Vernier

This collection puts some of the best Purcell on display–and it couldn't have a more musical or vocally accomplished advocate than Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin. Her voice is pretty for sure, but it also has richness and substance, not to mention a most endearing vibrato that adds an earnestness and enlivening tension to everything she sings.

Maxim Vengerov's splendiferous Strad pours reedy-rich tones from its lower register and sings the sweetest high notes this side of Jascha Heifetz, without the least hint of an undesirable sound or mistuned note. Vengerov's impeccable technique and mature musicianship consistently place him at the top of today's young generation of violinists. Here he plumbs Prokofiev's emotionally charged concerto and finds its unadorned essence–especially memorable in the sensuous slow movement and the exuberant finale.

Church musicians, especially of the Anglican/Episcopal persuasion, should be happy that there's at least one person out there writing first-rate, functional, and very accessible (in the best sense) anthems and service music–music that dedicated, competent choirs and organists can perform to a high standard. Some listeners may recognize Grayston Ives (nom de plume of Bill Ives) for his years (in the 1980s) with the King's Singers where he both sang and contributed as an arranger.

Just how engaging, catchy, lively, and artful can 13th century Spanish music be? Very, as evidenced by this collection of motets, conductus, mass movements, and strophic songs from the legendary manuscript compiled at the 12th-century Cistercian convent at Las Huelgas. This remarkable program, highlighting only a handful of the nearly 200 works contained in the original manuscript, shows not only the beauty and inventiveness of sacred music of this period, but also how colorful and varied it could be.

Domenico Gallo - 12 Trio Sonatas (Originally attributed to Pergolesi)
Classical | 1 CD | EAC | FLAC, CUE, LOG | Scans | 429 MB | RS
Recorded: 22+23/2, 28+30/6 1999, Hans Rosbaud Studio, Baden-Baden
Released: 2000 | Label: cpo 999 717 | TT: 68:50
Parnassi musici (Margaret MacDuffie, Matthias Fischer - violin,
Stephan Schrader - cello, Martin Lutz - harpsichord)

Within the first few seconds of the first track–the Sonata No. 1 in G major–most listeners will find themselves in surprisingly familiar territory–surprising because this little-known 18th-century composer seems to have written a popular tune long attributed to Pergolesi, a misattribution given additional false credibility by its use in Stravinsky's Pulcinella. […] Ultimately–other than the fact that it's always nice to set the record straight–the author of these expertly written and very appealing works for violins, cello, and harpsichord is not so important as what they offer to listeners and to performers. […] As realized by these four excellent players and their well-matched period instruments, we can count on a steadfastly upbeat, uplifting hour and 10 minutes of first rate chamber music notable for its lovely, lively melodies and skillfully varied textures and harmonic settings. (David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com)
The playing of the period instrument group Parnassi musici is elegant, tuneful and exhibits a splendid lightness of touch. This is music to delight rather than astound, and, along with compositions by Bach's sons, gives an aural snapshot of the moment when the formality of the Baroque period gave way to classical exuberance. (Tony Gualtieri, classical-music-review.org)

When you've got a good thing going, as Russian-born Israeli cellist Mischa Maisky did with his first two solo cello albums, Meditation and Adagio, why not continue? So here is his third collection of lovely and well-loved classical themes, most of which are specially arranged for cello and piano, several by Maisky himself. Included are Debussy's Clair de lune and Saint-Saëns's Allegro appassionato.

“The performances are notable for their sonorous beauty and musical refinement, matching the sensuality (sometimes veiled, sometimes impassioned) of their varied and captivating program…. A fascinating and beguiling disc." - 5 stars - Uri Golomb , Goldberg Magazine, April 2008
The sonics of this ATMA Classique recording are pristine and crystalline. The entire set possesses a Renaissance oil portrait patina, even in the more recent compositions. But this is not a dusty or dank patina. It is vibrant and colorful, sensual and pious. This may be the "classical" recording of the year.

The Prague Philharmonic choir join over a dozen others who have recorded Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil, a work once thought the special property of the Russian choirs who are, of course, prominent in the lists. The Czechs sing it without a cantor, and more as a concert work than some of the others do. Though they take the famous scale in the Nunc dimittis, descending to a profound B flat, in their stride, they are not as sonorous as some others, and their particular contribution is to sing the music lightly and flexibly, with a lively response to the words. They have excellent sopranos, safe in intonation when attacking the exposed high entries in thirds which are a feature of the music, and a good tenor for the three numbers that involve him as a soloist. The Magnificat, with all its tempo changes and shifts of register, is expressively done, as are the light rhythms of ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord’.

Huelgas-Ensemble / Paul van Nevel - Le Chant de Virgile
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 278 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Harmonia Mundi France # HMC 901739 | Country/Year: France 2002
Genre: Classical | Style: Renaissance, Vocal

Sometimes a disc's title can be just a bit too clever for its own good. From a glance at this disc's cover, with its title "Le Chant de Virgile", you'd never know that it contained first class works by Josquin, Senfl, Lassus, Mouton, Willaert, and Cipriano de Rore, among others. Sure, when you read the fine print on the reverse side of the disc packaging, you discover that the program is a celebration of Renaissance works whose texts are drawn from "Virgil, Horace, and Catullus"–but why not make this clear from the outset?