European Elegance [Import]

European Elegance [Import]

ASIN: B00005YUWK

Track Listings

1. Maria (West Side Story)

2. Django

3. Liebestraum No.3

4. Golden Earrings

5. Europa

6. Carmen-Habanera

7. Endless Love

8. 24 Capricci

9. Libertango

10. Way You Look Tonight

11. Phase Dance

12. Mazurka No.1

13. Caravan

14. Pathetique

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Includes 2 previously unreleased tracks.

Tracks:

Libera nos. I & II (John Sheppard)
Salva nos, Domine (plainchant)
Christe, qui lux es et dies (William Byrd)
In pace in idipsum (John Sheppard)
In manus tuas (Thomas Tallis)
Jesu, salvator saeculi, verbum (John Sheppard)
In manus tuas I (John Sheppard)
In manus tuas II (John Sheppard)
Miserere mihi, Domine (plainchant)
Miserere nostri, Domine (Thomas Tallis0
Misere mihi, Domine (William Byrd)
In pace in idipsum (Thomas Tallis)
Christe, qui lux es et dies (Robert White)
Veni, Domine (plainchant)
Nunc dimittis Gradulia I (William Byrd)
Te lucis ante terminum festal (Thomas Tallis)
Gaude, virgo mater Christi (Hugh Aston)

From the label:

On its spectacular debut recording, the exciting young British vocal group stile antico presents a program of English Renaissance music associated with the office of Compline, the service that ends the monastic liturgical day. A who's-who of 16th-century British composers--including Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, and John Sheppard--is represented here by hymns, antiphons, responsories, motets, and psalms: the occasion not only for music of intimacy, elegance, and reflection, but for flights of breathtaking canonic and contrapuntal invention and harmonic daring.

Stile Antico is an ensemble of young British singers, fast gaining recognition as one of the most original and exciting new voices in its field. In 2005 the group won the inaugural Audience Prize at the Early Music Network International Young Artists' Competition, drawing critical praise for its `wonderfully vivid singing' and `perfectly focused and ideally balanced voices.' Since this success, Stile Antico has appeared throughout the UK, including at the City of London, Lake District Summer Music and Beverley and East Riding Festivals; engagements for 2007 include the York Early Music Festival. The group has also collaborated with Sting on tour in his project Songs from the Labyrinth, performing lute songs by John Dowland.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous.......2007-03-05

The English Tudor choral composers such as Byrd and Tallis composed some glorious music. Sit and listen in a darkened room and you will be transported back to another time and place. Wonderfully atmospheric and moving. The masters of this repertoire are Peter Phillips's Tallis Scholars, but this CD makes me think that they have some serious competition.

Great Premiere from Stile Antico!.......2007-02-27

I got an e-mail from amazon recently to the effect of, "We've noticed that you've rated so-and-so, so we thought you'd be interested in the new release Music for Compline." I usually ignore such e-mails, but I thought I'd check it out. I was intrigued by the audio samples and so downloaded the album on iTunes.

I don't know how a group of young upstarts from Britain without a conductor were able to produce such a sound, but they did. "Music for Compline" focuses on music from composers in England during the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism- Byrd, Sheppard, Tallis, etc.- and as the title implies, it's music that would have been used during a compline service at the time. Compline, for those of you not familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, is the last prayer service in the liturgical day. As such, the music is serene, contemplative, and prayerful.

The way Stile Antico has gelled as a group is amazing, especially considering they have no conductor. (Although they surely have at least a de-facto rehearsal leader) Their sound is clear and beautiful, and they display exquisite musicianship without being overly technical or icy. They are able to share their fresh (though informed) perspectives on early music with each other to create an organic sound, so not having a conductor actually turns out to be an asset for these young musicians.

Fans of the Tallis Scholars will love this CD. Arguably, Stile Antico is better than the Tallis Scholars in some ways. To elaborate, the Tallis Scholars, as good as they are, can come across as technical and icy, whereas Stile Antico never does, at least not to my ears. On the contrary, they have a warm, authentic sound. Not that I have anything against the Tallis Scholars.

In conclusion, for everyone who loves sacred choral music, or beautiful music in general, "Music for Compline" is a must-have. The musical serenity will be a refuge from stress, and will uplift your spirits.

Music for Compline.......2007-02-05

One is somewhat spoilt for choice these days when it comes to recordings of specialist 'early music' vocal ensembles. In Britain alone, 'brand' names such as 'The Sixteen' and 'The Tallis Scholars', however different their respective approach, have become equally synonymous with excellence in ensemble, intonation, balance and blend. On this basis alone, one might be forgiven for mistaking this CD for another release from one of these fine, long-established choirs. However, this debut recording from 'Stile Antico' has something rather distinctive and individual to offer the listener. Working as a vocal consort without conductor, these are performances born out of an internal commitment and universal understanding within the group, together with an obvious love for this repertoire which they perform so admirably. It is deeply refreshing, in a professional environment where 'time is money', to hear an ensemble who have so noticeably spent a great deal of time 'living' with the music, no doubt both as individuals and collectively as a group. This crucial element of music-making, so often over-looked, is perhaps above all what makes this recording stand out. In fairness, the result is not necessarily superior to that of a conducted ensemble, where a different style of direction in the performances can be attained. But whatever one's preferences - 'Stile Antico' have certainly achieved a winning combination - communicative performances which are simultaneously meditative and emotionally uplifting.

Impeccable ensemble is evident throughout the disc, and this is especially impressive when accomplished within various well-judged slow tempi. Highlights in this regard include a wonderfully ethereal and sonorous performance of Tallis' rarely heard seven-part 'Miserere nostri', and Sheppard's intoxicating 'Libera nos I & II' whose marvellous longing dissonances are given just the right amount of time to register. Byrd's 'Miserere mihi' also receives a fine performance, and the same composer's exquisite homophonic setting of 'Christe lux es et dies' serves to demonstrate these singers' aptitude for naturally shaped phrasing and beautifully paced cadences.

The programming is cohesive throughout, combining familiar, celebrated settings with some rare gems, notably Hugh Aston's giant antiphon 'Gaude, virgo mater Christi', of which this is the first recording made available on CD.

Congratulations are also due to Harmonia Mundi for their superb recording quality, which captures splendidly not only the clarity of the voices, but also the magnificent acoustics of All Hallow's, Gospel Oak. Beautiful packaging together with intelligent, informative programme notes completes this excellent debut release.

Average customer rating:

Music for Compline [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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William Byrd: Laudibus in sanctis
Music for Compline
Combattimento (W/Dvd)
Pilgrimage to Santiago
Lighten our Darkness

ASIN: B000LXSS5K
Release Date: 2007-02-13

From the label:

Tracks:

Introitus: Ecce advenit
Graduale: Onmes de Saba
Communio: Omnes qui in Christo
Halleluja: Dies sanctificatus
Ofertorium: Tui sunt caeli
Hymnus: Creator alme siderum
Introitus: Gaudens gaudebo
Halleluja: Leatatus sum
Communio: Dicite Pusillanimes
Tractus Deus: Deus meus
Introitus: Misereris
Antiphon: Pueri Hebraeorum
Hymnus: Gloria
Graduale: Christus factus est
Halleluja: Hallelujah
Introitus: Resurrexi
Sequenz: Victimae paschalis laudes
Hymnus: Veni creator

Customer Reviews:

Great music, great price.......2007-05-07

I ordered this cd for a book club I was hosting on the book "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. It was perfect "mood" music for the discussion and the price was unbeatable!

Definitely Meditative.......2007-03-09

The gift that these men are able to share is worth listening to. To be quiet in yourself and allow space for this soulful chanting is an experience in itself.

Gregorian Meditation.......2007-01-13

Great CD. My wife and I listen to it almost daily. We even use it for prayer sessions. Also the product was in perfect condition and and was as advertised. We're totaly satified.

Beautiful.......2007-01-13

I have bought Volumes I and II and am very pleased with the quality, the sound, and the style of the chanting. The lyrics are amazing, many of which come straight from the Bible, especially from the Book of Psalms. Let me know of other great Chant CD's, be they Gregorian, Amabrosian, or even Greek/Byzantine.

Gregorian Chant Gems.......2005-08-27

It is wonderful to hear again the chants that are familiar to all Catholics who grew up with the Latin Mass and who remember the plain chants from the Liber Usualis. Victimae paschali laudes (the Sequence from the Easter Mass), Gaudens gaudebo in Domino (Rejoicing, I shall rejoice in the Lord), Pueri hebraeorum (the beautiful entrance song to the Palm Sunday Mass), and all the other chants. They are performed by a choir that understands the beauty and simplicity of Gregorian Chant.

Average customer rating:

Chant
Chant
PEACE FROM WITHIN
Gregorian Chant
RELAXING

Chant
Gregorian Chant , and The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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$9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

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Chant II
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant

ASIN: B000002SKX
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Tracks:

Puer Natus Est Nobis: Intriot (Modo VII)
Os Iusti: Gradual (Modo I)
Christus Factus Est Pro Nobis: Gradual (Modo V)
Mandatum Novum Do Vobis: Antiphonal And Psalm 132 (Modo III)
Media Vita In Morte Sumus: Responsorio (Modo IV)
Alleluia, Beatus Vir Qui Suffert: (Modo I)
Spiritus Domini: Introit (Modo VIII)
Improperium: Offertorio (Modo VIII)
Laetatus Sum: Gradual (Modo VII)
Kyrie XI - A: (Modo I)
Puer Natus In Bethlehem: Ritmo (Modo I)
Jacta Cogitatum Tuum: Gradual (Modo VII)
Verbum Caro Factum Est: Responsorio (Modo VII)
Genuit Puerpera Regem: Antiphonal And Psalm 99 (Modo II)
Occuli Omnium: Gradual (Modo VII)
Ave Mundi Spes Maria: Sequenza (Modo I)
Kyrie Fons Bonitatis: Trope (Modo III)
Veni Sancte Spiritus: Sequenza (Modo I)
Hosanna Filio David: Antiphonal (Modo VII)

Amazon.com

Thanks to good marketing, good cover art, and good luck, this disc probably has sold more copies than most other recordings of Gregorian chant put together. It's often quipped that most of those discs have been listened to exactly once and put away--to the puzzlement of many musicians and critics, who point out that there are more beautiful, more varied performances by professional singers available. Yet the singing of these Spanish Benedictines has a special quality that probably explains this disc's popularity--a reverent serenity that no doubt stems from the fact that the monks are actually praying, not just performing. Granted, Chant can become a bit monotonous with repeated listening, but it really gives you the sense of devotion that has always been the purpose of "Gregorian" chant. If this recording (ahem) enchants you at first, wonderful. If you get bored with it later, don't give up--there has been an extraordinary variety of styles and sounds over the 1,500-year history of plainchant, so go exploring with Anonymous 4, Ensemble Gilles Binchois, Sequentia, or Ensemble Organum. You won't be sorry. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Chant.......2007-06-25

The CD was received on time and in excellent condition. I use the CD in the evenings to slow me down and get me in a relaxed mood.

Chant.......2007-03-09

It is a true to life portrail of the medieval prayer form.

Some things are ageless.

PEACE FROM WITHIN.......2007-01-09

I can't understand most of the latin words in these chants but the spirituality, harmony and the "music" in the monks' voices are refreshing to the soul. I know that several monks sing but you basically hear one voice. I would suggest that a pocket size book with the translation of each chant should accompany each CD.

Gregorian Chant.......2006-08-13

I purchased this item because one of my children has been going through the Tomatis method of auditory integration training to correct some auditory processing issues that affect his ability to communicate. The Gregorian Chant was recommended as a follow up because of its many and pure sound frequencies. After listening to different samples of the Chant, I picked the one sung by the Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos for its sound clarity. Also, it has been interesting to see the reaction of all my children. Two of them weep when they listen to the chant and the other one seems be soothed by it. As an adult, it is this soothing effect from the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos that I find most fascinating.

RELAXING.......2006-03-24

EXCELLENT FOR RELAXING, MEDITATION, OR INTROSPECTION. WHEN I HAVE HAD A BAD DAY, I POP THIS IN ON MY WAY HOME FOR RELAXATION.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Amazing
Sexy, sultry
Amazing! a must-have!
So lovely...
Wonder-Full

How It Ends
DeVotchKa
Manufacturer: Cicero Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Una Volta
Curse Your Little Heart
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Everything Is Illuminated

ASIN: B0002Y4SVG
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

You Love Me
The Enemy Guns
No One Is Watching
Twenty-Six Temptations
How It Ends
Charlotte Mittnacht (The Fabulous Destiny Of...)
We're Leaving
Dearly Departed
Such A Lovely Thing
Too Tired
Viens Avec Moi
This Place Is Haunted
Lunnaya Pogonka
Reprise

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Amazing.......2007-07-01

I had never heard of this band until yesterday.

I was just looking around the web and happened upon a website that had one of their songs on it "How It Ends". I only got to hear about 4 seconds of the song, but it was enough to make the hair raise on the back of my neck and send electric chills that I haven't had from music in a long long time.

It made me go out and get all of their stuff and so far, I love it all. I haven't heard anything this amazing since The Magnetic Fields.

His voice is abosulutely amazing and soul piercing.

Sexy, sultry.......2007-05-10

I have had this album for about a month, playing on repeat. This is best album I have heard in years. Their music is best described as--sexy.

Amazing! a must-have! .......2007-04-23

This band denies the idea that a band can be held back by a lesser known genre of music. To begining to end, this album challenges the listener to change his/her view of music for the better....and yeah, "How it ends" is, in my opinion, probaly one of the best songs of 2006! Buy it or be square!

So lovely..........2007-03-18

I bought this CD on a whim, as it was recommended by a reviewer when I purchased the soundtrack to Everything is Illuminated. It's great. If you like your music with a bit of melancholy, this is for you. Love it.

Wonder-Full.......2007-01-11

One source describes DeVotchKa as "a four piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, and Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots." Personally, I can only describe their music as among the BEST I have ever heard. It is brooding at times, uplifting at others, always thoughtful, narratively lyrical (each song tells a sort of short story), and solidly melodic without ever being mawkish, phony, or fruity. Just good music.

Average customer rating:

What a concert!
awesome Mariza
Spendid
Lovely Portuguese fados - nice CD + DVD set
Excellent value for money

Concerto em Lisboa w/Bonus DVD
Mariza
Manufacturer: Times Square Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fado Em Mim
Transparente
Fado Curvo
Live in London
Art of Amalia

ASIN: B000MM1F5A
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

Loucura
Medo
Maria Lisboa
Montras
Ha Uma Musica Do Povo
Menino Do Bairro Negro
Meu Fado Meu
Duas Lagrimas De Orvalho
Cavaleiro Monge
Recusa
Ha Palavras Que Nos Beijam
Feira De Castro
Desejos Vaos
Primavera
Chuva
O Gente Da Minha Terra

Amazon.com

Even if you're not well-versed in Portuguese fado music, it's easy to be swayed by its rich, mournful sense of emotion. Mariza, one of the genre's premiere contemporary vocalists, see fado as an international language. She makes a convincing case on Concerto em Lisboa, a live recording captured duirng her acclaimed performance at the Tower of Belem. It's an alternately elegant and electric showcase, highlighted by Mariza's gorgeous, piercing voice. She's backed by a full orchestra, whose timing and tightness only add to the experience. From the opening strains of "Loucura" through the closing "Ó Gente Da Minha Terra," Mariza is alternately somber and festive, creating a perfect synergy of singer and musicians. The disc's shattering standout track, "Menino Do Bairro Negro," is likely as gorgeous as anything you've heard in any language. --Joey Guerra

Album Description

Mariza's brand new live CD recorded in front of 20,000+ people at the magnificent and picturesque gardens of Torre De Belem in her home town of Lisbon, Portugal. Recorded in 2005, with an orchestra (Sinfonetta de Lisbon) led by Jacques Morelenbaum, the beautiful fado singer transports the listener to a timeless evening in Lisbon.

The special bonus DVD is a documentary called Mariza And The Story Of Fado, which examines the art of fado, its history and development through interviews with and performances by Mariza and other fadistas, musicians and experts. Filmed on location in Lisbon, the program contains archival footage of famous past singers, including the late acclaimed Amalia Rodrigues

Customer Reviews:

What a concert!.......2007-06-29

I was in Belem for see this singer, I think is her greatest concert of all time, if you love this singer, after you will listen this concert you will love more Mariza.

awesome Mariza.......2007-04-11

If you like Mariza, if you like the Fado, you will love this combination. The CD is rich and pure, the DVD is wonderful, like being there. This may be the best yet Mariza , even with the applause....

Spendid.......2007-04-10

The cd of the concert was excellent, but the dvd documents and illuminates the history of the beautiful fado music of Portugal in such a meaningful way. Truly a masterpiece.

Lovely Portuguese fados - nice CD + DVD set.......2007-04-07

The concert CD is lovely, with Mariza soaring over a band led by Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelenbaum (known for his recent live work with Caetano Veloso...) They work through a variety of fado styles, from the weepiest love songs to giddy folk dances, each style performed with good humor and power.

The added bonus documentary film DVD is a real treat, not only for the glimpses of Mariza and other contemporary fado stars, but for its look back at the roots of the genre and its meaning to Portuguese society. Particularly interesting is its examination of fado's political and social significance -- originally the fado was type of left-wing protest song, but it was subverted in the 1930s by the dictatorship that ruled Portugal until the mid-1970s. The junta made fado music into a propaganda tool, emphasizing romantic love and family values, to the exclusion of older themes about hard work and hard times. After the dictatorship toppled, fado fell into disrepute, but regained popularity in the 1980s and '90s when a new generation cast about for a way to guard Portuguese culture from the encroachments of globalized (American) popular entertainment. A fascinating story, laced with many soulful performances.

Excellent value for money.......2007-04-03

This is an excellent package...this is Mariza at her best..her vocals are emotional and captivating, and the bonus DVD documentary about the Story of Fado is so very informative and entertaining at the same time, including not only live footage of Mariza and her contemporaries, but also rare live footage of the doyenne of the genre, Amalia Rodrigues. That said, I am particularly peeved by the comments of your reviewer, D.Parr "dtakoma" who says that the CD could not be downloaded on his MP3 player and calls it a "crime". Mr. Parr, I just downloaded my CD onto my "IPod" with no trouble at all. Perhaps your player is faulty, or you may have an import copy from Europe or a "bootleg"? The true "crime" is in misleading people!!!

Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
Unusual order
Getting Lost While Meditating
Calming, Centering, a bit repetitive
Great Atmospheric Music

Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's
Chant
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant
Chant II

ASIN: B000001VIK
Release Date: 1994-08-30

Tracks:

Introitus: Nos autem
Graduale: Miserere
Antiphon: Immutemur
Ruf: Ecce lignum
Communio: Qui meditabitur
Hymnus: Pange lingua
Improperia: Popule meus
Halleluja: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Graduale: Haec dies
Offertorium: Terra tremuit
Sequenz: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Communio: Factus est repente
Graduale: Benedicta es tu
Halleluja: Tota pulchra es
Offertorium: Ave Maria
Introitus: Populus Sion
Antiphon: O Sapientia
Introitus: Lux fulgebit
Communio: Viderunt omnes
Halleluja: Vidimus stellam
Hymnus: Asolis ortus cardine

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-01-19

I really liked the compilation. It relaxes and inspires me. The recording of the vocals and such is very well done. Definitely worth the money.

Unusual order.......2006-06-10

The chanting is excellently done. However, the order is a bit unusual. The chants begin with Lent/Passiontide, then progress into Easter, Advent and Christmas. That's a little odd. If you're using this to focus on the life of Our Blessed Lord (like the 15 mysteries of the Rosary), the order is off kilter. But I guess you could just program your CD player with whatever order you want.
The Latin is pronounced well on this CD. (Sometimes you can get a chant CD on which the chanters have French accents.)
Note to the reviewer who was mad about the word "cult": Forgive the translator who used that word. It sounds like a false cognate error to me. The ones who are hardest for me to forgive are those who discontinued Gregorian chant's primacy of place in the liturgy; the ones I can never understand are those who go to Novus Ordo masses. Lex orandi, lex credendi.

Getting Lost While Meditating.......2006-05-18

I'm not an expert on meditation techniques, but I do know that once while listening to this album I woke up 50 miles from my house with nothing to clothe me but a piece of chiffon, an interesting recipe for perogies tucked under my armpit, and absolutely no recollection of what had taken place. I was lead to believe by this product that being "lost" in meditation would entail no more than some deep thinking, and not many hours of unaccounted for experience and celtic tribal tattoos wrapped around my thighs.

Calming, Centering, a bit repetitive.......2006-02-21

This CD is great for creating a calm, focused environment. It can be used for meditation, relaxation,or as a sleep-aide. I have not stayed awake past the 3rd track when I listen with headphones after laying down to bed. The only complaint may be that all the tracks sound similar to me. The quality of the recording and singing is excellent. If you speak and understand Latin, you should derive even more from listening to this CD.

Great Atmospheric Music.......2005-08-23

I am a fan of many styles of music, but ordering a CD of gregorian chant was a stretch for me. This is my first album of the genre, but I'm certainly not disappointed! Lost In Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants Volume One is everything you'd expect it to be. With gregorian chant music, there never seems to be too much diversity in the songs. This is because you shouldn't buy the music as if it were your favorite band -- it is completely atmospheric music. Whether used for meditation, background music to everyday activities, or a soundtrack to a much needed relaxation session in your solitude, gregorian chant is a peaceful and almost heavenly way to enjoy some time off in another world (often in a world where you can't help but imagine monks shifting through the humble rooms of a monastery). This particular selection of chants is perfect for the genre as far as I'm concerned. It is an all men choir, and the vocals are in perfect harmony. The recording quality is excellent, with just the right amount of reverb to bring the singing to life. For any fan of gregorian chant, or for anyone newly interested in it, this is a great CD to satisfy your chanting needs. And with a price like this for 21 tracks, you can't go wrong!

Average customer rating:

Sound Invention
Powerful, ecumenical, moving.

And On Earth Peace: A Chanticleer Mass

Manufacturer: Warner Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OCY6BS
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Da pacem Dominae
Deus, Deus meus, respice in me -- Andrea Gabrieli
Da pacem Domine -- Carlo Gesualdo
Kyrie -- Douglas J. Cuomo
Gloria (Everywhere) -- Kamran Ince
vos omnes -- Carlo Gesualdo
Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus -- Carlo Gesualdo
Credo/Ani Ma'amin -- Shulamit Ran
Peccantem me quotidian -- Carlo Gesualdo
Ravenna Sanctus -- Ivan Moody
salutaris hostia -- Andrea Gabrieli
Agnus Dei -- Michael McGlynn
Da pacem Domine
Da pacem Domine -- Giles Binchois
Da pacem Domine -- Arvo Part

Amazon.com

This mass, commissioned and performed by the superb 12-man American group Chanticleer, begins and ends with Plainsong, and is comprised of five movements by five different composers interspersed with shorter pieces by Carlo and Andrea Gabrieli and Carlo Gesualdo. Douglas J. Cuomo's Kyrie features the extreme ends of the men's vocal ranges and plays plainsong against tonal clusters; the Turkish composer Kamran Ince's Gloria is sung to a Sufi text and radiates peace; Shulamit Ran's Credo, in her native Hebrew and English, begins in a stunning martial outburst about the belief in one God and uses texts that relate to the Holocaust (occasionally spoken) to make her dramatic points; London-born Ivan Moody contributes a ravishing, medieval-tinged Sanctus, as ethereally lovely - and at points as stunningly wild - as his compositions for Trio Mediaeval; and the Irish composer Michael McGlynn's Agnus Dei begins as a solo in Gaelic, which is then underpinned with a drone in the darker voices and it ends, with grace, at a whisper. Perhaps the boldest music here is the Gesualdo, whose bizarre harmonies and discordances still can shock and awe, but the Chanticleer Mass, while not an overwhelming new work, is nonetheless, fascinating, and, as one might imagine, beautifully performed. --Robert Levine

Album Description

With its seamless blend of twelve male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass, the San Francisco-based ensemble Chanticleer, celebrates the life of their foudner Louis I. Botto on the 10th anniversary of his death. Five composers create a mass that evolves organically, as if written by one hand and the ensemble brings it to life.

Customer Reviews:

Sound Invention.......2007-07-03

As always, Chanticleer are the best mens chorus around today. They seem to be spending much of their time on experimenting with sound and doing it very well. This recording is more of that experimentation, so if you are looking for the usual gregorian chant, this is not what you want, but it is Chanticleer at their experimental best.

Powerful, ecumenical, moving........2007-06-02

After reading a positive article in the Wall Street Journal in May 2007 I was particularly interested in hearing this Mass, and didn't know Chanticleer had recorded it until a friend offered to lend me her brand-new copy after a three-for-two spending spree at the local brick&mortar bookstore.

This is an awesome recording, and I use this adjective without hesitation even though it's over-used and teen-speak. I'm surprised at the number of used copies available - perhaps buyers think that this is a warm & meditative piece and reject it when they discover it's not. It is most definitely not meditative - but it is instead a powerful discourse with God from Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions. The liturgical setting unites it with traditional Mass settings and the music and text raise 21st-century - but also eternal - questions of faith, doubts - and hope. Five stars - no hesitation.

Average customer rating:

efficaciously relaxing
very calming
Beautiful
Same Question As Before
Same Quation As Before

Chant II
Gregorian Chant , Ismael Fernandez de la Cuesta , and Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Chant
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant

ASIN: B000002SLS
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

Da Pacem, Domine: Introit
Haec Dies Quam Fecit Dominus: Gradual
Victimae Paschali Laudes: Sequence
Alleluia. Vir Dei Benedictus: Alleluia
Kyrie, Fons Bonitatis: Trope
Quam Magnificata Sunt Opera Tua Domine: Responsory
Ut Queant Laxis Resonare Fibris: Hymn
Cibavit Eos Ex Adipe Furmenti: Introit
Oculi Omnium In Te Sperant: Gradual
Spirtus Domini Replevit Orbem Terrarum: Introit
Alleluia. Veni Sancte Spiritus: Alleluia
Os Justi Meditabitur Sapientiam: Gradual
Kyrie 'Lux Et Origo'
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth
Agnus Dei, Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
Ave Mundi Spes Maria: Sequence
Media Vita In Morte Sumus: Responsory
Salve, Regina, Mater Misericordiae: Antiphon

Customer Reviews:

efficaciously relaxing.......2007-06-27

This is exactly what I was looking for. I now have some music to play at work that is soothing and keeps me focused. It also keeps me grounded as to what is really important in life. Highly recommend it!!

very calming.......2007-01-19

these gregorian chants are very calming . If your riding in your car, walking , or just sitting . it makes for excellent listening.

Beautiful.......2005-08-28

Beautiful. Just like the first Chant. This is my "mellow out", puts me to sleep music. I didn't care for the applause at the end, but it's still a beautiful CD.

Same Question As Before.......2003-04-24

The music is flawless. Haunting, spiritual, engrossing, and above all gorgeous. This disc is nothing short of amazing. Yet I gotta ask. Why is it that a recording of BENEDICTINE monks has a cover photo of men in FRANCISCAN robes?

Same Quation As Before.......2003-04-24

Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's

Average customer rating:

Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's
Fantastic
DOMINE LABIA MEA APERIES
It's a stinker!!
Unbiased reponse to Caesarmagnus

Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's
Denis Stevens , Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's de Laudes , The Monks of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Benoit , The Ambrosian Singers , and Fr. Joseph Montalbo
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants
Chant
Chant II
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant

ASIN: B000001VIR
Release Date: 1994-08-02

Tracks:

Sancte Dei
Salve Sanctus Parens
In Paradisum Angeli
Sanctus & Benedictus
Conditor Alme
Organ Voluntary
Te Lucis Ante Terminum
Christus Natus Christos
Kyrie Christe Eleison
Organ Voluntary
Gloria
Puer Natus Est
Sanctus & Benedictus, II
Beata Dei
Veni Sancte Spiritus
Organ Voluntary
In Paradisum Angeli, Reprise
Dominus Exsultemus

Customer Reviews:

Gregorian Chants: The Best of the Benedictine Monks of St. Michael's.......2007-01-11

The CD was in perfect shape, was shipped very promptly and I have enjoyed listening to it - especially when feeling stressed.

Fantastic.......2007-01-10

The is one CD that is calming to everyone even an overactive, over excited puppy.

DOMINE LABIA MEA APERIES.......2006-05-08

"Lord Open my Lips......"

I would suggest that anyone REALLY interested in PURE, GREGORIAN CHANT to access the following Carthusian Link:

[...]

You will hear Gregorian Chants as you have never heard before.
As a former Trappist Monk, where the Choir Monks sang the Divine Office each day - a total of about 7 hours - and in the Cistercian Chant, the CARTHUSIAN CHANT is by far the most pure of the two traditional chants. The Carthusians do NOT utilize any musical instruments as is used in some Trappist Communities and Benedictine Communities.

This recording is a rather poor rendition, but seems to please some listeners. For those purists among you, access the above site.

The Carthusian Gregorian Chant has its own renditions. You will notice whenever the Nuns or Monks are chanting the 'GLORIA' that the tempo is drastically reduced, and not rushed thru.

Background noises in this recording make it difficult to really appreciate the Chant.

In the Carthusian Chants - especially those from La Grande Chartreuse, France, the diction is crisp, clear and every Latin Word is distinguishable.

It's a stinker!!.......2006-03-13

The cover art is good, but the music is horrible! This is a REALLY bad recording!

Unbiased reponse to Caesarmagnus.......2005-04-22

Agreed, the fan IS there, but I must admit they are actually singing well in the actual Solesmes style (based on these samples). I have heard superb chant and frighteningly bad chant. This is not as bad as it gets I assure you. Try to find something from a Seminary or Monastery.

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