- Purchase a product from the Music Store sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive £1 to use on an album download in our MP3 Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
TWO SIDES TO THE COIN,
By DAVID BRYSON (Glossop Derbyshire England) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Bach, J.S.: Magnificat; Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata BWV51 (Audio CD)
The first thing to say is that whatever you think of these performances, be careful what you pay for a disc amounting to only 41 minutes of music. I find one of the works much more successful than the other, and I actually suspect that the composer may have as much to do with that as do the performers. The Magnificat (here in its more familiar D major version) simply does not strike me as being equal in inspiration to the best of the cantatas, such as no 51, and to whatever extent this may be a valid view the recording (certainly) and the performance (possibly) conspire to reinforce it.
You may experience a slight problem in setting the best volume-level for the Magnificat. The setting that suits the arias best may make the opening chorus uncomfortably loud, and at any level the solo voices seem a little backward. This is not as serious a matter at it would be in Handel or Mozart, since Bach's inspiration is basically instrumental with the voices integrated into the instrumental pattern, and in fact my ear became accustomed to it quickly. All the same, I did not sense quite the level of inspiration and fervour that I have found in most of Gardiner's Bach performances. Everything is basically `right', and these performers are eminent Bach stylists, but they have set the standard of comparison that I go by, and I have heard them in better form than here. The choral sound in particular lacks the ultimate degree of clarity that I would have liked and that I am used to from these singers. Cantata 51 is another matter entirely. This is simply superlative. I adore Emma Kirkby's voice, she is at her very best here, the recording has brightness and immediacy, and the whole performance is on fire. The only date mentioned in the liner is 1983, so presumably that was the year of both recordings, which makes the discrepancy in quality a little puzzling. The liner essay makes the excellent point that Cantata 51 is a kind of solo motet, Italian in origin, and I am familiar with the style from the much more Italianised Handel. The German school had by Bach's time naturalised the style completely, and to complete the Lutheran feel of the work Bach inserts a long and most beautiful and elaborate chorale. What the liner has to say about the music is very good and enlightening, so more's the pity that it squanders so much of its space in telling us that the music does this then that then the other, all of which we can hear perfectly well for ourselves. 4 stars may be slightly generous, given that the amount of music provided is far from generous. However it's possible that no performance at all could turn the Magnificat into Bach's finest effort, and there is nothing seriously amiss with this performance anyway. As for Cantata 51 as done here, I would have paid any asking price for it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
TWO SIDES TO THE COIN,
By DAVID BRYSON - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bach, J.S.: Magnificat; Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata BWV51 (Audio CD)
The first thing to say is that whatever you think of these performances, be careful what you pay for a disc amounting to only 41 minutes of music. I find one of the works much more successful than the other, and I actually suspect that the composer may have as much to do with that as do the performers. The Magnificat (here in its more familiar D major version) simply does not strike me as being equal in inspiration to the best of the cantatas, such as no 51, and to whatever extent this may be a valid view the recording (certainly) and the performance (possibly) conspire to reinforce it.
You may experience a slight problem in setting the best volume-level for the Magnificat. The setting that suits the arias best may make the opening chorus uncomfortably loud, and at any level the solo voices seem a little backward. This is not as serious a matter at it would be in Handel or Mozart, since Bach's inspiration is basically instrumental with the voices integrated into the instrumental pattern, and in fact my ear became accustomed to it quickly. All the same, I did not sense quite the level of inspiration and fervour that I have found in most of Gardiner's Bach performances. Everything is basically `right', and these performers are eminent Bach stylists, but they have set the standard of comparison that I go by, and I have heard them in better form than here. The choral sound in particular lacks the ultimate degree of clarity that I would have liked and that I am used to from these singers. Cantata 51 is another matter entirely. This is simply superlative. I adore Emma Kirkby's voice, she is at her very best here, the recording has brightness and immediacy, and the whole performance is on fire. The only date mentioned in the liner is 1983, so presumably that was the year of both recordings, which makes the discrepancy in quality a little puzzling. The liner essay makes the excellent point that Cantata 51 is a kind of solo motet, Italian in origin, and I am familiar with the style from the much more Italianised Handel. The German school had by Bach's time naturalised the style completely, and to complete the Lutheran feel of the work Bach inserts a long and most beautiful and elaborate chorale. What the liner has to say about the music is very good and enlightening, so more's the pity that it squanders so much of its space in telling us that the music does this then that then the other, all of which we can hear perfectly well for ourselves. 4 stars may be slightly generous, given that the amount of music provided is far from generous. However it's possible that no performance at all could turn the Magnificat into Bach's finest effort, and there is nothing seriously amiss with this performance anyway. As for Cantata 51 as done here, I would have paid any asking price for it.
4.0 out of 5 stars
a voice teacher and early music fan,
By George Peabody "Ariel" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bach, J.S.: Magnificat; Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata BWV51 (Audio CD)
GREAT CHORUS-GREAT ORCHESTRA-LETHARGIC SOLOISTS (Magnificat)
This recording is simply a remastered version of the one listed right above this one. It was recorded in November of 1983, and you will note that the inner picture on this cover is a replica of the complete cover of the 1990 release. To my mind Gardiner erred in his choice of soloists, for they were not able to rise to the emotional demands of this music. Notable exeption is tenor, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, who performed his solo with excellence, both vocally and dramatically. Nance Argenta, soprano, seemed not to get into her usual 'form'; there were no mistakes and nothing was poorly executed, but she did not evoke any feeling in me of joy, which is what this music is supposed to convey.Patrizia Kwella, soprano, has an uneven sound and almost faded out on some of her lower notes. David Thompson (bass) performed with a bit more fervor, but Charles Brett, countertenor, was totally bland in his rendition. The duet with Brett and Johnson was elevated by Johnson's expressive sound, no help from Brett on that score. Now the Monteverdi Choir is quite another story: bouyant and resonant sound, clear and precise diction, and a sense of always moving forward, even in the slow parts. However, even all of this by the Choir did not wake up the soloists. The Choir deserves 10 stars!!!!! "Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen" should be considered as a Motet,whose form comprises: aria , recitative, and aria leading to an Alleluia. Interestingly enough, this was first performed with a 12 year old boy singing the virtuostic solo part (Sept, 1730). Which brings us to that marvelous vocalist, Emma Kirkby, who seems to sing so effortlessly note after gorgeous note full of life and joy!!!!!A Master Bach Sincger for sure!!!She duets in the first and last sections of the motet gloriously with a very skilled trumpetist: Crispian Steele-Perkins. Can we say this is all worth hearing???You Bet!!!!! I loved it, and though I would not rate this as the best 'Magnificat', fot that honor (in my humble opinion) belongs to the 1990 Chandos disc (I reviewed it) with soloists: Kirkby-Chance-Ainsley-Varcoe; Richard Hikox at the helm with the Collegium Musicum. However, there are some truly fine moments on this disc, some of which I have mentioned. You can tell by the tone of this review that I really wanted this to be a 5-star recording, but it's not!!! 1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent seizures,
By Felix Schweizer "felix" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bach, J.S.: Magnificat; Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata BWV51 (Audio CD)
I just downloaded this CD through itunes and it appears that the chorus is plagued by seizures during the opening "Magnificat". Enunciation is not great and the words seem stuttered. The following arias are flat, but somewhat more bearable, but then comes the now feared chorus again and it seems time to hit the delete button. The "quia fecit mihi magna" sums it up, heavy with labored rhythm with no excitement, so its time to stop listening....
I usually like Gardiner, but this is not a recording he should be proud of! |
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
