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There's a short Youtube snippet on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qnlAyfD_po&
I'm not sure it is for me though ...
(a) because the choir is all male, using young ones for the soprano/alto parts, which may perhaps be historically accurate, but not my cup of musical tea, and
(b) because I suspect a choir of 16 is too small to provide the gravitas I associate with the piece.
I noticed a reviewer on Amazon was decidedly upset about the sonics of the disc, referring to it as "dull, muddy, mushy" [that's the polite part of the review], though it seems to be selling very well in the UK. Anyone here have it? Which outfit did the recording?
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Post by Jonty May 18, 2013 (2 of 4)
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The booklet says it was recorded at 96/24 by Arne Akselberg. The producer was Simon Kiln.
It didn't strike me as dull or muddy. It was, of course, recorded in King's College Chapel so there is a hefty reverberation and we are not right on top of the performers. The recording benefits from turning the volume up a couple of notches.
I find the boys refreshing but each to his own.
Just read the Amazon review. I guess that my feeling that the recording is a natural reflection of hearing the performance in the King's Chapel is another man's distant and muddy.
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Post by diw May 18, 2013 (3 of 4)
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Is this really only in stereo?
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Yes it is stereo only. I agree that it benefits from a high volume setting, at which it sounds pretty decent and natural. The small numbers have plenty of impact and as usual Kings College Choir are not the least under strain. I have played it several times and really quite enjoy it. It is better for me both sonically and performance wise than the Linn. But I am still searching for the definitive SACD version. The extra tracks with alternative versions of some sections are interesting.
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