Includes work(s) by John Rutter.

Classical Music

These kits have everything you need to delve into the world of classical music. They come with a 78-minute CD and a 40-page booklet that serves as the CD cover. The songs on the CDs consist of some of the greatest music composed between 1500-1825. With works from Britten, Palestrina, Dowland, Couperin, Corelli, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Telemann, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, the CD is sure to captivate you with it's beautiful music. Each kit comes with a 40-page booklet by Christopher Mohr that is composed of easy-to-understand, non-technical descriptions of the music on the CD. Often, it gives second-by-second explanation of what is happening in the music so you can follow along with the timer on your CD player. Some of the explanations and details may go into more detail than the beginner is interested in so the more complex material is contained in gray boxes throughout the material and can be skipped over entirely. Also included are fascinating stories about the impassioned lives of the great composers.

This exclusive 6-disc collection from the BR Klassik label features legendary voices in previous unreleased recordings from the archives of Bavarian Broadcasting in Munich. The "Munich Sunday Concerts" series of live radio shows began in 1952 (and continue to the present day) with an international cast appearing with the Munich Radio Orchestra. This "best-of " compilation features classic voices like Margaret Price, Hermann Prey, Lucia Popp, Elisabeth Grummer, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Mirella Freni. 6 top notch live recordings together in one set, and each one a gem

Cl�sicos Cat�licos: Cantos en Espa�ol. Con un sentimiento de gran amor para Dios y para la m�sica y el arte de su cultura, Donna Pe�a ha creado una grabaci�n digna de llevar el t�tulo "Cl�sicos Cat�licos." Donna y su Mariachi interpretan con mucha alegr�a estas canciones favoritas de las Americas y de Espa�a. �Excelente!... With a strong love of God and of the music and art of her culture, Donna Pe�a has created a recording worthy of the "Catholic Classics" title! Donna and her mariachi band interpret with much joy these Spanish-language favorites from North and South America and Spain. Excellent! The songs contained in the volumes of the Catholic Classics series have stood the test of time. These are definitive Catholic songs-the one's that are always popular, that everyone sings, knows by heart, and wants to hear over and over again. Perhaps best of all, Catholic Classics is not "for Catholics only." Catholics are joined by Christians across the other denominations in singing these wonderful and beloved hymns.

Jazz icon, pianist and composer Dave Brubeck wrote this cantata in an attempt to heal the rift between the Jewish people and American blacks that emerged after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Based on biblical and Hebrew liturgical texts, together with quotations from Dr. King’s speeches, Negro spirituals and the Jewish sage Hillel, with lyrics by Brubeck’s wife Iola, it was intended to underscore and resurrect the spiritual parallels between Jews and blacks. The work draws on their shared history of enslavement and dispersion, their ongoing quest for social justice, and similarities in their forms of musical expression.

Click here to view all available releases in the Milken Archive Series at ArkivMusic.

This comprehensive 3 DVD set, starring Anton Lesser, Daniel Radcliffe, Ian McKellan, Maggie Smith, explores the life, times and work of Charles Dickens, the great Victoria author. The full content of this box set demonstrates how much Dickens drew upon his own experiences when writing fiction. DVD 1 - Uncovering the Real Dickens - the great author's fascinating biography, presented by Peter Ackroyd is an innovative mix of documentary and dramatic reconstruction which vividly portrays his extraordinary life. Resembling the plot of one of his novels, this lavish literary production sets out to blur the lines between Dickens' fiction and his own life. The cast includes Anton Lesser, Prunella Scales and Timothy West (176 minutes).DVD 2 - David Copperfield - the classic 1999 BBC version of the most autobiographical of Dickens novels staring a star cast Bob Hoskins, Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith, Ian McKellan, Zoe Wanamaker and Nicolas Lyndurst. Three hours of classic BBC drama. (186 minutes). DVD 3 - a Christmas Carol - at his house, a group of friends and relatives listen to Dickens as he tells his Christmas story. Anton Lesser as Dickens, brings this classic ghost story to life in a masterly and haunting way. (97 minutes).

This collection draws together many of the much-loved and most-requested shorter choral works by John Rutter. Gathered from across the Collegium catalogue, 'Be Thou My Vision' includes all of the church anthems and other sacred pieces for which Rutter is justly famous, representing for the first time a handy compendium of the best-loved Rutter works in their definitive performances by the Cambridge Singers, directed by the composer. 'The recordings of Rutter conducting his own music with the Cambridge Singers remain gleaming beacons of irrepressible music-making.' - BBC Music Magazine

In 35 years the British male vocal sextet known as the King's Singers has experienced many turnovers of personnel, including the retirement of virtually all of its original members--but three important things haven't changed one little bit: quality of the performances, camraderie among the singers, and compatibility of the voices. And on evidence of this new release on the Signum label, this premier ensemble has found a recording team that shows the group's talent to an even higher engineering standard than we've ever heard before in previous issues from EMI and RCA.

Throughout these 70-plus minutes and 25 tracks, we hear nothing but absolutely first-class musicianship, top-notch arrangements, and always thoughtfully chosen, entertaining repertoire that invariably and ideally suits the group's sound and style. Among the selections are a few standard carols and arrangements--Vaughan Williams' This is the truth, Ravenscroft's Remember, O thou man, Bach's harmonizations of In dulci jubilo and O little one sweet, and the familiar, anonymous settings of There is no rose, and The Coventry Carol--but there also are many more newer and captivatingly original pieces, several exceptional ones created by King's Singers member Philip Lawson (Lullay my liking; Veni, veni Emmanuel; Noël nouvelet). Notable too are a nifty (and most uncharacteristic) Bogoroditsye Devo by Arvo Pärt, an exquisitely lovely and dramatic rendition of Tchaikovsky's The Crown of Roses, "transformed by the great jazz arranger Jeremy Lubbock", and the concluding re-working (with new, Christmas words by Lawson and a string quartet accompaniment) of the King's Singers signature You are the New Day.


For sheer vocal beauty, you can't beat the performances of Rutter's There is a flower and Stille Nacht, Lawson's Away in a manger, Praetorius' Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, or Bach's O little one sweet. But then, the whole thing is just gorgeous, and if you love Christmas music recordings, well, what are you waiting for? This is one of the best ever. [11/15/2003]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Includes night of silence. Ensemble: Cathedral Singers. Conductor: Richard Proulx.
Includes puer natus est in bethlehem. Ensemble: Cathedral Singers. Conductor: Richard Proulx.

Over the past couple of decades, the Christmas recordings of John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers have claimed such a solid and widely enjoyed presence among choral music fans that we have to say that this group and its director/composer/arranger have long ago passed from phenomenon to tradition. This new release, which contains 19 previously issued but newly re-mixed tracks along with four never-before released selections, is both a celebration of that legacy and a re-affirmation of Rutter's uniquely influential contributions to a special genre that began years ago with his acclaimed carol arrangements and his now-classic anthem "What sweeter music". While this disc does not feature Rutter's own compositions--those can be found on an earlier companion disc, The John Rutter Christmas Album (type Q5895 in Search Reviews)--it does offer many of his carol arrangements (notably the infectious "Somerset Wassail") along with some of the finest by such masters as David Willcocks, H. Walford Davies, and Healey Willan (whose rarely-heard setting of "What is this lovely fragrance?" is happily included rather than the fine but ubiquitous Willcocks version).

The program also provides a very healthy dose of original pieces, from Victoria's O magnum mysterium, Handel's For unto us a child is born, Kenneth Leighton's Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, and Britten's A New Year Carol, to Sweelinck's double-choir Hodie Christus natus est, John Tavener's The Lamb, and Peter Warlock's Balulalow and I saw a fair maiden. The disc ends with Vaughan Williams' rousing Fantasia on Christmas Carols. As you might expect, there's not a dull moment during this very generously filled 77-plus-minute CD, and there's so much joy and beauty in these well-chosen, perfectly sung pieces that a simple numerical rating doesn't do it justice. The sound is appropriately full, vibrant, clear, and dynamic. Add this to your list. [11/8/2003]

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

John M. Feierabend, renowned lecturer and researcher in the field of music education, and Peggy Lyman, acclaimed dancer and dance educator, join forces to create Move It!-a vibrant and innovative approach to teaching young children and students of all ages the joy of moving to classical music! This package combines a DVD, guidebook, and audio CD to present 20 imaginative dances set to Classical works from Brahms's "Waltz in A-flat" to Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet." The adaptable choreography is perfect for early childhood specialists, elementary music teachers, and dance educators for use with children of all ages, as well as senior citizens and the physically challenged. The movements reflect both the form and the expressive quality of the music, embodying Feierabend's theories of music and movement development and Lyman's belief in the emotional power of gesture. Understanding the organization of movement sequences, exploring personal and general space relating to others, and discovering inner feelings connected to beautifully expressive musical selections and movements-all of this can be achieved with Move It!-an approach as fun and expressive as it is educational!

Over the years John Rutter's Christmas recordings with his outstanding Cambridge Singers have become essential components of holiday tradition for choral music fans around the world. Throughout the 1980s and early '90s Rutter's legions of followers were treated to several now-classic CD albums for Collegium, including Christmas Night, Christmas with the Cambridge Singers, and Christmas Day in the Morning. It's from these recordings that the present program was drawn, with the addition of two newly issued tracks--Dormi, Jesu and Love came down at Christmas. Yes, if you already own those other discs, for completeness' sake and, well, just because it's a new Rutter release, you'll still have to have this one. And that's not a bad thing at all, especially since all of these tracks have been remastered in notably clearer, more vibrant sound than their 10- or 15-year-old predecessors.

The selections focus on Rutter's own compositions, with "a sprinkling" of his arrangements of traditional carols organized (in typical Rutter/Cambridge Singers fashion) into a thematically grouped program--Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas reflections, Christmas Joy, and Epilogue--the latter consisting of a lovely setting of Silent Night, made for a 1988 BBC television production. And speaking of classics, among the 23 pieces heard here is Rutter's masterpiece, What sweeter music, a staple of Christmas programs everywhere (and a continuing presence in a popular series of Volvo commercials), sounding even more glorious than ever. [11/23/2002]

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Rousing songs from the age of sail. The armchair sailor will find plenty to fire the imagination in this cheerful collection of songs from the sea. Sea shanties were often sung to help with the repetitive and back-breaking tasks needed to sail a big ship - good rhythms, good tunes and good words.

SPECIALLY PRICED 4 DISC SET


This is as fine a Sibelius cycle as any available, and the performances of Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7, as well as the Violin Concerto, are uniformly top recommendations. All of the individual discs have been previously reviewed, and my only reservations (incidentally not shared by my colleague Victor Carr Jr, who covered the original release) concern Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6, particularly the latter, which strikes me as just a touch lacking in energy and directness. That doesn't mean the playing isn't very beautiful: indeed, it may be excessively so, and that takes some of the Sibelian edge off of the performance. Still, for the most part these are wonderful interpretations, and if you want a complete Sibelius cycle from top Finnish performers, then this set represents an obvious first choice, alongside Vänskä's very different and equally fine Lahti series on BIS. You simply can't go wrong either way.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score combines with the magical choreography inspired by Lev Ivanov in an atmosphere of fantasy and the supernatural. Hoffmann’s Christmas story unfolds with breathtaking splendour and beauty in the most festive and enduring of all ballets. The Royal Ballet, whose Director, Sir Anthony Dowell, plays Drosselmeyer, is joined by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Anthony Dowell, Alina Cojocaru, Ivan Putrov, Miyako Yoshida, Jonathan Cope The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Evgenii Svetlanov

FORMAT: NTSC; REGION 1 | PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9 | APPROX RUN TIME: 133 MINS | SOUND: DOLBY SURROUND / LPCM STEREO

Extra features include
• The Transformation Revealed Behind-the-scenes secrets of the spectacular Christmas tree scene
• Producer Sir Peter Wright on the production and Sir Anthony Dowell on the role of Herr Drosselmeyer
• Fixed wide shots of the Snowflakes and Transformation scenes

R E V I E W S:

‘...gorgeously staged Nutcracker.’ -- The Guardian

‘…fabulously entertaining. …a deliciously mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer played by Dowell. I plan on returning to this ‘Nutcracker’ many,many times.’ -- The San Francisco Chronicle

‘Peter Wright’s traditional production of The Nutcracker is lovely Christmas stuff, with lots of tutus and tiaras.’ -- The Mail on Sunday

‘Now you don’t have to leave the comfort of your armchair to enjoy one of the most magical productions of recent years whenever you wish – in pin-sharp widescreen with CD-quality Dolby Digital surround sound. …Needless to say, the dancers are top class, the costumes exquisite, the music delightful and the sets as sumptuous as a wedding cake. Enjoy the best that ballet has to offer from the best seat in the house – your own.’ -- HMV Choice

Compilation producer: John M. Feirabend.

This recording arguably contains the best representation of the Anglican hymn tradition that's possible to include on one 76-minute CD. Yes, there are hundreds of other candidates--a couple of my favorites are "missing"--but for anyone who knows and loves this vast and varied repertoire that's carried congregations and individual souls through centuries of life's trials and triumphs, prayers and celebrations, private moments and public sharing, these 21 selections will please the ear and stir countless emotions. The list is too long to mention all the hymns here, but among them are "O God, our help in ages past", "The King of love my Shepherd is", "When I survey the wondrous Cross", "A mighty fortress is our God", "Christ the Lord is risen today", "Be thou my vision", "Morning has broken", "Amazing grace", "Christ is made the sure Foundation", and my all-time favorite, "Love Divine, all loves excelling". A pleasant surprise is a hymn with words and music by John Rutter himself. Titled "Eternal God", it was composed in 1999 "with the aim of augmenting the meager stock of hymns that make mention of music . . . as gifts of God." It's a beauty, and it should easily find a home in the standard repertoire. In familiar Rutter programming fashion, the hymns are grouped in categories, such as "Hymns from the Psalms", "Invocations", "Passiontide and Easter", "Folk Hymns", and "Evening Hymns". There are several chants--"Pange lingua", "Veni Creator Spiritus", and "Let all mortal flesh keep silence"--and the arrangements by Rutter are imaginative and appropriate to each hymn's message and musical character. Some are a cappella, some use harp, others are accompanied by brass and/or organ, timpani, and percussion. Rutter's acclaimed Cambridge Singers are in top form and the acoustics of the Church of St. Alban the Martyr, Holborn, are generously responsive. Sing ye heavens, indeed. This is heavenly singing--and heavenly music. --David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

For me, the real "Best of Satie" would include at least excerpts from the opera Socrate and the ballet Parade. But this is a nice overview of the eccentric composer's keyboard gems, culled from Klára Körmendi's excellent Satie cycle for Naxos. Many pianists take Satie's wistful melodic sensibility as license to let the music wallow and droop. Körmendi will have none of that. Her sensitive, expertly colored playing brings uncommon, refreshing urgency to the first three Nocturnes, the well-worn Gymnopédies, and all six Gnossiennes. Moreover, she has a way of making the composer's idiosyncratic expressive indications audible without hitting listeners over the head. The disc concludes with the Gymnopédies in their familiar orchestrations by Debussy (Nos. 1 & 3) and Roland-Manuel (No. 2). The French orchestra plays rather patchily in the first but redeems itself with some very nice playing in the other two. No. 3 features a lovely oboe soloist surrounded by silvery, reed-organ-like high strings. If you're looking for a Satie piano music start-up kit, this is the one. --Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

GIA brings you our fifth in a series of top-selling recordings: Catholic Classics, Volume 5: Simple Gifts of Praise, featuring classical guitar played by master-guitarist Stephen Petrunak and the lovely solo voice of tenor David Fischer. This unique musical duo brings a fresh twist to old favorites. The songs contained in the volumes of the Catholic Classics series have stood the test of time. These are definitive Catholic songs—the one's that are always popular, that everyone sings, knows by heart, and wants to hear over and over again. Perhaps best of all, Catholic Classics is not "for Catholics only." Catholics are joined by Christians across the other denominations in singing these wonderful and beloved hymns.

Classical Music

Another classic from the John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers, whose recordings have become a tradition of Christmas around the world.

REVIEW:

Christmas Star is an entertaining collection of familiar holiday tunes and carols, all professionally performed by the Cambridge Singers. This is good, straight a cappella holiday mus­ic and should satisfy fans of that style[.]

­– All Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Bach: Mass in B Minor

Includes work(s) by Richard Wagner.

Includes work(s) by Ludwig van Beethoven.