the project

This stunning turnaround in classical music's marketing power did not come out of nowhere, though. Celestial Harmonies helped set the stage for it with its Adagio (Complete Edition) (19908) series. Since 1981, long before the current interest in classical music began, Celestial Harmonies' compilations have been used worldwide for relaxation, meditation and even music therapy. And in a stunning reversal of music industry rules, absolutely no advertising or promotion was needed to achieve substantial sales figures. And while the rest of the classical world scurries around looking for the next big hit, Celestial Harmonies has released an updated digital version of an already proven winner: The Adagio series, a total of seven double–CDs. With sales of over 300,000 units in the past decade, the reason for the series' success is no mystery. As modern life has become increasingly complex and stressful, listeners have turned to music as a source of relief—especially the timeless, contemplative sounds of classical music. It seems that as the pace of our lives gets progressively faster, the music that many listeners are seeking is increasingly slow. The Adagio series, presents over seventeen hours of the world's finest slow music, making it the largest such collection anywhere.

the music

Magnum Mysterium I focuses specifically on the sacred choral music of the fifteenth to seventeeth centuries. The music of Pierre de la Rue and Giovanni Palestrina is as beautiful and resonant today as it was nearly 500 years ago. Respected figures like Thomas Tallis, Carlo Gesualdo, and William Byrd are joined by currently overlooked Iberian masters Manuel Cardoso and Duarte Lobo. The CDs' liner notes add to the musical interest: the exalting sounds of Byrd's Infelix Ego take on new layers of significance when you read that he was a known Catholic in the fiercely Protestant court of Elizabeth I, but that a blind eye was turned towards him and his family because his music was considered so sublime.

Magnum Mysterium II also draws on the rich liturgical music heritage of both Catholic and Protestant rites. Four hundred years of sacred contemplative music are represented here, from the spectacular choral polyphony of sixteenth century Englishman Thomas Tallis to the heartfelt Psalm settings of his twentieth century countryman, Herbert Howells. Magnum Mysterium II also includes some brilliant yet reflective organ interludes by Bach, Mozart, Langlais, and others.

The sacred music included here reflects the long historic ties between classical music and Western Christianity. Most Italian and Spanish composers set the Latin texts of the Catholic liturgy; this included composers like Vivaldi and Verdi, who are more generally thought of as instrumental or operatic composers, respectively. But Vivaldi's Gloria and Verdi's Stabat Mater, both included here, are glowing choral works that show how strongly these composers felt about their ancient texts. Bach was a figure of great importance to the Lutheran services in his native Germany. In addition to his sacred cantatas, Bach's position in the church allowed him to display his musical genius in his organ contemplations, which were often improvised and only later written down. Two of these fantasies and fugues are included in Magnum Mysterium II. Another great master, Johannes Brahms, drew on Lutheran texts for his A German Requiem, which is also excerpted here.

There are some musical surprises as well: a setting of the seventh century text Vexilla Regis by legendary pianist/composer Franz Liszt, for example; or an example of early liturgical music for the young Anglican Church by Thomas Tallis. And there are also some familiar masterworks: the Sanctus from Bach's glorious Mass in B Minor, for example; and the timeless beauty of In Paradisum from the Fauré Requiem.

the musicians