CD-Charts Position 1

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The Very Best of Peter Paul and Mary

by: Peter Paul & Mary

Release Date September 12, 2005

CD-Charts Position 2
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Haydn - The Creation / Piau, Persson, Massey, Harvey, Padmore, Davies, Gabrieli Consort & Players, McCreesh

by: Sandrine Piau Miah Persson Ruth Massey Mark Padmore Peter Harvey Neal Davies Gabrieli Consort & Players Paul McCreesh, Miah Persson, Mark Padmore, Joseph Haydn, Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort & Players, Chetham's Chamber Choir, Peter Harvey, Neil Davies, Ruth Massey

Release Date March 17, 2008
It has become `de rigueur' for choral works to be performed in their original languages: For example, where once Brahms' German Requiem or Haydn's Creation were regularly sung in English- often by large northern choirs - nowadays it seems that no-one dares to sing them in anything other than German.

The fact is that, in the case of The Creation, the English version has as much validity as the German, and it would appear that Haydn had both languages in mind when setting his text: all the more reason to have a recording in English.

Similarly, where once works such as Bach's B Minor Mass would have been given by huge choirs, modern `historically informed' practise tends towards paring down the forces, even to the extreme ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Kenneth McKellar - The Decca Years (1955-1975) [BOX SET]

from: Decca

Release Date July 12, 1999
The tenor voice of kenneth mckellar has alwasys amazed me for its scope, tone quality and also cute versatility. He seems so able to sing anything with such convictition yet complet sentiment and feeling, down to last detail. his range of song style is about as wide as it is posible to get; rather then a `fixed` style as so many singers seem to have.to put it another way, he sings the song the way it`s ment to be sung rather then to suit a style of singing that he choose. A perfect example is the LP. handel`s famous songs and arias: mckeller is the only singer that i have heard record handel`s-`ombra-mai-fu` with the introduction befor the largo also to sing `love in her eyes sits waiting` which is a master piece of singing and voice control. His ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Record of Singing, Vol.3

from: Testament

Release Date February 09, 2003
This series, produced by EMI in the days of LPs, is one of the great achievements of the gramophone - they rightfully belong up there with the Decca Ring, the EMI Callas series, and any other candidates you care to name. Together they provide a truly comprehensive survey of singing right through the age of recording up to the early days of the LP. Sadly, to the best of my knowledge, only Volumes 3 & 4 have appeared on CD - the very earliest era of recording and the period up to the introduction of electrical recording methods that were originally on Volumes 1 and 2 really deserve to be heard again.

Volume 3, the collection under discussion here, covers the period from 1926-1939. This was a veritable Golden Age of Singing - in Wagner it ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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R Strauss: Orchestral Works

from: EMI

Release Date October 18, 1999
This has got to be the best collection of Strauss' tone poems and other orchestral works, bar none. Recorded between 1970 and 1976 by the sonorous Staatskapple Dresden under Strauss specialist Rudolf Kempe, this set should be in the collection of anyone interested in the music around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

We have 9 CDs and a reasonable booklet containing all of the Strauss major orchestral works as follows:-

CD 1. Horn Concertos 1 & 2, Oboe Concerto, Duett-Concertino.

CD2. Burleske, Parergon zur Sinfonia Domestica, Panathenaenzug.

CD3. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben.

CD4. Violin Concerto, Sinfonia Domestica.

CD5. Also sprach Zarathustra, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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World of Sacred Music

from: Decca

Release Date February 02, 1993
This has got to be the best collection of Strauss' tone poems and other orchestral works, bar none. Recorded between 1970 and 1976 by the sonorous Staatskapple Dresden under Strauss specialist Rudolf Kempe, this set should be in the collection of anyone interested in the music around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

We have 9 CDs and a reasonable booklet containing all of the Strauss major orchestral works as follows:-

CD 1. Horn Concertos 1 & 2, Oboe Concerto, Duett-Concertino.

CD2. Burleske, Parergon zur Sinfonia Domestica, Panathenaenzug.

CD3. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben.

CD4. Violin Concerto, Sinfonia Domestica.

CD5. Also sprach Zarathustra, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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In the Wind

by: Peter Paul & Mary

Release Date October 13, 2003
"In the Wind" was the third album put out by Peter, Paul & Mary and was so successful that when it hit #1 on the Billboard album charts it dragged their two previous albums back into the Top 10 as well. The album was released in October 1963, which meant is was only a month before the assassination of JFK and a few months before the arrival of the Beatles heralded the British Invasion. But at this point in musical history the folk music revival was in full flower.

The first two singles from this album were also what popularized the music of Bob Dylan. "Blowin' in the Wind" made it to #2 on the charts while "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" made it to #9. PP&M also recorded a third and unreleased Dylan song, "Quit Your Low Down Ways." Their cover of "Stewball" ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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A Garland for Linda

from: Emi Classics

Release Date February 07, 2000
Although I have not followed contemporary classical, or formal music, and bought the album to acquire Paul McCartney's contribution, I was looking forward to an introduction to other contemporary composers, and I was not disappointed. As one who has more background in literature than in music, I was struck by the degree to which all the composers rendered tiny dramas from the texts they worked with, or, in some cases, wrote themselves. The more dramatic pieces, with full plots, as it were, are Water Lilies, The doorway of the dawn, The flight of the swan, and Nova. Doorway of the dawn has a distinctive verve, and sounds like trumpets. John Taverner's Prayer for the healing of the sick has an extraordinarily fine melodic line, handled with great restraint, and Roxanna Panufnik's ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
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In Concert

by: Paul & Mary Peter

Release Date
For me this is definitely the best P,P&M album of all. The performance of Rock My Soul (strangely called 'Oh my soul' by Amazon) is not on any other album to my knowledge and is worth the price of this CD by itself. Jesus Met the Woman is another classic on this CD.

CD-Charts Position 10
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Smooth Classics

from: Classic FM

Release Date October 19, 2002
Every year at this time Classic FM bring out a new triple CD set - and this year's is even better than the ones that have come before. I didn't think they'd be able to better "Time to Relax", which was last year's album - but they have! And they've done it in some style too by choosing music from their evening programme "Smooth Classics at Seven", which is presented by the legendary John Brunning. I can't recommend this album enough. And it does just what it says on the box. I've got my copy in the car at the moment - it's perfect as an antidote to a journey from Hull to Manchester on the M62 every morning. I'm seriously considering ordering two more copies - one for the office and one for home - the music choice really is that good. This is excellent stress-busting stuff - and the quality ... Read More: