There's no shortage of good recordings of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana on the market, and unless one has been neglectful in collecting SACDs of the big choral showpieces, there's probably little reason to indulge in this 2008 package from Chandos, except perhaps to honor the career of Richard Hickox. This recording was one of his last releases before his death in late 2008, and it is a fitting tribute to his excellence as a conductor that this live performance, with soprano Laura Claycomb, tenor Barry Banks, baritone ...
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There's no shortage of good recordings of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana on the market, and unless one has been neglectful in collecting SACDs of the big choral showpieces, there's probably little reason to indulge in this 2008 package from Chandos, except perhaps to honor the career of Richard Hickox. This recording was one of his last releases before his death in late 2008, and it is a fitting tribute to his excellence as a conductor that this live performance, with soprano Laura Claycomb, tenor Barry Banks, baritone Christopher Maltman, the Tiffin Boys' Choir, and the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, is given a brilliant presentation, thanks to the exceptional DSD multichannel technology used by the label. It's a solid performance, full of variety, drama, sonic depth, and ritualistic energy, and Hickox guides the vocal soloists and ensembles in a bold reading that never stints on color, excitement, and the expected bombast. The most noteworthy difference in interpretation is the way Hickox gives...
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