Chant

The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
• Audio CD (March 15, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000002SKX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Early Music > General
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Early Music > Vocal & Song > General AAS
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Chants

Track Listings

1. Puer natus est nobis, introit in mode 7

2. Os iusti, gradual in mode 1

3. Christus factus est, gradual in mode 5 (Liber Usualis, No 655)

4. Mandatum novum do vobis, antiphon & Psalm 132 in Mode 3

5. Media vita in morte sumus, responsory in mode 4

6. Alleluia, beatus vir qui suffert, in mode 1

7. Spiritus Domini, introit in mode 8 (Liber Usualis, No 878b)

8. Improperium exspectavit cor meum, offertory in mode 8 for Palm Sunday

9. Laetatus sum, gradual in mode 7 (Liber Usualis No. 560, GR 139)

10. Kyrie XI, in mode 1

11. Puer natus in Bethlehem, in mode 1

12. Jacta cogitatum tuum, gradual in mode 7

13. Verbum caro factum est, responsory in mode 8 (Liber Usualis No. 390)

14. Genuit puerpera regen, antiphon & Psalm 99 (Mode II)

15. Occuli omnium, gradual in mode 7

16. Ave mundi spes Maria, sequence in modes 7 & 8

17. Kyrie fons bonitatis, trope in mode 3

18. Veni sancte spiritus, sequence in mode 1

19. Hosanna filio David, antiphon in mode 7 (GR 137)

Editorial Reviews

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

Product Description

19 songs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Standard Bearer for the Genre! Calm, Peaceful, Beautiful!, August 18, 2005

By 

Frederick Baptist (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chant (Audio CD)

I have to admit that when I got this disc, it was more out of curiousity as it had done very well commercially and although I had read about Gregorian Chants, I had no idea what they were and thought that this would be a good way to find out.

Well, the sound quality of the recording was quite decently done and what struck me was the calm, serene vibes I was getting from listening to the tracks. And then it struck me that there were no musical accompanyments and it was just these guys with their voices!

So simple and yet so beautiful were the sounds coming out of the disc. A great stress reliever and to think that this kind of music has been around for millenia! Highly recommended!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gregorian Chant, August 13, 2006

By 

Angel Max - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chant (Audio CD)

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.

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good, but there are better choices, September 22, 2002

By 

Christian Ellithorpe "ellithorpeillustrations" (Streamwood, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chant (Audio CD)

While this is a good collection & the most well-known, there are actually much better choices. For example, there is
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
by Cappella Gregorianna
which is a far fresher recording with far more ambience & natural reverberation. Plus, it is about half the price as this one, which was originally recorded in the 60s & then remastered. I find this one a tad dry (& also without as much variety) compared to the "Lost in Meditation" collection. Another very good one is Mysteria by Chanticleer which has a lot of variety & excellent sound recording. (though I would still rank it lower than the Capella Gregorianna one, because some selections also sound less full, as if they were recoded in studio & not a large cathedral)