Características
The former Proprius recording from the Adolf Fredrik Church in Stockholm in 1982 is considered one of the best choral recordings in the world. This live (!) recording captures the atmosphere of a performance in front of an audience, but surprisingly little of the audience itself, due to the position of the microphones. The recording was made by Bertil Alvig, who is also known as the recording director of Cantate Domino. The soloists are placed in a gallery to the left of the orchestra and are therefore not at the centre of the action.
The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra plays and the Stockholm Bach Choir sings. The soloists are Yvonne Kenny (soprano), Paul Esswood (countertenor), Martyn Hill (tenor) and Magnus Linden (bass). The recording offers excellent spatiality, combined with a pleasant warmth and the feeling of being witness to something very special.
Another important note: it is customary to stand for the 41st Hallelujah, which dates back to King George II. In addition, many audiophiles will be surprised at how much the musical presentation changes when the ear level is changed, when natural reverberation is part of the recording. Double CD in a lavish hardback booklet.
Ultra-HD 32-Bit Mastering
This mastering format has been developed by FIM and Five/Four Productions. Five/Four Productions is made up of the former TelArc production team who wanted to be able to master the best possible sound quality without having to worry about inferior equipment. The Five/Four Productions team has won 16 Grammys and countless other awards.
It is re-digitised at 32-bit word length and sampling frequency to match the source material. Wherever possible, 192 KHz is used, but for some material, lower sampling rates can be beneficial to the sound.
Ultra-HD 32-bit productions can be played on any CD player with outstanding sound quality.
Teil Eins
1. Sinfonia (Grave. Allegro Moderato)
2. Comfort Ye (Arisos, Tenor)
3. Every Valley (Air, Tenor)
4. And the Glory of the Lord (Chorus)
5. Thus Saith the Lord (Recitative, Bass)
6. But Who May Abide (Air, Countertenor)
7. And He Shall Purify (Chours)
8. Behold, a Virgin (Recitative, Countertenor)
9. Thou That Tellest (Air, Countertenor & Chorus)
10. For, Behold (Recitative, Bass)
11. The People That Walked (Air, Bass)
12. For Unto Us a Child Is Born (Chorus)
13. Pifa
14. There Were Shepherds Abiding (Recitative, Soprano)
15. Glory to God (Chorus)
16. Rejoice Greatly (Air, Soprano)
17. Then Shall the Eyes (Recitative, Countertenor)
18. He Shall Feed His Flock (Duet, Alto & Soprano)
19. His Yoke Is Easy (Chorus)
Teil Zwei
1. Behold the Lamb of God (Chours)
2. He Was Despised (Air, Countertenor)
3. Surely, He Bath Borne (Chorus)
4. And With His Stripes (Chorus)
5. All We Like Sheep (Chorus)
6. All They That See Him (Rectitative, Tenor)
7. He Trusted in God (Chorus)
8. They Rebuke Bath Broken His Heart (Rectitative, Soprano)
9. Behold, and See (Arioso, Soprano)
10. He Was Cut Out (Rectitative, Tenor)
11. But Thou Didst Not Leave (Air, Tenor)
12. Lift Up Your Heads (Chorus)
13. Unto Which of the Angles Said (Recitative, Tenor)
14. Let All the Angels (Chorus)
15. Thou Art Gone (Air, Countertenor)
16. The Lord Gave the Word (Chorus)
17. How Beautiful (Air, Soprano)
18. Why Do the Nations (Air, Bass)
19. Let Us Break Their Bonds (Chorus)
20. He That Dwelleth (Recitative, Tenor)
21. Thou Shalt Break Them (Air, Tenor)
22. Hallelujah (Chorus)
Teil Drei
1. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth (Air, Soprano)
2. Since by Man Came Death (Chorus)
3. Behold, I Tell You a Mystery (Recitative, Bass)
4. The Trumpet Shall Sound (Air, Bass)
5. Then Shall Be Brought (Recitative, Countertenor)
6. Worthy Is the Lamb/Chorus
7. Amen