Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The only reason I gave this CD one star is because you cannot rate a CD with zero stars. I would not recommend this CD at all. First, several songs are not really Gregorian Plainchant. They will start out with chant and go into a strange polyphony. But the worst thing about this CD is that it is of a horrible recording quality. It sounds like the monks are singing into a microphone through a fan. Some of the songs they don't even finish, the recording just fades out. It is extremely low quality and I would highly recommend other recordings such as the monks of Santo Domingo de Silos or the monks of Solesmes. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS CD! This is not a good example of Gregorian Chant.

One really hears the passion and life in the voices of these monks--keep in mind that this is not merely a group of singers who have assembled in the studio to record a CD, but rather, men whose lives are totally wrapped up in the mysteries of which they sing. I can really hear their struggles and love for God in their chants, and their harmonies are creative and sweet to the ear. True, if one is not familiar with this type of music--Gregorian Chant--it may sound a little spooky and strangely other-wordly. I would encourage the listener to look up on the Internet the portions of the Latin mass that are on this CD--the Gloria (#11), for example, and read the words in English along to sound of the song. That way, you can have a sense of the things about which the monks sing, which will bridge the distance between the listener and this genre of music.

"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.

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.

This is an excellent CD. Much better than the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos. St. Michael's are much more melodic, with better harmonies. The use of bells also helps.

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

This is not technically chant, but it's beautiful and inspiring for what it is. If you want to spend some time in contemplation and prayer and need an aid to help you from the distractions of daily life, I highly recommend this cd. It's haunting yet comforting. It takes you out of this fast-paced often relentless world to a place of utter peace.

Despite the poor reviews, which are justfiable, the music is good! The cover calls it gregorian chant. ALL THAT I CAN DO, IS CALL THE RECORD CoMPANY THIS:Poor misinformed brutes!
But that doesnt mean that the performers have done a lousy job....on the contrary. The music was WONDERFUL! So no stars for the record company....5 stars for the performers!

This tape is better than I expected. It provides me with the calmness and peace of mind to get through any given day. I will be purchasing more of these in the future. Thank you.

The album is everything I wanted and more. It illustrates the beauty of Gregorian Chant