CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

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Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248 - Christmas Oratorio Part 1 To 6 [1999]

starring: Claron McFadden, Bernarda Fink, Christoph Genz, Dietrich Henschel, The Monteverdi Choir

Release Date October 31, 2005
Brilliant. Absolutely, stunningly, mind-blowingly brilliant. This was the kick-off concert for the Gardiner Bach cantata pilgrimage of 2000, performed in the Herderkirche, Weimar. I have Gardiner's CD of the Weihnachtsoratorium, which I previously regarded as the best version. Not any more. This knocks spots off it. Soloists (vocal and instrumental), the EBS and of course the marvellous Monteverdis are on top form and the whole thing crackles with excitement. Gardiner clearly has a ball; no routine music-making this, this is passionate with a capital P. He also has a feeling for the dance-like rhythms in much of the piece - just listen to the Monteverdis sizzle through the skittering opening chorale of Cantata 5 and see how long you can stop ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

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Claudio Monteverdi: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria (NTSC)

starring: Vesselina Kasarova, Dietrich Henschel, Malin Hartelius, Isabelle Rey, Martina Janková
directed by: Félix Breisach

Release Date March 18, 2003
Brilliant. Absolutely, stunningly, mind-blowingly brilliant. This was the kick-off concert for the Gardiner Bach cantata pilgrimage of 2000, performed in the Herderkirche, Weimar. I have Gardiner's CD of the Weihnachtsoratorium, which I previously regarded as the best version. Not any more. This knocks spots off it. Soloists (vocal and instrumental), the EBS and of course the marvellous Monteverdis are on top form and the whole thing crackles with excitement. Gardiner clearly has a ball; no routine music-making this, this is passionate with a capital P. He also has a feeling for the dance-like rhythms in much of the piece - just listen to the Monteverdis sizzle through the skittering opening chorale of Cantata 5 and see how long you can stop ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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Gluck - Alceste / Robert Wilson, John Eliot Gardiner, Théâtre du Châtelet [1999]

starring: Anne Sofie von Otter, Paul Groves, Dietrich Henschel, Yann Beuron, Ludovic Tézier
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date December 04, 2000
Brilliant. Absolutely, stunningly, mind-blowingly brilliant. This was the kick-off concert for the Gardiner Bach cantata pilgrimage of 2000, performed in the Herderkirche, Weimar. I have Gardiner's CD of the Weihnachtsoratorium, which I previously regarded as the best version. Not any more. This knocks spots off it. Soloists (vocal and instrumental), the EBS and of course the marvellous Monteverdis are on top form and the whole thing crackles with excitement. Gardiner clearly has a ball; no routine music-making this, this is passionate with a capital P. He also has a feeling for the dance-like rhythms in much of the piece - just listen to the Monteverdis sizzle through the skittering opening chorale of Cantata 5 and see how long you can stop ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Monteverdi: Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria -- Zurich/Harnoncourt [2002]

starring: Vesselina Kasarova, Dietrich Henschel, Malin Hartelius, Isabelle Rey, Martina Janková
directed by: Félix Breisach

Release Date February 03, 2003
Brilliant. Absolutely, stunningly, mind-blowingly brilliant. This was the kick-off concert for the Gardiner Bach cantata pilgrimage of 2000, performed in the Herderkirche, Weimar. I have Gardiner's CD of the Weihnachtsoratorium, which I previously regarded as the best version. Not any more. This knocks spots off it. Soloists (vocal and instrumental), the EBS and of course the marvellous Monteverdis are on top form and the whole thing crackles with excitement. Gardiner clearly has a ball; no routine music-making this, this is passionate with a capital P. He also has a feeling for the dance-like rhythms in much of the piece - just listen to the Monteverdis sizzle through the skittering opening chorale of Cantata 5 and see how long you can stop ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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Alceste [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

starring: Anne Sofie von Otter, Paul Groves, Dietrich Henschel, Yann Beuron, Ludovic Tézier
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date March 27, 2001
Brilliant. Absolutely, stunningly, mind-blowingly brilliant. This was the kick-off concert for the Gardiner Bach cantata pilgrimage of 2000, performed in the Herderkirche, Weimar. I have Gardiner's CD of the Weihnachtsoratorium, which I previously regarded as the best version. Not any more. This knocks spots off it. Soloists (vocal and instrumental), the EBS and of course the marvellous Monteverdis are on top form and the whole thing crackles with excitement. Gardiner clearly has a ball; no routine music-making this, this is passionate with a capital P. He also has a feeling for the dance-like rhythms in much of the piece - just listen to the Monteverdis sizzle through the skittering opening chorale of Cantata 5 and see how long you can stop ... Read More: