or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Available to Download Now
 
Buy the MP3 album for £7.49
 
 
 
 
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 

O Solitude

Andreas Scholl Audio CD
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
Price: £7.51 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Want delivery by Tuesday, 21 May? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
Buy the MP3 album for £7.49 at the Amazon MP3 Downloads store.


Amazon's Andreas Scholl Store

Music

Image of album by Andreas Scholl

Photos

Image of Andreas Scholl

Biography

ANDREAS SCHOLL – A BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE
“Andreas Scholl has the world’s most cultured counter-tenor voice. And during his three Handel arias some 6,000 people scarcely dared breathe.”
Richard Morrison in the Times (2005, reviewing the “Last Night of the Proms”)
Born into a family of singers in Eltville on the Rhine, near Wiesbaden, Andreas ... Read more in Amazon's Andreas Scholl Store

Visit Amazon's Andreas Scholl Store
for 35 albums, 17 photos, discussions, and more.

Frequently Bought Together

O Solitude + Andreas Scholl - Bach Cantatas + Arias for Senesino
Price For All Three: £28.95

Some of these items are dispatched sooner than the others.

Buy the selected items together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product details

  • Performer: Christophe Dumaux
  • Orchestra: Accademia Bizantina
  • Conductor: Stefano Montanari
  • Composer: Henry Purcell
  • Audio CD (17 Jan 2011)
  • SPARS Code: DDD
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Decca (UMO)
  • ASIN: B003XT8Y3U
  • Other Editions: MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 21,675 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song TitleArtist Time Price
Listen  1. If Music Be The Food Of LoveAndreas Scholl 2:15£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  2. Come Ye Sons Of Art - Sound The TrumpetAndreas Scholl 3:00£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  3. Come, Ye Sons Of Art, Away (1694) Ode For The Birthday Of Queen Mary II - Strike The Viol, Touch The LuteAndreas Scholl 4:18£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  4. Chacony, Z628Accademia Bizantina 3:36£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  5. King Arthur, Or The British Worthy (1691) / Act 5 - Fairest IsleAndreas Scholl 4:54£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  6. King Arthur, Or The British Worthy (1691) / Act 3 - What Power Art Thou?Andreas Scholl 3:09£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  7. Chacony In G Minor Z730Accademia Bizantina 4:07£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  8. The Fairy Queen / Act 2 - One Charming NightAndreas Scholl 2:24£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen  9. Pausanius, The Betrayer Of His Country. (1695), Z585 - Original Version - Sweeter Than RosesAndreas Scholl 3:17£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen10. Dido And Aeneas / Act 3 - When I Am Laid In Earth - Dido's LamentAndreas Scholl 4:04£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen11. The Gordian Knot Untied - Music For The Gordian Knot Unty'dAccademia Bizantina10:46Album Only
Listen12. Ode For St Cecilia's Day, ''Welcome To All The Pleasures'', Z339 - Original Version - Here The Deities ApproveAndreas Scholl 4:35£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen13. Oedipus - Music For A While, Z583Andreas Scholl 4:13£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen14. O Dive Custos Auriacae Domus, Z504Andreas Scholl 6:59£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen15. O Solitude, My Sweetest Choice, Z.406Andreas Scholl 5:32£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen16. Pavan In G Minor, Z.752Accademia Bizantina 4:49£0.79  Buy MP3 
Listen17. An Evening Hymn, Z 193Andreas Scholl 4:33£0.79  Buy MP3 


Product Description

CD Description

One of the greatest living countertenors, Andreas Scholl returns to the Decca label with a recording of vocal jewels by the great baroque composer, Henry Purcell. This is Andreas Scholl's first ever recording of the music of Purcell and his uniquely beautiful voice is perfectly suited to the English composer's plangent melodies. The album includes pieces written for the stage, the church and the private chamber, some of which Andreas Scholl has sung in recital for many years, and some he sings for the first time.

Andreas Scholl's longstanding collaborators, Accademia Bizantina bring out the Italian influence in Purcell's instrumental writing, and contribute orchestral items to the programme. O Solitude is Andreas Scholl's first Decca album since the chart-topping Handel: Arias For Senesino in 2006.

The album includes the well-known beautifully poignant lament "When I Am Laid In Earth" written for the character of Dido in Purcell's opera, Dido and Aeneas.

Product Description

CD

Customer Reviews

4 star
0
2 star
0
1 star
0
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Purcell + Andreas Scholl; at last 17 Jan 2011
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally... songs by the greatest English composer, sung by the greatest "English" countertenor. With this CD of secular and operatic arias by Henry Purcell, Andreas Scholl has returned to his "erste Liebe". The selection includes many of the best-known and best-loved songs, including "Music for a while" and "If music be the food of love", both of which AS imbues with all the poise, clarity and understanding for which he is justly famous, combined with unexpected flashes of cheerfulness. Apparently, Mr Scholl considers that "Music for a while" is one of the top 10 songs ever written and on this evidence who would argue?

The infrequently-recorded Cold Genius song, "What power thou art" from King Arthur, is a sheer triumph of strength and expression and is a particularly effective transposition to the countertenor range from the more usual bass/baritone - if you are not shivering and breathless by the end of it, you clearly haven't been listening properly. In contrast, the ingeniously simple "Fairest isle", which Mr Scholl sang to such acclaim at the Last Night of the Proms in 2005, is sung with a beguiling lightness of touch, and benefits from a sensitive harpsichord/lute/cello trio during the vocal sections and lavishly smooth and charming strings during orchestral parts; together they produce an absolutely scintillating rendition, the radiance of which just leaves you stunned with wonder. The one aria over which some controversy might arise is Dido's Lament, "When I am laid in earth", it being sung usually by a mezzo-soprano, but concern is needless; here it is surprisingly and movingly affecting and, after all, the sentiment, if not the context, is universally applicable. I could go on with "O Solitude", but you will get the picture by now.

Accademia Bizantina play several orchestral pieces with verve and spirit and, indeed, these have an important role in the structure of the CD since some of the songs have such an intensity to them that they could not be followed instantly by another; so the orchestral sections also serve to allow the listener to emerge gradually from the stillness engendered by a particularly powerful or sensitive aria. However, this CD is really all about the songs, where Stefano Montanari has the sense to appreciate that less is more; his gentle, supportive orchestration (and particularly the elegant organ/harpsichord accompaniment of Markus Märkl) gives Andreas Scholl the space and freedom to do what he does best - to use his captivating voice, his technical excellence, his lovely way with words and his experience to breathe life and warmth into some of the best-written songs in the english language. As he did with John Dowland, Andreas Scholl, at last, makes Purcell his own.

The recording includes two duets with Christophe Dumaux, whose voice I like very much also. The slow "O dive custos Auriacae domus" worked beautifully and would be in danger of being the highlight of the CD if not for, well, all the other highlights. "Sound the Trumpet", meanwhile, is sung with a delightfully engaging liveliness, but I am not entirely convinced that Scholl & Dumaux is the ideal pairing for this countertenor classic which, in my opinion, requires voices of a broadly similar style to make the very most of its counterpoint - let us hope for Scholl & Davies in the near future but until then I think we must let Bowman & Chance still have this one.

Right, let's turn to the elephant in the room. Does this version of the elegiac "An Evening Hymn" eclipse Michael Chance's supremely delicate, intelligent and reflective 1993 reading - the benchmark for so long? Of course not, but it stands firmly alongside as an exquisite, intensely beautiful new edition which will, without doubt, also stand the test of time.

Henry Purcell has been well served; it was definitely worth the wait.
Was this review helpful to you?
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars O Marvelous! 29 Jan 2011
By TSmith
Format:Audio CD
When I received a text message from my father saying 'have you heard the new Andreas Scholl album, O Solitude? Drop everything and get it now!' I did just that. And I'm very glad I did. This is an intelligently assembled collection of Purcell which will take you on a journey through many different emotions and musical colours. The opening album opens with "If music be the food of love" and by the end of this 2 minute track I was indeed willing him to "sing on"!
There is something totally captivating about the dark and chilling "What power art thou" and the famous Dido's Lament is very moving.
This is music that demands one's full attention. Best listened to in Solitude.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars heart-achingly beautiful 10 Feb 2011
By CHG3004
Format:Audio CD
I was driving in my car with radio 3 on when I heard the most haunting song. By the time I got to the traffic lights, the tears were involuntarily flowing - it was Andreas Scholl's recording of Dido's lament 'When I am laid in earth' from his recent CD of Purcell music, 'O Solitude'. I immediately bought the CD and think it a rare treasure. The rendition of the 'frost song' from 'King Arthur' is startling, funny and touching - rather a surprise piece. Supported by the Accademia Bizantina, Scholl makes his first recording foray into Purcell and it is a triumph. I think I now rate his version of 'When I am laid in earth' as the most sublimely beautiful and tragic short piece I have ever heard. I feel the need to share this CD with my friends!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Just what was needed!
Have been checking out Andreas Scholl's albums or a while now, as needed more! Currently have 4 in total, but this is by far one of my favourites. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Fussy Betty
3.0 out of 5 stars o solitude
arrived on time. Definately not my cup of tea so lucky it was a present for someone who loves him!!.
Published 1 month ago by EAP of B
3.0 out of 5 stars Purcell O Solitude
I had looked forward to this very much and it started off very well. Wonderful voice
and not the usual orchestra background, but still very punchy. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Bazz
5.0 out of 5 stars A panorama of Purcell's art
Purcell's complete works should be on every Englishman's shelf in my opinion, but if for some reason you are not so inclined (and if not why not? Read more
Published 19 months ago by E. L. Wisty
5.0 out of 5 stars If only this was an SACD
I just wish that that this disc was released as a hybrid multichannel SACD, it would sound superb and we would hear his voice at its best!
Published 19 months ago by Mr. C. G. Veitch
3.0 out of 5 stars A missed opportunity
I awaited this release with great anticipation,only to be sadly disappointed.It has to be Scholl's poorest release to date. Read more
Published on 25 April 2011 by Caliban2009
5.0 out of 5 stars Another terrific disc from Andreas Scholl
I was going to write a full review of this wonderful disc, but I find that T Mason has already said everything I was going to say. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2011 by Sid Nuncius
5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer Luxury
Absolutely glorious rendition of Purcell classics. "When I am laid in earth" sent shivers down my spine. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2011 by Daniel Park
3.0 out of 5 stars wonderful music
Lovely CD. Only reason scored it down was because there is a lot of orchestra and not so much of Andreas.
Love the counter tenor voice.
Published on 29 Jan 2011 by kayak
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges