CD-Charts Position 51
Average Rating:

Handel - Semele / Joshua, Summers, Croft, Wallace, EOC, Curnyn

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: CHANDOS CHACONNE

Release Date January 08, 2008
This new Semele bests the available competition in two areas in particular - the excellence of Rosemary Joshua's voicing of the title role and the use of Handel's complete 1744 text. John Eliot Gardiner's Erato effort of 25 years ago was significantly cut (as was Somary's old Vanguard version). Nelson, on DG employs a more complete text, but with a couple of exceptions, is bested by the new Chandos offering.

As mentioned earlier, Joshua is a very fine Semele. Of the competitors, Norma Burrowes is too much the nymphet and Kathleen Battle too much the diva. Joshua's lovely tone and good technique (a few sketchy trills aside) make the character very appealing. Hilary Summers, also in very good voice is a scheming Juno who tears into ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 52
Average Rating:

Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas/Dona Nobis Pacem

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: Angel Records

Release Date November 09, 1993
These are two of Vaughan Williams' finest choral works in the English oratorio tradition ('Sancta Civitas' was his personal favorite) recorded in beautiful, heartfelt readings under Hickox, and notable for the powerful singing of Bryn Terfel, here at his youthful best in 1992.

Contrary to the reviewer below, VW wasn't a pacifist and these aren't pacifist works. Sancta Civitas is a vision of the Holy City described by St. John in the Book of Revelations, and although VW served in the trenches in the First World War, he remained idealistic, even redemptively mystical about the future. Written in the 1920's, Sancta Civitas is an oratorio whose dominant tone is shining and optimistic.

A decade later in the mid-30s, Dona Nobis Pacem, as its name ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 53
Average Rating:

Handel - Messiah / Vyvyan · Sinclair · Vickers · Tozzi · Royal PO · Beecham

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
by: George Frideric Handel, Sir Thomas Beecham, Jennifer Vyvyan, Monica Sinclair, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jon Vickers, Giorgio Tozzi

Release Date July 14, 1992
This is music from the angels! Perfect, perfect, perfect is all I can say - you won't be disappointed with this CD. Great to listen to all year, but especially at Christmas.

CD-Charts Position 54
Average Rating:

Franz Joseph Haydn: The Creation

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
by: Franz Joseph Haydn, Donna Carter, John Cheek, Jon Humphrey, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Robert Shaw

Release Date October 27, 1992
Beautiful performance of an inspiring work. Solo and chorus voices clear; harmonious blend with orchestra. A great listening pleasure.

CD-Charts Position 55
Average Rating:

Haydn: The Creation; Missa in tempore belli

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: EMI Classics

Release Date January 23, 2007
A MOVING AND INSPIRATIONAL INTERPRETATION OF 'THE CREATION'.
More than any other composition that Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) wrote, this work reflects his very early beginnings, a small peasant village in Austria, where people sang folksongs for the pure joy of it, and where dancing on the green was a daily occurence.
With 'The Creation' we come to the culmination of Haydn's work. It was written to a text prepared by Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who reworked pre-existent material: a libretto orignally given to Handel that went unused. In 'The Creation' the choruses serve not only to reflect and praise the process of creation, but also to provide columns upon which the oratorio's architecture rests.
Interestingly enough the oratorio begins not with the expected Italian ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 56
Average Rating:

A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: Naxos

Release Date February 19, 2002
If you're looking for full pieces, look at other CDs. This one gives relatively small offerings of various pieces, which is awesome if you're just trying to listen to a bunch of selections in hopes of finding the 'right' one. Check it out if you have a wedding on the horizon, need to pick a piece for your wedding, and have $10 to spare.

CD-Charts Position 57
Average Rating:

Hildegard von Bingen: Heavenly Revelations

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: Naxos

Release Date July 18, 1995
I bought this album to explore more tracks by Hildegard after listening to one of her songs on an anthology. This music crosses centuries, languages, and religions, I feel. I am not a Christian, and the reason I listen to Georgian Chant is to study, because it focuses my thoughts exponentially. It completely drowns out the noise of the world and helps to gather my ideas. This did not get 5 stars because it wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted to hear tracks with a mixed gender choir but this album only goes from single male/male choir to single female/female choir, on alternating tracks.

This is still an excellent study aid and should be recommended for use as much as pencils and pens.

CD-Charts Position 58
Average Rating:

Haydn - The Creation / Piau, Padmore, Davies, Gabrieli Consort & Players, McCreesh

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: ARCHIV Produktion

Release Date February 05, 2008
The other reviews say it all, although I would add that this is a great album for those just getting into classical or wanting to experience it for the first time. I also recommend this album to all seasoned classical enthusiasts.

CD-Charts Position 59
Average Rating:

Essential Baroque

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: Decca

Release Date October 08, 2002
This collection contains just about every major well known Baroque piece ever used for a wedding,graduation or ultimate Baroque 'starter kit'.Vocalists such as the Welsh Baritone Bryn Terfel,the late great Pavarotti,the world's foremost oboist of the '70 and '80is Heinz Holliger and Orchestras such as Saint Martin-in-the-Fields and I Musici are assembled with defining renditions of these great favorites.There are two tracks of particular interest that is of great delight:the little recorded "Le Coucou" by Jean Daquin as performed by harpsichord virtuoso Trevor Pinnock.Pinnock wisely has chosen a "stopped" sound for his performance instead of full sound and it is a delight to the ears;another unusual delight was to hear the choral "Zadok the Priest" from Handel's "Coronation Anthems", a most majestic rendering ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 60
Average Rating:

Handel: Messiah

CD-Charts > Music > Oratorios
from: RCA

Release Date October 12, 2004
Finally, this wonderful performance has been put on CD. I've been waiting a long time for this. I just about wore out my LP recording.
This is one of the best performances of Handel's masterpiece I have ever heard. The tempi on the choruses are refreshingly brisk and the execution of the melismas is clean and perfect. Of course this has always been a trademark of the Robert Shaw Chorale.
The comparison by Kris to chipmunks is absurd. Robert Shaw's choral expertise was brilliant. His tempi is perfect. Bravo!