Thomas Tallis

Sometimes, it is easy to miss the works of a famous composer. While I have some selections of Thomas Tallis' choral works on various compilations, I never delved too deep into some of his works. Big mistake, talk about some beautiful music. I have been listening to several Tallis CDs, one by the Tallis Scholars and one by Magnificat. Besides wonderful performances, the sound is excellent and I cannot recommend these albums enough for anyone wanting to explore early choral music. Tallis' works are reminiscent of the Gregorian Chants you have probably heard before, but with a higher range in the vocals, and many of his texts are in English as well as Latin.

Tallis Scholars @ Amazon.com




Magnificat @ Amazon.com

Speaking of Szell

Sony Classics has just re-released the Haydn Early Symphony [93-98] recordings by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra in a 2CD set! These are great performances, and Szell really brings out the best in these pieces. The sound quality is fine, especially for an older recording, and an excellent way to get these symphonies in your collection. The set is mid-priced, and also available in an MP3 Album version.

You can also listen to a free streaming version [low quality] of the entire CD at Napster.com