A program of liturgical music devoted to the Virgin Mary, this Blu-ray Audio Disc provides a continuous stream of simply gorgeous choral music that receives a superb recording by the 2L audio engineers.
Two of Mozart's choral masterpieces are given their due in the place of their 1776 premieres by early music specialist Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his hand picked group, Concentus Musicus Wien.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and its assembled soloists and choirs gives us an inspired performance, directed by Ivan Fischer. Excellent visual and audio recording makes this a disc worth owning.
In commemoration of its debut 50 years ago, Arthaus Musik has released a stunning Blu-ray version of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. Andris Nelsons directs a strong group of soloists, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a moving performance that gets my nod as one of the must-watch discs of the year.
Antoni Wit and his Warsaw forces give a stellar performance of Mahler's imposing Symphony No. 8, "Symphony of a Thousand." Aided by HD surround sound, this disc should be considered essential listening for veteran and novice Mahler fans.