Customer Reviews

25 Sacred Choral Favorites

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

 

 

This is a great bargain CD with excerpts from some familiar classics and some lesser known treasures. Many listeners, including myself, will want to own the complete performance of most of these works, but this CD is a good way to hear composers such as Lewandowski and Pergolesi, whose works may not already be a part of your music library. The opening movement of Vivaldi's Gloria as performed by the Atlanta Symphony and Chorus conducted by Robert Shaw is terrific. True to his reputation as one of the greatest choral conductors of all time, everything sounds just right under his baton. The other performances were not as highly distinguished in my humble opinion, but overall most of them were good, and many were excellent. For Handel's Messiah though, I highly recommend Sir Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony and Chorus, starring Kiri Te Kanawa (once you hear the Solti version, most other Messiah performances don't feel as moving). And if you enjoyed this CD, you'll really love Kiri Te Kanawa's Ave Maria album.

Overall, this compilation is a really great selection of powerful, serene, and uplifting music. Some of the other CD's in the 25 Favorites series are not very satisfying, but this one is a real winner!

I was torn between four and five stars for this album. In the end, it got five because of the inclusion of the two wonderful traditional Jewish songs - "Alvinu Malkeinu" and "Tzadik Katamar". They are the highlights of the disc for me (no, I'm not Jewish, but that doesn't matter) - and really, where else are you going to find this kind of music?

This CD serves the same purpose as a sampler disc - enticing the listener to buy the full works - Handel's "Messiah", Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater", Faurè's Requiem Mass, and what have you. Believe it or not, I had never heard any of "Messiah" - not even the Hallelujah Chorus in its entirety - before I purchased this CD. Now I realize what I've been missing and checked it out from the local library. Ditto for the unearthly beauty of Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" - check out the samples of "Stabat Mater Dolorosa" and "Quae Moerebat" if you don't believe me.

The quality of the performers is excellent, and how can ANYONE pass up that price???? That is what ultimately clinched it at a solid five stars. I consider this CD one of my greatest finds - you will too.

This one has rapidly become the CD I turn to first and play often. A quite wonderful collection of 'favourites' as the title says, but with some interesting little or lesser known ones among the more well-known tried and trues. Lovely versions of all, from Handel's Hallelujah chorus (how can anyone listen to this and not have an uplifiting of the heart?) through to a couple of Jewish ones, of which 'Avinu Malkeynu' has rapidly etched a place in my heart. I don't think I've come across it before - a superb treasure, just about worth the price of the CD alone.

All in all, a wonderful sample of many, many different composers, with very good versions of the songs (rather than inferior ones as can be the case with some collections). A real bargain at an excellent price. Very glad I succumbed to this one!

As it's described on the CD's back cover, it is "...a heavenly collection of the most inspiring choral music from all ages". It's hard to add something better: 76 minutes of real listening pleasure.

Excellent CD quality of the music, instrumental and vocal.
Choice composers and music selections are awesome.