CD-Charts Position 1

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That's Trance, Vol. 4

Search: You and I
by: Various

Release Date May 26, 2000

CD-Charts Position 2

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Great Arias and Ensembles from Your Favourite Operas, Volume 2

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by: Various Composers

Release Date September 10, 2001

CD-Charts Position 3

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The Golden Age of Light Music - British Cinema & Theatre Orchestras, Vol 2

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by: Various Composers

Release Date April 03, 2006

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Handel: Messiah /Gritton · Röschmann · Fink · C Daniels · Davies · Gabrieli Consort & Players · McCreesh

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by: Gabrieli Consort Gabrieli Players Paul McCreesh

Release Date August 09, 2004
I agree with the other reviewers in that there are some very good things in this recording, but the overall performance is, for me, very disappointing. It gets off to a bad start with the first recitative "Comfort ye" being taken at a funereal pace, and followed by "Ev'ry valley" sung as though the last train was due in a few minutes, and everyone had to be through in time to catch it! Other tempi are likewise somewhat, to say the least, unusual, and the setting of the words in the aria "The trumpet shall sound" is completely bizarre. The soloists are, on the whole, good, though soprano I is inferior to soprano II, and the contralto is variable. The orchestra and chorus are good, but it is the overall performance that, for me, is not satisfactory. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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Handel: Messiah

Search: You and I
from: Double Decca

Release Date September 18, 1995
The singers in this recording deliver beautiful performances, both the soloists and the chorus - good phrasing, diction, and ensemble singing. However, I didn't realize before buying this CD that, as the liner notes say, "Neville Mariner's recording is based on the first London performance of 1743, and several numbers are markedly different from the more familiar later versions." Some pieces are sung by different voice parts, and others include bars of music that Handel cut or changed later. The most disappointing part for me was "But who may abide," (sung by bass instead of alto) which lacks the prestissimo "refiner's fire" section that most of us are used to (and which I really enjoy!) This would certainly be an excellent ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Britten conducts Britten Vol.3

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by: Benjamin Britten

Release Date September 19, 2005
The title Britten conducts Britten Operas is a bit misleading - all the pieces in this extensive set are choral works. All have been assembled from Decca's catalogue of definitive performances conducted mainly by the composer himself. A few of the works don't appear to be still available as single disks - so if you want a copy, you will have to buy this set. But at the price of just over £2 per CD, who can complain? Highlight of the set for me was the War Requiem. The only downside - and it's a fairly big one - there's a booklet containing track listings and notes about the music but no libretti, unlike the single disc issues of these pieces which had libretti.

CD-Charts Position 7
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Britten: Curlew River

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from: London

Release Date June 07, 1989
Brilliant - because this performance of Curlew River draws you in and makes you 'feel' the drama. Curious - because if you follow Britten's score, you discover that in a couple of places this performance (directed by Britten himself) departs from the score in terms of timing ... if one reads the score literally. I don't doubt that Britten knew exactly what he wanted - we are after all talking about a man who could compose an opera in his head and then write it down faster than I can even transcribe a score manually, so I take my hat off to him. It's just that this is about the only example I know of a recording of a Britten work, directed by the composer, in which what I hear doesn't quite match up with what I see in the score. HOWEVER don't let this put you ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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Songs of Pasha

Search: You and I
by: Various Artists

Release Date January 03, 1996
Brilliant - because this performance of Curlew River draws you in and makes you 'feel' the drama. Curious - because if you follow Britten's score, you discover that in a couple of places this performance (directed by Britten himself) departs from the score in terms of timing ... if one reads the score literally. I don't doubt that Britten knew exactly what he wanted - we are after all talking about a man who could compose an opera in his head and then write it down faster than I can even transcribe a score manually, so I take my hat off to him. It's just that this is about the only example I know of a recording of a Britten work, directed by the composer, in which what I hear doesn't quite match up with what I see in the score. HOWEVER don't let this put you ... Read More: