Schumann: Requiem for Mignon; Mass in C minor

Advantages: A great diversity of famous works
Disadvantages: Not everything is perfect

...SAINT-SAËNS: Finale from Symphony no.3 in C minor, op.78 "Organ" This collection therefore represent some of the best known pieces of music from the Baroque era to the 20th Century, all predominately orchestral. Most of the recordings are very good, although there are a few rather poor ones as well. The slowing down in the "Ride of the Valkyries" takes much power away from the piece, Beethoven's Fifth is painfully slow and measured instead of being faster and more powerful, the "1812 Overture" lacks punch (with the cannons probably digitally added) and the "Ode to Joy" is nothing but a 30 second snippet. However the choral pieces are mostly fantastic (the Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem is nothing short but mind-blowing, as is the Mozart alternative, Holst's "Mars" is one of the best I've heard, the performance of Placido Domingo in "Nessun... Read review

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Advantages: Everything you could ever want from a classical CD
Disadvantages: none

...by Giuseppe Verdi 32. Les pêcheurs de perles Composed by Georges Bizet 33. (Il) trovatore Composed by Giuseppe Verdi 34. Turandot Composed by Giacomo Puccini 35. Carmina Burana Composed by Carl Orff 36. Messa da Requiem Composed by Giuseppe Verdi 37. Messiah Composed by George Frideric Handel 38. Also sprach Zarathustra, 'Thus spake Zarathustra' Composed by Richard Strauss 39. (The) Planets Composed by Gustav Holst 40. Toccata and Fugue in D minor Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach 41. Symphony No. 40 in G minor Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 42. Symphony No. 5 in C minor Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 43. Romeo and Juliet Composed by Sergey Prokofiev 44. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor Composed by Edvard Grieg 45. Boléro Composed by Maurice Ravel 46. Fanfare for the Common Man Composed... Read review

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Advantages: Interesting, beautifull, well written
Disadvantages: Bad choice of soloists

...The Requiem, written shotly after his fathers death, is the only piece in this genre that Andrew Lloyd Webber has written. It is a relatively short piece, only 45 minutes long (NOT as the CD discription says, 1h 45min!!), written for chamber orchestra, organ, SATB choir and tenor, soprano and treble soloists. It uses the well known texts of the Requiem mass. I find the music beautifull in a haunting way. The music os mainly classical, but bears a modern touch, which is refreshing. The music is reasonably easy to sing for a choral singer, which makes it an attractive piece for choirs. This recording uses a boy choir and the soloist Placido Domingo (tenor), Sarah Brightman (soprano) and Paul Miles-Kingston. To me, the soloist are the weakest part of the recording. Placido Domingos voice is to heavy to manage the fast Hosanna, Sara... Read review

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