Fallen (2008)

Christine Schäfer models the notes in a sovereign and refreshingly light manner: Werner Güra not only convinces as an evangelist, but also proves his class in the arias." The two bassists intone a hearty-bawdy, sometimes very soft and gentle tone There is nothing wrong with Harnoncourt's portrayal of the opening movement of the Third Cantata, where the music explodes in a way that has not been heard before.

Released on ad21music on the date of the label's 10th anniversary, this release sees Argentinean Bruno Sanfilippo in collaboration with the prolific German drone and overtone musician Mathias Grassow. Beautiful, soft, elegant piano melodies and subtle, enveloping drones. "Ambessence Piano & Drones" sets a new level of blissful dreaminess. Hazy, gossamer breathing strains with the lightest of touches hang weightless, shapeless as if the very air itself has been transformed into to music. Sometimes the underlying sonic textures are so transparent they might simply be environmental recordings, a thickening of emptiness…

The ongoing cantata cycle of Masaaki Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan was initiated in 1995. The series has now reached its 40th volume, in the meantime receiving an astonishing number of distinctions from magazines and critics all over the world. But parallell to their cantata cycle, Suzuki and his Collegium have also recorded Bach’s larger-scaled choral works; recordings which have caught the imagination and attention of audiences and critics alike.

Gram Parsons' legend is so great that it's easy for the neophyte to be skeptical about his music, wondering if it really is deserving of such effusive praise. Simply put, it is, and if you question the veracity of that statement, turn to Rhino's peerless double-disc set, Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology. This is the first truly comprehensive overview of Parsons' work, running from the International Submarine Band, through the Byrds, to the Flying Burrito Brothers and his two solo albums, scattering appropriate rarities or non-LP tracks along the way…

Edward Elgar & Arnold Bax - For The Fallen - Hallé Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder (2017) {Digital Download CDHLL7544}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (prestoclassical.co.uk) -> 249 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 160 Mb
Full Artwork (jpg+pdf) -> 8 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2017 Hallé Concerts Society | CD HLL 7544
Classical / Early 20th Century

The latest release in Hallé’s award winning series of recordings of works by Elgar couples his last great choral work with a fascinating collection of works which similarly remember the departed. Previous Elgar choral releases of The Dream of Gerontius (CDHLD7520), The Kingdom (HLD7526) and The Apostles (CDHLD7534) were universally acclaimed, winning numerous awards, including a Gramophone Award for each release. The largely overlooked The Spirit of England is arguably Elgar’s last great choral work. Thematically linked to The Dream of Gerontius the work sets texts from WWI poets and was premiered in sections during 1916 and 1917. In tone it is close to the melancholy of the Cello Concerto and Britten referred to its music as displaying “a personal tenderness and grief” as well as “genuine splendour”.

"Coming Home" is a journey that evokes a sense of exploration into the cycles of life, weaving poetic lyrical and instrumental tapestries with organic world instruments. In this first full length album release, Urban Nature beautifully performs on a variety of instruments including bamboo and Native American flutes, guitar, voice, tabla, sarod, zither, slot drum, jaw harp, and percussion.