Brahms: Gesang der Parzen (Song of the Fates), Op. 89 - download (MP3 & FLAC)

“The large Warsaw Philharmonic Choir has a welcome solidity, unanimity and warmth of tone...Wit's tempos tend to be on the brisk side - especially in the Gesang der Parzen, a performance that illuminates that piece's Baroque roots but somewhat mislays its underlying sense of tragic mystery...the field is crowded these days, but this new Naxos offering will be competitive at its budget price.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2012 ****

“Ewa Wolak is a rich-toned contralto, without a hint of a wobble, who can evoke exactly the kind of lyrical drama which the lovely Alto Rhapsody commands...The choral singing is radiant in its glowing simplicity...this super-budget collection is marvellously sung and played.” Gramophone Magazine, March 2012

“You might not like Wit's approach if you like your Brahms volatile. His conducting is wonderfully judged, if slow, allowing the music to unfold with a measured eloquence that often generates a sense of gathering implacability...It's the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir's contribution, superbly controlled and articulate, that is so sensational here, however. Their performance of Nänie, in particular, is among the most beautiful on disc” The Guardian, 9th February 2012 ****

“The performances are lean, light and powerful. The general approach is on the slower side, which sometimes makes the music static. The Alto Rhapsody is unhurried, even restrained - one of those readings that conquer you not by concentrated stress, but by beauty. The solo alto singing is almost operatic; Ewa Wolak’s voice is strong and even, without annoying vibrato...The chorus has a beautiful sound, very good diction, and is well balanced.” MusicWeb International, August 2012

“Ticciati's performances are wonderfully alive and dramatically sensitive...while the Bamberg orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Choir have this music in their bones.” The Guardian, 25th February 2010 ****

“the Middle European Bamberg sound and the Munich-based choristers sound absolutely at home in this repertoire — there is an old-world Brahmsian glow to the singing and playing... Anyone who wants these works on one disc won’t be disappointed.” Sunday Times, 28th February 2010 ****

“[Ticciati's] ear for style, detail and musical shape is judicious and his mode of expression sound.This is mellow Brahms...The Bavarian forces perform the music with a soft, radiant glow.” The Telegraph, 12th March 2010 ****

“...these are sterling accounts, with just the right mix of tenderness and sorrow in Nänie and a real tragic forward motion to the central section of the Schicksaslied...aided by the passionately committed singing of the choir. In the Alto Rhapsody Alice Coote is an eloquent and thoughtful soloist” BBC Music Magazine, June 2010 ****

“These are animated, purposeful performances...The movement is free, quite unclogged; the texture is clear, no thickening substance adhering.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2010

“…urgent, magnificently angry… This is Gardiner at his penetrating, combative best, making contact with the music's heartbeat in a way that sounds both radical and natural…” BBC Music Magazine, November 2009 *****

“Taking up more than half the disc, the choral items are its obvious glory… Gardiner sets his face against anything that could be construed as false consolation. In his element in Song of the Fates, he gives the sublime Nänie an unusually taut, sharp-edged feel.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2009

“A must-have disc for Brahmsians” Sunday Times

“This period instrument interpretation for Brahms 3 will be a surprise to many. Once you’ve adjusted though, the enjoyment to be gained from this superbly performed disc (…) is enormous” CD Review

“It’s hard to under-emphasise the lift Gardiner’s historically informed performance has given to Brahms’s Third Symphony” Classic FM Magazine

“Throughout, there’s the satisfying phrasing that Gardiner excels in, with melodic lines and their accompaniments shifting and undulating to a satisfying degree...Riveting, enlightening and enjoyable in equal measure.” Charlotte Gardner, bbc.co.uk, 9th September 2009