Karen P. Thomas

Review: Featuring Morten Lauridsen's stunning Madrigali: Six Firesongs on Italian Renaissance Poetry and pieces by Italian Renaissance composers Claudio Monteverdi and Carlo Gesualdo. The works of Monteverdi and Gesualdo inspired Lauridsen to write his Madrigali. Also includes Arvo Part's beautiful Magnificat and Karen P. Thomas' Medieval Lyrics, as well as works by Hildegard von Bingen, Frank Ferko and Guillaume Dufay.

Songlist: Ave Regina caelorum, Gedeanis area, O cruor sanguinis, O successores, O verbum Patris, O splendidissima gemma, Laus Trinitati, Magnificat, Medieval Lyrics, To Mistress Margaret Hussey, Alright by the Rose, Dolcissima miaw vita, Si, ch'io vorrei morire, Madrigali: Six "Fire Songs", Ov'e, Lass', Il Bel Viso, Quando Son Piu Lontan, Amor, io sento l'amlma, Lo piango, Luci Serene E Chiare, Se Per Havervi, Oi

Review: From 1880 to 1917 was a renaissance in Russian choral music, a great outpouring of sacred compositions by major composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Chesnokov and Kastalsky. While Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) only wrote a few choral works, they are among the crowning achievements of Russian choral music. "Vsenoshchnoye Bdeniye Op. 37 (Vespers)" encompasses a wealth of moods and emotion, ranging from meditative introspection to praise and proclamation. The 76-strong, award-winning Seattle Pro Musica is the perfect ensemble for this material, dramatically powerful on a piece like "Priidite, poklonimsya," (Come Let Us Worship), sweetly meditative on songs like "Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda" and "Shestopsalmiye: Slava v vyshnikh bogu" (The Six Psalms: Glory Be to God in the Highest), filled with wonder on "Tropar: Dnes spasneniye" (The Troparion: Thou didst Rise from the Tomb), and joyfully triumphant on "Vzbrannoy voyevode" (To Thee, the Victorious Leader). Truly wonderful, rarely-heard sacred music from one of great composers of all time.

Songlist: Priidite, polonimsya (Come, Let Us Worship), Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda (Bless the Lord, O My Soul), Blazhen muzh (Blessed is the Man), Svete tikhyi (Gladsome Light), Nyne otpushchayeshi (Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart), Bogoroditse Devo (Rejoice, O Virgin), Shestopsalmiye: Slava v vyshnikh Bogu (The Six Psalms: Glory to God in theHighest), Khvalite imya Gospodne (Praise the Name of the Lord), Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi (Blessed Art Thou, O Lord), Voskreseniye Khristovo videvshe (Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ), Velichit dusha moya Gospoda (My Soul Magnifies the Lord), Slavosloviye velikoye (The Great Doxology: Glory to God in the Highest, Tropar: Dnes spaseniye (The Troparion: Today Salvation Has Come), Tropar: Voskres iz groba (The Troparion: Thou didst Rise from the Tomb), Vzbrannoy voyevode (To Thee, the Victorious leader)

Review: This large (76 mixed voices) award-winning (ASCAP Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music) brings us a sumptuous collection of sacred Christmas music by composers from the 16th century (Praetorius, Philipp Nicolai, Heinrich Schutz), to the 19th century (Brahms, Mendelssohn, Bruckner, Franz Gruber's "Stille Nacht") to the 20th century (the seven movements of Hugo Distler's "Chorale Motets from Die Weihnachtsgeschichte," Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria"). Biebl's "Ave Maria." A timeless piece like Praetorius' "In dulci jubilo," with its beautiful, ringing harmonies, soars and amazes as it did when first performed four hundred years ago!

Songlist: Resonet in Laudibus, Puer natus in Bethlehem, Wie Schon leuchtet der Morgernstern (Nicolai), Wie Schon leuchtet der Morgernstern (Praetorius), Wachet auf (Nicolai), Wachet auf (Praetorius), In Dulci Jubilo (Berlin Codex), In Dulci Jubilo (Praetorius), Deutsches Magnificat, Der Englische Gruss, Marias Kirchgang, Der jager, Ave maria, Wihnachten, Am Neujahrstage, Im Advent, Ave maria, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Das Roslein, das ich meine, Meine Seele erhebt Gott, den herren, Das Blumelein so kleine, Die hirten zu der Stunden, Lob, her sei Gott, dem Vater, Si subgeb wir all Amen, Stille Nacht