VA – Magnificat: 500 Years of Choral Masterworks [50CD Box Set] (2012)

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Magnificat: 500 Years of Choral Masterworks
Year Of Release: 2012
Label: Decca/Deutsche Grammophon [478 3640]
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC
Total Time: 50CD

This unique, limited-edition boxed set offers 50 CDs of the greatest choral masterpieces of the past 500 years, stretching from Renaissance Masses and the glories of the Baroque and Classical eras through to the major works of the Romantic era and the diversity of the 20th and 21st centuries, all in some of the greatest recordings ever committed to disc.

Western art music owes its very existence to the church: harmony and multi-stranded polyphony derive from the work of church musicians working across Europe 500 years ago, seeking either to expiate sins or glorify and magnify the Almighty with praises: hence the title `Magnificat'.

The performances include an array of stellar artists in exceptional - even legendary - recordings from two of classical music's greatest labels, Decca and Deutsche Grammophon. Citing just some: John Eliot Gardiner's definitive Bach B Minor Mass, and St John Passion, famed Monteverdi Vespers and Brahms Requiem readings; Peter Schreier's Award-winning Mozart Requiem; Paul McCreesh's Haydn Creation and Schütz Vespers; Giulini's Rossini Stabat Mater; Solti's incandescent Verdi Requiem and Mahler Symphony No. 8; Christopher Hogwood's incisive period-instrument Messiah; the acclaimed Walton Belshazzar's Feast with Bryn Terfel; Britten's own definitive War Requiem and Bernstein's interpretation of his Chichester Psalms among many others. Sung texts - including a translation into English where appropriate - are included on a special bonus CD

A 160-page booklet offers detailed tracklistings, full artist and production information including details on recording dates and venues and producers. A 4000-word essay by noted choral music writer Andrew Stewart is provided in English, French and German.

1-1 Renaissance Masterpieces - Including Music By Allegri, Byrd, Palestrina, Talls & Victoria
2-1 Ockeghem - Requiem, The Clerks' Group, Edward Wickham; Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli, The Choir Of Westminister Abbey, Simon Preston
3-1 Byrd - 3, 4 & 5 Part Masses, The Cardinall's Musick, Andrew Carwood
4-1 Victoria - Officium Defunctorum, Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh
5-1 Monteverdi - Vespro Della Beata Vergine, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner; Pergolesi - Stabat Mater, Andreas Scholl, Barbara Bonney, Christophe Rousset
6-1 Monteverdi - Vespro Della Beata Vergine, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner; Pergolesi - Stabat Mater, Andreas Scholl, Barbara Bonney, Christophe Rousset
7-1 Schütz - Christmas Vespers, Gabrieli Consort And Players, Paul McCreesh
8-1 Charpentier - Te Deum, Messe De Minuit, Les Musiciens Du Louvre, Marc Minkowski
9-1 Purcell - Ode To St Cecilia, Gabrieli Consort And Players, Paul McCreesh, Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary, Winchester Cathedral Choir, David Hill
10-1 Vivaldi - Gloria, Judith Nelson, Emma Kirkby, The Choir Of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Simon Preston; J.S. Bach - Magnificat, Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Peter Schreier
11-1 J.S. Bach - Cantatas Bwv 106, 140 & 147, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
12-1 J.S. Bach - St Matthew Passion, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
13-1 J.S. Bach - St Matthew Passion, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
14-1 J.S. Bach - St John Passion, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
15-1 J.S. Bach - St John Passion, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
16-1 J.S. Bach - Mass In B Minor, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
17-1 J.S. Bach - Mass In B Minor, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
18-1 Handel - Israel In Egypt, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
19-1 Handel - Israel In Egypt, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
20-1 Handel - Messiah, Judith Nelson, Emma Kirkby, The Choir Of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Christopher Hogwood
21-1 Handel - Messiah, Judith Nelson, Emma Kirkby, The Choir Of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Christopher Hogwood
22-1 Mozart - Great Mass In C Minor, Coronation Mass, Lynne Dawson, Arleen Auger, Christopher Hogwood
23-1 Mozart - Requiem, Sylvia McNair, Carolyn Watkinson, Francisco Araiza, Robert Lloyd, Sir Neville Marriner
24-1 Haydn - "Nelson" Mass, Felicity Lott, The English Concert And Choir, Trevor Pinnock
25-1 Haydn - The Creation, Sandrine Piau, Mark Padmore, Paul McCreesh
26-1 Haydn - The Creation, Sandrine Piau, Mark Padmore, Paul McCreesh
27-1 Beethoven - Missa Solemnis, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
28-1 Rossini - Stabat Mater, Philharmonia Orchestra And Chorus, Carlo Maria Giulini
29-1 Mendelssohn - Elijah, Bryn Terfel, Renée Fleming, Paul Daniel
30-1 Mendelssohn - Elijah, Bryn Terfel, Renée Fleming, Paul Daniel
31-1 Berlioz - L'Enface Du Christ, Choeur De L'Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal, Charles Dutoit
32-1 Berlioz - L'Enface Du Christ, Choeur De L'Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal, Charles Dutoit
33-1 Schubert - Mass In G Major, Barbara Bonney, Andreas Schmidt, Claudio Abbado; Bruckner - Motets, Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Eugen Jochum
34-1 Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem, The Monteverdi Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
35-1 Verdi - Requiem, Quattro Pezzi Sacri, Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Martti Talvela, Sir George Solti
36-1 Verdi - Requiem, Quattro Pezzi Sacri, Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Martti Talvela, Sir George Solti
37-1 Fauré - Requiem / Duruflé - Requiem, Cecilia Bartoli, Bryn Terfel, Myung-Whun Chung
38-1 Stainer - Crucifixion, The Choir Of St John's College, Cambrige, George Guest
39-1 Elgar - The Dream Of Gerontius, The Choir Of King's College, Cambrige, Benjamin Britten; Walton - Belshazzar's Feast, Bryn Terfel, Andrew Litton
40-1 Elgar - The Dream Of Gerontius, The Choir Of King's College, Cambrige, Benjamin Britten; Walton - Belshazzar's Feast, Bryn Terfel, Andrew Litton
41-1 Mahler - Symphony No. 8, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Sir George Solti
42-1 Janácek - Glagolitic Mass, Brighton Festival Chorus, Rudolf Kempe; Kodály - Missa Brevis, Brighton Festival Chorus, László Heltay
43-1 Rachmaninov - Vespers, St Petersburg Chamber Choir, Nikolai Korniev
44-1 Stravinsky - Symphony Of Psalms, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Pierre Boulez; Bernstein - Chichester Psalms, Wiener Jeunesse-Chor, Leonard Bernstein
45-1 Orff - Carmina Burana, Simon Keenlyside, Chor Der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Christian Thielemann
46-1 Poulenc - Gloria, Stabat Mater, Choeur Et Maîtrise De Radio France, Charles Dutoit
47-1 Britten - War Requiem, Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Benjamin Britten
48-1 Tippett - A Child Of Our Time, Jessye Norman, Janet Baker, Sir Colin Davis
49-1 Whitacre - Light And Gold, The Eric Whitacre Singers, Eric Whitacre
50-1 20th Century Masterpieces - Including Music By Barber, Górecki, Ligeti, Pärt & Tavener