CD-Charts Position 91
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Elgar - Enigma Variations; Cello Concerto

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Unknown Label

Release Date July 03, 1995

Of all Elgar recordings by Du Pre, this live recording is no doubt the most deeply moving one. The slow movement is probably the slowest interpretation, yet it never loses tension as she gives everything to express the heart-breakingly poignant Elgarian longing. Despite the almost fierce outpouring of emotion, this performance never gives an impression of vulgar sentimentalism, as the sheer depth of music making transcends everything else!

Barenboim's account of Enigma is equally great recording. No over-emotionality here, yet full of grace, magical moments and noble beauty presented in Wagnerian grandeur. The famous Nimrod is played most beautifully.

CD-Charts Position 92
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Vaughan Williams: The Ultimate Collection

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Unknown Label

Release Date February 02, 1998
Ralph Vaughn Williams music is centred in the very heart of the English character. If you can experience the presents of England in the works then you have felt your home. And known the love for its great past without regreting its loss of greatness.

CD-Charts Position 93
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100 Classical Hits

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Belart

Release Date October 13, 2003

This is a great low cost box set which does exactly what it says on the box - it gives you 100 classical music hits, covering all the styles such as baroque, classical, romantic and modern, and includes music from all the popular composers.

Some of the tracks are simply excerpts from the full piece, for example Beethoven's Ninth symphony, originally over 60 minutes long, is reduced to a two and a half minute rousing chorus of the popular `Ode to Joy'. Likewise, Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture is cut from 15 minutes down to the last few minutes of the exciting thunder and fireworks finale.

This editing enables a great range of `hits' to be squeezed onto five discs, and gives the classical music novice a chance to dip their ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 94
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Vivaldi: Four Seasons & Concertos RV257, 376 & 211

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Sony Classics

Release Date June 18, 2002
Most people reading reviews of this disc are probably more interested in The Four Seasons than anything else. As the most frequently played work in the 'classical' repertoire, it has become something of a cliché. How can any new recording offer something different? Well, Carmignola and the Venice Baroque make every effort to do so and this CD fizzes with energy. The storm in the allegro of 'Summer' really does have some clout. Carmignola's playing of the big four is virtuosic and impassioned, while the orchestra contributes massively (theirs is no mere accompaniment).The VBO always offer a multi-layered sound, recorded here in incredible detail.

But my interest lies primarily in the three world-premiere recordings also offered here. It might ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 95
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That's Life

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Russell Watson

Release Date March 05, 2007
Russell Watson is not an opera singer but a pop singer who for some reason has made a little talent go a long way and has been quite successful here in the in the uk, due to serval TV shows.If you want to listen to a real tenor try Domingo or good old Pavarotti now these men can sing and have been in many opera's. What opera has Russell Watson been in? On this CD he murders Freddie Mercury and the fab Montserrat Caballe song "Barcelona" .

CD-Charts Position 96
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Beethoven - Piano Sonatas, Vol 2

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Harmonia Mundi

Release Date October 30, 2006
This three-CD set is built around three of the biggest sonatas - the Pathetique, the Waldstein, and the Hammerklavier. I'm not a pianist, but I do know these pieces very well from many different performers (Brendel, Barenboim, Gilels, Richter, Fischer, Solomon, etc etc). These do sound relatively safe interpretations to me. For example, Lewis's Waldstein is perfectly decent and a joy to listen to... but compare the last movement to Barenboim's (or even Fischer's!) - that fantastically joyous bit towards the end when you feel you're listening to an entire orchestra blasting with utter joy - and you can't help but feel it's not in the same league when it comes to sparkle. Ditto the Hammerklavier. Paul Lewis gives us a nice rendition. The adagio sostenuto comes in ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 97
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Lauridsen - Lux aeterna

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Hyperion

Release Date February 28, 2005
Quite a nice, easy sound at first but it soon wears off. I feel that there is one main compositional idea which the composer does to death. Eventually I couldn't tell one movement from the next.

CD-Charts Position 98
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Onward

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Alfie Boe

Release Date March 12, 2007

Onward is Alfie Boe's third studio album, the first was in association with Classic FM who kicked off his recording career, the following two were made after signing to the EMI Classics label. Born in 1973 in Lancashire his humble upbringing in a largely non-musical environment make his progression from apprentice worker in a TVR car factor to leading tenor in the Broadway production of `La Boheme' all the more remarkable.

The album is mostly a collection of well known pieces which will be familiar to those unaccustomed to classical music or opera, giving it broad appeal to a wide listening audience.

The sleeve notes provide a one or two line commentary on each track explaining the reason for choosing them, and some background to their appeal ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 99
Average Rating:

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Born

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Bond

Release Date August 25, 2003
I'm a hardened, dyed-in-the-wool classical music lover. I have hundreds of classical cds and maybe one shelf of what you'd call pop.

This cd, as has been said, is not classical. Oh sure, the tunes are familiar, but there's a disco beat to them and they've been heavily arranged. When I first saw this group, I did wonder if they were following the lamentable modern trend of looks over talent.

But you know what? I actually really enjoyed it. These ladies can play. Very well, in fact. It's perfect if you like classical, but are in the mood for something a little wilder, or maybe if you are not at all into classical but want to dip your toe in the water.

In short, this was the first Bond album I bought. I now own three.

CD-Charts Position 100
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Vaughan Williams: (2CD) Lark Ascending, Tallis Fantasia, Greensleeves, Variations on Dives and Lazarus

CD-Charts > Music > General
from: Double Decca

Release Date April 12, 1999
Everything you would want as in introduction to Vaughan Williams is here and it sounds fabulous. Whilst not my favourite recording of "The Lark Ascending", its still a treat and more than compensated for by the magnificent recordings of the "English Folk Suite" and "Oboe Concerto".
Disc 2 is just a sheer delight from start to finish. Every track is sublime and you couldnt ask for a better selection of Vaughan Williams on 2 discs. The only comparison I can draw is the "Abba Gold" collection. Thats how good Vaughan Williams and this cd is. Just buy it and enjoy England's finest composer. It makes my day better whenever I put it on.