Search - George Frederick Handel, Henry Purcell, Modest Mussorgsky :: Grand & Glorious: Great Operatic Choruses

Don't know what they're singing, but I like it!

Steven H. Hulme | Boise, ID USA | 05/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not a big opera fan - generally I'm glad when the fat lady sings! But, I love classical music, and a lot of the MUSIC of opera. That said, I really enjoy this disc!The Atlanta Symphony and Chorus, under the baton of the late, great Robert Shaw, enjoy a well-deserved reputation as one of the preeminent choral organizations. It's just wonderful to hear such a large choir with such command of dynamics - they can shake the room, and they can whisper. The TELARC recording is up to the usual excellent quality - they have captured those dynamics.I purchased this disc for one reason - because it has Wagner's "Pilgrim's Chorus." And it's magnificent - what a transcendent piece of music! Other selections range from the obscure-but-lovely, to the melodies that have been whistled by everyone at one time or another. Personal favorites include Moussorgsky's "Coronation Scene" from _Boris Godunov_, Bizet's "Les voici" from _Carmen_, and the awe-inspiring "Regina Coeli" from Mascagni's _Cavalleria Rusticana_. There are definitely no "dud" tracks in this collection. It will surely be appreciated by the opera and choral buff, but also by rubes like me, who like the music but don't have a clue what all those foreigners are carrying on about! Know what I mean, Vern?Total time - 68:35"