Sacred Music in the Renaissance, Vol. 3 [Box set, Import]

The Tallis Scholars (Artist), Verdelot (Composer), Gombert (Composer), Browne (Composer), Palestrina (Composer), Allegri (Composer), Josquin (Composer), Peter Phillips (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: Peter Phillips
• Composer: Verdelot, Gombert, Browne, Palestrina, Allegri, et al.
• Audio CD (November 9, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: GIMELL
• ASIN: B0044ZQ8RQ
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,068 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than 5 hours of glorious music performed by the Tallis Scholars, February 20, 2011

By 

Y.P. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Music in the Renaissance, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)

To celebrate their almost 4 decades of continuous recordings and concert performances(*), the Tallis Scholars release 3 boxes of "Sacred Music in the Renaissance", roughly one for each decade. Besides the Volume 3 under review, there are 2 other collections: Sacred Music in the Renaissance Vol. 1, Vol. 2. Each offers more than 5 hours of glorious music performed by the Tallis Scholars. Whether you like the group's style or not, there is no denying that they are 'the rock stars of Renaissance vocal music', and their performance is always consistent, polished, with flawless tuning.

However, if you are a lover of the Renaissance music, likely there are many recordings of this group on your shelves already. The tracks of Vol.1 and Vol.2 are cherry-picked from each decade's "finest recordings" and they rarely include the entire discs. Therefore, they are only recommended to the "occasional listeners". The seasoned collectors will do better by purchasing the individual discs. What makes the current volume so convenient is that this collection of 4 CDs actually includes entire 4.9+0.1 = 5 CDs of the Tallis Scholars' recordings in the first decade of the New Millennium. So even if you already have, say, 2 CDs in the collection, it makes sense to purchase this box and give your extra copies away. If you choose to resell your copies, you might be able to recuperate the price of this box. That is, you get the other 3 CDs for free!

The 4.9 CDs are

John Browne: Music from the Eton Choirbook
Josquin: Missa Malheur me bat and Missa Fortuna desperata
Gombert: Magnificats 1-4
Gombert: Magnificats 5-8
Allegri: Miserere; Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli (With the embellished Miserere only)

Besides these, it also includes Philippe Verdelot's "Si bona suscepimus" track from Cristobal de Morales: Missa Si bona suscepimus / Tallis Scholars, which constitutes 0.1 CD mentioned earlier.

Among the recorded music here, I found the performances of Josquin and Browne to be absolutely superb, with others very good too. Even if you are not a big fan of this group, John Browne's glorious music, here gloriously performed, is a must-listen. Personally, I rate this as one of the TS's very finest albums (among those I am familiar with.) For the Josquin album, it was rated by insightful critics as one of the group's crowning achievements (and was chosen as a Giodano Bruno's must-buy of the month©). All these plus 3 more CDs of the music by Gombert, Palestrina, Allegri and Verdelot, for less than $20! So what are you waiting for?

The sung texts with translation and liner notes are included, in English, French and German. Attractive packaging and low price, this is a bargain not to be missed.

Very highly recommended.
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(*) The Tallis Scholars were founded by Peter Phillips in 1973.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic reissues, March 17, 2011

By 

Sid Nuncius (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Music in the Renaissance, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)

This is a fantastic set of four CDs, the third of three released by the Tallis Scholars to mark 30 years of recordings. Volume 3 is a selection from 2000 - 2010, and genuinely does represent some of their finest recordings - which from the Tallis Scholars is really saying something. The track listings on this page give a good summary of the works included I have owned and loved all of the original discs from which these recordings are taken for many years, and together they form a magnificent set.

In this set Peter Philips has chosen from a small number of discs, preferring to include virtually complete original recordings rather than selections from a large number. This means that you get the complete contents of two of my favourite Tallis Scholars discs: the two fantastic Josquin masses on Disc 4 and possibly my favourite of all, the five motets by John Browne from the Eton Choirbook, which are simply sublime. The rest is absolutely terrific stuff, too, (although I have to take the Gombert Magnificats just one or two at a time) and the whole set is full of wonderful music.

As to the singing - it's magnificent. The Tallis Scholars' trademark immaculate tuning, ideal blend and balance and crystal clarity are there throughout, as is their real engagement with the text. The recorded sound is impeccable and ideally suited to the group's sound, and the notes and full texts are excellent.

You simply can't go wrong at this price for four discs of magnificent music, beautifully sung. Very warmly recommended indeed.