From the same occasion, another great performance of a piece by Fauré, Cantique de Jean Racine.
Well, yeah, especially considering the Psalm is supposed to be sung by the boy David. But you can’t always get your hands on a boy soprano. That didn’t come out right…
I found the full audio version of the clip I linked to above. It’s a version I particularly like, with George Hill singing the solo:
That is indeed an exquisite performance of that movement.
Here’s a fave:
I was actually at the Met for that performance. I’d been a huge fan of Cecilia Bartoli, but only knew her from recordings. Then I saw her as Susanna, and she was amazing. And of course Fleming was in peak form then, and Bryn Terfel basically owns the role of Figaro.
You don’t get choruses more spectacular than this!
Handel’s Zadok the Priest sung by the Choir of Westminster Abby and the Choristers of the Chapel Royal. (The latter are standing in front in red uniforms unchanged since the 17th century.)
Handel wrote this piece for the coronation of King George II in 1727.
I am loving, loving, loving these so much. Thanks everybody!
Hope this counts: more pageantry than symphony, but hard to get more authentic than this, Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad at Queen Elizabeth’s golden jubilee with St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir (men and boys). They did this too at Kate’s wedding (heck, they do it at all the weddings) but production is better here, I think:
These are so great. Do you happen to have a favorite full Faure Requiem? I keep thinking a French choir ought to do it best, but have not found the perfect version yet from any country.
Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture. So much of my knowledge of high culture comes from watching Warner Bros cartoons…
My current favorite video is Maria Callas, Una voce poco fa. The video quality isn’t great, but seeing her acting it along with her incredible singing is fantastic!
Carmina Burana. The video resolution and sound quality are not the greatest, but the staging is great and very funny in spots.
This was the dramatic rendition of Carl Orff’s most famous piece of music, how he wanted it to look but seldom performed as such nowadays. It was finally filmed by West German TV in 1975 with the close co-operation of Orff in honour of his 80th birthday.
I enjoyed that!
I’ve also never found a definitive version.
My favourite section is In Paradisum, sung here by La Chapelle Royale and Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Louis, accompanied by the Ensemble Musique Oblique, conducted by Philippe Herreweghe.
(Yes, France has a choir called La Chapelle Royale, even though they don’t have royalty!)
Turning to French opera, I don’t think anyone has ever sung the final trio from Gounot’s Faust better than Victoria de los Angeles.
That was a spectacular and wonderful version! Thanks.
@rowrrbazzle Ditto that!
I always thought that playing the organ, Bach style, was one of the more ridiculous feats of musicianship ever demanded of a single person.
This is highlighted by this version of his ‘Gigue fugue’, BWV577, where the performer literally dances a jig with his feet while playing:
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: These three can sing the pants offa me.
Carmina Burana for us smart asses (with subtitles):
I saw a documentary of Dimitri Shostakovich, and one scene was at a train station with clouds of steam and what ever piece they were playing was perfect. I’ve liked his stuff ever since.
One more. The King’s College Choir has done this piece for Christmas several times, usually with a standard baritone. Fine jobs, of course, but in this performance the soloist is apparently a light baritone and it’s just perfect. Ever since I found it, it’s a must-listen for me every Christmas (and a few other times in the year).