Neal Davies, Sarah Connolly, Nick Pritchard, The Choir of Merton College – Bob Chilcott: Christmas Oratorio (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:12:08 minutes | 1,10 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Delphian Records
Hailed as ‘a palpable success… and utterly new’ at its premiere performance, Bob Chilcott’s Christmas Oratorio brings the magic, wonder and joy of a centuries-old story to modern-day life. This first recording reassembles the glittering cast of soloists from the premiere: Nick Pritchard’s Evangelist, intimately accompanied by harp and flute, is joined by mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and bass Neal Davies. Benjamin Nicholas’s award-winning Choir of Merton College, Oxford enrich the Christmas story with carols that are sure to become instant favourites. The composer is delighted with the recording, describing it as ‘elegant, well paced and poised… The choir is fabulous – confident and sure’.
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Joseph Middleton, Sarah Connolly – Mahler Songs (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:01:16 minutes | 2,31 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Signum Records
Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly and pianist Joseph Middleton have produced a CD with three of Mahler’s best known song cycles; the Rückert-Lieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and the Kindertotenlieder. It’s a very fine recording. Both performers are, of course, expert recitalists and they take quite an individual way with these well known pieces. In general they are quite slow (less so in the Rückert songs than the other two sets) but very clearly articulated. The phrasing, by both singer and pianist, is very deliberate and sometimes quite individual. This is most pronounced in the Rückert songs. It’s an interesting approach which I enjoyed.
The recording is fine. It was made in St. George’s Bristol in April 2021 and it’s well balanced, clear and natural. It will be available as a physical CD and in digital formats ranging from MP3 to 192kHz/24bit FLAC. I listened to the hi-res version. The booklet has plenty of useful information and full texts and English translations.
So, an interesting and enjoyable, if rather individual, record from two serious Mahlerians. Definitely worth a listen.
The release date is July 28th 2023 and the catalogue number is Signum SIGCD741.
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Sarah Connolly, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis – Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius & Sea Pictures (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 02:04:38 minutes | 1,42 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Chandos
Chandos Records is delighted to present this new recording of Elgar’s choral masterpiece The Dream of Gerontius and the enduringly popular song cycle Sea Pictures. The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, a peerless Elgarian who this year was awarded the prestigious Elgar Society Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the composer’s music. In Gerontius the soloists are Stuart Skelton, David Soar, and Sarah Connolly who also sings Sea Pictures. This recording was made in the days leading up to their triumphant live performance of Gerontius in April this year, after which The Guardian praised Skelton as ‘the ideal tenor for the role of Gerontius’, Soar as ‘an implacable, dark-sounding Priest’, and Connolly as ‘a consummately polished Angel’.
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The English Concert, Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Connolly, Harry Bicket – Purcell, Locke, Blow & Gibbons (Wigmore Hall Live) (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:13:06 minutes | 1,25 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Wigmore Hall Live
Renowned period ensemble The English Concert and Harry Bicket are joined by two singers at the height of their powers, bright-voiced soprano Rosemary Joshua and the graceful mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, as they delve into the musical world in which Henry Purcell was immersed.
Through the course of this concert, recorded live at Wigmore Hall, we explore the music of 17th-century England; from the irresistible Suite from ‘The Tempest’ by Matthew Locke to John Blow’s spritely Chaconne in G, crowned by beautifully crafted and luminous songs by Purcell himself.
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John Mark Ainsley, Lorna Anderson, Isobel Buchanan, Sarah Connolly – The Complete Songs of Fauré, Vol. 4 (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:08:05 minutes | 1,25 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Signum Records
The final volume in the acclaimed series with Malcolm Martineau, charting the complete songs of French composer Gabriel Fauré and performed by a selection of the world’s finest singers. This series follows Martineau’s heralded 5-CD series of The Complete Songs of Francis Poulenc.
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