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Schütz: Christmas Vespers / McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort and Players(more) »rank: 98805by: Gregorian Chant, Heinrich Schutz, Gabrieli Consort and Players, Paul McCreesh, Charles Daniels, Neal Davies, Andrew Carwood, Susan Hemington Jones, Charles Pott, Simon Grant, Robert Horn, James Johnstone, Kristian Olesen, Choir of Roskilde Cathedral
: :Heinrich Schütz's Christmas Story, besides being a historical milestone, has always been one of 17th-century music's crowd-pleasers--the former because it's the ancestor of Christmas oratorios by Bach, Charpentier, and even Berlioz; the latter because it presents engaging depictions of the characters in the Nativity story with a cornucopia of colorful instruments (piping recorders for the shepherds, a galumphing bassoon (representing the gait of the camels?) for the three wise men, regally blaring cornets for King Herod, and pompous trombones for his priests). As you might expect, there are a number of fine recordings of this proto-oratorio, from the graceful and somewhat delicate rendition ... |
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Christmas Mass in Rome(more) »rank: 107115from: Polygram Records
: :Heinrich Schütz's Christmas Story, besides being a historical milestone, has always been one of 17th-century music's crowd-pleasers--the former because it's the ancestor of Christmas oratorios by Bach, Charpentier, and even Berlioz; the latter because it presents engaging depictions of the characters in the Nativity story with a cornucopia of colorful instruments (piping recorders for the shepherds, a galumphing bassoon (representing the gait of the camels?) for the three wise men, regally blaring cornets for King Herod, and pompous trombones for his priests). As you might expect, there are a number of fine recordings of this proto-oratorio, from the graceful and somewhat delicate rendition ... |
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Venetian Vespers (Monteverdi * Rigatti * Grandi * Cavalli) /Gabrieli Consort & Players * McCreesh(more) »rank: 160355by: Research Composer, Giovanni Antonio Rigatti, Alessandro Grandi, Claudio Monteverdi, Adriano Banchieri, Giacomo Finetti, Pietro Francesco Cavalli, Anonymous, Gregorian Chant, Biagio Marini, Gabrieli Consort, Charles Daniels, Paul McCreesh, Alison Wray, Jonathan Best, Tessa Bonner, Angus Smith, Peter Harvey, Robert Horn, Paula Chateauneuf, Timothy Roberts, Susan Hemington Jones, Fred Jacobs, Celia Harper, Charles Pott, Florian Deuter, Gabrieli Players
: essential recording:Paul McCreesh's second major recording (and second Gramophone Award winner) reconstructs Vespers for the Feast of the Annunciation at San Marco circa 1643, using music by Monteverdi and contemporaries including Cavalli, Grandi, and Rigatti. The music is less dense and lavishly scored than on A Venetian Coronation, but more virtuosic and varied--ranging from Finetti's sweet, languid 'O Maria, quæ rapis' for two falsettists and Monteverdi's lively 'Laudate Dominum' for solo tenor, to Marini's sensuous sonata for three violins and Monteverdi's spectacular 'Lætatus sum' for six singers, two violins, two trombones, and bassoon over a repeated four-note bass. There is so much ... |
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Monteverdi: Vespers(more) »rank: 148520from: Archiv Produktion
:Album Description:Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort & Players present a new recording of one of the early masterpieces of the Baroque era, Monteverdi's Vespro della beata vergine, a collection of psalm settings for Vespers published in 1610. With its structural clarity and focus on the beauty of the human voice, it outshines much of the sacred music of the following decades. Along with assembling his usual formidable cast of Baroque specialist singers, Paul McCreesh had two special violins made exclusively for this recording. |
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Handel: Saul(more) »rank: 51662from: Archiv Produktion
: :Saul is one of Handel's most dramatic and touching oratorios. Saul's insane jealousy and its tragic results are movingly told, with rich characterizations for the main characters and some of the composer's most colorful music. The addition of a carillon is exotic and flavorful; the trumpets and drums are exciting. McCreesh underlines the drama with his orchestra's crisp attacks and the chorus has real personality, whether in the songs of praise or the laments. Neil Davies' rich bass is remarkably expressive and fluid as Saul, while countertenor Andreas Scholl is triumphant as David; his tone is rich and full, capable of expressing anger, ... |
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Purcell: Harmonia Sacra / McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort and Players(more) »rank: 154609by: Henry Purcell, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort and Players, Timothy Roberts, Paula Chateauneuf, Susan Hemington Jones, Katherine Philips, Fred Jacobs, Tessa Bonner, Peter Harvey, John Patrick, Christopher Purves, Francis Quarles, Simon Berridge
: essential recording:This is one of the finest Purcell discs around, but it isn't one of the most cheerful. It's an anthology of pieces for one to four voices with continuo on spiritual themes--pieces such as 'With sick and famish'd eyes,' 'The earth trembled,' 'In the black, dismal dungeon of despair,' and the famous 'O solitude.' It really is top-notch Purcell, with much better texts than he usually had to work with, and it's performed to Paul McCreesh's usual high standard, but Baroque-for-Brunch it is not. The highlights are the deeply comforting meditation 'Close thine eyes and sleep secure,' and the riveting 'In ... |
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Purcell: Hail, Bright Cecilia!(more) »rank: 424444from: Polygram Records
: :Purcell wrote several odes in honor of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, for annual concerts in London on St. Cecilia's Day. Hail, Bright Cecilia is the largest of them, with chorus, orchestra, and a larger-than-usual group of soloists depicting a competition between various musical instruments for supremacy. (Naturally, the organ, which legend held Cecilia to have invented, wins.) Paul McCreesh's performance here and Philippe Herreweghe's account on Harmonia Mundi are equally fine: Herreweghe is mellower and a touch more elegant, while McCreesh has a thrilling energy. --Matthew Westphal |
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Carissimi: Jepthe; Jonas; Judicium(more) »rank: 403307from: Elektra / Wea
: :Purcell wrote several odes in honor of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, for annual concerts in London on St. Cecilia's Day. Hail, Bright Cecilia is the largest of them, with chorus, orchestra, and a larger-than-usual group of soloists depicting a competition between various musical instruments for supremacy. (Naturally, the organ, which legend held Cecilia to have invented, wins.) Paul McCreesh's performance here and Philippe Herreweghe's account on Harmonia Mundi are equally fine: Herreweghe is mellower and a touch more elegant, while McCreesh has a thrilling energy. --Matthew Westphal |
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Heinichen: Dresden Concerti Highlights(more) »rank: 51389from: Polygram Records
: :Purcell wrote several odes in honor of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, for annual concerts in London on St. Cecilia's Day. Hail, Bright Cecilia is the largest of them, with chorus, orchestra, and a larger-than-usual group of soloists depicting a competition between various musical instruments for supremacy. (Naturally, the organ, which legend held Cecilia to have invented, wins.) Paul McCreesh's performance here and Philippe Herreweghe's account on Harmonia Mundi are equally fine: Herreweghe is mellower and a touch more elegant, while McCreesh has a thrilling energy. --Matthew Westphal |
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Carissimi: Jephthah/The Judgement Of Solomon/Jonah(more) »rank: 845841from: Meridian
: :Purcell wrote several odes in honor of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, for annual concerts in London on St. Cecilia's Day. Hail, Bright Cecilia is the largest of them, with chorus, orchestra, and a larger-than-usual group of soloists depicting a competition between various musical instruments for supremacy. (Naturally, the organ, which legend held Cecilia to have invented, wins.) Paul McCreesh's performance here and Philippe Herreweghe's account on Harmonia Mundi are equally fine: Herreweghe is mellower and a touch more elegant, while McCreesh has a thrilling energy. --Matthew Westphal |

Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi

While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey