Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.
Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.
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St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Royall (countertenor), John Scott (conductor)» More |
Westminster Abbey Choir, James O'Donnell (conductor)» More |
The Song Company, Antony Pitts (conductor)» More |
King's Consort Choir, The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)» More |
The Cambridge Singers, John Rutter (conductor)» More |
Armonico Consort, Christopher Monks (conductor)» More |
Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh (conductor)» More |
Dating from 1680-82, the work is in eight parts, and sets the first verse of Psalm 102. With a despairing text and large vocal forces at his disposal, Purcell’s imagination was raised to its highest level, yet the melodic material is, on its own, quite simple. The first phrase, ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord’, uses just two melancholy notes a minor third apart, but it is the turning chromaticism of ‘crying’ that gives the scope for such plangency. The harmonic language, always (after the opening phrases) in at least six parts, is exceptional, even for Purcell, but the most extraordinary feature of the anthem is the build-up which Purcell orchestrates from the outset—here is an inexorable vocal crescendo lasting over three minutes, culminating on a monumental discord on the last repetition of ‘come’. With such a powerful piece, we felt that to edit together more than one ‘take’ would detract from the extraordinary atmosphere that this anthem generates: the version performed here is that comparative rarity on modern recordings, a whole ‘take’, without an edit from start to finish—a genuine performance of one of the truly great anthems of the English church music repertory.
from notes by Robert King © 1992
extrait des notes rédigées par Robert King © 1992
Français: Martine Erussard
aus dem Begleittext von Robert King © 1992
Deutsch: Meckie Hellary
An English Coronation 1902-1953 Among the more crazily ambitious recording projects of recent times—and one which clearly touched the hearts of its many hundreds of performers.» More |
Essential Purcell 'Not to be missed… the gateway to an absolute treasure trove of delights' (BBC Music Magazine) 'Magnificent performances of Purcell masterpieces' (In Tune, Japan) 'This is the winner among inexpensive samplers, and highly recommended. Almost ... » More |
Faire is the Heaven Drawn from three key periods: the Reformation, the Restoration and the Anglican revival, here are 23 motets and anthems, sung in the beautiful acoustic of the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral.» More |
Naked Byrd, Vol. 2 Tavener, Purcell, Barber and Byrd, were 3 composers who wore their hearts on their sleeves, and whose art saw their emotions laid bare, in an atmospheric concert with the Armonico Consort, where magical musical moments are intertwined with sublime ...» More |
Nineteen to the dozen A rollercoaster ride through twelve centuries and twenty new imaginative worlds—the 70-minute journey of 'Nineteen to the dozen' takes us through an a cappella musical landscape forged by the creative processes of nineteen (twenty including one cr ...» More |
O praise the Lord The Choir of Westminster Abbey under their inspirational director James O’Donnell delves into the Abbey’s vaults for this latest fascinating disc. The triumphant mood of the Restoration required much glorious liturgical music, and the Abbey was ho ...» More |
Purcell: The Complete Anthems and Services, Vol. 3 ‘Material of unimpeachable high quality. Another extremely rewarding release’ (Gramophone)» More |
Purcell: The Complete Sacred Music ‘It is hard to speak too highly of this enterprise … much enjoyment to be had’ (Gramophone) ‘The performances from The King’s Consort and its Choir, the Choir of New College and a starry line-up of soloists have such qualities of concentratio ...» More |
Remembrance ‘A lasting souvenir of a moving occasion, a fitting tribute to a great man, but above all, fine listening’ (Gramophone)» More |
The Essential Hyperion, Vol. 2 'More than just a highlight sampler. This is a classy collection, brought together with a great deal of care and attention to musical programming seldom found in this kind of CD … A stocking-filler any music lover would appreciate' (Scotland ...» More |
The King's Consort Baroque Collection 'Hyperion and the Consort celebrate a decade together – fifty CDs – with an anthology of delights. Consistency of performance and of engineering is a ... 'I must admit to being quite bowled over by this record. There is something especially infectious about Robert King's music-making [and] the recording ...» More |