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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This double-CD is a really good recording of one of Haydn's finest compositions. The Creation is a mature work and a deep expression of faith which shows Haydn at his greatest - which is very great indeed. From the stunning opening "Representation of Chaos" and then the wonderful flooding of the universe with C major light, to terrific choral writing and some lovely arias, this is a pleasure from start to finish. The word "masterpiece" can sometimes make a piece sound worthy and perhaps rather difficult, but The Creation is a masterpiece which is hugely enjoyable and full of glorious music.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner does it proud. The choir and orchestra are outstanding, bringing great precision and verve to the music, and finding real joy and tenderness where appropriate. The soloists are also very fine - I particularly like Donna Brown's soprano - and the whole performance is simply excellent.
The recorded sound is very good, and I don't share the reservations of another reviewer here. There is quite a wide dynamic range, but that seems to me to be entirely appropriate to the music and comes from the musicians rather than the recording.
I have owned the original release of this set for years and it has given me huge pleasure. At this budget price it's an absolute snip and I recommend it in the warmest possible terms.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner does it proud. The choir and orchestra are outstanding, bringing great precision and verve to the music, and finding real joy and tenderness where appropriate. The soloists are also very fine - I particularly like Donna Brown's soprano - and the whole performance is simply excellent.
The recorded sound is very good, and I don't share the reservations of another reviewer here. There is quite a wide dynamic range, but that seems to me to be entirely appropriate to the music and comes from the musicians rather than the recording.
I have owned the original release of this set for years and it has given me huge pleasure. At this budget price it's an absolute snip and I recommend it in the warmest possible terms.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
I have owned this recording for several years and every time I play it, I am totally uplifted by it. The soloists, orchestra and conducting are first rate.
I have a pretty decent audiophile rated stereo system and I don't have any problems with the quality of the recording. I suppose that a really top notch system might highlight issues with the recording quality as it might do with any recording, but frankly, the previous comment critical of the recording quality is much more likely to be the result of poor hearing or poor speakers, improperly located.
If you love 'The Creation' sung in German (as I do), buy in confidence. A more balanced, detailed and passionate recording hasn't been produced.
I have a pretty decent audiophile rated stereo system and I don't have any problems with the quality of the recording. I suppose that a really top notch system might highlight issues with the recording quality as it might do with any recording, but frankly, the previous comment critical of the recording quality is much more likely to be the result of poor hearing or poor speakers, improperly located.
If you love 'The Creation' sung in German (as I do), buy in confidence. A more balanced, detailed and passionate recording hasn't been produced.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I will be brief. This is a good and enjoyable Creation. For quite some time it had seemed to occupy a special position amongst those available as the most overall successful of the historically informed versions available. I'm not sure that this was ever actually true but as an account it's natural brightness and excellent playing had made it seem something very special.
But these days we make our comparisons across the whole spectrum of performance styles and in any case I feel this account stands up less well against some of the current period performance opposition. It lacks the character of McCreesh's (English language) and the second Harnoncourt (I never heard his first account) versions, for example. Both of these make their points with more subtlety and style. The Harnoncourt in particular has a stunningly good set of soloists and, despite it's seeming a little heavier and richer than Gardiner, still manages to take flight far more freely. Gardiner's account by comparison can seem merely driven and is certainly less Haydnesque.
The Gardiner set is good. The price is amazingly good. But the Creation is a special masterpiece and we are lucky indeed that there are out there recordings that tell us even more about it than Gardiner does.
But these days we make our comparisons across the whole spectrum of performance styles and in any case I feel this account stands up less well against some of the current period performance opposition. It lacks the character of McCreesh's (English language) and the second Harnoncourt (I never heard his first account) versions, for example. Both of these make their points with more subtlety and style. The Harnoncourt in particular has a stunningly good set of soloists and, despite it's seeming a little heavier and richer than Gardiner, still manages to take flight far more freely. Gardiner's account by comparison can seem merely driven and is certainly less Haydnesque.
The Gardiner set is good. The price is amazingly good. But the Creation is a special masterpiece and we are lucky indeed that there are out there recordings that tell us even more about it than Gardiner does.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A good version with some excellent singing
I'm a great admirer of Gardiner. Also here he makes a very good job. It's interesting to listen to his "modern" reading of this music. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Per Arne Rudberg
Very good
This is a very satisfying rendition of Haydn's most popular oratorio. Joseph Haydn is at his inventive best here with a great "creation" in its own right. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2009 by Dermot Elworthy
Excellent performance, shame about the recording quality
Although this is a highly recommended version of The Creation, it is let down by extreme variations in sound quality in the recording. Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2009 by Lomond
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