to recommend the recordings of Solesmes -the exceeding quality of their beautiful art, the exquisite singing -especially of that one anonymous tenor voice that seems not only to color but to create the 'sound' for which their choir is justly famed!- the aristocratic liturgical taste of Dom Gajard, and now of Dom Jean Claire, even the genuine poverty of the monastic life at Solesmes (I've been there and seen it) - yet, in this recording of the choir of monks of the Spanish Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, there is an abiding aura so mingled of sorrow and joy that its effect cannot merely be audaciously touted, but must be absorbed like a holy ether in order to be justly experienced. While Solesmes has explored that vast body of prayer we know as Gregorian chant, the monks of Santo Domingo here offer chant from an earlier age, so-called Visigothic (Mozarabic) chant, rarely heard in our time before the liturgical relaxations subsequent to the Second Vatican Council. To listen to these monodic melodies so redolent of Spain's ancient Arabic past leaves us marked not only with their own intrinsic beauty, but allows us, I think, to hear Roman chant itself again in a fresh light. While the Kyriale included in this recording is perhaps more exactly called neo-Mozarabic chant, the main body of selections indeed come from the period prior to the Roman codification under Gregory, Spanish in heart, and universal in beauty; the remarkable 'Introibo ad altare Dei mei', the various Antiphons and Prayers intrinsic to an older national liturgical ideal usurped by Gregorian legislation, culminating in the astonishing 'Lamentation of Jeremiah' which, once heard, will never leave your heart. Recorded in the great Romanesque church of the Abbey, the acoustic ambience is perfectly suited to the sung prayer of these glad monks. If you enjoy listening to liturgical chant and have never heard this recording, you are unfinished and impoverished in your enjoyment. Get this recording and enter on the rich path of a rare experience indeed.

Pavarotti & Friends: For Cambodia and Tibet

Average customer rating:

Excellent video....
Great songs sung by a diverse group of artists
Pavarotti's Best War Child Concert
Very diverse! Loved it!
A wonderfully enjoyable and diverse collection of music

Pavarotti & Friends: For Cambodia and Tibet
Traci Chapman , Eurythmics , Savage Garden , George Michael , Aqua , and Skunk Anansie
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pavarotti & Friends For Guatemala And Kosovo
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Pavarotti & Friends - For The Children Of Liberia

ASIN: B00004XR5E
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Cielito lindo
Around The World
There Must Be An Angel
I Knew I Loved You
Guarda che luna
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
Tracy's Flaw
Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight
'O sole mio
You'll Follow Me Down
A Wonderful World
Agnus Dei
Desde que o samba e samba
Funiculi, funicula
Telling Stories
Se e vero che ci sei
I Saved The World Today
Manha de Carnival
Be With You
All You Need Is Love

Amazon.com

With the seventh installment of Pavarotti & Friends: For Cambodia and Tibet, the beloved tenor assembles yet another all-star cast of musicians in hopes of helping the children of Cambodia and Tibet. The music of the pop stars--which ranges from the modern rock of the veteran Eurythmics to the dance-pop of Aqua--really steals the show here, with Pavarotti lending his impeccable vocal support. Tracy Chapman performs "Baby Can I Hold You" as a duet with Pavarotti, and Eurythmics team up with him on "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)." Of course, the tenor's fans will be begging to hear the opera great in his element, and it's no surprise that he shines on Bizet's "Agnus Dei," with international pop star Mónica Naranjo joining in; Eduardo Di Capua's "O Sole Mio," with Savage Garden; or even Luigi Denza's "Funiculi, Funicula," with Aqua and a children's chorus. As globetrotting benefit tributes go, this is a mixed bag, but there's probably something here for everyone. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Excellent video...........2002-10-13

I am a fan of Savage Garden, The Eurythmics, and George Michael - all of them did a great job with and without Pavarotti....

And the man who sang O SOLE MIO - Darren Hayes (formerly of Savage Garden)... has the most beautiful- angelic- sultry and great voices I have ever heard - and to do it in Neapoliaton Italian (dialect) and in my opinion the best duet of ALL of them featured!!!!!

Great songs sung by a diverse group of artists.......2002-02-07

As always, Maestro Pavarotti's Modena concerts are highly entertaining and uplifting.
All artists sang two songs during the concert (one on their own and another with Maestro Pavarotti), but unfortunately not all of the songs are featured on this video. Another shortcoming is that there are no interviews or any extra footage.

It is funny to hear Pavarotti sing a pop tune as it is equally funny to see a pop singer with virtually no voice doing "O Sole Mio", but if it is all in good spirit and for charity, then it is enjoyable.

If you are intersted in European music scene or simply love Pavarotti, this tape will be a great treat for you.

Pavarotti's Best War Child Concert.......2002-01-04

Bravo showed this concert on New Years 2002 and it blew my mind. It is certainly the best of the War Child concerts, which started in 1996 as Pavarotti's effort to help the children of war-torn countries.
Like in the previous concerts, Pavarotti appears with international pop stars in the open-air piazza of his home town, Modena, Italy. (How do I get tickets for that?)
If you haven't heard any of these concerts, also available on CDs, you will be surprised how well Pavarotti's voice--a voice that makes the gods swoon--blends with the likes of Enrique Iglesias, George Michael, Tracy Chapman, and the Eurythmics. Previous concerts included B.B. King, Elton John, Ricky Martin, and Liza Minelli. Sometimes he sings along in English, sometimes in Italian counterpoint. The effect is stupdendous! These concerts display all the beauty of this great operatic voice while at the same time honoring the art of our greatest pop artists.
What makes this video the best is the children's chorus, the combined Ars Canto of Parmi, Italy, and the Children's Choir of Cambodia and Tibet. The video starts with this chorus joining Pavarotti and the totally sexy Enrique Iglesias in a rousing "Cielito Lindo."
Pavarotti really knows entertainment and in this one he pulls out all the stops! Best of all, part of the proceeds of this tape goes to benefit the children of Cambodia and Tibet. Pavarotti's efforts to help War Child have already built music centers for children in Kosovo, Liberia, and Guatemala. What great leadership!
He says on one of his jackets: "All too often, children are betrayed by the inhuman actions of adults, and become the innocent victims of war and cruelty. War Child is an energetic, and practical organization offering vital hope, working tirelessly for children to regain their rightful place in the world."

Very diverse! Loved it!.......2000-12-18

I am a HUGE Savage Garden fan so that was the main reason to buy this album. And I have to say Darren's voice is AWESOME in "O Sole Mio", the first time I listened to it it made me cry. So I bought the cd. I was glad to see that there are very enjoyable songs in the album not only the SG tracks. I loved Tracy Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You Tonight" performance, now I am a Tracy fan too. You'll enjoy the performances by Aqua, Enrique Iglesias and Eurhytmics and of course the queen Tracy Chapman " ("Telling Stories" is superb!). I even discovered some new artists I had never heard of and I liked them. You won't be disappointed by this album.

A wonderfully enjoyable and diverse collection of music.......2000-11-05

This collection of music has given me great pleasure. Aqua's Around the World is a joy. Hearing the Eurythmics and Pavarotti perform together is fun and beautiful. I also especially liked Enrique Iglesias's Be with you. 20 tracks and 77 minutes of great music I will listen to again and again. And all for a good cause.

An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant and Polyphony

Average customer rating:

An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant and Polyphony
The Secret of Success
Other worldly bliss
Angelic Purity
Stunning and uplifting

An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant and Polyphony
Anonymous , Marsha Genensky , and Anonymous 4
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Origin of Fire: Music and Visions of Hildegard von Bingen
La Bele Marie: Songs to the Virgin from 13th-Century France

ASIN: B0000007DL
Release Date: 1993-03-08

Tracks:

An English Ladymass: Prosa: Gaude virgo salutata (chant)
An English Ladymass: Polyphonic song: Edi beo thu hevene quene
An English Ladymass: Introit: Salve mater redemptoris Salve lux langentium Salve sine spina Salve sancta parens
An English Ladymass: Motet: Lux polis refulgens Lux et gloria
An English Ladymass: Kyrie: Kyria christifera
An English Ladymass: Gloria
An English Ladymass: Motet: Spiritus et alme Gaude virgo salutata
An English Ladymass: Song: Miro genere
An English Ladymass: Gradual: Benedicta et venerabilis
An English Ladymass: Alleluia: Alme iam ad gaudia - Alme matris dei - Alleluya per te dei
An English Ladymass: Sequence: Missus Gabriel del celis
An English Ladymass: Prosa: Gaude virgo gratiosa (chant)
An English Ladymass: Polyphonic song: Salve virgo virginum
An English Ladymass: Offertory: Felix namque (chant)
An English Ladymass: Sanctus & Benedictus
An English Ladymass: Sequence - Song: Jesu Cristes milde moder
An English Ladymass: Agnus dei: Virtute numinis
An English Ladymass: Communion: Beata viscera (chant & song)
An English Ladymass: Rondellus: Flos regalis
An English Ladymass: Chant Setting: Ite missa est
An English Ladymass: Hymn: Ave maris stella

Amazon.com essential recording

In the six years since this female quartet astonished the music world with its clear- voiced, impeccably sung renditions of medieval chant and polyphonic music, chant rose from the dark and dusty corners of classical music to enjoy a phenomenal run at center stage. New and reissued chant recordings achieved sales figures normally reserved for popular music. This is the recording that started it all (that Spanish monks disc came later), winning awards and earning near- permanent resident status on the national charts. Spiritually moving and vocally revelatory, this program re-creates a kind of mass sung in English churches during the 13th and 14th centuries. With their warm tone and perfect intonation, these four singers achieve an expressiveness that is rare among chant interpreters, most effective in the seductive, highly ornamented "Kyrie." The sound is exemplary--although a studio recording, it perfectly conveys the atmosphere of an English cathedral. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant and Polyphony.......2007-06-14

Beautiful and lyrical and very satisfying to listen to while working or mediating. It's everything I hoped it would be!!

The Secret of Success.......2006-04-26

An English Ladymass. 13th and 14th Century Chant and Polyphony in Honor of the Virgin Mary. Performed by Anonymous 4 (Ruth Cunningham, Martha Genensky, Susan Hellauer and Johanna Rose).
Recorded in October, 1991, at Skywalker Sound, Nicasio, California.
Harmonia Mundi HMU 907080. Total time: 59’01”.

Musically, this is one of those rare, very special discs that not only sells well and then disappears into oblivion but that sells well and then stays relevant for many, many years. While re-listening to it, I asked myself again and again what the secret of its success was. A number of answers suggested themselves, none of them completely satisfactory, but all together providing something of a key. First, of course, there are the pure, vibrato-less soprano voices, combining in what some reviewers have, quite correctly I feel, termed “angelic” harmony. The booklet, unfortunately, does not give much information about the performers, but I seemed to hear here one very high soprano voice, what in English Renaissance music would be called a “mean”, plus two “normal” sopranos and an alto. The excitement of the high “mean” soprano and the narrow harmonies of the other voices can truly send shivers of delight down your spine. This is an effect that one usually only hears on discs of choral music (for example, on some of Harry Christophers’s recordings of the masses of John Taverner for Hyperion), and it is guaranteed to uplift the soul and impress with the beauty of the human voice. But added to this here are the medieval melodies, which, although often very strange to our ears, seem to reflect our common past and appear, in a certain way, to be familiar, perhaps as an echo of the joint human memory of those centuries of sacred music – or perhaps just as an individual memory of liturgical song heard in childhood. And of course, the music itself has an intensely “spiritual” flavour, with the excellent recording technique, the absolute stillness of the background and the ensemble’s decision to do without any instrumental accompaniment amounting to an invitation to meditation and devotion.

Perhaps it is indicative, however, of our post-modern age that none of my fellow Amazon reviewers appears to have reflected on the texts which Anonymous 4 have here put together (the result of painstaking musicological research, I should add). Despite all my enthusiasm for the sound and the music of this disc, I have to add that as an evangelical Christian (and as a child of the Enlightenment) I find the unabashed, sensuous Mariolatry of these medieval texts to be profoundly disturbing and, from a Protestant standpoint, utterly heretical. You don’t have to be a Catholic to enjoy the wonderful singing on this disc, but if you study the texts (which are printed in full with translations), you may, like me, become very grateful for what Martin Luther, John Calvin and their followers did for the Church.

As a footnote I should, perhaps, add that if you have enjoyed Anonymous 4's music-making, you might also like to try that of the Italian female ensemble La Reverdie, whose discs for the French label Arcana, although very different, also have some of the qualities that made Anonymous 4 so successful.

Other worldly bliss.......2006-03-25

The American Angels fly again from their permanent perch in heaven, inviting us all to accept this bliss. And they did this

recording many years ago. Timeless perfection and beauty.

Kim Thomas Hartman

Angelic Purity.......2006-01-20

It seems pointless to add another 5-star review to the list, but I have to. This CD is simply one of the most beautiful recordings ever made, and it touches your soul with every listening. If you are content, it will bolster and reinforce your tranquil mind. If you are sad or depressed, it will force tears from your eyes and rip sobs from your breast, setting you on the healing path. If you are happy, it will make you prance about your flat like a gleeful child.
It is wonderful as background music, and yet engaging enough for attentive listening. If you don't own this CD, you should buy it today.

Stunning and uplifting.......2005-10-11

The Ladymass is a special votive mass dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary - most major cathedrals would have a daily mass in the Lady chapel (a smaller worship space within the cathedral), and some churches would have special masses in honour of the Virgin on Saturdays. According to Hellauer, 'Of the English polyphony preserved from this time, almost all of which is sacred, roughly two-thirds is in honour of the Virgin.' The work here does not occur in one set piece as it might have back in the medieval times, for no complete records of this sort have survived. The Anonymous 4 have pieced together elements including chants, motets, and other mass elements to complete the task.

The voices of the Anonymous 4 are markedly different from men-and-boys choirs or monks that are typically the recording artists of this kind of music. It is often forgotten that such music was sung by women and monastic communities of nuns in the medieval time, too. One critic remarked, 'There is a captivating simplicity and directness about their performance, which naturally avoids many of the pitfalls of an overstretched attempt at reconstruction.' This is certainly true in this recording, which is wonderful in tone.

There is a spirit to the music. It is remarkable that a group with three sopranos and an alto could give such breadth and depth to the music, but it certainly is true of their performances. This particular recording is the first of theirs done for Harmonia Mundi.

-- Liner Notes --
This text accompaniment to this disc is very full, so much so that the booklet is not contained within the jewel case, but rather within a slipcover in which both the CD/jewel case and the booklet reside. The liner notes include a description of the work, a brief piece about the quartet, and the lyrics of the songs both in Latin and in translation - all repeated in English, German, and French sections.

-- Anonymous 4 --
Contrary to the implication of their name, the Anonymous 4 are not anonymous. This is a vocal quartet made up of Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, and Johanna Rose at the time of this recording (Ruth Cunningham will later go on to a solo career early, and another member will join - Jacqueline Horner). They came together as a formal group in 1986, and have been ensemble-in-residence at St. Michael's Church in New York City, giving concert series in New York as well as throughout North America. They have been featured a number of times on national media in North America as well as Germany. They then went on to yet more success, eventually performing more that 1000 concerts worldwide.

Their specialty is working with chant, monophonic and polyphonic music, and working with medieval texts. According to one source, 'The group takes its name from an anonymous music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Léonin and Pérotin.'

The group ended a touring career of nearly two decades in 2004.

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Album Review

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