Customer Reviews

Catholic Latin Classics

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those who have had enough of folk masses, youth masses, and "On Eagle's Wings" - as I have, since about 1988 - this is the antidote. I resent the 1960's generation who felt the need to throw out 1500 years of beautiful sacred music and replace it with the Paul Simon-like strains of "Here I Am Lord." When I hear this music in Latin, all I can say is "DEO GRATIAS!"

Not that they didn't perhaps have good intentions, but I often feel as though those '60's generation Catholics quietly disposed of the rich and all-embracing ("catholic"!) Faith that was to be my birthright, and, beaming, set a big ol' mess of steaming pottage in front of me instead. They told me how lucky I was not to have grown up being forced to listen to Latin, be taught by real live nuns, or shock my poor tender eyes on statues or ornate high altars. Instead, I would have the privelige of attending guitar-and-maraca Masses, where the priest warbled the words of consecration in a sort of blues tune, and-... Ai! Is this really about the God "who gives joy to my youth"? Then why did they, ahem, cut that line? Trying to reconcile all this relentlessly chirpy weirdness with the Holy And Awesome Sacrifice that IS going on - it always deals me Kafka-esque trauma and a headache.

My fellow reviewer from Connecticut, you are so lucky... I can attend the Old Latin Mass only once a month. When I get out of college, I want to move somewhere where I can go every day and live a NORMAL Catholic life! Man, I must be the weirdest teenager in the Valley... ::sighs:: Eek! It's hard not to start using this thing as a message board...

Anyway, keep the Music alive in your hearts with this CD until we can bring it back to the sanctuaries! The day will come... ::smiles tearfully::

Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.

If you prefer the Tridentine rite (the Old Latin Mass) then this recording is for you. It's such a contrast from the banal claptrap we get nowadays (Dan Schutte, St. Louis Jesuits, et al., with their On Eagles Wings, Be Not Afraid, Glory to God, etc.) It's also not the least bit saccharine or overdone as is often the case with recordings of popular Catholic hymns and songs. The recording is tasteful and devotional, almost Anglo-Catholic in its execution, if you know what I mean. Nothing smacking of electric votive candles or overly sentimental renditions of To Jesus' Heart All Burning (not that that doesn't have its place!).

For the most part the arrangements are straightforward. My one regret is that the second verse of Tantum Ergo is a bit over arranged to the point where the melody is lost. I would have preferred if they had recorded Tantum Ergo with the first verse a capella (as they did) with an organ coming in for the second verse all the while swelling towards a resounding crescendo. That's the way it's done at the Benediction service I go to and that's the way I prefer it.

But don't let that stop you from buying it. The Regina Caeli Laetare is especially well done as is the Ecce Sacerdos Magnus, the latter bringing to mind images of the next papal Coronation (and yes, let's pray that it is a Coronation this time: triple tiara, crozier, etc.)

I would rate this CD as ne plus ultra for the amount of divinity that is latent within each of those great, precious, Latin hymns, which should have been my "birth-right," as the other reviewer had wonderfully put it. To give you an idea, I am an immigrant with no cultural ties to the Western world or Latin. It is truly "greek and latin" to me. Thank God, I now have better exposure to some Latin.

This CD is given 5 stars by me, because, not only the music is mellifluous, but the richness of Latin is apodictic, once you hear the euphonious rendition of the hymns by the singers. John Eskola's Panis Angelicus is so good, that I couldn't stop playing it again and again. This wonderful hymn, written by St. Thomas Aquinas would move anybody. And to speak the truth, every time I listen to Ave Maria version of Franz Schubert, wonderfully rendered in the form of a soprano by Lorelei McDermott, an ethereal serenity engulfs.

Almost all the songs in this CD are great and Jubilae Deo of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was just splendiferous.

I wish more Classics like these are included in normal worship.

Regardless of one's taste, this CD has songs and music for everybody.

And, one last thing: After listening to these melodic hymns, I have listened to numerous other singers' versions of Panis Angelicus and Ave Maria, but none has surpassed my expectations as I have on this one. Kudos John Eskola and Lorelei McDermott. Kudos to all the Cathedral Singers and Richard Proulx, the Conductor, of this CD. Great stuff.

In my youth I had the pleasure of singing in a Catholic Boychoir that was was professional enough to sing in Carnagie Hall and under Leonard Bernstein in Lincolm Center in N.Y.C.

We had years of practice and instruction in gregorian chant as well as traditional Catholic sacred music and this religious musical experience even surpassed my music expereiences during the 4 years in a Catholic seminary. In short, I feel qualifed to render an opinion on this CD. It's first rate in its arrangements, content and in the utilization of a boychoir.

Highly recomended.

I would recommend this CD to anyone who is looking for a general Latin Catholic CD. The music soars and takes me back in time to the reverence of the Mass, and the focus on what truly is most important. Great to calm the mind and heart and guide in meditation. Especially appreciated are the liner notes in both Latin and English.

Of all the cd's I've bought looking for the beautiful music from the Masses of long ago, this one captures the reverence and beauty most closely. It is extremely medatitive. A must buy if you are looking to recall the Catholic Mass in Latin.

My little baby even has a favourite! Every time I play no.6 "Oh Sanctissimo", he kicks around in my womb like crazy! I believe it's the lovely high voices and stringed instraments.

This is a FABULOUS cd, a real MUST HAVE for any convert to Catholicism who needs to get a taste for traditional Catholic hymns and prayers. Each song is the most wonderful prayer, so very moving! A lot about the Eucharist. This is also a great aid in helping one learn Latin I must say, especially with the Latin and English words to each song/prayer written out for you, and the words of the songs so well articulated. There's even a little write up about where each song/prayer originated and who wrote the music.

I feel very clever indeed being able to distinguish between an Ave Maria by Bach and an Ave Maria by Schubert! :-) HaHaHa

Are you sick of hearing the trendy amelodic, unsingable songs at Mass each week? Then try listening to this beautiful collection of pre-Vatican II hymns. I bought one each for my 9 brothers and sisters and, as one sister said, she could almost "smell and see the incense rising" as Tantum Ergo played.

With the release of Pope Benedict XIV's Motu Proprio and the Summurum Pontificum, I hope we will see a return of such beautiful music to the Mass. The "Panis Angelicus", by tenor John Eskola, is sublime and the "Adoremus Te, Christe", brings tears to my eyes, as does the "Ave Verum Corpus".

I can't say enough about this cd. I highly recommend it for those who love traditional Roman Catholic mass music.