Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier – Stories: Berio And Friends (2011) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier – Stories: Berio And Friends (2011)
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 3,50 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 1,04 GB | Full Artwork | 3% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Harmonia Mundi USA # HMU 807527 | Country/Year: Europe 2011
Genre: Classical | Style: Contemporary, Experimental

This collection of works for unaccompanied voices is bookended by works by singer Cathy Berberian and composer Luciano Berio, who were once married to each other. John Cage’s Story is a movement of his percussion quartet Living Room Music, while Young Turtle Asymmetries is by Cage’s pupil Jackson Mac Low and Roger Marsh’s Not a Soul But Ourselves is set to a text by James Joyce. Usually done solo, Berberian’s Stripsody, with its score consisting solely of cartoons, is sung here by a trio and must be heard to be believed.

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Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier – The Christmas Story: told in chant, motets, dialogues & traditional folk carols (2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier – The Christmas Story: told in chant, motets, dialogues & traditional folk carols (2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 01:05:17 minutes | 1,14 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

The full title of this album gives a good overview of its contents and artistic intent: the Christmas story told in chant, motets, dialogues and traditional folk carols. Listeners should be aware that it’s not a playful CD of “fun” holiday music, but a serious, thoughtfully assembled collection of Christmas music spanning the history of the Western European tradition, from plainchant to contemporary anthems and arrangements made especially for this album. Its format is based loosely on the Anglican service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Theatre of Voices, a mixed vocal quartet supplemented by organ and theorbo (or guitar), sings four lessons, three Biblical stories in Baroque Italian settings, plus the traditional We Three Kings. The carols, traditionally sung by the choir or congregation at the Christmas Eve service, are sung a cappella by the chamber choir, Ars Nova Copenhagen. The performances, led by Paul Hillier, are absolutely first-rate. Theatre of Voices, an ensemble of soloists, sings with exquisite purity, intonation, blend, and balance. Ars Nova Copenhagen has the same outstanding musical strengths, but simply by virtue of the relative size of the group, it makes a dramatic contrast in its contributions, which take up the bulk of the album. In spite of its size — only four singers on a part — it produces a wonderfully robust sound. The variety of the repertoire and the exceptionally high performance standards make this an album that should be attractive to anyone looking for a quality survey of Christmas music through the ages. The sound of Harmonia Mundi’s hybrid SACD is clean, well-balanced, and natural. –AllMusic Review by Stephen Eddins

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Robin Blaze, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier – Tiovo Tulev: Songs (2008) MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Robin Blaze, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier – Tiovo Tulev: Songs (2008)
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 3,31 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 1,07 GB | Full Artwork
Label/Cat#: Hamronia Mundi USA # HMU 807452 | Country/Year: Europe 2008 | 3% Recovery Info
Genre: Classical, Sacred | Style: Present 21th Century, Vocal

For me, one of the highlights of the 2008 Edinburgh Festival was a concert given by the Esthonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, directed by Paul Hillier in their core repertoire of Baltic music. Many will be familiar with the choir from their series of Baltic Voices discs, and their reputation for precision, virtuosity and a uniquely vibrant timbre was amply displayed at that concert – as it is on this recording.

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Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier – Rachmaninov: All-Night Vigil (2005) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier – Rachmaninov: All-Night Vigil (2005)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 53:58 minutes | 885 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

World renowned conductor Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir through Rachmaninov’s magnificent All-Night Vigil, often regarded as the capstone of Orthodox Church music. The breathtaking reading builds on a serene affirmation of religious faith, adding an array of timbral and harmonic effects and virtuosic techniques.

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Theatre of Voices and Paul Hillier – Line Tjørnhøj: enTmenschT (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Theatre of Voices and Paul Hillier – Line Tjørnhøj: enTmenschT (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 59:11 minutes | 2,01 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Dacapo Records

In enTmenschT, Danish composer Line Tjornhoj intricately weaves together the stories of two ill-fated couples to delve into the mysterious nature of the true self. Against the backdrop of the early 20th century and the tumultuous devastation of two world wars, this haunting and virtuosic song cycle reveals unexpected and thought-provoking insights into the human condition. Tjornhoj’s masterful work is a testament to her compositional prowess and unwavering dedication to exploring the intricate depths of the human experience in our modern age.

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Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier – …and… (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier – …and… (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:02:46 minutes | 1,11 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Naxos

A collection of sacred music by Arvo Pärt, Julia Wolfe, Caroline Shaw, interspersed with songs from the Laudario di Cortona, Italy.

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Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier – The Christmas Story (2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Theatre of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier – The Christmas Story (2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24bit/88,2kHz | Time – 01:05:08 minutes | 1,14 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

This anthology of Christmas carols from the European tradition is not as banal a collection as it may seem. Paul Hillier’s intention here is to place himself in the context of history and musicology, his work being similar to that of Arthur Honegger, who at the end of his life composed A Christmas Cantata, which was based on various traditional songs, motets and folk songs.

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