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Official Classical Music chart
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, looking at the chart that was published in May's edition of BBC Music Magazine, there are so many new entries etc it's worth (isn't it?) having a full listing/review. Well, hardly a review if I've only bought one album :Smile

Anyway here we go with the Top 10:

Straight in at No 1 is the debut album from soprano Natasha Marsh. Now, we've had discussions elsewhere and agreement, generally, that the 'official classical' chart is worthy of the name because it avoids 'cross-over' artistes, so I'm mystified why Natsha Marsh is accepted in this chart when Katherine Jenkins and Hayley Westenra are not. Here's a sampling of the tracks on Marsh's 'classical' album: Si Un Jour (theme from "Jean de Florette"), arrangement of Gymnopedie No.1 (Satie), Ai Giochi Addio (love theme from Rota/Zeferelli "Romeo & Juliet"), Autumn Leaves, Mi Mancherai (theme from "Il Postino"), Chanson d'Amour (Faure), The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Et Misericordia (Rutter's Magnificat) etc etc. (EMI).

Listened to some at Amazon, too varied a selection, it's a sweet voice, but it's not an operatic voice.

No 2 still there, Mario Lanza's Essential Collection (Red Box)

No 3 down from No 2 Juan Diego Florez's album (Decca)

No 4 straight in, Alfie Boe's Onward album (EMI) Another cross-over??

No 5 still in the charts, Songs from the Labyrinth, Sting's interpretations of John Dowland (DG)

No 6 up from 13, Mahler, Handel, Lieberson. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (Wigmore Hall Live)

No 7 Sings Peter Lieberson-Neruda Songs, Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (Nonesuch)

No 8 straight in, Handel: Il Duello Amoroso, Andreas Scholl with Accadamia Byzantina (Harmonia Mundi)
http://www.andreasschollsociety.org/duello.html

No 9 gosh, the 3 tenors are still around, Nessun Dorma. Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras (Ground Floor)

No 10 Gitano: Zarzuela Arias. Rolando Villazon directed by Placido Domingo. Villazon IS an opera singer (Alfredo in La Traviata and Des Grieux in Manon) and the lucky man has already made an album of duets with Netrebko.
http://www.rolandovillazon.com/eng/index.html

11-20 to follow Wink
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RockitRon



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2007 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, John, it IS worth it. Unless it appeared in last week's (which I missed) the Sunday Times seems to have dropped its monthly Top Ten crossover and core classical listings, and it's nice to know the official ones (as opposed to Classic FM's), no matter how flawed or blurred at the margins.

From her website, myspace and video excerpts that Amazon has posted, Natasha Marsh is certainly being marketed as a crossover artist, and her (to my untutored ear) thin soprano voice certainly isn't an operatic one. All in all, she makes KJ look old-fashioned and sound a veteran.

Alfie Boe's album of "uplifting songs" is not listed under classical by Amazon, but in the main popular section!

I notice that the Classical Brits are this week, on Thursday (televised by ITV on the 13th); the nominations can be seen at http://classicalbrits.co.uk/ . When they were announced I remember there was some press comment (in the Telegraph, of all places) about the inclusion for Album of the Year of Paul McCartney and Sting against "true classical" artists such as Katherine Jenkins and All Angels Rolling Eyes The news team obviously didn't consult Michael Kennedy, or any other of their music critics, on that one.
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childprufe



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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2007 2:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Next in line has got to be "Get yer churns out fer the lads" by Voice of an ashtray. A real classical star..........NOT Cool
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2007 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting article on the current critical wrangling over the state of classical music, by Julian Lloyd Webber in today's Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/05/03/bmjlw103.xml
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just quickly flicking through the August edition of Classic-FM magazine while in Smiths at the weekend and noticed that Katherine Jenkins' four CDs occupy positions 1-4 in their album chart.

They'll be comparing her with the Beatles next Wink
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

August edition?? I don't know about you Ron but I get confused with mags months Rolling Eyes

I've been so busy I've not kept up with the Official chart - which continues to ignore the output of Ms jenkins, yet DOES include Alfie Boe and I expect will include Paul Potts when his CD is released since he HAS performed in complete operas during his earlier career.

Let me try and catch up; here is 11-20 from the June chart (which was published in the May edition of BBCMM) and it really is looking like a proper classical chart!

11. Dragon Songs featuring Lang Lang, piano (DG) - the virtuoso pianist plays Chinese traditional music

12. Chopin Sonata No 2 + 4 scherzos, played by Simon Trpceski (EMI). Some may remember him at the London International Piano Competition in 2000, and his proms debut in 2004.

13. Orff: Carmina Burana, Bournemouth SP & chorus, cond. Marin Alsop (Naxos)

14. Beethoven: Fidelio LSO, Sir Colin Davis (LSO/Harmonia Mundi) This is a live recording with grunts, according to BBCMM.

15. Allegri: Miserere, and works by Palestrina. Tallis Scholars dir. Peter Phillips (Gimell)

listen to Tallis Scholars dir. Peter Phillips

16. Music for Compline (Tallis, Byrd et al), by Stile Antico (Harmonia Mundi). Debut recording from 'Stile Antico' who work as a vocal consort without conductor.

listen to Music for Compline

17. Bach: Cantatas Vol 22. Monteverdi Choir/EBS John Eliot Gardiner (SDG). A set of Easter cantatas.

18. Brahms: Symphony No 3 LPO cond. Marin Alsop. Also Var. on Theme by Haydn and St Antoni Chorale (Naxos).

listen to Brahms bits

19. Nigel Kennedy's Platinum Collection (EMI). Triple CD for £11.99. Bruch, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi and lots more.

20. Mario Lanza's Solid Gold Collection (SGD)
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RockitRon wrote:
Just quickly flicking through the August edition of Classic-FM magazine while in Smiths at the weekend and noticed that Katherine Jenkins' four CDs occupy positions 1-4 in their album chart.


I like her, she's going to be at the Audley End Proms this year, looking forward to it.
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marietta honeybun



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PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like her too. Beautiful girl, beautiful voice and a beautiful nature!
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

She's all right, so long as you don't listen too critically (especially to her second album), but as I'm totally unqualified who am I to judge?

Her exclusion from the "proper" classical chart is illogical, not only for the inclusion of Alfie Boe and Natasha Marsh, but also of the "bargain bin" collections of Mario Lanza (one of which is of 40s popular and show tunes) and the individual Three Tenors. In fact the No 1 album according to July's BBCMM (which I did actually buy, for the Brahms and Dvorak disc and Vengerov's piece about the late Mstislav Rostropovich) is "Nessun Dorma" - Luciano Pavarotti. Which is puzzling - I'm not sure who's buying it, or even selling it, because a trawl of the city's stores drew a blank, and of the online retailers, only Amazon has it listed, and then available only through its third-party market.

Of course, if she were to be included, she would very likely occupy the top four positions permanently.
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RockitRon wrote:
Her exclusion from the "proper" classical chart is illogical, not only for the inclusion of Alfie Boe and Natasha Marsh


It doesn't all add up does it, though maybe you need a certaion % of proper opera tracks in an album??

Quote:
but also of the "bargain bin" collections of Mario Lanza (one of which is of 40s popular and show tunes)


Hmmm. Was Nigel Kennedy's Jimi Hendrix work ever featured in the classical chart?

Quote:
and the individual Three Tenors.


Eh? Individually they are/were stars, I have them on lots of vinyl.

Quote:
In fact the No 1 album according to July's BBCMM is "Nessun Dorma" - Luciano Pavarotti. Which is puzzling - I'm not sure who's buying it, or even selling it, because a trawl of the city's stores drew a blank, and of the online retailers, only Amazon has it listed, and then available only through its third-party market.


Odd. The label 'Hallmark' is a cheap re-issue label, or features rubbishy live recordings. I have a few Hallmark on vinyl from way back.

Quote:
I did actually buy, for the Brahms and Dvorak disc and Vengerov's piece about the late Mstislav Rostropovich


I can't get into the Brahms. I've always loved Rostropovich since early BBC 2 days in the 1960's when there were commonly classical progs on most weeks. The recent TV tribute to Slava was excellent. I have several of his LPs.

Quote:

Of course, if she were to be included, she would very likely occupy the top four positions permanently.


Yep!


John W
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:
RockitRon wrote:
Her exclusion from the "proper" classical chart is illogical, not only for the inclusion of Alfie Boe and Natasha Marsh


It doesn't all add up does it, though maybe you need a certaion % of proper opera tracks in an album??

John W


It will be interesting to see if the new Andrea Bocelli CD gets included. Also Myleene's Music For Romance, which must be a candidate for investigation by the Trades Description people. It's actually a double CD compilation of popular classics from the EMI catalogue (Beecham, Previn etc), with Klass providing just two new recordings.


Quote:
Hmmm. Was Nigel Kennedy's Jimi Hendrix work ever featured in the classical chart?


Don't know. Didn't get into the pop one. The Mario Lanza one I was referring to was the "Legends" 3CD box (for under a fiver!) of songs like Donkey Serenade, Fools Rush In, On The Street Where You Live which hardly qualifies as classical.

Quote:
(the individual Three Tenors)

Eh? Individually they are/were stars, I have lots of them on vinyl


As well as the elusive No 1 album of Pavarotti I was thinking of the Carreras/Domingo/Pavarotti collection in the chart which is clearly sold as a Three Tenors collection but has no recordings of them singing together.


As to July's BBCMM disc, I can't fathom the Brahms either. Never mind, didn't have either of them before. And Vengerov's piece was more about Vengerov than Slava.

August's edition is on the shelves now. It's the Proms edition and has a DVD of live performances of Nielsen's Symphony No 4 and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 4. It's in a sealed wrapper so I haven't been able to sneak a look at the chart!!
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John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I'm getting behind with these charts, so just a quick mention of new entries or re-entries that were in the chart published in the June issue BBCMM.

A very mixed pack in the chart now. Alfie Boe moved up to No 1 with the 'Onward' album.

No 3 Duets from Netrebko/Villazon (DG)

No 4 German Requiem Brahms. Rattle/Berlin (EMI)

No 7 Heroes Symphony, The Light. Philip Glass. Alsop/Bournemouth (Naxos)

No 8 String Quartet. Gorecki. Kronos Qt. (Nonesuch)

No 12 Alfie Boe. Classic FM

No 14 Platinum Collection. Kennedy (EMI)

No 15 Wild Swans, Kats-Chernin. Rudner/Tasmanian. (ABC)

No 17 Violin Concertos 2 & 4. Mozart. Vengerov. (EMI)

No 18 As Steals The Morn Handel. Padmore/English Concert/Manze (Harmonia Mundi)

No 19 Symphonies 4 & 7. Stanford. Bournemouth/Lloyd-Jones (Naxos)

No 20 Messiah Handel. New College Choir/Higginbottom (Naxos)
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps in retaliation for the inclusion by the Official Chart Company of Katherine Jenkins in last month's chart, I see that this month's BBC Music Magazine has dropped them and listed instead the bestsellers at a specialist shop in Cambridge:-

1. J S Bach - Cello Suites - Steven Isserlis

2. Regnard - Missa Super Oeniades Nymphae - Cinquecento

3. Bairstow - Choral Music - Choir of St John's, Cambridge

4. Haydn - Symphonies 88-92 - BPO/Rattle

5. Beethoven - Masterpieces - David Zinman

6. Ludi Musici - Jordi Savall

7. Handel - "Great" Handel (arias) - Ian Bostridge

8. Vaughan-Williams - On Wenlock Edge - James Gilchrist

9. Various - Eternal Light - Elin Manahan Thomas

10. Desmarest - Venus et Adonis - les Talens Lyriques

Nary a Jenkins or Pavarotti in sight (although Elin comes close to KJ).
The Official chart top ten, as listed in Music Week, has Katherine's four CDs (her fifth is due out next month and leads off with Dame Shirley's I (Who Have Nothing) and closes with Seal's Kiss From A Rose) plus four of Pavarotti's, understandably. Russell Watson's The Voice, and a re-entry of the Fron Valley Choir, helped by positioning in the sales and bargain bins, make up the numbers.

The big man died two days before BBCMM went to press and they have been able to quickly change the content to provide a cover and eight-page feature to celebrate his life and career. The cover disc marks the 75th anniversary of the London Philharmonic with recordings spanning the years conducted by founder Sir Thomas Beecham, Elgar, Boult, Tennstedt and Jurowski.
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John W



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PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You beat me to it RockitRon! Smile

And I didn't bother reporting Miss Jenkins entry last month Wink

Whether the Cambridge shop chart means a lot I don't care - it's a much more exciting looking chart!


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childprufe



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PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

At risk of mentioning the alien station, Cla**ic FM, their chart of the top 300 alleged albums since 2000 had Hayley Westenra's "Pure" at No.1 and a collection of Russell Watson and Charlotte the harlot in the upper echelons. Time they changed the name of the station. Embarassed
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great minds! I noticed this yesterday and nearly posted a note about it.

The first "traditional" classical album (Holst's Planets Suite) is way down at No 57. http://www.classicfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=529633&spid=

However, their "Hall of Fame", which is listeners' votes rather than (supposed) sales, tells a different story and perhaps reflects more conservative tastes http://www.classicfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=370441&spid=9443

This month's BBC Music Magazine publishes a list of bestselling CDs at HMV's Oxford Street store and, when I've got more time, I may come back with more on that.
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RockitRon



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As mentioned before, the Official Chart Company have discontinued their "core" classical chart, which was used by BBC Music Magazine. Even their "mainstream" one only gets published fortnightly, at best, in trade paper Music Week - the latest Top Ten is filled with all the Christmas-period releases of the Universal labels, including compilations like The No 1 Classical Album, the equivalent of pop's NOW...

So they asked HMV's Oxford Street store what was selling

1. Andrea Bocelli - Vivere. A Best of...

2. Katherine Jenkins - Rejoice. Yes, I know it isn't a classical album (even the Official Chart disallowed it this time). Whatever it is, it's a stinker.

3. Blake - Blake. Another cod-classical boy band off the conveyor belt

I suspect these three outsold the rest by a comfortable margin

4. Natalie Clein, RLPO/Vernon Handley - Elgar Cello Concerto. Coupled with "arrangements for cello" of some of Elgar's lollipops. I'm still happy with my Jacqueline du Pre LP.

5. Monteverdi Choir, English Barolque Soloists/Gardiner - JS Bach Contatas Vol 16 (of 24)

6. Cecilia Bartoli - Maria. Homage to Maria... Malibran, that is.

7. The Sixteen - A Mother's Love. "Music for {the Virgin} Mary".

8. Alfie Boe - Passione. Tracklist includes Caruso, Funiculi Funicula, Torna A Sorrento, O Sole Mio. Where have I heard them before?

9. Monteverdi Choir, EBS/Gardiner - JS Bach Cantatas Vol 6

10. Martha Argerich - Shostakovich Piano Concerto and other works

11. Nigel Kennedy - Polish Spirit

12. Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Carols from King's. The "Merry Christmas Everybody" of the classical chart.

13. Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon - Duets

14. Magdalena Kozena - Handel: Ah Mio Cor and other arias.

15. Anna Netrebko - Opera

16. Various - Essential Vaughan-Williams

17. Three Tenors' Christmas. Turkey, anyone?

18. Nicola Benedetti - Vaughan Williams and Tavener.

19. Juan Diego Florez - Arias for Rubini

20. Mark Padmore, Neal Davies, BBCSO/Hickox - Dyson: Nebuchadnezzar, Woodland Suite etc.
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