CD-Charts Position 1

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Sweeter than Roses

Search: How Sweet It Is
from: Decca

Release Date November 16, 1995

CD-Charts Position 2

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Britten - Winter Words; Purcell - Sweeter Than Roses

Search: How Sweet It Is
from: Resonance

Release Date October 02, 2006

CD-Charts Position 3

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Purcell: Winter Words

Search: How Sweet It Is
from: Quicksilva

Release Date October 26, 1995

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Angels Hide Their Faces

Search: How Sweet It Is
from: Nonesuch

Release Date June 04, 2001
This is one of those rare gems that becomes more appealing with each hearing. The Purcell pieces are sweet and lovely, but the Bach ! The Cantata is the glory of this CD. It's verses are of the deepest sorrow and repentance, woeful utterances for God's forgiveness, until the final aria, "How joyful is the heart since God is appeased". Dawn Upshaw's interpretation is beautiful. She captures the emotion, the longing, the spirituality and heart of the piece.

The musicians in the simple accompaniment are superb, and the entire package excellent...it was the cover art that first drew my attention to this CD...an unusual and moving painting by Hugo Simberg titled "Wounded Angel" from 1903. It also has the added touch of being slip-cased, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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Purcell: Theatre Music

Search: How Sweet It Is
by: Christopher Hogwood, James Bowman

Release Date May 10, 2004
Aside from his hymn settings, this was my proper introduction to Henry Purcell. I had often heard him hailed as the last English composer before Elgar great enough to be internationally acclaimed. As far as this goes, Purcell is certainly great. For comparison, I find his style more muted than Handel, the only other 'English' Baroque composer I can use as a reference. If this were Anglican church music that would be expected but this is theatre music, so I take it to be safe to make that judgement. Like English Baroqe architecture, the relative sombriety and austerity of Purcell's Baroque music is probablly just what characterizes it as English. Of course, the period instruments used for this recording but adds to that. There is no outrightly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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Purcell - Songs and Arias

Search: How Sweet It Is
from: Virgin Classics

Release Date March 05, 2001
Aside from his hymn settings, this was my proper introduction to Henry Purcell. I had often heard him hailed as the last English composer before Elgar great enough to be internationally acclaimed. As far as this goes, Purcell is certainly great. For comparison, I find his style more muted than Handel, the only other 'English' Baroque composer I can use as a reference. If this were Anglican church music that would be expected but this is theatre music, so I take it to be safe to make that judgement. Like English Baroqe architecture, the relative sombriety and austerity of Purcell's Baroque music is probablly just what characterizes it as English. Of course, the period instruments used for this recording but adds to that. There is no outrightly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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Purcell - O Solitude - Songs and Airs

Search: How Sweet It Is
from: Virgin Classics

Release Date March 01, 1994
Aside from his hymn settings, this was my proper introduction to Henry Purcell. I had often heard him hailed as the last English composer before Elgar great enough to be internationally acclaimed. As far as this goes, Purcell is certainly great. For comparison, I find his style more muted than Handel, the only other 'English' Baroque composer I can use as a reference. If this were Anglican church music that would be expected but this is theatre music, so I take it to be safe to make that judgement. Like English Baroqe architecture, the relative sombriety and austerity of Purcell's Baroque music is probablly just what characterizes it as English. Of course, the period instruments used for this recording but adds to that. There is no outrightly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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Tribute to the Blue Busters

Search: How Sweet It Is
by: Bunny Maloney

Release Date March 05, 2001
Aside from his hymn settings, this was my proper introduction to Henry Purcell. I had often heard him hailed as the last English composer before Elgar great enough to be internationally acclaimed. As far as this goes, Purcell is certainly great. For comparison, I find his style more muted than Handel, the only other 'English' Baroque composer I can use as a reference. If this were Anglican church music that would be expected but this is theatre music, so I take it to be safe to make that judgement. Like English Baroqe architecture, the relative sombriety and austerity of Purcell's Baroque music is probablly just what characterizes it as English. Of course, the period instruments used for this recording but adds to that. There is no outrightly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

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Tribute to the Blue Busters [VINYL]

Search: How Sweet It Is
by: Bunny Maloney

Release Date March 05, 2001
Aside from his hymn settings, this was my proper introduction to Henry Purcell. I had often heard him hailed as the last English composer before Elgar great enough to be internationally acclaimed. As far as this goes, Purcell is certainly great. For comparison, I find his style more muted than Handel, the only other 'English' Baroque composer I can use as a reference. If this were Anglican church music that would be expected but this is theatre music, so I take it to be safe to make that judgement. Like English Baroqe architecture, the relative sombriety and austerity of Purcell's Baroque music is probablly just what characterizes it as English. Of course, the period instruments used for this recording but adds to that. There is no outrightly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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Tribute to the Bluebusters [CASSETTE]

Search: How Sweet It Is
by: Bunny Maloney

Release Date May 30, 1995
Aside from his hymn settings, this was my proper introduction to Henry Purcell. I had often heard him hailed as the last English composer before Elgar great enough to be internationally acclaimed. As far as this goes, Purcell is certainly great. For comparison, I find his style more muted than Handel, the only other 'English' Baroque composer I can use as a reference. If this were Anglican church music that would be expected but this is theatre music, so I take it to be safe to make that judgement. Like English Baroqe architecture, the relative sombriety and austerity of Purcell's Baroque music is probablly just what characterizes it as English. Of course, the period instruments used for this recording but adds to that. There is no outrightly ... Read More: