BaL 22.11.14 - Purcell: Hail! Bright Cecilia

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 a.m.
Building a Library on Purcell's Hail Bright Cecilia, known as the Ode to St Cecilia, to mark her feats day. Simon Heighes compares recordings of this exquisite piece in honour of the patron saint of musicians, and makes a personal recommendation.

Available versions:


Coro della Rdaio Svizzera, Diego Fasolis

Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner

Collegeum Vocale Choir & Orchestra, Philippe Herreweghe -

The King's Consort, Choir of New College Oxford, Robert King

Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (download)

Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg, Kammerorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks, Sir Chaeles Mackerras (download)

Ambrosian Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras

Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski

Taverner Consort & Players, Andrew Parrott

Alfred Deller, Ambrosian Singers, Kalmar Orchestra of London, Sir Michael Tippett

VOCES8 & Les Inventions

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And what feats they are!

Marvellous piece, "manageable" number of recordings to discuss, splendid sense of occasion: should be a good 'un.

[umslopogaas]

I have two versions on LP that are not on your list: Academy of St. Martins, cond. Marriner, and Concentus Musicus Wien, cond. Harnoncourt. Presumably neither has been issued on CD? It would be a bit surprising if the Academy one isnt available, it was on Argo and I thought Decca or whoever owns Argo these days was pretty keen to keep them on the market.

[Gordon]

I had both those on LP too - but no longer - but I do have both on CD.

The Argo Kings College Willcocks ASMFversion has been available on CD in these issues:

Decca Ovation set: 436 257/258/259.2DM March 1993 [the final disc has the Ode] and Double Decca 460 287.2DF2 April 1999

Amazon seems to have the Harnoncourt/Teldec DAW here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dclassical&field-keywords=Handel+Cecilia&rh=n%3A697386%2Ck%3AHandel+Cecilia

and the Willcocks here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handel-Ode-C...ilia+Willcocks but it's expensive!!

[LeMartinPecheur]

Probably won't figure on air, but BBC MM put out a 1995 live performance under King which didn't stint on soloists - Susan Gritton, James Bowman, Rogers Covey-Crump, Mark Milhofer, Colin Campbell, Michael George.

My first version in LP days was the Archiv ECO/ Mackerras version, long gone because the last chorus seemed almost untrackable even by decent Shure cartridges. In the end I binned it because a stylus apparently gave up and settled for cutting its own groove No such problems with the Parrott in its LP version I'm pleased to report.

Terrific work - might just be up for a new version...

EDIT post-programme. Apparently I didn't bin the Mackerras - there it is on the LP shelf, cunningly hidden alongside the Parrott<doh> Must see if a superior MC cartridge and a Linn do any better than my old Shures, though I fear they did plough their own furrow

I should probably stick with the Parrott on LP, but the King box of the complete odes, welcome songs etc is very tempting. Did I hear a rumour that it's Christmas soon?

[mercia]

Kalmar Orchestra of London, Sir Michael Tippett

do you think Kalmar was a play on the name Kalmus ?

[BBMmk2]

Yes, they are great feats!

I have the JEGGERS version. looks as though there are others that look rather good too!

[MickyD]

I have the Andrew Parrott version, and like it very much indeed.

[Gordon]

Looking forward to tomorrow's BAL I looked up what I have already on CD - Kings Consort and Taverner/Parrott. I did have the McKerras on Archiv LP but no more.

What surprised me and had forgotten was that unlike the Handel there seems to be more than one setting of an Ode by Purcell. Robert King's disc [Hyperion 66494 but is Vol 6 of the complete set - see below] which I have has 2: ca 1685 but titled "Raise, raise the Voice" Z334 and 1683 titled "Laudate Ceciliam" Z329. The notes state: "From between 1680 and 1695 twenty-four of Purcell’s Odes and Welcome Songs survive: four celebrate St Cecilia’s day". Both King's Hyperion versions I have are very short comprising only 4 items apiece - which suggests they are 2 others from the 4. Neither of these is the Ode we're looking for. The disc you need to get King's "Hail" is CDA 66349, or CDS44031/8 which is an 8CD set of all the Odes and Welcome music, but it is available separately as a FLAC 16/44 download for £6.65.

The McKerras version [1969 for DG] with the ECO has "Hail Bright Cecilia" listed as Z328 [1692, well away from Z329] which has 16 items listed. On the Parrot disc it states "Odes"; as well as "Hail" there is also "Welcome to all the pleasures", Z339 also called "Ode for St Cecilia's Day" and so must be the 4th!!

So it's Z328 the large one that'll be done tomorrow and so beware that 2 of King's versions seem to be hors de combat on this occasion.

Must have a listen this afternoon as my memory is utterly lacking as to how much difference there is between them all.

More about the history here:

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id=9777&name_role=1&comp_id=4597

[ardcarp]

Parrott...good choice....but are we in download only territory again? I may have mis-heard.

[Bryn]

Parrott...good choice....but are we in download only territory again? I may have mis-heard.

No mis-hearing on your part, and the low price silver disc copies at the amazon.co.uk marketplace were snapped up quickly this morning. Only overpriced new copies there a few minutes ago. However, lossless downloads are to be found at Qobuz.

[Black Swan]

I think I may be losing it.. I like many here have to many CD's and haven't kept my data base up to date... So as I was thinking of paying full price for Parrott's Hail Bright Cecilia I had one last check in my collection and found I have it already. I also have both the Robert King Versions. Hyperion and the BBC Classical Music Magazine.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

a good BAL eh?

[BBMmk2]

I think I may be losing it.. I like many here have to many CD's and haven't kept my data base up to date... So as I was thinking of paying full price for Parrott's Hail Bright Cecilia I had one last check in my collection and found I have it already. I also have both the Robert King Versions. Hyperion and the BBC Classical Music Magazine.

A rather good BaL today, imo. Glad the Parrot recording won.

BS twicers?

[Black Swan]

No BBM,

I caught myself before recording....

J