CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Boulez: Marteau Sans Maitres Notations

Search: Solitude
by: Boulez, Ensemble Intercontemporian

Release Date November 04, 2002
It's perhaps astonishing to realise that Pierre Boulez started work on Le Marteau sans maitre exactly half a century ago. This piece has so often been identified as its composer's masterpiece that it's perhaps easy to forget how young he was when he wrote it--and also how rarely it is performed these days.

Marteau is sort-of-song cycle based around three poems by the French surrealist Rene Char that combine a directness of imagery with a somewhat obscure overall meaning. Boulez, though, expands these three poems into nine movements overall: L'Artisanat furieux (movement 3) also has a double-speed prologue (movement 1) and a double-speed epilogue (movement 7), Bourreaux de solitude (movement 6) has three 'commentaries' (movements 2, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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What Does It Mean to Love?

Search: Solitude
by: Rosalie Sorrels

Release Date January 17, 1994
It's perhaps astonishing to realise that Pierre Boulez started work on Le Marteau sans maitre exactly half a century ago. This piece has so often been identified as its composer's masterpiece that it's perhaps easy to forget how young he was when he wrote it--and also how rarely it is performed these days.

Marteau is sort-of-song cycle based around three poems by the French surrealist Rene Char that combine a directness of imagery with a somewhat obscure overall meaning. Boulez, though, expands these three poems into nine movements overall: L'Artisanat furieux (movement 3) also has a double-speed prologue (movement 1) and a double-speed epilogue (movement 7), Bourreaux de solitude (movement 6) has three 'commentaries' (movements 2, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Daniel Taylor - On The Muse's Isle (Vocal and Instrumental Works of Henry Purcell)

Search: Solitude
by: Henry Purcell, Daniel Taylor, Da Sonar, Susan Napper, Chantal Remillard, Sylvain Bergeron, Rejean Poirier, Margaret Little, Christine Moran

Release Date November 10, 1998
As far as my personal opinion goes, Daniel Taylor is everything I want in a countertenor. His singing combines a naturally sounding tone, a comfortably wide range, and an uncanny ability to convey emotion. Critics occasionally fault him for not being more dramatic (see, e.g., the editorial review on this page), but to me, Taylor's subtle tools of expression are much more appealing than the more overtly operatic style of some other countertenors. Besides, the absence of operatic drama is irrelevant when it comes to a disc like this one. This CD collects several lyrical (or even melancholy) pieces by Henry Purcell. Taylor's subtlety works very well in this selection. Two pieces are absolute gems: An Evening Hymn (a remarkable combination ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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As It Is, As It Was: Best Of Candlemass

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by: Candlemass

Release Date November 21, 1996
I am not really a fan of Candlemass, but this collection is just perfect for my taste. It's like exactly all my favourite tracks of this band are in there - no extras and none missing. Actually I feel very rarely like that about collections, "Best of"'s and "Greatest Hits"'s. Just this one is perfect pick.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Saxophone Music of M. Zachary Johnson -- Live at Steinway Hall

Search: Solitude
by: Elizabeth Wolynec Brian Horner, Javier Oviedo, Eric Osman, Christina Kyle Adams, M. Zachary Johnson, The Mannes Saxophone Quartet

Release Date July 04, 2006
I am not really a fan of Candlemass, but this collection is just perfect for my taste. It's like exactly all my favourite tracks of this band are in there - no extras and none missing. Actually I feel very rarely like that about collections, "Best of"'s and "Greatest Hits"'s. Just this one is perfect pick.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

The James Bowman Collection / Bowman, The King's Consort

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from: Hyperion UK

Release Date May 21, 1996
An article title about James Bowman said "A singer in high places" - and it's so true.

James Bowman is a great singer, and one of my favourite performers. One can listen to his CDs over and over again, without tiring.

He feels at home in both English songs and other languages. This CD is a "summary" of some other collection CDs of him.

ýIN SHORT: Good buy for lovers of vocal music, or the baroque and classical. If you don't know his singing, you're missing a lot, and this CD is a great start.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Russian Piano Music and the World of Childhood

Search: Solitude
from: Doron

Release Date February 18, 1997
An article title about James Bowman said "A singer in high places" - and it's so true.

James Bowman is a great singer, and one of my favourite performers. One can listen to his CDs over and over again, without tiring.

He feels at home in both English songs and other languages. This CD is a "summary" of some other collection CDs of him.

ýIN SHORT: Good buy for lovers of vocal music, or the baroque and classical. If you don't know his singing, you're missing a lot, and this CD is a great start.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Anne Sofie von Otter - Lamenti (Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Purcell, Bertali, Legrenzi) / Goebel

Search: Solitude
by: Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Bertali, Giovanni Legrenzi, Antonio Vivaldi, Henry Purcell, Alessandro Piccinini, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel, Jakob Lindberg, Markus Mollenbeck, Franz-Josef Selig

Release Date September 14, 1999
Sumptuous. Absolutly. There isn't a single flaw in this CD. Van Otter is--Von Otter. She sings in the early style for this CD. Sometimes Mr. Goebel gets carried away with himself. I have found his CD's to be hits and misses. But on this CD Mr. Goebel splits the arrow already on the bullseye. Perhaps age and maturity have given Mr. Goebel the confiedence to hold back a bit and let the music grab the listener's attention rather than shake up the early music orchesta pit. This CD seduces you. Who would have thought such tenderness from one of the bad boys of the Early Music Movement. It is Goebel at his best: scholarship with musicianship. This CD must be saved from World War III. It is a fine example of the best of humans.

CD-Charts Position 9
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FIBICH: Piano Music - Radoslav Kvapil

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from: Regis Records

Release Date May 01, 2006
Sumptuous. Absolutly. There isn't a single flaw in this CD. Van Otter is--Von Otter. She sings in the early style for this CD. Sometimes Mr. Goebel gets carried away with himself. I have found his CD's to be hits and misses. But on this CD Mr. Goebel splits the arrow already on the bullseye. Perhaps age and maturity have given Mr. Goebel the confiedence to hold back a bit and let the music grab the listener's attention rather than shake up the early music orchesta pit. This CD seduces you. Who would have thought such tenderness from one of the bad boys of the Early Music Movement. It is Goebel at his best: scholarship with musicianship. This CD must be saved from World War III. It is a fine example of the best of humans.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Misbehavin Badly on V-Disc

Search: Solitude
by: Fats Waller

Release Date October 09, 2006
Sumptuous. Absolutly. There isn't a single flaw in this CD. Van Otter is--Von Otter. She sings in the early style for this CD. Sometimes Mr. Goebel gets carried away with himself. I have found his CD's to be hits and misses. But on this CD Mr. Goebel splits the arrow already on the bullseye. Perhaps age and maturity have given Mr. Goebel the confiedence to hold back a bit and let the music grab the listener's attention rather than shake up the early music orchesta pit. This CD seduces you. Who would have thought such tenderness from one of the bad boys of the Early Music Movement. It is Goebel at his best: scholarship with musicianship. This CD must be saved from World War III. It is a fine example of the best of humans.