CD-Charts Position 1
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Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)

by: Benny Andersson, Julian Poole, Jenny Galloway, Nicolas Colicos, Paul Clarkson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Lisa Stokke, Eliza Lumley, Melissa Gibson, Siobhan McCarthy, Louise Plowright, Jenny Galloway, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson

Release Date October 17, 2000
Just a quick note to say how enjoyable this Broadway soundtrack is with its memorable and catchy tunes! Lots of music here that is not in the movie version, too. Take a listen and enjoy!

CD-Charts Position 2
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Mozart - Die Entführung aus dem Serail / Orgonasova, Sieden, Olsen, Peper, Hauptmann, Minetti; Gardiner

by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Eliot Gardiner, Luba Orgonasova, Cyndia Sieden, Stanford Olsen, Uwe Peper, Cornelius Hauptmann, English Baroque Soloists

Release Date April 13, 1993
All in all I was very pleased with this recording. The only complaints that I have would be that Konstanze's and Blonde's voices sound very dry to me. Personally I prefer a Soprano with a more rich, "wet" sounding voice if you will. Orgonasova execute's "Marten Allen Arten" very well, with a display of impeccable technique. I think Hauptmann plays Osmin very well, capturing the Powerful, Menacing, yet Slightly "Oafy" essence the character demands (although As I have witnessed here and in a recording of La Clemenza di Tito that I bought that also has Hauptmann in it, he isn't the best when it comes to coloratura passages; his voice sounds rather "klunky" when executing a sixteenth note run). The lead Tenor (can't remember his name), gives an ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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25th Hour (Score)

by: Terence Blanchard

Release Date January 14, 2003
One star cause it doesn't have the songs I'm looking for, great movie though. thanks to those you posted where the club scene songs can be found, but where can we get the actual mix that was played while Naturelle and Marie were dancing? That is not on the CDs mentioned below....

CD-Charts Position 4
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Mamma Mia!: 5th Anniversary Edition

Release Date
If you are going to get the CD of the Mamma Mia musical this is the one to buy. I know the price is stiff, but, at least to me, it is worth it. I have played it several times and never get tired of it. In addition, it includes an encore rendition of the songs Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, and an initial rendition of Waterloo. You can buy cheaper CD's of the Mamma Mia musical, but these ABBA songs are worth paying a little more to get the best version that is available for sale.

CD-Charts Position 5
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Giovanni Gabrieli: Music For San Rocco

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date November 19, 1996
This CDs sound quality is superb and highlights the antiphonal quality of the works.

This CD displays the range of Gabrieli, who is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated composers. There are pieces for every mood. From the triumphal "Jubilate Deo," to the dynamic "Magnificat," this collection does not disappoint. My favorite track has to be "Suscipe, Clementissime Deus." It starts off as very prayerful, introspective and pleading and blossoms into an outpouring of fervor toward the end when the singers exclaim, "Tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, to solus altissimus, Jesu Christe."

CD-Charts Position 6
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Handel: Saul

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date April 13, 2004
From the very start you know you are entering a masterpiece performed by one of the greatest living conductors. First the use of instruments. Each one has a particular part to play and, even in the most unified tuttis of the orchestra, each instrument plays its role and can be followed faithfully without getting lost in some kind of blended melting pot. This is admirable from the opening notes right on till the end. Then Handel uses voices in a very creative way too. David is an alto, which is normal in the 18th century since he is the hero and no one is going to cast a shadow on him. The alliance of this alto with the tenor Jonathan or the soprano Michal, or even the antagonistic soprano Merab, leads to giving each voice a real dramatic depth. The two sopranos ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail

from: Archiv Produktion

Release Date June 14, 2005
This recording of Mozart's first German opera The Abduction From The Seraglio is also on another box set/label and has been re-issued for Deutsche Grammophone, the world's greatest classical music and opera label. The Brit Sir Jon Elio Gardiner conducts at a brisk, lively pace (too fast for some folks) and the principal singers sing with excellent German diction and in the traditional Singspiel style but lack a je ne sais quai to really stand out. Tenor Stanford Olsen sings Belmonte, baritone Hans Peter Minetti as Pasha Selim, soprano Luba Orgonasova as Konstanze, soprano Cyndia Sieden as Blonde, Uwe Peper as Pedrillo and bass Cornelius Hauptmann as Osmin. If you're a fan of any of these singers, this recording is for you. Soprao Luba Orgonasova makes a terrific, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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More Broadway's Greatest Love Songs

by: Various Artists

Release Date January 29, 2002
this is a wonderful and eclectic mix of songs from Broadway- some fascinating, others just very interesting, all delightful

CD-Charts Position 9
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Danny Boy: The Music of Percy Grainger

from: Philips

Release Date May 14, 1996
If you want everything Grainger wrote for orchestra and chorus, the Hickox series on Chandos is indispensible. But if you're looking for a good sampling of Grainger's musical style, then this CD by John-Eliot Gardiner is just the thing. I really like JEG's way with most of the selections. Brigg Fair, Seventeen Come Sunday, Shallow Brown and several others are well-known works, and JEG does a fine job with those, joined by a top-notch chorus and sharp orchestral accompaniment. There are also a few lesser-known works on the CD, including the Foster Tribute -- one of the most amazing and intriguing arrangements of Foster melodies you're ever likely to hear ... and at more than 11 minutes in length, it's almost a mini tone-poem for chorus and orchestra.

Buy ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
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George Frideric Handel: Israel In Egypt/The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn

from: Erato

Release Date September 08, 1992
It truly is unfortunate that the premier performance of this work is no longer available, or so it appears. Musical Heritage Society may still have it in its catalog, and if so, then it'd be worth picking up. If not, then one can only hope that it eventually gets rereleased on a budget label or appears used on Ebay, as it easily surpasses anything else out there, including Gardiner's later version with the English Baroque Soloists on Philips. I have two copies of the LP version, and they are both beginning to wear thin from repeated playing. A Handelian delight.