CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Bizet: L'Arlesienne; Carmen

from: Naive

Release Date April 29, 2008
These frequently recorded Bizet works (L'Arlesienne suites and incidental music, and Carmen suite) receive a very refreshing expression in this new recording by Marc Minkowski and his Louvre musicians. French music is unique and is best performed by the French. In these recordings the band captures the feeling of the music like none other that I have heard.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Offenbach Romantique

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date February 13, 2007
I purchased this album because I had so enjoyed Marc Minkowski's excellent version of Orphée aux Enfers(Offenbach - Orphée aux Enfers / Dessay, Naouri, Fouchécourt, Beuron, Podles, Petibon, Smith, Gens, Cole, Minkowski ). I have enjoyed this disc almost as much!
It is worth noting that the piece designated as the overture to Orphée aux Enfers on this disc is actually quite different from the one on the other Minkowski disc listed above. It's a longer piece that is a sampling and arranging of the major themes from the operetta. It is a delight.

CD-Charts Position 3
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Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

from: Decca

Release Date September 13, 2005
One can't help but be impressed with the agility in Bartoli's voice. Vocal fireworks! And yet the "Mentre io godo...", "Caldo sangue" and "Lascia la spina..." are so sweet and calming. I consider this CD a must have!

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

The Baroque Christmas Album

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date October 11, 2005
There are not many things in life that I would describe as just Gorgeous -- but this album is definitely one of them. The selections, the arrangements, the production quality, all are clean, yet lush -- simultaneously light and rich. The effect is wonderful.

This may not appeal to hardest-core periodists, but for beautiful music lovingly performed, the album is very hard to beat. Not only rocketted to the top of my favorite holiday album list - it is already high on my favorite all-time list. It will NOT be getting put away with the rest of the Christmas albums. Year-round keeper!

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Rameau - Une symphonie imaginaire / Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date June 14, 2005
I recentlty heard a couple tracks from this cd on Xm and was blown away. I am the traditional Mozart lover along with the other great masters. I bought the CD and have listened to it alot. It is a very wonderfully done piece. I especially like that it was put together from various collections of the composer Rameau.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Enchantment

from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date May 09, 2006
In this set Kozena hand picks the music from her previous recordings, and makes a strong case that she is one of the most accomplished singers in classical music today. To say that this is a wide selection would be an understatement; she sings music from Bach, Mozart, Handel, Bizet, Gluck, Respigghi, Dvorak, and many more. This light mezzo has an absolutely beautiful voice. It is amazingly even throughout her very wide register, and her coloratura is superb. No wonder she won the Gramophone Magazine award for classical music artist of the year in 2005.

So if you get this 2 CD set, be prepared for well over 2 hours of beautiful singing, and a bonus video of "Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sunder". It's a fun little clip that you can watch on your ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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Lully - Acis & Galatée / Fouchécourt, Gens, Naouri, Crook, Delunsch, Felix, Masset, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date September 12, 2006
For me Lully had always been the answer to a trivia question - What baroque composer killed himself by smashing his toe with his conducting stick? Listening to this recording opened my eyes to the composer. It is consistently delightful and full of invention, and I would rank it near the top of baroque opera along with Handel's Julius Caesar and Monteverdi's Orfeo. By the way, if you are wondering how he could have died from a blow to the toe, gangrene set in and finished him off.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Rameau - Platée / Ragon, Smith, de Mey, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

from: Erato

Release Date January 27, 1992
It seems that Marc Minkowski and his Ensemble Vocal Francoise Herr accompanied by Les Musiciens Du Louvre are incapable of putting on a poor performance. If you have a penchant for Rameau, this recording is one of Minkowski"s best. The soloists are all superb and the music inspired The ensembles are a particular delight. Well recorded.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Lully: Phaeton

by: Gens, Fouchecourt, Minkowski, Les Musiciens Du Louvre

Release Date August 12, 2002
Perhaps this is a greta opera!?

I am not sure. However, this is a great recording of this great opera and I have listened to it oh-so-many times on my own and with my parents.
Lully's score is very colourful, what with his banks of oboes, bassoons, strings and continuo.

Lully's operas are incredibly good, in my opinion, and if Hervé Niquet's recent DVD of Persée is anything to go on, Jean-Baptiste Lully's operas are well worth staging and recording for future audiences.

Phaëton is a marvellous work and the cast of this recording is excellent: Howard Crook, Rachel Yakar, Jennifer Smith, Véronique Gens, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Philippe Huttenlocher and Laurent Naouri are featured. Ensemble Vocal Sagittarius sings the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Charpentier - Te Deum · Nuit · Messe de minuit / Massis · Kozená · Smythe · Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

from: Deutsche Gram. Ger.

Release Date September 08, 1997
As I mentioned in the title, the "Nuit" instrumental interlude is worth the price of this disc, however, this recording is a real winner on every level and no lover of Baroque music should be without it.

Many people, perhaps most people, will recognise the Rondeau from the Te Deum. I think it was used during the World Cup, or was it the Olympics, some years ago. Minkowski's Les Musiciens du Louvre use a bass natural trumpet here, along with the regular clarini, and the affects/effects here are very powerful. The Te Deum is a grand work and full of M-A Charpentier's great creativity and vision. I think he was one of the very greatest Baroque composers - up there with Biber, Purcell, Corelli and Rosenmüller in his own age.

The Midnight Mass is ... Read More: