Search - Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart :: Hymn for the World 2 / Bartoli, Bocelli, Terfel, Chung

Hymn for the World 2 / Bartoli, Bocelli, Terfel, Chung
Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Hymn for the World 2 / Bartoli, Bocelli, Terfel, Chung
Genres: Folk, Pop, Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (15) - Disc #1

This is the second installment in a recording project originally inspired by Pope John Paul II's visit to Paris in 1997 to celebrate the Worldwide Days of Youth. A surprisingly effective anthology of mostly sacred liturgic...  more »

     
   
?

Larger Image

CD Details


Synopsis

Amazon.com
This is the second installment in a recording project originally inspired by Pope John Paul II's visit to Paris in 1997 to celebrate the Worldwide Days of Youth. A surprisingly effective anthology of mostly sacred liturgical music, the selections here occasionally give the impression of "bleeding chunks" (as in the majestic opener from one of Monteverdi's sublimest creations, the 1610 Vespers) but have been chosen with imagination. Chung coordinates his forces in larger choral pieces with power and vertical balance, making a standout of the Beethovenian mystery and drive apparent in the "Sanctus" from Schubert's Mass in E-flat. Contributions by Cecilia Bartoli find the mezzo in top form--listen to her finely spun line interweave with the oboe d'amore in a selection from Bach's B Minor Mass--and as evocative as bright stained glass in Fauré's "Pie Jesu." Bryn Terfel brings charismatic presence to his one selection here (also from the Fauré Requiem). Also included are the interminable "Song for Athene" by John Taverner and a sentimental but earnest performance by Andrea Bocelli in Eric Levi's hymn for the world, "I Believe." --Thomas May

Similarly Requested CDs

 

CD Reviews

Deeply inspirational!
01/22/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album to hear Andrea Bocelli's "I Believe", to which I still cannot listen without tears in my eyes. It is truly the most beautiful "hymn for the world" on the album! Of course, Bocelli is magical and never disappoints! Two other pleasant surprises were "A Song for Athene", the haunting melody I recalled from Princess Diana's funeral - very mysterious and moving. Bartoli's rendition of Gounod's Ave Maria is gorgeous beyond words, just like "I Believe". I believe you should buy this album - a wonderful experience."
Knocked My Socks Off!
Robin Currier | 10/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a choral singer, I am familiar with most of these works, but this recording knocked my socks off when I heard excerpts from it on a local classical music radio station. Not only does this CD group together some of the best music anywhere, but the performances are fantastic. The choral group has a remarkable precision and clarity in their sound that is admirable. And wonderful soloists. In summary, you might have heard many of these pieces elsewhere, but the impact of having these great performances all on one CD is amazing."
Uniformly good, except for one rather nasty exception
Kevin P. Costello | Atlanta, GA | 11/05/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This collection (Also released as "Voices from Heaven", I believe) provides a nice retrospective of 400 years of sacred music. The choir is strong overall, and Bartoli and Bocelli (in his one song) prove admirable soloists, especially in the "Pie Jesu".Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Terfel, and for the "Libera Me" in general. What was the purpose of Faure carefully cutting most of the Dies Irae and hellfire passages if the singers attempt to put it all back in in an overdramatic rendition?"