Choral Music: Best sounding recordings

[PatF]

I find recordings of music written for Choir or Choir with instruments very challenging for audio engineers as well audio equipment. Do you have in your music library brilliantly recorded choral music ?

Straight away I can point one (more will come) really outstanding from technical as well as performance point recording:

Bach Motets from RUMKLANG: Recorded in church (you will hear it). It retains acoustic of place but also has incredible clarity of each vocal line.

 

[PatF]

I do not know if you want to know more about some details of this recording. I can usually provide some insight like:

Some Bach Motets were written for double SATB choir (as example attached here). Recording was realized with historical corrected One voice per part (OVPP) set up. Also arrangement of singers is historical. Today usually you will see Bach motets performed on stage like this: 1st choir SATB - organ, double bass - 2nd choir SATB or some variation of that. On recording we have different set up BTAS - organ, double bass - SATB. This way you have fundament of music i.e. bass line clearly heard by all singers it helps a lot with intonation etc. and it was common practice in Baroque period.

 

[Rednaxela]

Do you have in your music library brilliantly recorded choral music ?

This is one I love:

 

[PatF]

Again Raumklang

Dietrich Buxtehude - Capella Angelica, Lautten Compagney, Wolfgang Katschner – Membra Jesu Nostri

 

[Leporello]

The singing might be an acquired taste (nothing like Tallis Scholars) but the recording is very good (as expected from HM):

 

[PatF]

Quite good recording - Beautiful music - Outstanding performance

Voces 8 - Enchanted Isle - DECCA

 

[PatF]

The singing might be an acquired taste (nothing like Tallis Scholars) but the recording is very good (as expected from HM):

Peres is different story than Tallis . I like ensemble organum more but there is step deeper in "madness" than Peres

 

[Leporello]

Another one from HM catalogue:

 

[Gorgonzola]

I have found many choral recordings of excellent sound quality produced by Paul Hillier and ensembles associated with him, viz. The Hilliard Ensemble, Theatre of Voices, and others. Hillier has recording many subgenres of Classical music.

As I recall, the first Hillier recording a acquired a good many years ago was Traditional and Modern Carols, (Christmas music), directed by Hillier with the Pro Arte Singers and Indiania University Children's Chamber Choir:

Most recently, David Lang: The Little Match Girl Passion, with the Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen:

 

[Rednaxela]

Another wonderful VOCES8 one.

 

[PatF]

Another Bach Motets from very interesting recording studio TACET - they are making excellent quality recordings

 

[AlephAlpha001]

Cantate Domino on Proprius label is an old Audiophile (oops) favourite.

 

[AlephAlpha001]

Another Bach Motets from very interesting recording studio TACET - they are making excellent quality recordings

View attachment 217926

Big fan of this Tacet label, too (Gaede violin recordings very engaging), so will check this one out.

 

[Barry_G]

Beautiful recording:

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Big fan of this Tacet label, too (Gaede violin recordings very engaging), so will check this one out.

This is a fascinating recording in multichannel because each motet is recorded in a different acoustical perspective. Adding details will spoil some wonderful surprises.

Spoiler

The first motet is recorded from the perspective of the listener sitting among the vocal ensemble!

 

[Alexanderc]

I’m a big fan of the Robert Shaw recordings on Telarc.

Mostly I’m just responding so I get notified of future posts on this thread.

 

[PatF]

This is a fascinating recording in multichannel because each motet is recorded in a different acoustical perspective. Adding details will spoil some wonderful surprises.

Spoiler

The first motet is recorded from the perspective of the listener sitting among the vocal ensemble!

Yes multichannel recoding is very unique.

 

[Nitreb]

I do not know if you want to know more about some details of this recording. I can usually provide some insight like:

Some Bach Motets were written for double SATB choir (as example attached here). Recording was realized with historical corrected One voice per part (OVPP) set up. Also arrangement of singers is historical. Today usually you will see Bach motets performed on stage like this: 1st choir SATB - organ, double bass - 2nd choir SATB or some variation of that. On recording we have different set up BTAS - organ, double bass - SATB. This way you have fundament of music i.e. bass line clearly heard by all singers it helps a lot with intonation etc. and it was common practice in Baroque period.

Bach's cantatas and motets are really extraordinary works.

 

[PatF]

Bach's cantatas and motets are really extraordinary works.

Yes Bach wrote many excellent works but other composers from this era were also outstanding not counting those on whose shoulders Bach was standing .
Like:

or:

(but we need another topic for this)

 

[Sokel]

The strength of Congregational Chorale (from Bach's Mangificat) is not easy to capture.
I find Dunedin Consort version to have that quality,along with their respect for original reconstructions of masterpieces.

Bach – Magnificat – Dunedin Consort

www.dunedin-consort.org.uk