CD-Charts Position 81

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Land of My Fathers: the Best of Welsh Male Voice Choirs

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
by: Various Artists

Release Date May 13, 2006

CD-Charts Position 82
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Pärt: Alina

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: ECM New Series

Release Date October 25, 1999
If someone was to ask me to go through my music collection and pick out the perfect piece of music, Alina would be it. Neither offensive nor boring or shallow, it's uncomplicated with thought provoking phrasing, holding one's attention time after time without growing tiring. Yes, the tracks are slightly repetitive and the CD only has 2 tracks (albeit varied), but believe me you could stick your player on repeat and have this running for a couple of hours without wanting to change it.

What is interesting is that everyone who has heard this CD playing has complemented the music and asked for the details. It's a winner with my wife, who despises at least 90% of my music taste. It even manages to calm my baby down.

CD-Charts Position 83
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Mozart: Requiem

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Sony Classical

Release Date November 05, 2001
Mozart's Requiem has to be one his most famous pieces, and this recording does it many favours. The "Confutatis" is renowned as the most visual movement, and the Gächinger Kantorei and Bach-Collegium Stuttgart play with such passion, the emotions and visions of hell mustered up are clear in all senses. If anyone has ever seen the film Amadeus, the pictures from the film are instantly remembered as the orchestra plays the music written by Mozart to his death, resulting in his death. The soloists and chorus are as equally sensitive as they are passionate and harsh. The orchestra accompanying to perfection adding emotion, both destructive and eerie, especially in the "Dies Irae", with repetitive flourishes in the strings and the wind keeping ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 84
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Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date April 17, 1989
This marvellous suite is the very embodiment of the Henrik Ibsen's unparalelled work of fantasy. The music is more than an accompaniment to the play, it is essential to a successful performance, enabling both the actors and the audience alike to become completely absorbed by Ibsen's stunning world.

CD-Charts Position 85
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Beethoven - Violin Concerto

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: EMI Classics

Release Date October 05, 1998
In my opinion it is very difficult to identify one version of a work as great as this . Different interpretations can tell you so much more about a work .

That said this marvellous recording from the early 1980s was my introduction to a 25 year long love affair with this piece . Perlman spins tone of gold whilst also allowing introspection in the slow movement .

That said I wouldn't be without Menuhin/Furtwangler on Testament, Oistrakh/Cluytens on EMI or Hilary Hahn on Sony either

CD-Charts Position 86
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Great Inventors and Their Inventions: Archimedes, Gutenberg, Franklin, Nobel, Bell, Marconi, The Wright Brothers, Edison (Junior Classics)

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
by: David Angus

Release Date October 02, 2006
This audio CD book, alongside with other Naxos educational CDs for children, is absolutely fantastic. It contains loads of information, so adults interest is guaranteed as well as children's fascination. It's a must for curious little minds. Presented in an easy listening format, it educates and enterntains at the same time. Boring car journeys became a highly enjoyable and educational experiences in our family since Naxos CDs were purchased. Being non-fiction, they can be listened to over and over again, offering a chance for the child to remember and/or understand more details each time.

CD-Charts Position 87
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Mozart: Great Piano Concertos

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Universal Classics

Release Date July 07, 1997
Mozart is deceptively hard to play - everything is so exposed and must sound clean and polished. I have a lot of respect for Ashkenazy as a pianist, because in these Mozart concertos he has achieved just that. Perfect legato, even playing. I find these recordings so satisfying to listen to, as he is in utter control of everything.

The D minor concerto has to be one my favourites of Mozart's 27, and it is given an amazing performance here (as are the rest). The work is so good, Beethoven wrote a magnificent set of cadenzas for it! I particularly enjoy listening to how Ashkenazy executes these cadenzas with so much expression and real virtuosity.

Ashkenazy's performance of these works sound perfect to my ears. Go on treat yourself! ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 88
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Classical 2008

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
by: Various Artists

Release Date October 15, 2007

This 2CD release is a great collection of classical music which bears no real relevance to the 2008 in the title other than being released almost (!) in 2008.

The only common factor between all the tracks is that they are all, without exception, performed by top artists, making the album both highly recommended and, considering the numerous different performers who are included, guaranteed to please most listeners.

The album doesn't make any 'Best of', 'Ultimate' or 'The Only One You'll ever Need' claims because quite simply anyone who likes it will probably want more, the obvious choice of course is the inevitable 'Classical 2009' release next year.

It should be noted that not all the recordings are from 2007, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 89
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Abide with Me - 50 Favourite Hymns

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Double Decca

Release Date July 08, 1996
I have often listened to church music thinking to myself is it all manifested in the same place and released under different titles? However this selection 'hits the spot' with some great renditions of worshipful music and if you like to listen to part singing then cd 1 is excellent. There also some lovely descants some of which i had not heard before, an inspiring selection. Excellent.

CD-Charts Position 90
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Puccini: La Bohème

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Decca

Release Date August 05, 1987
In a recent BBC3 "CD Review" broadcast, Alexandra Wilson made a gallant attempt to achieve the impossible task of choosing amongst forty or so recordings of "La Boheme" - and while I agreed with her ultimate choice of the Beecham recording with Bjorling, Merrill and De Los Angeles, I have rather more regard for this discarded Karajan recording simply because Pavarotti's voice, in its prime, as she herself put it, "runs through the recording like a golden seam". The rest of the cast is wonderful, too, although Karajan's love for the score is manifested in a rather deliberately "beautiful" approach and thereby slightly undercuts the drama. I cannot be without either recording of this eternally youthful and moving opera, and although Freni was captured in slightly ... Read More: