Vocal - Classical Explorer (Page 3)

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Vocal

A collection of 75 posts

Lassus' matrimonial marathon: Le nozze in Baviera

Lassus' matrimonial marathon: Le nozze in Baviera

The disc's journey from religiosity to bawdiness is both involving and fascinating

Schubert's Women: a Lieder recital with a difference

Schubert's Women: a Lieder recital with a difference

Schubert's Women is at once a self-contained offering and also an invitation to seek out more

Der Rosenband: Richard Strauss meets Latvia

Der Rosenband: Richard Strauss meets Latvia

A new disc from the Latvian label Skani (itself a division of the Latvian Music Information Centre) concentrates on fin-de-siècle, Art nouveau songs by Richard Strauss and two Latvian composers, Alfrēds Kalninš (1879-1951) and Jānis Medinš (1890-1966). Recorded at the Great Amber Concert Hall in Liepāja, Lavtia, Der Rosenband was

Strong Son of God: Songs of Faith, Love and Nonsense

Strong Son of God: Songs of Faith, Love and Nonsense

Previous posts on Classical Explorer have centred around Somm Recordings' releases of string quartets - and indeed, there will be more. But let's pause and celebrate his vocal music in this brand new release from baritone Roderick Williams and tenor James Way, with Andrew West on piano.

English Songs à la française, with love from Canada

English Songs à la française, with love from Canada

What a lovely idea! Songs with English texts set by French composers sung by British Columbia born (now New York resident) baritone Tyler Duncan and his wife, pianist Erika Switzer. Venezuelan-born French composer (he moved to paris while still a child) Reynaldo Hahn's music has a beautiful, fragrant

Telemann Christmas Cantatas

Telemann Christmas Cantatas

If you're looking for an alternative to the expected Christmas playlist, this might well be what you're looking for

Der Messias: Handel's Messiah in Mozart's version, staged

Der Messias: Handel's Messiah in Mozart's version, staged

... the adventurous need not hesitate

Christmas in Puebla

Christmas in Puebla

A panoramic exploration of Mexico forms the basis of this fascinating disc from the group Siglo de Oro under Patrick Allies. The title refers to a place in Mexico, Puebla de los Ángeles, and the music celebrates the music of one Juan Gutierrez de Padilla (1590-1664), whose music makes up

Youth's Magic Horn ... Boulez conducts Mahler

Youth's Magic Horn ... Boulez conducts Mahler

A little while ago, Classical Explorer undertook a comparison post of five recordings of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/a-tale-of-four-earths/]. Just one disc today: but what a coupling, Mahler's setting of texts from Des Knaben Wonderhorn (Youth's Magic Horn)

A Tale of "Two" Concertos

A Tale of "Two" Concertos

Something new for Beethoven year!

Bassoon Cantatas: the revelations of Christoph Graupner

Bassoon Cantatas: the revelations of Christoph Graupner

This is actually the third disc on cpo of cantatas by German Baroque composer Christoph Graupner (1683-1760): there has already been one on that label of Epiphany Cantatas, and another of "Solo and Dialogue" Cantatas, plus sundry others of his music. Not only that, but cpo led the

Versailles Double: Lully and Lalande - a grotto and some fountains

Versailles Double: Lully and Lalande - a grotto and some fountains

Versailles - surely one of the most beautiful places on Earth - threads through today's post like a golden ray of light. As we turn our attention to Lully's George Dandin, notice the opulent surroundings this video was recorded in while you enjoy the wonderfully tight

Cafe Zimmermann with Damien Guillon: Lamento

Cafe Zimmermann with Damien Guillon: Lamento

The appeal of this ravishing disc is twofold: one, the astonishing countertenor Damien Guillon, who we have perviously met in the Classical Explorer post on Masaaki Suzuki's incredibly powerful Bach St Matthew Passion [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/masaaki-suzuki-and-bachs-st-mathew-passion/] and St John Passion [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/masaaki-sukukis-blistering-st-john-passion/]; and

Mozart and Oratorio: Betulia Liberata

Mozart and Oratorio: Betulia Liberata

How many oratorios did you write when you were 15? Well, Mozart wrote this one, his first, in 1771. Betulia Liberata, K 118, tells the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes. It was commissioned while Mozart was on tour in Italy, chaperoned by his father, Leopold, in 1771; Mozart wrote

Sir Mark Elder conducts Vaughan Williams

Sir Mark Elder conducts Vaughan Williams

The Hallé Orchestra has long been associated with English music, and Sir Mark Elder has done much to extend this tradition. Here we have a mouthwatering coupling of songs (Songs of Travel) and the ballet, Job. The Songs of Travel (1901-1904) feature the excellent bass-baritone Neal Davies, winner of the

A Tale of Five Earths

A Tale of Five Earths

Five different versions of Mahler's great symphony-song cycle

Selige Stunde ... Romantic Songs from Jonas Kaufmann and Helmut Deutsch

Selige Stunde ... Romantic Songs from Jonas Kaufmann and Helmut Deutsch

Kaufmann and Deutsch's collaboration opens doors to new universes ...

ReGeneration: The Three Divas in Florence

ReGeneration: The Three Divas in Florence

Outdoor Jazz of the highest standard under the stars

Fading: The Gesualdo Six

Fading: The Gesualdo Six

The Office of Compline inspires this magnificent programme

Silvio & Dorinda: Madrigali amorosi by d'India, Marenzio and Monteverdi

Silvio & Dorinda: Madrigali amorosi by d'India, Marenzio and Monteverdi

Encased in the shell of an hour is some of the most glorious vocal music there is

I And Silence ... Women's Voices in American Song

I And Silence ... Women's Voices in American Song

There's a certain bravery involved from the performers in this programme but it pays off in spades. Believe me, you won't forget this disc in a hurry

After Silence: VOCES8

After Silence: VOCES8

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music (Aldous Huxley)

Medieval Music, Jazz, Contemporary Classical, but no kitchen sink: "The Red Book of Ossory"

Medieval Music, Jazz, Contemporary Classical, but no kitchen sink: "The Red Book of Ossory"

Every now and again a disc comes along and redefines what can be done with cross-genre projects ...

Pergolesi's beautiful Stabat Mater from Christophe Rousset

Pergolesi's beautiful Stabat Mater from Christophe Rousset

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in F minor is one of the glories of the Baroque period. Fact.

Internationalist Elgar: Barenboim and Garanca's Sea Pictures

Internationalist Elgar: Barenboim and Garanca's Sea Pictures

Daniel Barenboim and Elīna Garanča in simply beautiful performances of Elgar