CD Charts
Welcome to The CD Charts, here you will find all the latest and top selling Music cds available to buy online. You can search and locate the best selling Music cd's and have them delivered to the door. We have a large selection of Music all with reviews.
Back to Home Page > Go back a page
Music : J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio · St. Matthew Passion · St. John Passion · Mass in B minor
1 2
Rating: 
- Baroque masterpieces- a surprise for me
Ever since listening to St. John Passion as a young boy, I always had respect for Bach's music and classical music as a whole. However, until taking a small risk and buying this set, I steered clear of Bach unless it was impossible to do so. Having to study Baroque music at university this year gave me the real impetus to do so and I don't regret it for a second. This boxset is now my most treasured musical possession and I can't stop listening to the 4 great works contained within. The opening movements of each work are reason enough to buy the set on its own, but when you listen to them all as I was compelled to do, you discover that under the contrapuntal surface of Bach lies a genius who is capable of bringing out the fire in one's heart and moving you at the same time. At 22 pounds i thought this was a bargain as they are 20 pounds separately, saving you a lot of money.
The conducting from John Eliot Gardiner is again top-notch with the soloists, choir and orchestra doing the works supreme justice. The only downside is that there are no libretti, but no doubt they could be found on-line or even by buying the scores.
If you don't know Bach or you don't own these works, I would suggest that you start here, since at this price you really can't go wrong.
Rating:
- The naked Emperor
I know this will be regarded as heresy, not least after reading some of the reviews below, but then so were the words of the child in the story that the Emperor had no clothes.
In Gardiner's performances of the greatest Bach choral works (I haven't dared to listen to his cantata recordings for fear of what I'd find) I hear lashings of technique, every "i" dotted and every "t" crossed - and the soul of a sewing-machine. All the notes are present (boy, are they PRESENT) but there's no beating heart to these tremendously efficient, stainless steel displays. A particular offender is Gardiner's clipped, joyless, marmoreal rendering of the "Christmas Oratorio", a desert island piece for me. If you want a black and white photo, Gardiner's your man all right. If you want living, breathing colour though - and I for one certainly do - steer well clear.
Not recommended.
Rating: - Simply the best
Sir John Eliot's recordings of Bach are simply among the finest performances of music captured on record. This particular set of works are in a word definitive - he captures the dance-like spirit of Bach convincingly (unlike so many others), and the grandiose sections are given breadth without becoming dull. The singing is exemplary, as is the orchestral playing.
Of course, the nature of such a valuable and inexpensive box as this (which comes with a huge booklet containing the essays on the works from the original releases) makes the purchase compulsory!
- Baroque masterpieces- a surprise for meEver since listening to St. John Passion as a young boy, I always had respect for Bach's music and classical music as a whole. However, until taking a small risk and buying this set, I steered clear of Bach unless it was impossible to do so. Having to study Baroque music at university this year gave me the real impetus to do so and I don't regret it for a second. This boxset is now my most treasured musical possession and I can't stop listening to the 4 great works contained within. The opening movements of each work are reason enough to buy the set on its own, but when you listen to them all as I was compelled to do, you discover that under the contrapuntal surface of Bach lies a genius who is capable of bringing out the fire in one's heart and moving you at the same time. At 22 pounds i thought this was a bargain as they are 20 pounds separately, saving you a lot of money.
The conducting from John Eliot Gardiner is again top-notch with the soloists, choir and orchestra doing the works supreme justice. The only downside is that there are no libretti, but no doubt they could be found on-line or even by buying the scores.
If you don't know Bach or you don't own these works, I would suggest that you start here, since at this price you really can't go wrong.
Rating:
- The naked EmperorI know this will be regarded as heresy, not least after reading some of the reviews below, but then so were the words of the child in the story that the Emperor had no clothes.
In Gardiner's performances of the greatest Bach choral works (I haven't dared to listen to his cantata recordings for fear of what I'd find) I hear lashings of technique, every "i" dotted and every "t" crossed - and the soul of a sewing-machine. All the notes are present (boy, are they PRESENT) but there's no beating heart to these tremendously efficient, stainless steel displays. A particular offender is Gardiner's clipped, joyless, marmoreal rendering of the "Christmas Oratorio", a desert island piece for me. If you want a black and white photo, Gardiner's your man all right. If you want living, breathing colour though - and I for one certainly do - steer well clear.
Not recommended.
Rating:
- Simply the best Sir John Eliot's recordings of Bach are simply among the finest performances of music captured on record. This particular set of works are in a word definitive - he captures the dance-like spirit of Bach convincingly (unlike so many others), and the grandiose sections are given breadth without becoming dull. The singing is exemplary, as is the orchestral playing.
Of course, the nature of such a valuable and inexpensive box as this (which comes with a huge booklet containing the essays on the works from the original releases) makes the purchase compulsory!