Search - Carl Orff, Zubin Mehta, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Orff: Carmina Burana

A very good "carmina" at a budget price

Liesha | 12/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very good modern recording of the beloved

"carmina burana". The conducting is vigorous. The orchestra, chior and three soloists are excellent.

Sumi jo is a delight- her "in trutina" and "stetit puela" are delicious."

Great music

Marianna Przhebelskaya | New York, USA | 12/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am very glad with this CD. I enjoy the music. There was also included text of poems -in Latin and in English, very convinient."

Another excellent "Carmina Burana" - at a bargain price

Ralph Moore | Bishop's Stortford, UK | 07/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dare I suggest that given a good conductor, an enthusiastic, well-trained choir and a competent orchestra, this piece is not that hard to pull off on disc? I mean no disrespect to the music or the performers by saying so, but I own three equally good recordings and know of half a dozen more which give similar pleasure. Either that, or it has been very lucky on disc; either way, this is another fine addition to the discography. The sound is clean and vivid, Mehta paces everything beautifully and the soloists are first rate - especially Sumi Jo (although her sustained lower notes are not as secure as other sopranos' - it's in the stratosphere that she excels). Bo Skhovus is in the same mould as Håken Hakegård: a virile, incisive bariton-martin with an extended upper range, although I think the older artist still has the edge in the Mata recording. I like Kowalski's alto version of the roasted swan-song, although for real vocal thrills I commend John Aler's full-voice account (again on the Mata disc): an extraordinary feat, as it never sounds strained, just pained! A third way of doing this "aria" is Gerhard Unger's method on the famous de Burgos recording: he slips into falsetto when required. I like all three ways of doing it, but admire and enjoy Aler most of all. De Burgos also employs two different baritones: one for the more robust, declamatory bits and another for the laments with the higher tessitura; that works too, especially with two such good singers as John Noble and Raymond Wolansky. That recording also has the lovely Lucia Popp, whose sustained breath is a thing of beauty, but Barabara Hendricks and Sumi Jo are equally impressive in their different ways. The best choir of all is de Burgos' New Philharmonia Chorus but there is a fair amount of tape hiss in the pre-digital 1966 recording and all three choirs on all three discs are committed and exciting. I am going round in circles here: what I am saying is that you could be happy with any of the three I mention (Mata, de Burgos or Mehta), though I would, if pushed, opt for the Mata as my favourite. A welcome libretto is provided, despite this being a budget edition - which is more than any other bargain version I know, so I won't moan about the few misprints in the Latin..."