Articles about the General

This CD is a delight capturing the sparkle and fun of Xmas. It is light classical music at its very best. I play Troika and I know the festive season has begun.

Excellent voices overpowered by incongruous orchestral accompaniment.The richness of the voices was spoiled for one who wants a male voice choir to be just that.This cd does more than it says on the tin,unfortunately.

Having just heard the CD, I am warmed by the quality of ALL the tracks, the singing is beautiful and sung so professionally.
If you are looking for a traditional Carol CD, then I would definately recommend this one,

I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

sorry to see that this CD has got a bad review as I think it is wonderful. My son can't go to sleep without it, it really helps him to relax and unwind. I think the fact that it isn't the original version is good, as the tracks are shorter and don't get too loud which is often the case with classical music. I really like listening to it too, I think it is well made!

This is a music from the another dimension. Absolute clearity of the mind. A fragile balance you are looking... A touch of something beautiful that's uncomparable bigger than you.

Simple, but in very different way.

Must have!

This version of The Planets has replaced my recent LSO version.
Why? Well, the balance between the contributing elements is the best i've heard so far: The bass is thunderous analogue and the high woodwind/strings are like crystal in equal measure. This is a superb achievement and exceptionally important for, 'large orchestra' where Dynamics become a recording engineer's delight or problem depending on how good they are. And these people are the best: Abbey road have done a fantastic job on the remastering of a late 70's classic, although there is one thing they could never tackle: Is this as Holst intended?

Bolt was a friend of Holst and was given the opportunity to first conduct the piece; Bolt read and heard the original 'two piano' score and must have got the full S.P. from Holst? If this is so, then what we have here is close to the real deal?
OK, Bolt had five cracks at this recording before producing this last version, so we may have the advantage of decades of Bolt's polishing and highlighting the manifold textures one may hear in this genius of a masterpiece. It certainly sounds like it.

I was surprised to hear a faster 'Venus' than i think i have ever heard before, and 'Jupiter' is a bit nippy also. But i was also surprised at how quickly i accomodated these unexpected nuances and began to listen to the clarity of what was going on instead. I don't think i have ever before been able to hold so many themes and harmonies in one passing than i have experienced with this recording of The Planets because so much usualy becomes burried in the total wash. Not so here: the richness and variety of the score is available at all sonic levels.

Majestic stuff.

Hayley Westenra, what a fantastic voice. But she sould be singing classical tracks, instead of corny old numbers like Danny Boy.
Not a good cd at all, very sad.

It's common to find good value box sets from labels such as EMI Classics, Brilliant Classics and Warner Classics, but not so often on the Sony label.

In general, the bigger the set the better the value, with collections of more than ten discs often falling into the bargain category of under £1 a disc.

This collection though represents not only value for money but also provides pretty much all of Stravinsky's lifetime works (he composed around 127 pieces) in a compact box of just 5cm width thanks to the CDs being supplied in card sleeves.

The enclosed 24 booklet provides a biography of the composer, and more importantly full recording dates, venues, orchestras, soloists and conductors, and if this doesn't sound reason enough to own the set, maybe the fact that all of the recordings are conducted by Stravinsky himself should put the final seal of approval on this most comprehensive of lifetime recording achievements.

The best Stravinsky set available I think by a long, long way.

I'm 37 years old and this is on my iPod. I love it.